|
Shall we raise a glass to Max Allan Collins? A few years ago Collins received some long overdue mainstream praise for authoring THE ROAD TO PERDITION, a gritty graphic novel that was transformed into a film almost worthy of the subject matter. While Collins was worthy of Grandmaster status well before its publication --- we're talking about the guy who took over the reins of Dick Tracy from Chester Gould, mind you --- THE ROAD TO PERDITION was, for many, his breakthrough novel, despite having written and/or edited a veritable library of novels theretofore. This led to the equally good, if lesser known, sequel titled THE ROAD TO PURGATORY, which, in turn, leads to THE ROAD TO PARADISE, a tome that is appropriately named for several reasons.
THE ROAD TO PARADISE finds Michael Satariano comfortably middle-aged in 1973, ensconced in his position as Entertainment Director of the Cal-Neva Resort in Lake Tahoe with his wife of 30 years, a son in the Army serving in Vietnam, and a daughter who is a beauty queen high school senior. His idyllic life (at least compared to his life on the run in THE ROAD TO PERDITION) is abruptly terminated by the unexpected arrival of Sam Giancana, who orders Satariano to perform a hit on Sam DeStefano, a notorious mobster who is about to stand trial. Satariano refuses. But the hit occurs anyway, and Satariano finds himself inexplicably charged with the murder.
Sought by DeStefano's associates and law enforcement personnel alike, Satariano, in the interest of protecting his family, agrees to enter a witness protection program in exchange for his testimony against the mob. The family quietly and anonymously relocates, at first successfully. But when things go suddenly and terribly awry, Satariano, in an eerie reprise of his past, finds himself on the road and on the run again, seeking swift and terrible revenge against those who have wronged him. Collins's narrative here is unequivocally first-rate, flawlessly merging the past and (the novel's) present, bringing history and fiction together to produce a believable, might-have-been story with a surprising and satisfying denouement.
Collins, a prodigious craftsman, has provided not only a worthy capstone to a fabulous trilogy but also what is arguably the summit (to date) of a marvelous career. Anyone familiar with the quality of Collins's previous work will find their expectations exceeded. Those, on the other hand, who are encountering Collins for the first time will be adding another name to their list of authors who must be read. Highly recommended.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
 Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com.
© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
Back to top.
|
