[.ca] Sleep with the Fishes (ISBN 0440243130)

Not Just Another Fish Story:
Take one part Carl Hiasson (you know, the good stuff from 4-5 years ago), add one part Pete Hauptmann (it's not Florida), mix in a soupcon of Izaak Walton, blend and viola: Sleep With the Fishes. Ok, we're not talking Old Man and the Sea here but Hemmingway rarely got me to titter, at least intentionally. Brian Wiprud makes me laugh out loud and I hate all things fishing. Only one flaw, the book didn't do enough with its best character: Reverend Jim. Read the book and you'll know what I mean.

Non-stop. Clever.:
Sleep With The Fishes is a taut and compact thriller, with deftly written narrative and genuine sounding dialogue. Brian Wiprud has taken an element of Mario Puzo and spiced it with some light humored Wiprud. Together the combination makes for one hell of an enjoyable suspense novel. Sid "the Sleep" Bifulco is about to turn states evidence against a Mafia family. He has no interest in joining the Witness Protection Program. All he wants is to serve his time for the crimes he's committed and then be afforded the opportunity to escape to his own hideaway. Spending his years as an exemplary prisoner, Sid learned all he could about the art of fishing. His learned skills attracted the attention of the warden. Once paroled, with property waiting for him along the Delaware, Sid knew he'd finally be able to apply all the skills to date he'd only be able to read about. He intended to spend the rest of his life fishing and on the right side of the law. It only took days before that simple plan was completely destroyed. Fishing guru Russ Smonig has issues with his own past. His was wife was killed in a freak car accident. People believe he was responsible for her death. Deep down, he knows the Mafia is responsible. When he is involved in an accident, Sid is his only hope. Who else would know how to get rid of a body? What no one knows, until it is too late, is that the fateful evening had been captured on video. But things get even more out of control when the tape with incriminating footage gets mixed up with other tapes and dropped off in the return box at the video store. (And then rented by a police officer). With an unexpected visit from the warden, looking to spend time with Sid fishing; with Russ learning the truth about Sid's past and his wife's untimely death; and with a state trooper looking to score big on some reward money, Sleep With The Fishes is an unnerving and compelling, character-driven story with a tightly crafted plot, great scenes and intense situations. Wiprud has a talent for telling unique stories...

Best Fish Story:
Ex-New Jersey hit man retires to rural Pennsylvania and goes fishing. The plot is completely off the wall fall on the floor funny. If you can imagine Donald Westlake meets Janet Evanovich meets GOODFELLAS, you have a sketchy idea of the book. Wiprud has a breezy, irreverent style that carries the story along, so you don_t realize how unlikely everything is until you_ve reluctantly turned the last page. Try it. You_ll like it. Even this sense-of-humor-impaired-reviewer laughed.

Angling for gansters:
Sleeping with the Fishes is a quick lively read. Mr. Wiprud has a sense of humor worthy of Donald E. Westlake. Well-drawn characters -- gangsters, fishermen, regular townpeople -- weave their threads of the story around fish, a thieving crow, red shoes, and more fish. The result is a bubbling rollicking ride through the rapids. In a nutshell, the story is about an ex-convict, retired from his gangland days, who wants nothing more than a quiet life in a small town on the river on which he intends to spend his days fishing. He draws on his expertise, provided by his former avocation, in handling a delicate matter for his fishing expert neighbor. A possibly incriminating video tape appears, gets misplaced, and reappears in unexpected places, former associates of the ex-con arrive wishing to renew his acquaintance, and complications arise. This was fun.

A Self-Published Novel That Won't Put You to Sleep:
Brian M. Wiprud's first (self-published) novel, Sleep With the Fishes, is a light bit of entertainment. This comic tale tells the story of Sid "Sleep" Bifulco, former mafia hit man turned informant, as he makes a new life for himself in a sleepy country town. Racing along from one improbable incident to another, this story hits its climax with a daring and dangerous stunt that should not be tried at home. Sleep With The Fishes suffers from such a hectic pace. The story moves along in such a rush to get to the finish that the journey is compromised. Sleep With The Fishes, as it stands now, lays down the bare bones of the story. However, it would have benefited from further revision that would put some meat on those bones and flesh out the story. Further revision would have also strengthened other aspects of this novel. Only a handful of the characters are given even minimal treatment in characterization. Sid and Russ are the only two characters that have any real depth to them. Certain subplots disappear without a trace. A crow named Reverend Jim stole several trinkets from Russ. Yet Jim's role in the story vanishes before page 40. The use of language frequently lacks impact. Consider this line from page 84, "Omer dangled the receiver by a single index finger before sending it home." Beyond being an awkward visual, this sentence is needlessly ornate. Despite all this, Sleep With The Fishes is still an entertaining story. Though lacking in polish, the story of Sid "Sleep" Bifulco is told with a great deal of enthusiasm. Enjoy this novel for what it is worth.