Review: The Debt Collector by Steven Max Russo
Abigail Barnes is not your stereotypical shady debt collector.
Petite and blonde, she’s hardly scary or intimidating, however she is highly skilled in Krav Maga martial arts and isn’t afraid to use weapons – her knuckledusters being a case in point. People on the receiving end of her skills soon realise that Abby/Gabby is not out to make friends.
Ironically, when she arrives in Hackensack, New Jersey, she does just that – in the most unlikely circumstances. She finds herself the victim of an attempted carjacking – which intrigues, rather than scares her given that the carjacker, Hector, is stood in just his boxer shorts, waving a shotgun that he’s just used to rob booze from a convenience store. Returning the next day to reunite Hector with the shotgun he left in the back of her car, she discovers that her new acquaintance has some contacts in the local underworld that may end up proving useful to her. Hector is on the fringes of this shady world, with family members who are more deeply linked, though his interaction seems to come more through geography and circumstance than any real desire to be an involved in criminal activities. From the off Abby seems to sense he’s just a bit lost, not necessarily made for a life of crime, and feels a little protective towards him.
Through her new contacts Abby gets in front of some shady characters who have ‘clients’ who need more than a little encouragement to pay their debts. She’s used to seeing them sneer when they see this little blonde rock up, and she’s also used to seeing their sneers turn to astonishment when they see her skillset demonstrated in front of them, on their ‘muscle’. Very quickly their attitudes change and taken with the novelty, they decide to give her a go, realising the surprise advantage she can wield when she is so often underestimated. Her first job to prove her worth is collecting a debt for Benny the dodgy bookie. Debt collected, job done, all good. Not so good though, is Benny turning up dead the next day and as luck would have it, it looks like Abigail was the last person to see Benny alive. Benny wasn’t a popular man and was at odds with many people – but who wanted him dead? Abigail is thrust into a race against time; she’s being set up, but by who, and why? She needs to find out, and fast before she ends up in jail for a crime she didn’t commit, and with her past creeping out of the shadows, it’s unlikely anyone will believe her innocence once the police catch up with her.
What I liked most about this book was the characters. Hector was a petty criminal, a bit hapless, but actually, a lovely fella and 100% my favourite character. On to Abby: often when you get a small, yet strong female like Abby, their skill is over exaggerated, making them unbelievable, almost invincible. Abby is definitely not invincible. She’s strong, she’s fast, she’s mentally strong – but she bruises, she bleeds, she uses knuckle dusters and a big gun (for show), she cries, she gets scared and fears for her life and her future. I think that makes her much more real and having female friends who compete (and win!) martial arts competitions, I know that it’s possible for women to be small AND very fast and strong. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Abby and some of the main characters, namely Hector and Gino.
I don’t usually lean towards reading mob-type fiction as it isn’t really my cup of tea, however this book did hold my attention throughout and I believe it’s the third book by Steven Max Russo and I am sure I will seek out his others. There was enough action to keep me interested, although I did feel that the pace slowed down a bit too much in the middle where we saw the same events through the PoV of a few different people, before picking up again towards the satisfying conclusion. The ‘whodunnit’ was enough to carry me through and the ending left a little smile on my face wondering what these characters might get up to next. A great, entertaining read, especially if you are a fan of the gritty noir style crime novels or those with strong, female leads (this has both!)
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for providing an ARC, this is my honest review. Finally, I need to thank Steven for his patience in waiting – I know I said I had a backlog but I didn’t expect it to take quite this long. Still, better late than never 🙂
About the Author: Steven Max Russo
Urban Bookworm 