A Quiet Vendetta

by R.J. Ellory

Book Overview

When Catherine Ducane disappears in New Orleans, the cops react fast -- she is the Governor's daughter, after all. But the case quickly grows very strange. Her bodyguard turns up horribly mutilated,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0752860607
• ISBN13: 9780752860602
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Orion Books Limited
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.7" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

what a thriller

this is a book , once you're abit along , you can't put down! the main character, perez,is a complex and captivating person. the suspense carries you thru at a fast pace, with perez's dialogue captivating you ! don't stop reading ! go to the end and you won't be disappointed !!

A noisy recommendation!

I have now read all five in the R J Ellory portfolio (his sixth is due Oct 2008) and not for the first time, I kissed this one as I closed the last page. This man, in my opinion, doesn't know how to write a bad or even mediocre novel. I have never given 5 stars to every book by the same author before, and that would include my personal favourites. I guess Ellory will inevitably slip up sooner or later, but until then I must say that all five of his novels published to date are absolutely top-notch pieces of writing and any one of them could be another reader's first preference. As for A QUIET VENDETTA, the third of the five published, I can only say buy it, borrow it or somehow get your hands on it because it is a captivating story that you just won't want to end. Some feel that Ellory isn't a crime fiction writer, that his work cannot be pigeon-holed into any specific genre, and while I understand that argument, this story is probably the most criminal of them all. It takes a while before the reader can latch onto who the central character is; at first we assume it to be John Verlaine, a Homicide Detective in New Orleans - but it isn't. Then we figure it to be New York based Special Investigator Ray Hartmann - but again, it isn't. In fact it is more than one hundred pages into the story before we finally know who it's really all about: Ernesto Cabrera Perez, and the narrative switches from third-person to first person as the elderly Perez tells Hartmann his life story. And what a life it was. Perez is a quite extraordinary man, a man of unquestioning loyalty and devotion to his family. But apart from his own family, at least the one he creates as opposed to his forebears, he is very deeply entrenched in a family of a very different kind. Despite his Cuban blood, Perez is a life-long 'troubleshooter' for the Italian Mafia in various cities across America. When there's trouble, he shoots - and he never misses. Yes, he is the absolutely reliable hit-man in a world of organised crime spanning five decades or more, and for once Ellory not only uses politically significant events in 20th-century American history as a time stamp, as a backdrop to the story; this time his key character is directly involved in it. Perez is responsible for one of the most notorious 'hits' in the chronicles of organised crime. Seeing as this particular murder was never solved in reality, there is an acceptable degree of credibility to this supposedly fictitious thread of the overall story. Despite this, it is actually only of minor relevance in itself, because the backbone of the tale is the kidnapping of the daughter of Louisiana Governor Charles Ducane, and Perez promises Hartmann to divulge her whereabouts once he has fully told his life story. Whether she is alive or dead, he cannot say. So begins a massive FBI-administered hunt for the abducted young girl, but she will not be found until Perez tells them where to look. It would be easy to pick holes in the novel, a

Not to be missed!

Absolutely superb! Having already read 'Ghostheart' and 'A Quiet Belief In Angels' this is the third book I've read by Roger Ellory and I have to say this is definitely in my opinion, the best so far. The life story of a Mafia hitman unfolds before us as Ernesto Perez (The Cuban) relates it to Ray Hartmann who works for the organised crime task force in Washington DC. After handing himself in to the FBI following the kidnapping of the daughter of the Governor of Louisiana, Perez reveals he worked as a hit man for the Mob and only when Hartmann has listened to his life story will he tell him where the missing Catherine Ducane is. As chapter by chapter his past is revealed from a Child in New Orleans of Cuban parentage to the heart of the American Mafia, I found it hard not to warm to the central character with his strong values of family life and gentle manner despite the atrocities he admits to being a part of. Would make a terrific movie!

Roger Jon Ellory: A Quiet Vendetta - An Encompassed Powerful Historical Revenge Crime Thriller.

A Quite Vendetta is the story which revolves around one man known to all as the Cuban. His real name Ernesto Perez born in the 40's in Louisiana of Cuban/American parentage. Perez spends the early part of his life in Louisiana until his mothers unexpected death, then Ernesto Perez returns to Cuba, old Havana with his father. They begin a new life, Havana in the fifties was a struggle to make ends meet, but Perez has a sharp mind he uses acts of Violence to get ahead until one certain event leads him to sit on the edges of organized crime, his employers are the mafia. Ernesto Perez the Cuban is sent back to America, life really begins. Present day: A federal investigation is taking place involving a kidnapping of the daughter of the Governor of Louisiana. Ernesto Perez now aged late 60's hands himself into the authorities and is quiet forth coming to advise all he was directly involved with this crime. Perez would be an unknown to the FBI all they can do is abide by his wishes, humour him give him what he wants for the time being and within reason, in exchange for information of the Governor's daughter whereabouts dead or alive. Ernesto Perez just feels old and what he really wishes would be to tell his life story spanning fifty years, the authorities are given no choice in the matter but to sit and listen. As Perez's life unfolds the federal agents understand why this certain girl had been taken. This book for me was incredible, an epic gripping read. Centered around one man's life, Ernesto Perez the planner, the thinker, the story is told from Perez's view of life he talks about his own fight with his inner conflicts, the passionate and brutality of life he has faced. He talks in contradictions which seems quite natural to him, his day's violent work and then returns home to his wife and children to play a loving husband and father. The fictional characterisation which I love are quiet incredible, you lose yourself not only in these clear characters but the storyline is bigger and so much, much more than just mafia or crime connected, extremely well planned and beautiful written. We are taken on a tour of cities that are all finely detailed. This book reaches out with it's direct language, it's intensity and violent nature, insightfulness and suspensful to the last page. The history and politics in this novel spans seventy years, Organized Crime, Fidel Castro, Jimmy Hoffa, The Kennedy's all entwined for a compelling read. Roger Jon Ellory would be a writer to look out for, a brillant piece of literature writing not to ignored, congratulation to Ellory for a highly engrossing and wonderful twisted crime thriller the best I've read in a long long time highly recommended. City of Lies, Ellory's latest novel is currently on release this will certainly be my next purchase. Andrea Bowhill

Stunning

This is the best book I have read in a long time, if not one of the best. It's so good that I wouldn't be suprised if gets made in to a blockbuster movie in the near future.