I'm not that familiar with this 'gangster' genre and my only exposure to this world has been very limited and only though Darren Shan/Dash's previous works ([b:Lady of the Shades|12981613|Lady of the Shades|Darren Shan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389864017l/12981613._SY75_.jpg|18140764] and [b:The Evil And The Pure|20623020|The Evil And The Pure|Darren Dash|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390500388l/20623020._SX50_.jpg|39907976]), so I think I couldn't quite get some references. Not that it prevented me from appreciating the story though.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the story and I love how Darren Dash has been writing genres other than horror (even though I truly miss him writing horror ones). This was different from the rest of the Shan/Dash books, it was less gruesome and less bloody (despite all the deaths) but it was action-packed, dark and exciting from almost the very beginning to the end. It's also very fast-paced, so it's easy to lose yourself in the story - I was reading last night and I couldn't put it down but eventually, I had to do it at 2 a.m with only 30 pages left because I was afraid I would go blind or sth as my eyes were hurting bad.
A few scenes felt kinda rushed to me, I wanted more details, I wanted the story to slow down a bit here and there, but I guess the pace fits the world the story is set in and Eyrie's tight deadline.
Despite the story being fast-paced, the main characters are quite well-written. You get to know them and their backstory as the story unfolds which is great. I wasn't overly fond of Eyrie but I felt sorry for him at times and I cared for him - I also wanted to slap some sense into him a couple of times. I also disliked Toni but at the same time, I didn't want anything bad happen to her and I really really felt bad for her.
I'm not sure if this was planned by the author or not, but I guessed what was going on way before the main character did (Spoiler: I'd guessed who was really behind the kidnapping), of course, I doubted myself at some points and I could have never guessed the details of the work, but when the truth came out, I was like I KNEW IT.
I liked the humor splashed all over the book and I think the cliches, though cringe-worthy at times, added flavor to the story.
Overall, a great story and a pleasant experience reading it. Would recommend to everyone.