This book is a little out of the genre that I normally read. While I do enjoy a good mystery, sometimes I choose to read more lighthearted books, thinking that sometimes I have enough angst and drama in my life and would rather mindlessly enjoy a book instead of being anxious.

This is definitely the exception! I LOVED this book. There is nothing better for me than a story that sucks me right in and this book kept me guessing what was going to happen next. The story was detailed, the characters unique, and even though it was quite violent at some points, at the end, that wasn't what I remembered most about this story.

Michael was an orphan that had been placed in a poverty stricken, little supervised orphanage where terror and torment were rampant. There with his younger brother, he fell into the position of protector and was forced to flee when his brother breaks and kills one of the bullies and he takes the blame. He is eventually taken under the wing of a notorious crime boss and becomes a hired killer.

This story picks up as Michael is trying to leave the business and the crime boss is dying. Closer to Michael than his own son, the crime boss releases him to let him live a normal life with his pregnant girlfriend, only to know that the son and gang will be seeking him to kill him. Michael eventually has to flee with said girlfriend and go to visit his mentally unstable brother, adopted the same day he left the orphanage by a senator and his wife.

The story is gripping and even with the bloodshed, has a good story and message.