Genre: Book
Grade: B+/B
Notable People: Steve Hamilton
Title: Exit Strategy
Review: this is Hamilton’s second effort in his new Nick Mason series- after his ten plus year run with his Alex McKnight books. I thought the first in the series (The Second Coming of Nick Mason) was an absolutely extraordinary kickoff novel…..but this one faltered a bit for me. In the first book, Mason scraped his way through some very dangerous situations; in this one the scenarios just seemed way too unbelievable…so crossed the reality line for me. That said, the book is extremely well written, as always with Hamilton, and Nick Mason is an utterly compelling character. You want to know Irish culture in Chicago…this is quite the education. The story of a small time criminal taking the rap for his friends , and getting a 25 year stretch – only to be handpicked by an imprisoned gangland kingpin to get his freedom back in trade for enslavement to his outside immoral bidding…is hard hitting and at times, riveting. I’d just prefer some shackles of reality be aped. Hoping for a better third installment.