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Circle of Assassins (Tales from the Back Page)
by Steven RigolosiReview by Beth Slater Ransom Note Press Paperback ISBN/ITEM#: 9780977378746 Date: 15 April 2007 List Price $13.95 Amazon US / / Show Official Info / This atypical mystery/thriller novel is the second by Rigolosi. The novel begins with an advertisement placed in The Clarion, a newspaper published in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan. The ad invites responses from people who want revenge for one reason or another. There is a caveat of "for entertainment purposes only", for the participants, but it doesn't take long for the 'entertainer' to reel in the five participants, labeled A, B, C, D, and E, respectively. The reader gets hints into the goings-on bit by bit, but the twists in the stories are what keep the pages turning. A doesn't give much away other than that he will be coordinating the proceedings, and he gives the instructions on how their stories should be told and what precautions the others should take when participating. Slowly we, the readers, begin to learn the stories behind the need for revenge by the everyday person. There are hints that this is all just a research project for an aspiring author who is on the brink of a contract with a major book company, but only the author knows that the research is more than fiction. B is an elderly woman who has spent her entire life scrimping and saving so she could leave the drab, overpriced apartment in the city. When she comes into money, she immediately moves to the suburbs and loves it. When her neighborhood is threatened, she is denied all normal avenues of assistance, so she decides to take matters into her own hands. C is a dissolute and jealous brother – depending on the point of view. We get to see many sides of the circle of assassins – unlike those involved, or so they think. Each believes this stranger (A) – a person that could be entirely fictitious or malevolent – because they so deeply feel the need for revenge that they will do anything to further their cause. I can't say too much else or the storyline will be revealed before its time. This is the most unusual mystery I've ever picked up, and while I was not totally engrossed enough to ignore everything else; I did want to find out what happened next and how it all ended. This is not your typical mystery, and if you are one of those readers who reads the end to find out what happens – this one will be a stumper.
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