The Gangster's Daughter

Kendall
Evens
Genre: 
Historical

Maria Donatelli, the daughter of Chicago's notorious mobster Antonio Donnatelli, is thrust into the world of crime by none other than her ruthless father in order to help him bring down his enemy - federal agent, Jack Malone. Although she is distrustful of her father's motives, she is set to meet Jack in a jazz club to deliver a message. Maria has lived a somewhat sheltered life back in Italy.  Though newly returned to Chicago, she gets caught up in her families gangster world and is also caught between obeying her father and doing what is right.  To add to her turmoil, she meets Jack who not only sends her heart a flutter but tests her strong will and obedience to her father.

This beautiful and classy dame takes Jack by surprise but when he discovers her relationship to the Donatelli family, he has a hard time battling between his duty and his heart.  Not only are the FBI interested in taking down the Donetelli family but other rivals are vying for the top spot in the mob hierarchy, resulting in a mobster feud.

Prohibition and mobster wars have been glamorized by Hollywood but in this story it focuses on the cold and rougher side leaving the reader with not much empathy for those sinister characters but for their victims. The instant connection between Maria and Jack is subtle but is slightly lacking in impact, although it does build gradually over the duration of the book. The reader is left with hope of a blissful union between this couple.

Margaret Faria