UnLucky Double: Part One

by Darryl R. Breland

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Pub Date Aug 13 2014 | Archive Date Nov 30 2014

Description

Everyone has a double. Al Capone discovers that Johnny Cado, a local bootlegger in prohibition era New Orleans looks just like the infamous Lucky Luciano. The New York mobster drafts Cado to provide Lucky with an alibi while committing crimes and a stand-in when he becomes the target of an assassination attempt. Johnny Cado is the UnLucky Double until he takes advantage of an opportunity to flee with his wife and the mob’s money while on assignment in Italy. Life is temporary much better while living in France under assumed names, but things change for the worse when the German Nazis invade and occupy France. The Nazis arrest Cado and his wife for assisting the French Underground smuggle stranded British airmen out of occupied France. Spared the death penalty, the Cado’s are forced to participate in gruesome medical research programs in Dachau, Germany. Although Johnny Cado and his wife, Angila, are fictional characters, their story is intertwined with real historical characters and events. Readers who enjoy historical fiction, organized crime stories, World War II stories, drama and romance, will enjoy this book.

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EDITION	Paperback
ISBN	9781500990503
PRICE	$12.95 (USD)

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Average rating from 7 members

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Featured Reviews

Reeca E, Reviewer

I am not a huge science fiction fan. I was a little worried at the beginning of the story. But, it quickly turned into a historical fiction tale that left me breathless.

I was intrigued with the famous characters dispersed throughout the novel. The author did an excellent job with the research. Lucky Luciano and Al Capone kept me fascinated in the first part of the book, Hitler and Himmler in the second part.

And because of the ending, (a complete and total surprise) I now have to buy the sequel. It will be money well spent!!

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John P, Reviewer

“Unlucky Double” was published in 2014 and was written by D. R. Breland (http://dbreland.wix.com/darrylbreland). This is Mr. Breland’s first publication, and is the first part of his “Adventure’s of Lucky Luciano’s Double” series.

I would categorize this novel as ‘R’ as there is Violence. The Thriller novel is written in the first person and is set in various American and European cities beginning in the 1920s and stretching out into the first years of WWII. The main character is Giovani Cado, a Sicilian who grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Cado was part of organized crime in New Orleans from an early age. By chance, he meets fellow mobsters from Chicago and New York at a business dinner in New Orleans. They comment on what a remarkable resemblance Cado has to Charles “Lucky” Luciano. Soon Cado is summoned to New York to become Luciano’s double.

Caro works on and off for several years as Luciano’s double. Along the way he marries a Sicilian woman, Maria. Caro is involved with a big deal, but sees his chance and makes off with millions. He and his wife are hiding under assumed names in France when the Germans invade. Thinking Dado is Luciano, the Germans make him their pawn.

This is a relatively short (it took be only 2.5 hours to read it) story that intertwines the American gangsters of the 20’s and 30’s, with Hitler’s rise to power in Germany. I liked the characters as they are portrayed, and the general idea of the plot. Where I see it falling short, is it’s abrupt end. The way it is laid out it is more of a serial piece than a stand alone story. Overall all though I give this novel a 3.5 (rounded up to 4) out of 5.

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