Rico Stays

Hello, again, Rico!

This is the third book in Rico’s story, written by Ed Duncan. Pigeon-Blood Red kicked it all off, (reviewed here) and then we had The Last Straw (reviewed here). Now, here we are with Rico Stays. While reading the first two books isn’t completely, 100% necessary to reading this book, I would recommend it. The characters are familiar from other books, and the earlier story lines are referenced multiple times. There’s just enough backstory in Rico Stays for someone to keep up if they haven’t read the others, but, let’s be honest: these aren’t the size or complexity of War and Peace (thankfully) so do yourself a favor and read the books in order. Knowing the whole story will make it easier to appreciate and enjoy this book.

For those who aren’t familiar, Rico is an independent contractor in Chicago. He’s very good at what he does (*cough*-hitman-*cough*) and likes to pick and choose what jobs he takes based on his own moral code: no kids, preferably no women, and nobody who doesn’t deserve it. Because he is the best at what he does, he’s able to remain independent and is not loyal to any gang or mob; conveniently, because he’s the best, the bosses leave him alone and don’t expect his loyalty. It’s a win-win for everyone.

I hate to call them secondary characters, because they’re front and center in this one maybe more so than the other books. Rico’s got his girl, Jean (of questionable career choice but solid values) who I like more and more with each book. Paul (an attorney who’s been accidentally pulled into Rico’s world more than once and doesn’t hate it) and Evelyn (Paul’s girlfriend, who’s been accidentally pulled into Rico’s world more than once and does hate it) both play significant roles.

The book wastes no time: it took three pages to set the stage for something to happen, and then nine more pages for shit to hit the fan. With Rico in the hospital, and despite Evelyn’s strong objections, Jean takes some initiative and works with Paul to find a safe place for Rico outside the city to recover. Alas, even the best of intentions can sometimes go awry (for both the good guys and the bad guys in this story), and it doesn’t take long before Rico has to return to Chicago. Granted, he doesn’t really have a choice: either he wraps it up or he’ll get killed himself, and Rico is not cool with the second option. As he tells a guy in the first chapter, he’s “pretty attached” to his own ass.

Verdict: Definitely Worth It

I personally like Ed Duncan’s writing style. There is minimal fluff, very little unnecessary verbiage, and Rico has a dry sense of humor that I really enjoy. If you’re looking for something with flowery language, or really descriptive paragraphs about the emotions in a scene, this isn’t for you. The author gives us everything we need to understand what’s going on, throws in some humor, and off we go. It makes for a quick, solid read. Because the writing style is so precise, it is a little more obvious when something isn’t quite so precise, which is probably why it stuck out. It only happened a few times, though, and wasn’t enough to distract from the story.

While I liked the story, sometimes the ladies in the book were a little . . . I’m not even sure what word I’d use. Their reactions to certain scenarios just weren’t what I would have expected. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t give specifics. But, for fun:

What about the time I said "we were on a break"? | Friends funny ...

As with the other books, point-of-view changes constantly throughout. Sometimes the breaks are clear and sometimes they aren’t; if you pay attention, it works. I personally like seeing all the different viewpoints because it gives an extra dimension and helps explain some of the characters’ thought processes. (As a side note, I do wish we had more of Rico’s perspective. There’s one instance earlier in the book where he walks someone through a play-by-play of how he considers his options and decides what to do – I loved getting to see how his mind works when he’s in operation-mode.)

Because we know all the people involved, and literally see things from their perspectives, it’s interesting to see how they all interact with each other. It’s like watching a chess match: you can see all the pieces, and you know each side has some kind of strategy, but you’re not quite sure how it’ll all end up.

Overall, this is a great addition to the series. There are a few ways to continue the story in a fourth book and I’ll be curious to see which way the author decides to take it.

Overall: 8/10

*I received a copy of this book from the author and his publicist in exchange for my honest review.

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