Midtown Huckster is the third book in the Alex Cohen series. While it can certainly be read as a standalone, this is a series that is going from strength to strength, and there are little details and elements of the context that are stronger for reading the rest of the series, and you get to see how Alex has reached the point he’s now at.
Once again and showing a reoccurring strength on the side of the author, it is the historical elements of this book that made me fall in love with the story. You can feel the dedication to the era throughout the story, but the facts never get in the way of the story but enrich it until it feels as though you have stepped through a door to the past. In Midtown Huckster it’s the end of Prohibition, and the start of a new era, where Alex and his contemporaries have to look elsewhere in order to make money and keep the mob in power. You can really get a feel for that newness, and uncertainty of these latest endeavours, in a world that is trying to push back against them. The excellent writing, and continued appearances from well-known historical figures, build on this and provide a robust and realistic foundation that lifts the narrative.
Alex remains a fascinating character, and while his actions and choices, such as working as part of the Murder Corporation for the syndicate, place him very much on the wrong side of the law. It is impossible not to enjoy his character, he remains human despite everything that he is involved in– from his failing personal relationships to his past, to the moments of vulnerability and the weight of what could happen if he makes the wrong choice. All in all, he makes for an excellent main character, and it has been a delight to see how he has grown and adapted from the events in the previous book to the ones he is living through now, and I look forward to seeing where his path will take him in the future.
For me, this has been my favourite book of the three, and it feels very much as though the series has hit its stride and will only continue from here. The writing is a wonderful blend of historical detail, action and human moments, and there’s never a dull moment from start to finish.