CHARLIE STELLA
CHEAPSKATES
Carrol & Graf
Pub. Date: March 8, 2005
ISBN: 0-7867-1479-4

All Peter Rizzo wanted after getting out of Fishkill Penitentiary was the fifty grand his ex-wife stole from him. Instead the poor slob got three slugs to the chest. Rizzo’s former cellmate, Reese Waters, takes up his dead friend’s quest and goes after the dough himself. But Rizzo’s ex-wife is one nasty, cheap broad. Not to mention that there’s a few other sleazebags who want the money for themselves. Everyone is working some kind of angle, and it all—sort of—comes together at the end like some kind of Elmore Leonard gangbang. Except one thing—Elmore Leonard is a god and Charlie Stella is a mere mortal.

Stella was once described as a combination of Elmore Leonard and Mario Puzo. Their influence is evident in the wacky mob tale CHEAPSKATES. But Stella’s not as cool as Leonard or as romantic as Puzo. He’s a pretty cheap imitation. Then again not many writers are in the same league with Leonard and Puzo, so I’ll cut Stella some slack. CHEAPSKATES isn’t a total waste, though. It has its funny moments and a few well-written characters.

If you want Leonard, get OUT OF SIGHT. If you want Puzo, get THE GODFATHER. If you don’t take your crime fiction too seriously and you’re not expecting to be knocked off your feet, give Charlie Stella a try.