Rico Stays by Ed Duncan

Author : Ed Duncan
Title : Rico Stays
Published : 2020
Publisher : Independently published
Pages : 189
Genre : Crime / Thriller

     After enforcer Richard “Rico” Sanders stepped in to protect his girlfriend from a local mob boss’s hot-headed nephew, all hell broke loose. When the smoke cleared, the nephew had vanished, but three goons who had tried to help him lay dying where they’d stood. Fighting for his life, Rico was alive but gravely wounded. Out of the hospital but not fully recovered, he needed a place to crash – a place where he wouldn’t be found by men who surely would be looking. A place like the cabin owned by lawyer Paul Elliott, whose life Rico had saved more than once. Trouble was, Paul’s girlfriend hadn’t forgotten Rico’s dark history. Or Paul’s fascination with him. Using Rico’s girlfriend as bait, vengeful killers soon would be coming for him. The only question was whether he would face them alone or with help from Paul

     I was given a free copy of this book for a fair and honest review. 

This is my second time in coming to the world of Rico, last year I had the great privilege of reading the first in this series. It was a book that grabbed me by the collar and dragged me along kicking and screaming for one of the best crime thriller novels I read last year. So when given to opportunity to once again jump into this world I had to jump at the chance. Somehow along the line, I seem to have missed the second book in the series but I'm sure that I will rectify that soon. 

     Rico is one of those characters you come to love. He may not be the best at dealing with life but he does try his best to look after those he cares for. This as one can imagine tends to lead him into all kinds of scrapes. But as a reader, this makes the books all the more enjoyable to read. It was great to see that his cast of characters was able to expand opening-up Ricos world. It not only allows for some great exchange of dialogue but also gave me a better insight into who his lead character is and was before the events I had previously read about. For me at least I think the anti-hero is a hard one to get right. to much time in the black and you lose the ability to care for them. Too much in the light and you might as well be reading a detective thriller. But once again Duncan proves his ability to have his hero walk a fine line and still have us as the reader cheering him on and praying he makes it out alive again. 

     Part of the reason I have greatly enjoyed these books is that the author seems to always find ways to shift our hero into new and interesting scenarios. I know you say this would be the key to any good series of books. With Duncan, he never reuses scenarios each time they come off as fresh and enticing. I like that he comes up with these plots and we get to see just how Rico is supposed to fight his way out of each of them. And fight he does, this is a man how does not shy away from the need for violence when it's justified. But this is the thing about the character Duncan has created this is not a man how goes looking for it or for that matter someone who greatly enjoys it. But he is simply very good at it, a fact he has come to except about his life.

  

     When it comes to Rico Stays this is not one of those books where you find your self racing to beat the author to work out who did it. This is like those old school Bruce Willis films where you spend half your time wondering if he is going to make it out alive. In many ways, I suppose Rico is like the energizer bunny he just keeps on going no matter what. And while the first book in the series is just like one of those dark Hollywood action films of the eighties and nineties this one turns a bit more introspectively. It's as great to see Ricos need for help, a thing I never thought I would see. It makes him a bit more vulnerable and adds a few more layers to this character. And whilst there is still the usual level of gunplay we also get a much more human side to the series. 

     Every one of us has been warned about getting to close to a wounded animal, as this is where they are at their most dangerous. It is a fair bet to say the same can be said of our hero. This was a book that took me once again back to the mean streets of Chicago. It is escapism at it's very finest, with heroes to root for and bad guys to fear. Rico Stays has once again delivered all I hope for in one of Duncans books. I can highly recommend this book to all of you.