Sweet and Vicious (ISBN 1419306103)

Amazon.com Review:
In Sweet and Vicious, acclaimed author David Schickler treats readers to a magical, mystical tale of star-crossed lovers who develop an electrifying bond while trying to evade the nagging ghosts of their respective pasts. In what can be described as a modern day Bonnie and Clyde meets Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, Schickler invites readers into a world of crime, passion, shame, fury, and ultimately awe-inspiring love. Henry Dante is a Chicago enforcer who, after a work call takes an ugly turn, hits the road with a briefcase containing the Planets, the seven diamonds he was supposed to deliver to his boss, legendary gangster Honey Pobrinkis. While stopping for gas in a small Wisconsin town, Henry encounters Grace McGlone, an ethereal beauty who walks through a car wash to meet the man she instantly recognizes as "the one." Tucked in between miles of endless highways, campgrounds, and quickies in the back of a pickup truck, Schickler offers readers the backstories of these two unlikely heroes. Henry "muscles" for Honey as a way to "chew up the clock," while Grace is "trying for heaven" as a way to absolve herself from a shameful encounter with a famous evangelist at the age of fifteen. Yet what proves most striking about this unlikely couple is the immediate intensity of their relationship, and Schickler's ability to sustain that coup de foudre sensation throughout the novel's somewhat bumpy ride. In fact, it is only when Schickler strays too far from this explosive couple that the story begins to drag, and readers may find themselves skipping ahead to the more exhilarating aspects of the book. Kissing in Manhattan, Schickler's widely praised debut, gave readers a delicious taste of this richly imaginative and refreshing literary voice. Sweet and Vicious will certainly take fans to the next level of author appreciation. As Henry says, "There are bold moments sometimes, moments that scare you and call to you all at once." Readers who heed the call are sure to be rewarded with a thrilling adventure. --Gisele Toueg

Simple truths revealed:
This is a very simple fairy-tale-like story that contains such truth and beauty I was overwhelmed. Love, truth, honesty and KNOWING what's right for you are presented humorously through such an unlikely plot. It all seems so simple, but it really is so profound. I came away from this book with a new sense of hope and understanding. And a need to read it again!!

Intense but ultimately desultory and unsatisfying:
David Schickler's follow-up to his well-received KISSING IN MANHATTAN (which I haven't read) features a rural love-on-the-run tale in SWEET AND VICIOUS. A guy's version of love and romance isn't nearly as deep and introspective as so many romance novelists would have us believe, and along those lines, it was refreshing to read Schickler's SWEET AND VICIOUS. Humor, adventure and love beget a much-needed levity in this grim adventure starring two lovers. Like most male authors writing about love, traces of tragedy rears its ugly head here. Unlike others, I wasn't so much disappointed by the ending as I was unhappy by the execution of it. I wish Schickler spent some time integrating the Stewart McFigg character into the storyline a bit more. As it stands, the end reeked of Grace settling down after high adventure and passion with Henry. There's elements of the paranormal in the story though nothing overstated (Color Danning and her intuition, Hunter "Honey" Pobrinkis' glimmers). The first two chapters grip but then the book sags considerably when we look into the back stories of our mobster goons Roger and Honey Pobrinkis, and continues to stagnate even when we return to Henry and Grace. I'm not sure rural America is really like this with so many extremes (the slutty Perry Danning vs. the pious Stewart). For an afternoon book, it took a week for me to finish this 242-page hardcover; I was reading other novels and my interest in SWEET AND VICIOUS waned the more I read it. The prose is pretty good and Schickler enriches the reading experience by deftly setting the scene, fleshing out all the characters, and gut-punching you with an intense writing style. The intense writing style reminded me of my favorite SFF author: Matthew Woodring Stover and his book HEROES DIE (*****). Not a bad book, but ultimately falls flat after the initial two chapters. The token two paragraphs of back story Schickler gives Stewart at the very end seemed rushed and shallow. I wanted to know the how and why behind Stewart deciding to forgo saving himself until marriage when he was so earnestly "trying for heaven" before. Also seemed like Grace was settling for Stewart. The writing can be intense, dark, humorous and adventurous, but also disengaging with so many back stories.

Great road romance story with human insights:
OK, a road romance story featuring a mob grunt named Henry Dante and a lovely red-headed girl named Grace does not suggest this is a book of great subtlety or nuance. This is a fast paced book, with some pretty intense and graphic scenes. But it's a great ride, and the story does have something unique to say about love, redemption, faith, and life's meaning for those who look carefully enough. Henry Dante is a shake down artist for the Chicago mob, who does his job with honor, purposely gives his marks a fighting chance, and is proud to say he's never killed anyone. A job with two other mob goons to recover the planets, a set of seven mythical diamonds worth millions, goes bad when one of the goons decides to rape the wife of the intended target. Dante beats up his partners to stop the rape, and takes off with the diamonds. As Dante flees the scene, he rolls into a sleepy Wisconsin town, where he is spied by Grace, a sexy 20-something "trying for heaven" by holding herself out for the right man. Grace decides Dante is that man, and soon the two are one the road, running from the mob, and doling out each of the seven planets to worthy strangers they meet along the way. Schickler provides a number of memorable, quirky supporting characters along the way, and provides plenty of unforgettable scenes along the journey. Schickler does not strive for total realism, but the characters are human enough and the situations are plausible enough for the story to work. Sure, the plot is a little predictable, and this is hardly the first "lovers meet on the road, on the run" story, but the material is quite fresh as Schickler writes it. Readers beware, there is plenty of sex and violence here, and I wouldn't recommend this book for the faint of heart. I also gave it five stars because I love these sort of quirky crime stories. For those who aren't big fans of this genre, give it only four stars.

Expecting More:
I was expecting good things after reading Kissing in Manhattan, but Sweet and Vicious did not make the cut. Schickler is a beyond-competent writer, but the story failed to evoke the strong emotional response I got with Kissing. The plot is an odd hybrid of a Tarentino film and an X-files episode -- violent, supernatural, and surprisingly predictable. On character development, he tries harder and succeeds less. That being said, this book is a good day at the beach/plane trip read -- It's short and reasonably digestable.

A better book than the cover and title would indicate:
Reasonably well written, and with a good story line ... though the first few pages attempt to shock the reader, the book is actually pretty good. Better than the standard airport bookstore distraction.