Review of The Wicked Wives

Terry Kimble · Post by **Terry Kimble** » 11 Nov 2023, 00:19

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Wicked Wives" by Gus Pelagatti.]

5 out of 5 stars

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“The courtroom had an overflow crowd and everyone was sitting on the edges of their seats, waiting to hear the details of the case, waiting to be shocked, appalled, and delighted by the sordidness of it all.”. This quote from The Wicked Wives perfectly sums up the emotions elicited from this gripping story. The author, Gus Pelagatti, has taken the cast of murderous psychopaths from a historical true crime and created a fictional account that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

The Wicked Wives is a salacious tale of seventeen women who become involved with a Don Juan tailor. He persuades them to take out life insurance policies on their husbands and then kill them to cash in on the policies. Like the true story, Pelagatti’s novel takes place in Philadelphia during the 1930s-‘40s. He has skillfully recreated that Depression-era scene for the reader to envisage with cold-blooded murderers, mobsters, femmes fatales, old-fashioned police brutality, and plenty of aria references from a cache of sublime operas! Opera always enhances the drama of any crime thriller!

I enjoyed this fast-paced fiction. Pelagatti's vivid details transport the reader back in time like a mob movie from the 1930s. The story progresses in a way that helps the reader keep up with who’s who in the myriad cast of villains and good guys. It is hard to say which parts of the book happened in reality, but the antics of these murderous morons are comical!

Pelagatti tells a provocative story compellingly and entertainingly. The book contains explicit sexual content and profanity throughout. This seems necessary to expose the scandalous conduct of the wretched characters. Although I noticed some errors in the text, there wasn't anything that I did not like about this book.

The author's extensive research and thorough knowledge of the infamous 1938 case is evident in this easy-to-read and riveting book worthy of 5 stars!

I recommend it to adults who enjoy fictionalized true crime thrillers.

******
The Wicked Wives
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Cara Wilding · Post by **Cara Wilding** » 25 Nov 2023, 12:34

Terry Kimble wrote: ↑11 Nov 2023, 00:19 [Following is a volunteer review of "The Wicked Wives" by Gus Pelagatti.]

“The courtroom had an overflow crowd and everyone was sitting on the edges of their seats, waiting to hear the details of the case, waiting to be shocked, appalled, and delighted by the sordidness of it all.”. This quote from The Wicked Wives perfectly sums up the emotions elicited from this gripping story. The author, Gus Pelagatti, has taken the cast of murderous psychopaths from a historical true crime and created a fictional account that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

The Wicked Wives is a salacious tale of seventeen women who become involved with a Don Juan tailor. He persuades them to take out life insurance policies on their husbands and then kill them to cash in on the policies. Like the true story, Pelagatti’s novel takes place in Philadelphia during the 1930s-‘40s. He has skillfully recreated that Depression-era scene for the reader to envisage with cold-blooded murderers, mobsters, femmes fatales, old-fashioned police brutality, and plenty of aria references from a cache of sublime operas! Opera always enhances the drama of any crime thriller!

I enjoyed this fast-paced fiction. Pelagatti's vivid details transport the reader back in time like a mob movie from the 1930s. The story progresses in a way that helps the reader keep up with who’s who in the myriad cast of villains and good guys. It is hard to say which parts of the book happened in reality, but the antics of these murderous morons are comical!

Terry, this book sounds thrilling! I love a good crime thriller, and if it is based on a true story, even better! I like the plot for this book, and I am excited about the time period it takes place in as well. You captured this perfectly with the description of a "mob movie from the 1930s"—it is exactly what I pictured! I'm most drawn in by your description of the "murderous morons"

- this sounds like a fun read! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this book, until next time...

Terry Kimble · Post by **Terry Kimble** » 25 Nov 2023, 13:42

Hi Cara! As I read the book, I envisioned the story in black and white, like in a 1930s movie! The author managed to create a titillating story from a horrific true crime. Parts of the story are so horrible they made me gasp

And some scenes are hilarious--in the way that people can be so stupid, it's funny. It is a fast-paced read--pick it up when you can! Thank you for checking out my review. Your comments are always appreciated!

Post by **Stephen Christopher 1** » 25 Nov 2023, 22:02

Oh I love noir crime thrillers, and this sounds so much fun. You had me at 'salacious tale'! I like that it's fast-paced, which probably means I'll need to allocate a whole day to read it as I won't be able to put it down. Thanks so much for the awesome review.

Terry Kimble · Post by **Terry Kimble** » 27 Nov 2023, 08:02

Stephen Christopher 1 wrote: ↑25 Nov 2023, 22:02 Oh I love noir crime thrillers, and this sounds so much fun. You had me at 'salacious tale'! I like that it's fast-paced, which probably means I'll need to allocate a whole day to read it as I won't be able to put it down. Thanks so much for the awesome review.

Hi Stephen, you probably will want to read it all at once--it is fast-paced! Thank you for checking out my review; greatly appreciated!

Cara Wilding · Post by **Cara Wilding** » 28 Nov 2023, 11:37

Terry Kimble wrote: ↑25 Nov 2023, 13:42 Hi Cara! As I read the book, I envisioned the story in black and white, like in a 1930s movie! The author managed to create a titillating story from a horrific true crime. Parts of the story are so horrible they made me gasp And some scenes are hilarious--in the way that people can be so stupid, it's funny. It is a fast-paced read--pick it up when you can! Thank you for checking out my review. Your comments are always appreciated!

Terry, I'm over here imagining a wide-open gawking face - I know this face! I love when books can create these more visceral reactions!