Official Review: Table Twenty One by T Rafael Cimino

[sybil1reader]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Table Twenty One" by T Rafael Cimino.]

---

Share This Review

---

It is just a few months before the new year of 2000. People are worried and Y2K is rolling off every tongue, some worrying while others laugh at the utter nonsense of thinking everything is going to crash. People go on with life; eating, drinking, working, and passing on from this world to the next. Evangeline’s is a booming restaurant and landmark in New York rumored to belong to the mob, and one can find the best food and atmosphere there. Choice seating is always in demand; just do not mess with the people at Table 21. This table is reserved for the owner, Roman Sabarese and his group of associates with such names as T-Bone, Sully, Big John, and Nello.

Roman’s father is in jail, so in addition to running Evangeline’s like a fine tuned clock, the responsibility of the other side of the family business falls onto his shoulders. Roman’s mob reputation is more fiction than fact but he proceeds as best as he can. Running the business in the year 1999 is nothing like the glory days of his father’s past and a decision that he makes will drastically change the scheme of things. He will also find out some things about his father that shock him to the core of his soul. As he sits at Table 21, Zoe Greene, an up and coming actress saunters over and takes a seat; however, she is allowed that honor since she once worked there as a waitress. The two became exceptionally close during that time and she sometimes saw him as the father figure that she never had. Zoe had her favorite meal and by the time Roman returned from a situation that he had to handle she had already left. He was so proud of her and missed her smile and pleasant attitude at the restaurant.

When Zoe goes missing, Roman calls in every favor that he can and turns the city upside down to find her. Every avenue turns out to be a dead end and he ends up going to the police to call in a favor from a trusted friend, turning many heads as he does so. Since when does the big mob boss stride into the police station and ask to see the Captain? When all is said and done, you will find that Roman and Captain Fitzgerald have history and right now that history demands that they both make finding Zoe a priority. Find out how a murder in 1974 comes back to impact the present.

Zoe knows that her father died during the Vietnam War and that Melanie, her mother, loved him with all of her soul. Melanie bravely raised Zoe, who is bi-racial, during a time when prejudice was at an all-time high in their neighborhood, making sure that Zoe developed into a well-rounded young lady. It is during her disappearance that facts come to light about how all of the people she is closest to re-live the circumstances of her birth and how hate manages to survive after all these years. Zoe’s life is now in danger and the source is someone that you would never suspect. Follow this story as history repeats itself and watch the clock wind down as a murderer lurks in the shadows. See how things and people change and be amazed how much Table 21 changes from one year to the next.

This book is full of deception, love, loyalty, and surprises. The mob element was enlightening, especially the way the author brought out the vulnerabilities and feelings of some of the more hard core characters. He also brings attention to the way that technology plays such a huge part in our lives, making me pause to ponder exactly how much we are unknowingly observed. I was disappointed when the story ended because I wanted to read more! I thought I had an idea of what was really happening, but I was surprised at the ending, somewhat of a rarity for me. I give Table 21 a "four out of four" because it is a smooth read with a lot of action. I heartily recommend it.

***
Buy "Table Twenty One" on Amazon
Buy "Table Twenty One" on Barnes and Noble