Book Series - Hamilcar Noir - Boxing True Crime Stories

 

This post will be different that the typical book review that is posted on this blog.  Today I am going to feature some books from a series on one post.  The series is a set of books that are true crime stories involving boxers, the Hamilcar Noir series.

According to Andy Komack, Co-Founder & Principal of Hamilcar Publications, this series is not meant to be definitive biographies of any of the fighters portrayed.  Instead, these fairly short books are intended to be read by those who wish to enjoy a quick read when doing activities such as travel.  They tell a good story about not only the boxer, but the circumstances that led to the criminal activity in which the fighter was involved.  It should also be noted that they do not read like whodunit mysteries, as the outcome is already known by many of the readers.  Instead, they are stories of these men written in excellent prose and supplemented by quality cover art inspired by classic pulp novels.

These books do not have to be read in the order in which they are numbered as they are independent works and can be enjoyed in any order at any time.  Here is a list of the “hard-hitting true crime” books in the series:

·         “Slaughter in the Streets” by Don Stradley

·         “Berserk” by Don Stradley

·         “The Ghost of Johnny Tapia” by Paul Zanon with Teresa Tapia

·         “Killed in Brazil?” by Jimmy Tobin

·         “A Fistful of Murder” by Don Stradley

·         “Shot at a Brothel” by Patrick Connor

·         “President of Pandemonium” by Luke G. Williams.

Below are short reviews of each of the four books that I have read thus far in the series, listed in no particular order.  As I read the other three titles, I will make another post for them and refer back to the publisher web site for more information, as will be listed at the end of this post.  Enjoy the reviews and more importantly, be sure to check out the excellent books in this series.

“A Fistful of Murder” by Don Stradley       

This was an engrossing short book on the life of middleweight boxing champion Carlos Monzon. The book starts with the death of his wife Alicia when she was found dead beneath the balcony of the suite she and Monzon were at. Monzon would later be convicted of murdering her and during his prison sentence, he died when he crashed the car he was driving when returning to prison after being granted a short furlough.

There is enough good material about Monzon’s rise from poverty in Argentina, his rise to boxing legend and his narcissistic personality that the reader will get a good look into the life of this troubled man, despite the relatively short length of the book. It’s an excellent quick read for boxing fans who remember the Argentinian champion.

 

“Killed in Brazil?” by Jimmy Tobin  

Excellent quick read on the mystery surrounding the the death of champion boxer Arturo Gatti. Officially ruled a suicide by Brazilian law enforcement, questions were immediately raised surrounding the competence of the investigation and the role Gatti’s widow Amanda might have played in her husband’s death. The book takes interviews with Amanda and other family members as well as research into the case and lets the reader draw his or her own conclusion. Mix in a good recap of Gatti’s career, including his legendary trio of fights with Mickey Ward and you have a short but great book every boxing fan will enjoy.

“Slaughter in the Streets” by Don Stradley  

This is a very good collection of true crime stories that all have a common theme - former professional boxers who had performed in Boston and somehow got into the crime scene in the streets of that city and ended dead because of that decision. Author Don Stradley gives the reader a very good picture of what life was like for these boxers once they were involved in some of the more notorious crime mobs. Whitey Bulger plays a role in some of these accounts - that tells you just how deep some of these pugilists became into the underworld. Given the sad ending to each one of these lives, it is not a book for the faint of heart - one should be a serious fan of either boxing or true crime books to enjoy this.

“The Ghost of Johnny Tapia” by Paul Zanon with Teresa Tapia 

The story of Johnny Tapia is at once brutal and sad. This short book by Paul Zanon packs a lot of punch in only 96 pages. From the horrific murder of his mother to his numerous highs from drugs that at times left days away from home to his untimely death, Zanon doesn't miss a beat when describing Tapia's life to the reader. What makes the story even sadder is now much promise Tapia had in his boxing career as he was the junior welterweight world champion in the late 1980's and later became the lightweight champion. Johnny's widow Teresa contributes to the book as well as she shares many details of their volatile marriage with Zanon. The reader will be hooked from the start of their life together when Johnny was night on their wedding night to when Teresa had to tell Johnny in his corner that he suffered his first professional loss in the ring and ultimately to when Teresa had to call 911 because Johnny died from a prescription drug overdose. The whole gamut of emotions will flood the reader, unusual for such a short book. It is one that boxing fans will enjoy about the short life of the troubled Hall of Fame boxer.

 

For more titles and information in the series, visit https://hamilcarpubs.com/hamilcar-noir/