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In July 2022, Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, dropped to its lowest level since it filled in 1935. As the reservoir dropped, things long-submerged began appearing on newly exposed mud beaches. Things like bodies. One of them showed up in a barrel with a gunshot wound. Based on clothing and footwear still worn by the victim, authorities concluded he was killed in the late 1970s or early 1980s, a period during which organized crime was rampant in nearby Las Vegas. The grim discovery set my imagination spinning on a darkly comic short story centered on a washed up mobster in his 60s who is alarmed by news of the body in the barrel. My novella, BODY IN A BARREL, was the result.
Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite
Body in a Barrel by Aaron Mead follows the story of a former gangster as he tries to bury the sins of his past. Leonardo "Lenny" Battaglia thought his mob days were behind him when the discovery of a body in a barrel turns up on the shores of Lake Mead -- a body Lenny helped get rid of for his hitman partner, Frank Messina, decades ago. Now, Frank has turned informant for the FBI, and Lenny pushes trash in the dump. Meanwhile, there's another barrel with the body of a victim that Lenny killed for Chicago mobster Tony Bonucci. Now, Lenny must find the body and hide the evidence of his crime. He finds an unexpected ally in a young woman named Grace. However, the past isn't ready to let Lenny off the hook yet.
Body in a Barrel is a gripping crime drama novella about a man trying to free himself from the baggage of his past. Author Aaron Mead's character-driven narrative draws you in from the very first page, and you somehow find yourself rooting for a former criminal to find his redemption. The plot is well-paced and thoroughly engrossing. But it's the characters that shine the brightest. Despite the short length of the story, the character development is nothing short of stellar. I enjoyed the dynamic between the world-weary Lenny and the young and spirited Grace. The author also excels at creating an atmosphere of tension, suspense, and intrigue, making the narrative all the more absorbing. Frank is a secondary character, but he leaves an impact on the reader. I liked the ending. It's bittersweet yet satisfying nonetheless. Recommended to readers of well-written crime thrillers.
