In Black Irish Blues, Caesar Stiles returns to his hometown in New Jersey after years away spent wandering the country. Now back home, he’s purchased the town’s only bar with the goal to refurbish it and in the process end his Sicilian family’s curse…and possibly find redemption for himself. However, things are never simple and Caesar is simultaneously pulled in two directions – (1) the dark criminal underworld to make amends for his late brother’s prison snitching and (2) as a private detective doing a favor for his cop friend by seeking a man who presumably faked his own death and skipped out on his wife with most of their money. Now, Caesar must use his powers of observation and clever intellect to navigate the complex situation while staying safe and true to his values.
Having grown up in the New York/New Jersey area, it was easy to make a connection with settings and characters that had a familiar look and feel to the memories of my youth. But even for those who have never been to that part of the country, there are several aspects of Black Irish Blues that are easily relatable to all readers – reuniting with a friend you haven’t seen in ages but picking up where you left off like you just talked yesterday, the nostalgia of returning to your hometown and seeing landmarks that were important to you growing up, running into an old crush, seeing how people have changed over the years, navigating difficult family relationships, and even just the simple joy of a well-cooked meal. It’s these kinds of things that allow the reader to make strong connections with the characters in the book, developing feelings and rooting for how you want their story to play out.
But building a strong connection with the characters isn’t automatic. It takes a gifted writer who genuinely loves his/her individual subjects to give them the appropriate depth, complexity and personality. And Andrew Cotto clearly cares about his characters as evident by both the overt and nuanced thoughts and actions they undertake. In fact, you can’t help but sense this book is deeply personal to the author as each page oozes emotion through these individuals as events unfold.
At its essence, Black Irish Blues is a beautiful story about family, redemption and debunking the myth that you can’t go home again. Andrew Cotto delivers a quick, witty and impactful read that will give you all the feels and leave you satisfied as you close the back cover.
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