The Alzhammer
Or Keep Your Friends Close and . . . I Forget the Other Thing
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- $21.99
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- $21.99
Publisher Description
Mikey is history. He’s got what he calls the Alzhammer. A once-powerful mob boss, he is seriously slipping—losing control of his crew and of his mind. His business is sideways, his rivals are coming for him, he’s crazy forgetful, and it is a fact his parents suffered miserably with Alzheimer's. He refuses to ride diapered and drooling into the sunset. He is going to whack himself. Problem is, others are trying to whack him and rip off what’s left of the family’s business, which is different and which pisses him off—when he remembers.
Meanwhile, his ex, Zayana, slips back into his life. She’s been on the lam. Long ago, she hooked up with a rich, ruthless, and very married Senator who's concerned she might go public during election season, and he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to eliminate her and save his image. Mikey decides to do the right thing for a change. They will hole up in the perfect hideaway—a shady, unlicensed nursing home near Vegas—until after the vote. Mikey's feelings for Z resurface, but even so, he figures once she and her son, who might be his, are safe, he will finally kill himself in peace. Until then, he must confront his would-be killers, the Senator, and the lunatic who cracks the whip at the three-ring-circus home called Over the Rainbow.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this quirky noir from Di Prisco (All for Now), San Francisco gang lord Vincent Festagiacamo is dying of Alzheimer's disease. His son, Mikey, now the acting gang chieftain, detects early symptoms of what he calls "the Alzhammer" in himself; he's determined to cheat the disease by ending his own life. Meanwhile, a rival gang headed by the mysterious Mr. Smith threatens to take over the Festagiacamos' territory. Mikey's sense of honor demands that he settle with Mr. Smith before leaving the planet. Eventually, Mikey and his ex, Zayana, wind up hiding out in a retirement home, surrounded by real Alzheimer's patients. The book's comic aspects, most notably the malapropisms of Mikey's crew, jar with the wrenching portrayals of advanced Alzheimer's patients. Some readers will be amused. Others may feel uncomfortable or even offended.
