I just reviewed A Brotherhood Betrayed by Michael Cannell. #ABrotherhoodBetrayed #NetGalley

Well written true story about the history of Murder, Inc., This book reads like a novel and you have to keep reminding yourself that it is a true story.

I received this book from NetGalley. I requested this book because I love true crime. A Brotherhood Betrayed is a great story of the workings of the mob, just nothing was very memorable.

The riveting true story of the rise and fall of Murder, Inc. and the executioner-turned-informant whose mysterious death became a turning point in Mob history.

This is a really well-written story about the mob. It tells the story of the group that was formed to handle the punishments or hits for the mob after the families became equal under the Commission.
The families could always get in touch with Murder, Inc. when they had a problem with one of their members getting out of line. They could also be called if a member of their group was suspected of talking to the cops. They were chosen because they were already known as ruthless killers who were efficient at what they did.

This is a riveting true story that reads like fiction. This is extremely fascinating as readers are taken back in time to when it all started, Back to the humble beginnings in small time neighbourhoods and how these people became villains.

Definitely recommend which entertains the readers from start to end.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very detailed take on the rise and fall of Murder Inc and the man behind it. It is fascinating for those of us that are true crime and history buffs, but it got a bit too detailed in some parts- so many names and crimes that it began to be confusing. Could have definitely been edited out a bit more to focus more on Reles instead of so many side characters. Still, it was an enjoyable look into the mafia days of NYC in the 1930s-1940s. Would recommend to those that are into American history, crime books and mafia stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur for the gifted copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A fascinating account of Murder Inc and its origins, right up my street. I learned so much. Recommended.

I really tried to get into this one, but it just wasn't happening. I may pick it up again in the future but it's just not doing it for me right now.

I used to read true crime a lot and got away from it, mostly because real life is stressful enough nowadays. However, I've heard of Murder, Inc and this one looked intriguing. The story focuses a lot on Abe Reles, but there are a lot of people to keep track of. The author's attention to that is impressive with little reminders here and there. In many cases, that would be tedious to me, but it's done very well here. The book is well written, and it's just another example of the truth sometimes being stranger than fiction. Definitely more shocking if for no other reason than it being truth rather than fiction. If you read true crime, I'd certainly recommend this one.

This was a fascinating read that kept me engaged throughout. The writing was clean, the facts were presented well, and I'd highly recommend it for those interested in history or gangsters in the time between WWI and WWII.

This one was such an interesting read. I actually have recommended it to many people at work and to one of my patients who i know likes books related to the Italian mob.

Fast paced book and I really enjoyed it. Good story line and I think people are gonna love it. I would definitely read again and recommend

This is a very detailed account of the rise and fall of Murder, Inc - a group of men dedicated to enforcing the punishment of The Commission (organized crime in the US). As a true-crime fan. I thought the premise was interesting - a focus on Abe Reles, who was a key participant in Murder, Inc and eventually a key witness to take the group down. However, this book was so detailed with so many names, acts of crimes, and details of murders over decades of time that after a while it got hard to keep track of everything and the narrative kind of lost me. I think people who are really deep into the history of the American Mafia and The Commission will enjoy this book. I did like the history of how the families became organized and really formed their own business structure. For me, I just needed a little less detail - I felt like Abe Reles' story got lost in the overall narrative.

Would highly recommend this book to any True Crime fanatic or enthusiast of organized crime and the Mob underworld. I thought Michael Cannell did a fantastic job covering the facts of Abe Reles and the dark details of those involved in and impacted by the rise and fall of Murder Inc. Michael Cannell held nothing back in A Brotherhood Betrayed with no detail left out or omitted and the events highlighted in this book are shocking.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read A Brotherhood Betrayed by Michael Cannell.

Man I could not put this book down and highly recommend. It’s not very often I stay awake almost all night for a book but I did for this one.
I was given this ARC via NetGalley and publisher for an honest review. Many Thanks!

A Brotherhood Betrayed: The Man Behind the Rise and Fall of Murder, Inc. By Michael Cannell is a biography of Abe Reles. Abe Reles; aka, Kid Twist. It also details the rise and fall of prominent mobsters in the 1930s, who formed a branch called Murder, Inc. This group headed by Reles would kill anyone who was a threat to the mob.

Besides watching a few moving like Goodfellas and Casino, I didn’t know much about the history of the mob in the United States. Yet as I read this, “A Brotherhood Betrayed,” I was surprised to find the names in it so familiar. And the way that various mafia groups united into one nationwide syndicate was intriguing.

Because of this, some people might find keeping track of the characters in “A Brotherhood Betrayed.” I had to use the Kindle X-Ray feature a few times to remind myself of who certain characters were, but overall, remembering who was who wasn’t difficult. This is probably because the mobsters each had their own unique qualities, which Cannell did an excellent job describing.

I appreciated that Cannell didn’t glorify the mob nor condemn it. Readers can draw their own conclusions based on the facts. He wrote the narrative in a voice that could easily come from a mafioso’s lips. Despite being a biography, it felt more like a fast-paced mob movie. In fact, Cannell’s writing was so vivid that I found myself dreaming about the story the week that I read it.

I give “A Brotherhood Betrayed” 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys true crime books and Crime history. It’s available on Amazon.com.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy of this book.

“A Brotherhood Betrayed” documents the history of “Murder, Inc.” probably the worst ring of killers in American history. The tale begins at the end, on November 12, 1941, in Brooklyn; Abe Reles, the assassin-in-chief, plummeted from a hotel room to his death on a roof below. What follows is a look at how the participants came to this point in time, how the “mob” came to wield so much power and wreak so much havoc on the world. It is compelling and frightening. The dark true-life opera unfolds as readers are taken back in time to when it all started, to the humble beginnings in small time neighborhoods and how people evolved into villains, potentates, and snitches.

“A Brotherhood Betrayed” reads like fiction, but it is only too real, and vivid descriptions pull readers into the scenes. This is not a dry history of crime; this is an exposé on people who just happen to be criminals, who are deadly adversaries to both friend and foe. I received a review copy of “A Brotherhood Betrayed” from Michael Cannell, St Martin’ Press, and Minotaur Books. It is frightening and compelling. It also contains detailed sources, references, and notes, and including a YouTube link to Estes Kefauver’s appearance on “What’s My Line.”

This book was very interesting, but it got down to the details that I was not familiar with and got confused at times. This is a very in depth book and if you are passionate about the mob I would highly recommend it.

Michael Cannell either knew all these mob people out did a lot of research for the book because you can tell as you read the work that went into the facts of the story as it is being told! As you are reading I felt like I was either watching the movie or I was watching all of this happening before my eyes because I became so much into the story that I had read so much that when I realized what was going on I had already read half the story! Just to think there were really monsters like this and they did all the things they did and everyone who even knew was too scared to tell or talk or you might disappear! Such a exciting story of good guys,bad guys and then caught and here comes the trial but will the witness live long enough to tell the story and lock all of them away for ever? Get comfortable when you start to read this fantastic story of the life and trial you will really not want to stop! Received from Net Gallery!

I received a free electronic ARC of this telling of intimate details of the rise and fall of the Murder, Inc. crowd from Netgalley, Michael Cannell, and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this history piece of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of the work.

Michael Cannell takes us into the inner reaches of the New York mob connections during the 1940s. And he does take us there, with colorful prose and unexpected nuggets of information. Makes me really glad that I don't live in those times, although politicians are getting there, in line to take their place in our society today. A book I am glad I read. It puts some of the seemingly unacceptable acts taking place in the here and now into perspective.

Given the many True Crime novels, podcasts and youtube videos that I enjoy....and my love of history...one would think that I probably would have learned a bit about the history of organized crime and the mob along the way. But when I first learned this book was coming out, I realized that organized crime, its origins, downfall, and key players are really a gaping hole in my knowledge of American history. I've pretty much avoided the subject and I'm not sure why. Instead of pondering why my knowledge of the mob is limited to watching The Godfather movies years ago, I decided to educate myself. I started by reading this book.

A Brotherhood Betrayed tells the story of Abe Reles, a former mob hitman who turned informant in 1940. It didn't go well for him....

Author Michael Cannell obviously did copious amounts of research to write this book. He traces Reles' career in crime from his childhood clear up to his mysterious death. The tale of corruption and violence made me uncomfortable and intrigued at the same time. There is something mesmerizing about power and ruthlessness. It makes for a great book....but I'm glad my only contact with that world is reading a non-fiction book about it. So many people's lives ruined...so many murders, threats and bribes....all for money, power and greed. It makes me uncomfortable, I think, because it points to a huge flaw in human nature....the drive to succeed and have everything no matter what the cost. And the knowledge that those who live by the sword often die by it. Reles certainly did.

Great book! When a well-crafted book on history can make me incredibly uncomfortable, it's well done. This story is quite thought provoking. It definitely kept my attention from start to finish. And I learned about a segment of American history I have avoided until now. I need to learn more! It's a topic that is interesting, intriguing and horrifying at the same time. Imagine what could have been accomplished if these incredibly smart, cunning and dedicated men had turned their lives towards the public good rather than crime? It wouldn't be such a dramatic story, but might have prevented such waste of human lives and intelligence.....just a thought.

Great book!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martin's Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is the true account of the rise and fall of Murder, Inc. Witness, Abe Reles, falls to his death while awaiting trial. He had already confessed to murders and was a notorious gangster at the time. A talkative snitch against The Commission, he had stories many didn't want revealed. This is the story of pre-war mobsters. Confessions, crimes, street level crime, policing; all contributed to an insightful and intriguing history of America at the time of, and prior to WWII.
Every interesting read, expect for true crime aficionado of historical biography readers.