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.

Andrea Bowhill ( )