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The Pike Boys Paperback – January 23, 2024
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The Pike Boys, according to a reviewer, is a "compelling story of the Pike family's struggles against poverty, violence, substance abuse, mental illness, and their quest to rise above it all while living in the crime-ridden New Orleans of the gangster era." It has all the thrills, plot twists, and quick pace of conventional gangster fiction, with the heart, depth, and nuance of a literary novel. In between the shootouts, violence, and debauchery, there is the overarching question of "can people actually change?" The reader will see that the answer is not so simple—especially when you live in a place like New Orleans.
(Good for fans of Mario Puzo and Dennis Lehane; and lovers of Sopranos, Godfather, and Peaky Blinders!)
- Print length410 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJanuary 23, 2024
- Dimensions6 x 1.03 x 9 inches
- ISBN-13979-8988803812
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Product details
- ASIN : B0CHZFLP23
- Publisher : Big Easy Press (January 23, 2024)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 410 pages
- ISBN-13 : 979-8988803812
- Item Weight : 1.33 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.03 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,047,981 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6,186 in Organized Crime Thrillers
- #13,968 in Historical Thrillers (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Hello!
I write political and personal essays; op-eds; novels; narrative nonfiction; and short stories.
ACCOLADES THUS FAR:
My story "Brief Life Story of Lila" (published originally by Fiyah Lit Mag) was added to the Locus Magazine recommended reading list for 2023, as well as the BEST AMERICAN SCI-FI & FANTASY 2023 notable stories list.
Non-fiction publications:
Buzzfeed News, Politico, The Daily Beast, Truly*Adventurous, Transformation Magazine, Ploughshares, & Antigravity Magazine.
Fiction:
X- ray Lit Mag, Fiyah Lit Mag, Apex Magazine, and Hexagon Magazine.
Customer reviews
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2024This was such a great book to read. I was originally looking for a reading pallet cleanser between genres, and I was not disappointed with this selection. This is conventional gangster/mob type story with illegal alcohol (it is set during the 1920's prohibition era), street crime, owing and collecting on favors, brothels, corrupt politicians and cops in New Orleans. Cherry did a great job in taking me back to that setting through vivid detail in houses, rooms, buildings, modes of transportation and electronic, or lack there of, equipment available.
As the story moves along, I felt myself connecting with several of the characters. And while I did not know what was going to happen next, Cherry provided enough depth in the action that I was telling the characters to watch out for......
A great read, and highly recommend if you are looking for something different from the sports romcom or romantasy genre.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2024This is a Gangster Noir story with a whole lot of heart at the center. Cherry brings the grit and seediness of Prohibition-era New Orleans right to life, but I loved even more the strong characterizations at the center of the story. It had much more to offer than just the gangster thrills and spills, and the interiority of the main character, Jesse, was beautifully conveyed, with emotion and subtlety. I also loved the deeper themes that came into play, the larger currents and forces that our protagonist had to fight against to stay true to himself, and the sad possibility that New Orleans was a city that would never let you forget who you were. But is it the city or yourself that has kept you caught? Definitely a page turner and a great read. The ending suggests the possibility of this turning into a series and I’d definitely read on in this story to see what more happens.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2025I'll give this a 4.5 rating. This was fast-paced and fantastic. I loved the history woven into the story.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2024This book was exactly what I was wanting when I heard about it. A little bit of everything. Danger, romance, politics, and set in the 1920s. If you like boardwalk empire you'll like this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2024I give The Pike Boys a solid 3.5 stars, I liked the character development, even though many of the characters were not especially likable. The juxtaposition of Jesse, a “bad guy” struggling to find his better nature against all odds, and Cameron, a “good guy” struggling not to give in to his more carnal desires, was very effective. At times during the first two thirds of the book, I felt as though I was being taken through familiar territory of numerous other gangster stories and the vitality of the plot line did not break through. The last third of the book was stronger and I appreciated that the author did not take the easy way out with some aspects of the story resolution. The Epilogue clearly points to a sequel on the horizon, which detracted from the ending a bit for me.
Worth a read. I want to thank Book Sirens for providing an advance copy of this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2025A Well written and enriching story!
I appreciate how all the characters were given a backstory. Most books mention the secondary characters but leave you wanting to know more about what makes them tick.
I also love how it made you both hate and love the morally gray Jesse and Clyde Pike.
The epilogue was definitely a plot twist🫣😮
- Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2024It’s always so good to read a book set in New Orleans, actually written by someone from here. New Orleans really does have an air of mystique that it is known for, and it creeps through even in books that are just a crime fiction, versus an urban fantasy where you would expect that. New Orleans… she has been around a long time, and has seen it all. This city really does have a ugly side, and does not want to be changed. It has a personality of its own, and I think the author personified it really well.
I also enjoyed the authors note at the beginning, talking about churning this out initially sitting in a “tiny *ss dorm” at Southeastern which is exactly where my little brother is now. I can only imagine him creating a labor of love such as this one. So I went into this already with a fondness. I love to support indie authors, and there’s always that extra layer of love when they’re from a place you too call home.
This book had me hooked right from the beginning. Though set in the 1920s, you could have told me it was set in modern day and I would have believed you. Some things don’t change. I loved the depth each character had, and how Jesse Pike wanted to be better, as did Clyde in some moments, and did strive to be but sometimes it’s not possible. It hard to choose between work and family, and even harder when your work is your family.
Thank you to the author for a gifted copy of the book, I enjoyed this one!