Blind Moon Alley
John Florio
Seventh Street Books
trade paper $15.95
ebook $11.99 Kindle Nook

I love me some Prohibition gangster stories, and with his debut novel Sugar Pop Moon (reviewed here), John Florio created one of the most unique and intriguing characters in that subgenre. Jersey Leo is an albino, a bartender in a speakeasy, and someone who is a whole lot tougher than the looks.

In the sophomore installment in the series, Jersey is working in a speakeasy in Philadelphia when he gets a call from his childhood friend Aaron Garvey. During their days on the playground, Garvey was Jersey’s protector. These days he’s on death row for killing a cop.

It turns out that death row inmates can have one guest at their last meal, and Garvey invites Jersey to dine with him. He needs a favor. Garvey had loaned twenty grand to another childhood friend, Myra Banks, so she could buy into a speakeasy. Now Reeger, the partner of the cop Garvey killed, is putting the squeeze on Myra. Garvey wants Jersey to help Myra with Reeger.

Jersey is understandably reluctant to get involved, but then on the eve of his execution, Garvey manages to pull a breakout and heads straight to Jersey for help. Now, whether he likes it or not, Jersey is involved, so he helps Garvey hide.

Then Reeger comes knocking. Jersey Leo is about to find out that no good deed goes unpunished.

The action in Blind Moon Alley flows smoothly, like high end whiskey.  The pacing is relentless.  Every time Jersey thinks he’s got a handle on things, something goes wrong.  Before it’s over he’s questioning quite a few decisions he’s made in his life.

And Jersey isn’t the only person whose head we get inside.  He’s the only viewpoint character, but Florio does a masterful job of fleshing out a supporting cast through their interactions with Jersey and how he feels about them.  For all the action, this is at heart a character based book.

One thing I liked about this book was the music.  (No, I didn’t read an enhanced ebook, but I would like to than Lisa MIchalski at Seventh Street Books for the review copy.)  Florio frequently uses songs from the era to set the mood.  Or rather he uses the titles, often naming the artists who made the songs famous in the process.  I’ve always enjoyed music from that time period, but I must admit I didn’t recognize many of the songs.  Still the ones I did know added a depth to the story.

Don’t think you’ll miss a great deal if you aren’t familiar with the music.  The names of the songs are really all you need to understand some of the things that run through Jersey’s mind, and Florio provides those.

Blind Moon Alley is a solid addition to a great historical mystery series, one that fans of gangsters and Prohibition era stories would do well to check out.  It hits shelves next Tuesday, August 19th.  Look for it.

And now, a toast.  Here’s to John Florio and Jersey Leo.  May it be a long time before Prohibition is repealed in their world.