What would you do if you were the subject of a hit?
Sal Sarcazzo is a middle school science teacher trying to do his best to keep his head above water. He juggles the challenges of being a divorced parent while trying to re-enter the dating world. Lately, everything from his work to his dating, to co-parenting with the ex seems to be an uphill battle. To make matters worse, Sal is the sole caretaker for his ailing mother.
Upon his mother's death, Sal is thrust into a dark family secret of his parent's association with organized crime. Sal soon discovers he is the target of a generations-old vendetta.
Now Sal has but one choice... become part of a world he knows nothing about or die.
"Stephen Penna's WHACKED is the kind of novel I live for. Part family drama and part mob story, it is funny, tense and so true to life, I wondered where the author hid the wire tap. Pick this one up and you won't be disappointed." --- Dave White, author of the Jackson Donne series.
"Stephen Penna makes his debut with his first crime novel Whacked. Growing up in an Italian-American household, Penna brings elements of his own life into his book that add a comical tone to this fast-paced story.
Stephen Penna nails it in his first crime novel Whacked. At times, I was laughing out loud and concerned about the main character Sal, at the same time. Penna's sense of gallows humor reminded me of real-life mobsters I've known who used food and jokes to break up the monotony of their nefarious comings and goings.
Penna's character development is simply amazing.I instantly visualized and related to every personality that Penna has crafted in this sometimes fun and sometimes scary novel.
Sal, the school teacher and divorced dad becomes the target of a gangster's personal vendetta which he had nothing to do with. The understory is fast-paced and keeps the pages turning. I hope we will be seeing the characters in Whacked again as Penna leaves the reader wanting more." --- Louis Romano, author of BESA and the Gino Ranno series.
