Marc Lecard - Vinnie's Head (2006)
Reviewed by David J. Montgomery
Seamlessly interweaving humor into a crime novel is no easy trick. Few authors can pull it off, and fewer still can do it successfully with their first novel. Marc Lecard has done it, however, with Vinnie's Head, as darkly humorous and entertaining a novel as you'll likely read this year.
Johnnie LoDuco tries his best, but he isn't a very successful criminal. He's been accused of a robbery he didn't even commit, and has been forced to go on the lam. That's when his luck really turns bad. While fishing on Long Island Sound, he inadvertently catches the severed head of Vinnie McCloskey-Schmidt, his best friend and partner in crime.
That discovery sets off a madcap series of adventures, which have Johnnie being chased by a motley crew of mobsters, bent cops and a serial killer who really loves his Mommy. The whole thing would be ridiculous if it weren't so well done and so damn hilarious.
Vinnie's Head is not for every taste, but it's definitely for people who like their crime funny, brutal and over-the-top. Lecard is a true find.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
