~ Author of A Host of Suspects & When Angels Cry ~
MICHAEL MARRA
BOOKS
Explore a collection of stories full of gritty, corrupt worlds in which the line between right and wrong, free will and destiny, and good guys and bad guys is often very hazy. Enjoy the lurid environments in which murder, greed, seduction, betrayal and passion provide ingredients propelling their residents to do things they never would have imagined.
A Host Of Suspects
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In tales exploring dark, primal desires of man, Michael Marra creates intriguing characters facing police corruption, revenge and murder that catch on quickly and arrive at seemingly obvious conclusions, and then discover that things are not always as they appear to be. These absorbing characters learn to expect the unexpected in Marra's hard-boiled menageries.
Life's lessons can manifest themselves in strange, unforeseen ways. No Less a Man sheds light upon behavior, other people's expectations concerning it and the impact of these expectations on others. Beyond Your Means provides a glimpse into the extent of what some people will do to live the life they feel they deserve. Yet perseverance and cunning don't always guarantee success.
A man in One for the Money goes to extremes to surreptitiously
acquire money, love and the most powerful job in the world.
When Angels Cry
This collection of twelve short stories addresses the possibility of redeeming hope among life's stark realties of murder, corruption, betrayal, passion, and greed.
Anthony Vanatta, who just confessed to multiple homicides, knew that by law he was protected through the priest-penitent priviledge, which recognizes confidential communication. As a priest, Father Murphy was helpless in as far as justice for this crime being carried out. However, the man in him felt differently. Were he not a priest, he would most certainly reveal the slaughter of a family, whether they had deserved such or not. The loss of Johnny "The Chin' Morello would be greeted with cheers from much of the community, as well as fear and grief from others. ...He readied himself for his next confession.
"Bless me Father for I have sinned," the man began. He went on to confess to the murders of john Morello and his family. Father Murphy was stunned, as it was not the voice of Anthony Vanatta, who had just confessed to the same crime. Was this man an accomplice? He could do nothing but listen and could not help but ask if the man was in the confessional earlier.
"My son, were you not here earlier?' Father Murphy asked. There was a long pause and a clicking of some kind that the priest could not recognize. Did someone know that Anthony Vanatta was there earlier? Was the clicking a bomb to remove any knowledge that Father Murphy had of the crime?
-- from "The Confession"
GHOST
Where Truth And Fiction Collide
A Memoir Based on Actual Events ~
Ghost is a story full of corrupt worlds in which the lines between right and wrong, free will and destiny, and good guys and bad guys is often very hazy. Explore the lurid environments in which murder, greed, seduction, betrayal and passion provide ingredients propelling these characters to do things you never would have imagined.
There was a time I didn't believe in Ghosts.
Now, all I need is a mirror to see one.
This is the story of a GHOST.
MADE IN AMERICA
As a young boy, Luca wanted to know why his Uncle Vincent was gone. He was just having a catch wit him yesterday. He was told that he died from cancer. He knew that people that have cancer are sick for a while. They don't die suddenly. He heard his Aunts speaking in Italian and he recognized some words. They mentioned soldiers. Soldiers? My Father was a soldier that fought in World War Two. Then he found out about a different kind of soldier and his life would never be the same. He would find these soldiers that took his Uncle. He listened and learned Italian on his own mostly. He compared the pages of a book written in Italian to a version written in English. It took a long time but he grew to learn more and more. Soon, his Uncle Dominic and cousin Sally "Boy" would disappear. Luca grew stronger, smarter and wiser.
He learned of things at an early age and as the years passed he was taught to fight. First, was the street fight which was paramount to all other forms. Boxing, Judo and a mixture of other martial arts added to his arsenal. Soon he was prepared to find these men and exact vengeance. When he learned that his own family was a part of an organization called the Five Families he was drawn into a life he never expected. But there was still the matter of finding out who was responsible for the death and disappearance of his family members. Luca was being watched carefully and in tenth grade he was a big kid with a lot of street smarts which led to other organizations wanting to recruit him. When he refused because he had seen the corruption he was given the option to work on his own. It was the mid sixties and anti-establishment fervor was at its height.
Besides wanted family vengeance he was passionate about another evil on the streets that was claiming lives daily. Even his friends which were soldiers returning from Viet Nam with heroin habits. So many were losing their souls and their lives to this poison. He would accept working as a Special Operations entity known only as a Ghost. There, he could infiltrate the biggest players on the street and find out not only who had the biggest operation but also those in law enforcement that allowed them to thrive. Corruption was rampant and finding out who was who was a daunting task and risky at every turn. At the same time if organized crime was involved in anything they would be exempt. That was his family and the tightrope became thinner and thinner. When Luca found love it only added fuel to his passion to get what he had to get done and try to live a normal life with his love. That would not come easy.
Brutal fights, murder, kidnapping, betrayal and revenge is only a small part of how one man was made in America.