Vinnie's Head by Mac Lecard, St Martin's 2007 isbn 0312360215

Marc Lecard has done something very difficult, he has written a crime novel that is dark, funny and extremely madcapped. Johnny Loduco, petty criminal and thief, runs into his old friend Vinnie who probably cannot be trusted. Then he finds Vinnie's head and his world changes. Mobsters, crazy ladies, a bounty hunter, a likeable serial killer who collects heads and lives with his mother, dirty cops and huge computer swindles enter his life. Lecard is able to pull this novel off. The book is wild and almost reads like an old fashioned cliff hanger. Loduca is chased all over Long Island and despite violence and a large body count, Lecard makes the novel widely entertaining and charming. This is an excellent 1st book and should be a big hit.

Richard