Review of The Cannoli Caper

[Timothy Rucinski]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Cannoli Caper" by Jeff V Erickson.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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The unique concept of The Cannoli Caper, promising 'The Craziest Mystery in Art History,' initially piqued my interest. However, upon reading Jeff V. Erickson's entire book, I found that it didn't quite meet my expectations.

A painting called "Portrait of Mother Greco" has been with the Greco family for generations. The family's secret recipe for their famous cannoli was contained in a hidden compartment at the rear of the painting. When the portrait was stolen from the family’s house in Italy, the Greco sons, Lorenzo and Aldo, traveled to the United States to locate the family heirloom. They joined forces with a few locals, who had unwittingly been drawn into the affair, and set out to find the artwork and precious recipe. However, some nasty criminals discovered that the portrait may have been painted atop another painting, which might be worth a fortune, thereby deciding to snatch it for themselves.

All the essential elements are available in Mr. Erickson's novel to create a solid story. The plot was solid, and the actions of the diverse characters drove the story. There was a touch of wonderment as to whether there was a hidden work of art beneath the gloomy face of Mother Greco. Nevertheless, the story gets lost when it suddenly turns into a travelogue in New York City. The fast pace of the first chapters came to almost a screeching halt as the main characters partook in the Big Apple's tourist traps, lengthening the book unnecessarily. I realized that the author needed some activities to keep the good guys busy while the bad guys were up to dirty tricks. Nevertheless, the pace slowed to a crawl.

At first, I thought the novel would be more lighthearted as the initial pages had me thinking the book would follow in the footsteps of a humorous treasure hunt, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Giuseppe, the bumbling gardener turned burglar at the novel's beginning, set the stage for a fun adventure in which the portrait passed from hand to hand. However, scenes of brutal violence destroyed any illusion that the book would be a playful romp. It would have been much more enjoyable if the story had been told with more humor.

The book had many characters, but most could have been more interesting. Parker Johnson came into possession of the portrait through a unique series of events, but he and his new girlfriend, Becky, were two-dimensional. The Greco boys were stereotypes of the Italian working class, and their father was a typical suave older Italian gentleman oozing a little old-world sex appeal. The most colorful characters were the villains, including crime boss Luca Scorza and his inept yet violence-prone nephew, Vito. The dialogue could have been better done; conversations between the characters often fell flat and didn't ring true. Lastly, the book was not professionally edited, as it was filled with punctuation errors. The story could have also been tightened to preserve a smoother and more rapid flow.

Despite its flaws, The Cannoli Caper presents a compelling story that could potentially be a hit on the big screen. While the book's unevenness and stereotypical characters may deter some readers, those who enjoy this type of light mystery might find it more appealing. The story contains some violence and a smattering of profanity, but nothing that would overly offend most readers.

I award The Cannoli Caper three out of five stars, with one star deducted because of the errors and the other for the above reasons. With the assistance of a professional editor to tighten up the story and repair the errors, the novel would work much more effectively than in its current iteration.

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The Cannoli Caper
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[NetMassimo]

This story has good potential with the mystery in art history but I agree that it seems the case in which a professional editor might be a key to do the additional editing needed to develop this novel at its best, proofreading included. Thank you for your honest review!

[Kutloano Makhuvhela]

Wow! Your review was so good, and indeed professional. I enjoyed reading it as you dived deeper into the book but without not giving away too much. I don't think I will read it for the simple reason that you didn't rate it higher.

[Timothy Rucinski]

This story has good potential with the mystery in art history but I agree that it seems the case in which a professional editor might be a key to do the additional editing needed to develop this novel at its best, proofreading included. Thank you for your honest review!

And thank you for commenting! It's much appreciated.