Think Pulp Fiction meets Trainspotting, throw in The Italian Job and The Godfather, and you'll get the general Idea. The adventures of the Valletta family, knights of the Cosa Nostra; a heavyweight Turk and Black Axe, the African mafia; Femme fatal Gabriella- a journalist from Vice magazine-and Letizia chief photographer of Palermo's violence; alongside Uriel Scozia, head of the Sicilian Guardia di Finanzia; and a cast of oddball characters, populate the pages of this surreal and breathless debut novel.
Characterised by a blend of irreverence, slapstick humour, meandering chaos, violent situations and a chilling fearless attitude in the face of murder and mayhem. By the end of Palermo Stone, you will be left exhausted yet exhilarated by the emotional rollercoaster of it all. McPherson successfully blends the mundane with the extraordinary to create an off-the-wall, engaging read.
McPherson's voice, vivid imagination and creative vision have potential: working with a professional editor on his next novel could enhance its strengths.