Hey There (You With the Gun in Your Hand)-Robert J. Randisi

Hey There (You With the Gun in Your Hand)
Robert J. Randisi
Dunne, Dec 2008, $25.95
ISBN: 9780312376420

In 1961 Vegas, Sammy Davis Jr. knows that Sands Casino pit boss Eddie Gianelli has come to the aid of his Rat Pack pals (see Dean Martin’s tale EVERYBODY KILLS SOMEBODY SOMETIME and Frank Sinatra in LUCK BE A LADY, DON'T DIE). Since he needs help and knows he can trust Eddie, he hires him to make an exchange with a blackmailer. Someone broke into Sammy’s home, stealing an embarrassing career ending photo and now wants 25 grand for its return.

Eddie and his friend Jerry Epstein show up at the exchange point only to find a corpse with no photo. The pit boss and his buddy find themselves in a cat and mouse game across Nevada with blackmailers, cops, FBI and high ranking DC politicians though neither the two friends on the lam can understand why Hoover or the White House seem to be in on the chase.

Once again as with the previous two Rat Pack historical thrillers, Robert J. Randisi paying homage by making his real players come to life especially the entertainers whom the author clearly thinks highly of. The story line is zany and a bit over the top, but no one will care as the Rat Pack steals the show in spite of Eddie and Jerry’s excellent adventure.

Harriet Klausner