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Reviewed by Alma Boucher for Readers' Favorite
In Charles Puccia’s Salt & Pepper Man, amateur PI Vinnie Briggs travels to Sicily hoping for a relaxing romantic getaway. The trip quickly spirals into danger before Vinnie checks into his hotel. A former best friend, now a local priest, asks for Vinnie’s help in uncovering a sinister trafficking operation. This favour brings complications and a growing body count. The operation is tied to refugee camps and organized crime. Vinnie must confront the Mafia and work around betrayal and corruption. Vinnie also battles personal demons closer to home when a bodybuilder seduces his husband. This emotional fallout from his unfaithful spouse causes a strained relationship with his troubled husband. Vinnie finds himself in the midst of the familiar holiday-gone-wrong PI adventure.
Salt and Pepper Man by Charles Puccia was an engaging, easy-to-follow thriller. It was packed with suspense, danger, and plenty of dramatic twists. Vinnie was a flawed character and also compelling. His emotional baggage made him easy to invest in as the danger closed in. The plot was fast-paced and jam-packed with action that never stopped. This was more than a standard detective thriller because of the betrayal, loyalty, and corruption woven throughout. I was drawn into the dangerous world of Mafia corruption, refugee camp conspiracies, and personal betrayal by Vinnie’s husband.
As narrator, Austin Rising elevates Salt & Pepper Man beyond a standard crime thriller. Rising’s performance was dynamic and his storytelling creates tension through tone and timing. This keeps the story engaging and makes the audiobook difficult to pause. The result is an entertaining performance that complements Charles Puccia’s fast-paced writing style.
