Book Details:

Title: The Art of Revenge (An Anthony Provati Thriller Book 3) by Joe Giordano

Category: Adult Fiction,  pages
Genre: Thriller, Crime Fiction
Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press
Release date: June 1, 2022
Content rating: PG-13 + M (for a few graphic violent scenes associated with organized crime, no sex, no f-words.)

Book Description:

The Art of Revenge is a riveting, action-packed, suspenseful and at times terrifying chase around the world that will have gritty thriller lovers salivating for more - a must-read for those who like hanging on the edge of the cliff by only their fingers.

The Art of Revenge features two unlikely heroes. Anthony Provati is a jazz pianist, art gallery owner, and sailor, who has a mob boss uncle. Valentina Esposito was orphaned at birth but is rewriting her destiny by becoming a brilliant computer programmer. They undertake a global pursuit of murderous Russian and North Korean operatives to foil a terrorist plot funded by forgeries and the ransom of stolen paintings.

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

I was eagerly anticipating the third book in the Anthony Provati thriller series after having read the first two books. I enjoy Giordano's writing style and the way he can so easily create flawed characters we care about. With a few bold phrases, crisp descriptions, and smart dialogue, he can seamlessly transport us into another country and easily shift the mood from one scene to the next.

In this third novel, Anthony's story continues from where it left off in the previous novel, Drone Strike. His baby daughter Angelica and his former girlfriend Nori are in Portugal. Nori needed some space after her accident and Anthony is still trying to adjust to her fall into depression and the fact that he is now a father. Typical of Anthony, he gets mixed up in unsavory business in Greece and ends up running to New York, where his Uncle Frank, a Mafia underboss, resides. But trouble always follows Anthony, and he once again gets in over his head. Fortunately, he has help from newcomer Valentina, a kickass and whip-smart female protagonist.

One of the things Giordano does best is characterization. Each character is distinct and jumps off the page. He knows how to create memorable characters, both good and bad. I could very well see this novel as a movie. Interspersed throughout the narrative are moments of humor, and for me who understands the Italian culture, I couldn't help but smile at some of the expressions. I never know what to expect when it comes to the plot because it's unpredictable with great twists, except that it will be satisfying with a very good ending and no loose plot threads. And if you are an art aficionado, this particular plot will satisfy all the more.

Fans of crime fiction, Italian mob stories, and well-written thrillers with lots of action will certainly enjoy the Anthony Provati thrillers including this one. Although this is a stand-alone novel, I suggest starting with the first book Appointment with ISIL to increase your enjoyment of the core characters who show up in all three books.

If you want to know more about the first two books in the Anthony Provati thrillers, here are my reviews: Appointment with ISIL and Drone Strike. 

Note:  Thanks to the author for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Joe Giordano was born in Brooklyn. His father and grandparents immigrated to New York from Italy. He and his wife Jane now live in Texas.

As a former 3M International Executive Vice President, Joe experienced the global cultures and locations he writes about.

Joe’s stories have appeared in more than one hundred magazines including The Saturday Evening Post, and Shenandoah. His novel, Birds of Passage: An Italian Immigrant Coming of Age Story (2015), and Appointment with ISIL: an Anthony Provati Thriller (2017) were published by Harvard Square Editions. Rogue Phoenix Press published Drone Strike in 2019 and his short story collection, Stories and Places I Remember, in 2020.

Joe was among one hundred Italian American authors honored by Barnes & Noble to march in the 2017 Manhattan, Columbus Day Parade.

Visit Joe’s website at https://joe-giordano.com/

A collection of short stories that pack a punch.

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

This is the fifth book I read by Joe Giordano so I was in anticipation of this latest release. Once again, I was not disappointed as Giordano delivers 26 short stories that pack a punch. The stories are divided into four categories: Anthony and the Old Brooklyn Neighborhood (in the 50s and 60s), More New York Stories, Texas, and finally stories with an international setting, namely Greece, Brazil, Middle East, Italy and Ireland.

Anthony's stories reminded me of my childhood, growing up with Italian immigrant parents, playing ball games, trading cards and hanging around in the streets with friends. They made me nostalgic. The stories set in Europe were my favorite. However, all the stories hooked me from the first page. Giordano's writing is rich and tight, with every sentence succinctly transporting me to a time and place, setting the tone for what's to come. Most of the time, when a story ended, I wished it had continued because I was invested and wanted more. They were all quick reads.

This short story collection is the perfect way to discover Giordano's writing. This talented author can write historical fiction, international thrillers and whatever else he sets his mind to, I'm sure. If you enjoy stories with realistic characters with an Italian-American and international flavor, this one is sure to please.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo

Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

As a former International Executive Vice President of 3M, Joe Giordano’s experience included running a business in the Middle East out of Athens, Greece. Born in New York, he’s had first-hand experience with the cultures and most of the locations in Drone Strike.

Joe's stories have appeared in more than one hundred magazines including The Saturday Evening Post and Shenandoah. His novels, Birds of Passage: An Italian Immigrant Coming of Age Story (2015) and Appointment with ISIL: An Anthony Provati Thriller (2017) were published by Harvard Square Editions. Read the first chapters and sign up for his blog at http://joe-giordano.com/
​
Joe was among one hundred Italian-American authors honored by Barnes & Noble Chairman Len Riggio to march in the 2017 Manhattan, Columbus Day Parade.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest

Today, I'm featuring Joe Giordano's latest release, the second book in the Anthony Provati Thriller series. 

My Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

This is the third book I read by author Joe Giordano and the second in the Anthony Provati Thriller series. As in his previous books, Giordano's writing is bold and intelligent, with well developed characters both for the protagonist as well as the antagonist. In Appointment with ISIL we get to meet Anthony Provati, an American Italian with a Mafioso uncle in a thrilling story with mobsters jumping off the page at every turn.

In Drone Strike, the story takes on a different atmosphere with Karim's story starting in Iraq taking up most of the plot with Anthony coming in much later in the story. Although Karim is training to be a terrorist, we get to see the human side to him, the heartbreaking pain of losing his family to a drone strike by the Americans, his kindness toward Miriam, a woman who also suffered terrible losses, and his skewed vision of justice perpetrated by an organisation that brainwashes its members.

The fact that Giordano can bring the reader to sympathize with the innocent victims caught up in the evil plots of men who live to kill in the name of God is a testament to his skill as a writer. I did find the brutal killings and rape of the women (not explicit) at the hands of sadistic men very hard to read so if you are a sensitive reader, take this into consideration.

Unlike the first book in the series, this one felt much more serious and ultimately it was a sad story, with an ending that left me with questions about what would happen next. Of course, this makes me believe there could be another book in the series coming up. The Italian connection was also not as strong in this book with few scenes connected to the Mafia. I did enjoy the different settings in a variety of Mediterranean countries and it's clear the author has first-hand experience with the cultures and was able to translate this beautifully in the novel.

If you are a fan of fast-paced thrillers with unforgettable characters and a believable plot, you won't be disappointed with this series.

To read reviews, please follow Joe Giordano's page on Italy Book Tours.

​






As a former International Executive Vice President of 3M, Joe Giordano’s experience included running a business in the Middle East out of Athens, Greece. Born in New York, he’s had first-hand experience with the cultures and most of the locations in Drone Strike.

Joe's stories have appeared in more than one hundred magazines including The Saturday Evening Post and Shenandoah. His novels, Birds of Passage: An Italian Immigrant Coming of Age Story (2015) and Appointment with ISIL: An Anthony Provati Thriller (2017) were published by Harvard Square Editions. Read the first chapters and sign up for his blog at http://joe-giordano.com/
​
Joe was among one hundred Italian-American authors honored by Barnes & Noble Chairman Len Riggio to march in the 2017 Manhattan, Columbus Day Parade.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest

After reading Joe Giordano's first book, Birds of Passage, I was eager to read his latest release Appointment with ISIL. Although different from Birds of Passage, which was historical fiction, this latest work is a literary thriller. It contains the same bold intelligent writing, with mobsters jumping off the page at every turn. Check out my interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book!

Buy the Book: 

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Add to Goodreads

Joe Giordano was born in Brooklyn. He and his wife, Jane, have lived in Greece, Brazil, Belgium and the Netherlands. They now live in Texas.

Joe's stories have appeared in more than ninety magazines including The Monarch Review, The Saturday Evening Post, decomP, The Summerset Review, and Shenandoah. His novel, Birds of Passage, An Italian Immigrant Coming of Age Story, was published by Harvard Square Editions October 2015. His second novel, Appointment with ISIL, an Anthony Provati Thriller will be published by HSE in June 2017.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest