PETER J. BARNETT &
ANDREW B. KOSKI
PRAISE FOR RUM RUNNER
Review in goodreads.com
Rum Runner Prohibition - Post by Janet at West Coast > 21 Apr 2024 - 5 out of 5 Stars
A fabulous romp through history in this action and adventure novel set in the times of Prohibition. It reminded me of Indiana Jones meets James Bond meets Boardwalk Empire. The writing is sharp and smart and I also enjoyed how it doesn't rely on tired old tropes. It's fresh and fun: women are well represented as strong characters, people of color command power, and some fascinating historic figures who should be household names are brought into the spotlight. It's offers a throughly modern and much-needed revamp of this genre. Bravo! I hope it gets made into a Netflix series or a feature film!
Review of Rum Runner (onlinebookclub.org)
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Post by Laney K » 15 Mar 2024, 12:03
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Rum Runner" by Peter J. Barnett & Andrew B. Koski.]
5 out of 5 stars
Rum Runner by Peter J. Barnett and Andrew B. Koski takes you on a trip into Prohibition-era America. Jack Lyons, a pilot, has taken to smuggling rum from Canada into Detroit at night and running an aviator company during the day. While the money is good, Jack faces the threat of being caught by the police and the growing presence of the Purples, a Jewish gang. The Purples wish to stop any independent rum runners so they can be the sole provider of illegal alcohol. To top it all off, Jack meets Ava, a female pilot and lawyer. The two hit it off, though Ava has high standards. Will Jack be able to meet them? Will the Purples put a stop to his rum running? Grab a copy of Rum Runner and find out!
The characters in this book were the highlight, in my opinion. Jack was a compelling protagonist. He had trauma from his past that continued to haunt him. His brother, who was also a pilot, had been gunned down by a German pilot, and Jack's hatred for Germans is a recurring theme throughout the book. The characters were consistent with themselves, which made them seem quite realistic. I also enjoyed reading about Ava's struggles as a female lawyer and pilot. It was interesting to read about her attempt to break into male-dominated roles.
I did find that there were a lot of characters introduced rather quickly, which I found to be a little confusing. The point of view changed frequently, so a character would appear and then not be mentioned again for a while, so it was slightly tricky to keep track of them all. However, this did not detract from my reading experience too much. However, readers who don't enjoy multiple points of view may want to pass on this book.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and despite a little confusion with the characters, I see no reason to take off a star. Fans of historical fiction, especially those who enjoy reading about the Roaring Twenties, would enjoy this book. The romantic subplots might also appeal to fans of romance. Given the strong language, I believe this book is only suitable for adults. It is a thrilling ride from start to finish, and I highly recommend it!
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Rum Runner
