Gangsters Don't Die: A Novel

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Description

The gloriously original (The New York Times) and critically acclaimed crime series starring a Chicago hitman hiding out as a rabbi in the desert suburbs of Las Vegas comes to its thrilling conclusion

Mafia hit-man-turned-rabbi Sal Cupertine is ready to get out of the life. But its not going to be easy. His once-brilliant plan to pass himself off as Rabbi David Cohen is unraveling. Enemies on both sides of the law are hot on his trail. His wife and son are unreachable in witness protection and are probably in danger. In order to find his family, get out of the desert alive, and salvage his long-sought-after happy ending, Sal is going to have to confront some very bad people from his past.

Native American kingpin Peaches Pocotillo has wrested control of Chicagos mob family while expanding his criminal empire in the west, and now seeks to settle an old score with Sal. These two antiheroes have a history that stretches back decades, and the blood feud between Peaches and Sal will lead them to a violent showdown deep in the heart of the low desert.

As complications cast old revelations in a new light, including one that stretches back to the long-ago death of Sals infamous gangster father Dark Billy Cupertine, Sal must team up with some unlikely alliesand confront the reality of who he has becomein this stunning conclusion to the popular and critically acclaimed Gangsterland trilogy.

Reviews

Reading the West Book Awards Nominee
A Southwest Book of the Year
Amazon, A Best Book of the Month
The Washington Post, A Most Anticipated Title
Deadly Pleasures Magazine, A Best Book of the Year
CrimeReads, A Notable Book of 2023

"Goldberg is charming and sharp, with a quip for every occasion . . . Although each book stands on its own, taken together, the Gangsterland novels read like a single sweeping story with a large cast and numerous storylines, which Goldberg compares to the slow-developing character arc over the course of several seasons of shows like Game of Thrones and The Wire. This gave Goldberg a great deal of latitude to tell the story in an emotionally satisfying way . . . Goldbergs success in this anti-heroic mode is rare in the world of crime fiction. Where many writers emphasize the violence in their stories, Goldberg pays equal attention to its psychic aftermath." Jim Ruland, Los Angeles Times

"A delicious comic noir." Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington Magazine

"Endlessly entertaining . . . Gangsters Dont Die is an authentic, fully realized, modern-day noir thriller. For readers who want excitement but dont want to skip out on character development and interiority, this book is a great choice." Benjamin Selesnick, Jewish Book Council

"The twists, turns and reversals are never-ending and the dialogue is off the hook. Goldberg is gifted in using artful F bombs and his candid observations through the narrative almost come off like Samuel Jackson." Mike Sonsen, L.A. Taco

"The plotting alone is impressive as Cupertine and Cohens lives merge into one again, but Goldbergs real skill is to explore morality and justice as his protagonist struggles to escape the consequences of his actions and his familys bloody history." Book and Film Globe

"Goldbergs Gangsterland series has been one of the standouts in the world of crime fiction in recent years, and now the trilogy is coming to a conclusion with the publication of Gangsters Dont Die. Sal Cupertino, the hit man on the lam, posing as a rabbi, is one of the more original figures youll come across, and now hes making one last desperate gambit to get his life back. You wont want to miss these books, so if you havent already, brush up on your Goldberg."Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads

"A mesmerizing comic noir thats fully accessible to series newcomers . . . This is a stellar end to one of the most inventive crime series in recent memory." Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Perhaps the most well-written of the trilogys installments, Gangsters Dont Die has a great story, exciting characters, and a few nifty surprises." Booklist

Theres a machine gun in this book, the rat-a-tat-tat prose that punches page after pagebut dont let it fool you, theres also true wisdom in here. In the midst of the mobsters, rabbis, shysters, Springsteen, and of course the Torah, you will get an educationabout family, about murder, and about having a code. Gangsters Dont Die is delicious. Tod Goldberg is part-Chandler, part-shaman, and all-killer. Brad Meltzer, bestselling author of The Lightning Rod

Tod Goldberg concludes his smart, irreverent, and bloody Gangsterland trilogy with a bang. Gangsters Don't Die is a tour-de-force that is witty, violent, and brilliantly observed. With these three novels, Goldberg has forever changed the crime genre for the betterelevating it with unforgettable characters, humor, and style to spare. I didn't want it to end. Ivy Pochoda, author of Sing Her Down

"Tod Goldberg's Gangsters Don't Die is one of the best books I've ever read. Gripping Yes. Gonzo-violent. Uh huh. Stuffed just right with pathos and hope, humor and despair, this story about a rabbi-slash-hitman aims for your head and explodes in your heart." Rachel Howzell Hall, bestselling author of We Lie Here and These Toxic Things

Only thing better than the smell of napalm in the morning is the heavy rain of body parts Tod Goldberg gives us here. That includes the heart, on every page of this conclusion to the Gangsterland series. I want Sal Cupertine to be my spiritual advisor now, please. Stephen Graham Jones, author of Dont Fear the Reaper

Gangsters Don't Die is a highwire act of plot and character, filled with criminals whose deadpan sense of humor and willingness to kill for family, always for family, exists alongside the voice of Sal Cupertine, hitman turned rabbi, offering advice on belief and loyalty through the sage counsel of the Talmud. I found myself thinking all day about families, and love, at the heart of a thriller with the most inventive ways to describe killing I've read in a long, long time. Just stunning. Susan Straight, author of Mecca and In the Country of Women

Gangsters Dont Die is a thrilling and sometimes hilarious exploration of the myth and the lie and the truth of The Life. A distillation of the gangster's code (hint: there really isn't one) and the Code we adopt as we find the lines in our lives we can't cross. Its Death of a Salesman meets The Irishman with more laughs. I loved every minute of it." S.A. Cosby, bestselling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland

Tod Goldberg writes like a skilled knifemanhe knows how to slice and how to stab, how to bleed you out fast or bleed you out slow. Gangsters Dont Die shows how in the hands of a master, crime fiction can do anything: scare you, touch you, make you laugh, give you wisdom and Springsteen references (at the same time). A true pleasure to read. Jordan Harper, author of Everybody Knows

Author Bio

TOD GOLDBERG is the author of more than a dozen books, including Gangsterland, a finalist for the Hammett Prize; Gangster Nation; and The Low Desert: Gangster Stories, named a Southwest Book of the Year and a finalist for several literary prizes. He lives in Indio, California, where he directs the low-residency MFA in creative writing and writing for the performing arts at the University of California, Riverside.