Bloodline - by Warren Murphy (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Bloodline: a gritty historical novel about the Mafia in 1920s New York, from Edgar Award-winning author Warren Murphy.

The Falcones are an immigrant family living in New York City in 1920. Their patriarch, Tony, is a respected policeman. His sons, Tommy and Mario, both served in the Great War and are now upstanding citizens-a cop and a priest. But their cousin Nilo has a dark past, and he fled to America after causing several deaths in a fight in Italy.

Nilo soon falls in with Don Maranzano, a Mafia boss who comes from his hometown in Italy. Maranzano grooms Nilo as a "real estate broker," but after a few months, Nilo is offered the chance to do some serious work. He becomes a useful still-wrecker, assassin, and skilled criminal. The papers give him the name "Kid Trouble." Tommy and Mario try to turn a blind eye, but it's hard to hide his underworld affiliations.

As conflicts in the city begin to erupt into a violent war involving gangsters from all parts of the country, Tommy and Mario struggle to stay out of the dark world into which Nilo has dragged the family. But when things take a turn for the worse, the Mafia may be the only place for them to go.

Review Quotes

"The best Mafia epic since The Godfather."
--William Martin, New York Times bestselling author

"A terrific book...one of the best I've read in years."
--David Hagberg, New York Times bestselling author

"Beautifully written...with a large cast of vibrant, multi-layered characters."
--Booklist starred review

About the Author

WARREN MURPHY was born in Jersey City, where he worked as a reporter and an editor. After the Korean war he drifted into politics, but soon turned to writing instead. His first novel, Created the Destroyer, was published in 1971. Now, with over 150 books and 50 million copies sold, the Destroyer is one of the bestselling series of all time. Recipient of a dozen national awards, Murphy has been called "a mentor and teacher to a whole generation of crime and thriller writers" by Encyclopedia Mysteriosa. Also a screenwriter, Murphy has written The Eiger Sanction (with Clint Eastwood), as well as Lethal Weapon 2. Murphy has served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America, and has also been a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Association of Crime Writers, the American Crime Writers League, and the Screenwriters Guild. Warren Murphy passed away in September 2015.