This novel comes before events in Gone Bamboo and introduces the Boston mob boss Charlie Wagons. However the Wagons character only plays a small part in the story. It is mainly about a sting operation by the FBI to catch Sally "The Wig" Patera and his bosses in the syndicate. Sally gets his aspiring chef nephew Tommy a job as a sous chef in a restaurant that is a front for the sting. Bourdain's knowledge of restaurant workings and the frequent use of drugs among staff (Bourdain was once an addict) is detailed and true to life. When Tommy becomes the unwitting witness to a murder committed by Sally and an associate, he becomes a target for an Alfa Romeo driving FBI agent who wants him to rat on his uncle. There is a lot more blood, guts, and gore but this story is so much better than Gone Bamboo.
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