Review: Sons and Princes by James LePore

I was first introduced to James LePore when I was asked to review Blood of My Brother. I highly enjoyed that novel (read my review here!), so I was excited to have the chance to review his newest, Sons and Princes.

Book Summary

Chris Massi has been running from his world his entire life. The son of a Mafia assassin and the former son-in-law of a mob kingpin, Massi has tried to stay on the right side of the law, building a prestigious career as an attorney, and insulating his children as much as possible. But now a series of tragedies have left him without a law license and without several of his loved ones. And at the same time, his teenaged son is beginning to gravitate toward the gangster world Chris has tried so hard to protect him from. Michele Mathias has been running away from her life for more than a decade. Once a promising young woman with a future, she’s now a drug addicted street player living with the knowledge that her daughter, the only bright thing in her life, was taken away from her. When her roommate is murdered in a mob-related hit, her life intersects with Chris’s life, and their worlds change forever. For Chris, a showdown is coming. The only way for him to save his son and regain his future is to face, and maybe even embrace, the demon he’s always avoided. For Michele, her last chance at redemption has arrived. How their journeys collide with the dark New York underworld is the stuff of the kind of suspenseful, passionate drama we’ve come to expect from James LePore.

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Chris, who had been trying to keep out of the business of the Mafia despite his ties, gets sucked back in after the murder of his father, Joe Black Massi. He is offered a chance at revenge, and struggles with the decision to avenge his father, or stay out of the ‘life.’ A series of related events spirals around Chris, and his attempt to stay away from the Mafia is challenged beyond what he imagined.

We are introduced to a great cast of characters, from Chris’s drug addicted brother Joseph, to a tortured priest who made a major impact in Chris’s life. With the addition of Michele Mathias, the drug addict who has lost her daughter, and has been approached to star in a porn film, this book plays host to several remarkable players.

James LePore really knows his stuff. I found myself really pulling for Chris as he struggled with his dilemma, and hoping that he would find the best way to protect his family. I was also pulling for Michele, trusting that she could overcome the life that led her to lose her daughter.

If you are into a good thrilling read, then you should definitely check out Sons and Princes by James LePore. You will NOT be disappointed!!