alexandertheGrape Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Hi everyone, I was wondering if you could recommend me some of your favorite novels on these topics: gangs, gang life, drug dealing, drug empires, snitches/moles, crime rings, criminal minds, CON ARTISTS and heists, mafia. Non fiction or fiction, it's all gravy. I'm really excited to see what the forum members can come up with! Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Hi everyone, I was wondering if you could recommend me some of your favorite novels on these topics: gangs, gang life, drug dealing, drug empires, snitches/moles, crime rings, criminal minds, CON ARTISTS and heists, mafia. Non fiction or fiction, it's all gravy. I'm really excited to see what the forum members can come up with! Thank you Hi and welcome to The Book Club..... I remember reading and enjoying The French Connection back in the 70s and that would seem to tick a lot of the boxes above. Also the Aurelio Zen novels are quite good - they take place in Rome and have a lot of the topics you are after. (Btw the books are much better than the recent BBC series). One of my other favourite series is the Jacquot books. He is a French detective (ex Rugby player) and the stories are quite down to earth and gritty. The first book (Jacquot and the Waterman) is set in Marseille - which might of interest? As you can see from my avatar, my crime reading normally takes place in late Victorian England - but I'm sure many members here will come up with a wide choice of reading for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Would Martina Cole fit the bill perhaps? I've not read any of hers but I think she tends to write about London gangster underworld. alexanderthe Grape, can I ask why this specific sub-genre? It seems very specific. I will have a think and see if I can think of any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Have you tried Stuart MacBride...grusome but with a twisted sense of humour too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beef Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I would suggest the following: The corner by David Simon - Follows a small area of Baltimore and the drug addicts/dealers that live there, this is not got a LOT of gang content but it has lots of the social effects drug gangs have on inner city areas with high drug usage Redemption by Tookie Williams - The life story of a founding member of the Crips gang, one of the biggest gangs in the world. Street kids The story of 7 kids from a run down estate Mafia Enforcer by Cecil Kirby This book combines motorcycle gangs and the Mafia as the author was a President (may have been Vice president its been a long time since I read it) of a MC then became a hitman for the Mafia in Canada Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh An academic walks into gangland, is taken hostage overnight and then freed, only to return the next day with a 6-pack of beer and some questions. One of the best insights into a working gang that you will find even though its not a 'crime' book. Gaspipe by Philip Carlo The life story of Casso, a man who rose through the Mafia ranks to become head of the Lucchese family lots of info about crooked cops etc and how criminals use them. Befriend and Betray: Infiltrating the Hells Angels, Bandidos and Other Criminal Brotherhoods by Alex Caine - The story of one of the most successful undercover law enforcement workers ever, he infiltrated multiple gangs/organisations including the Hells Angels, Bandidos and even the KKK No Angel by Jay Dobyns - Jay Dobyns is an ATF agent who goes under cover into the world of the Hells Angels, this book has lots of information about the inner workings of a MC Under and alone by William Queen Another story of an undercover agent infiltrating an MC again has lots of information about the inner workings and the day to day of being in a MC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Fiction: The Outsiders by Susan Hinton. YA but very good. Non Fiction: Run Baby Run by Nicky Cruz (testimony of Nicky Cruz (of the Cross and the Switchblade fame), his life in the gangs and subsequent conversion to Christianity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave165 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 The Power of The Dog by Don Winslow covers all of the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 How about James Ellroy? Try these: L.A. Quartet: The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz or Underworld USA trilogy: American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand, and Blood's A Rover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Homicide A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon We haven't read it yet, but Simon is the creator/writer on the TV/HBO series The Wire, and as far as I know, The Wire was based on this book, and that writing is amazing. Also Iron River by T. Jefferson Parker, my OH just finished it, and rates it a 3 out of 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) How about Mark Brandon Read's, also known as the Chopper, autobiographical books? Or Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia by Joseph D. Pistone. Edited February 2, 2011 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Hi, if you don't mind a bit of magical realism thrown in then the book I've just finished .. 'Senor Vivo & the Coca Lord' by Louis de Berniere would be perfect. It's grim and violent but also extremely funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Hi, if you don't mind a bit of magical realism thrown in then the book I've just finished .. 'Senor Vivo & the Coca Lord' by Louis de Berniere would be perfect. It's grim and violent but also extremely funny. Ths is a brilliant read, allthough as Poppyshake says, grim in parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beef Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We haven't read it yet, but Simon is the creator/writer on the TV/HBO series The Wire, and as far as I know, The Wire was based on this book, and that writing is amazing. Sort of, Parts of that book were used along with The Corner and as well as the experiences of co-writers of The Wire were use. Homicide did have its own HBO series (called Homicide, creative chaps at HBO!). Both The Corner and Homicide are well worth reading if you enjoyed The Wire as there are a lot of similar characters including some of the real people from the show (Jay Landsman is in Homicide). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 (edited) Another set of books that might be good are the ones on the Kray Twins, plenty of them out there but can't remember any titles. Edit: I do wonder though if Alexanderthegrape will come back to see our posts Edited February 4, 2011 by SueK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Edit: I do wonder though if Alexanderthegrape will come back to see our posts We can hope! I think that it can be really useful to have threads like these that bring together titles in a particular genre / sub genre, and see what others come up with. I've added many a title to my ever expanding TBR pile and wishlists from these 'Looking For...' threads. Darn it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie77 Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I have just ordered an intersting sound book called 'Wheels of Anarchy' by Max Pemberton (compiled by Paul R Spiring and Hugh Cooke). It was originally published in the early 1900's and supposed to have more action than James Bond, but with Sherlock Holmes touch. Might be worth a try. Will let you know what I thought of it when I have read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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