Unremarkable

Saul Imbierowicz is Unremarkable. There is nothing terribly special about him. He’s a young Jewish man who just moved out on his own in 1920s Chicago. He recently started working at the Postal Office sorting mail, and he has a new girlfriend named Moira. Valentine’s Day comes around, and he is out on the town with Moira when they happen to walk into the famous Valentine’s Day Massacre of Bugs Moran’s gang by Al Capone’s gang. Moira ends up shot and Saul walks away unharmed. After that night, Saul is approached by both Moran and Capone to steal some ledgers from his work, as well as by the Feds, who want to bring down Capone as well as Moira. Turns out there is a lot more to Moira than meets the eye, and she has plans for him Saul can’t even comprehend. Sometimes gangsters wanting you dead is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Once Moira’s done with him, if they succeed in killing Saul, he just might not stay dead.

When you are presented with a book that is unknown and either published independently or by an also unknown publisher, there is always the possibility it’s because it’s not very good. I was nervous that this book would live up to its title and be unremarkable. I am not going to go so far in that it deserves an award for fantastic writing, but I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It took a supernatural turn with gangsters from the twenties and added some vampirism to the mix. I can never turn down a good vampire story. My only criticism is that I wish it was longer. I think the authors could have expounded more on certain characters or plot points, but it is the beginning of a series, so they have time to improve their craft.

Saul was the perfect character for this story. He had just the right sense of humor and likable qualities that make a character enjoyable to read about. I loved how this book had all the classic characters from 1920s Chicago like Al Capone, Bugs Moran, and even Eliot Ness. I also love how the next book in the series will be called Untouchable. It’s the perfect homage to the classic movie and story of Eliot Ness, and it also fits with what actually happens to Saul in this story.

I would highly encourage you to read this book. It’s a quick read and it’s entertaining. I think you’ll love it if you enjoy stories from that time period, and you’ll really love it if you enjoy vampire stories.