FICTION
FBI agents Laura Russo and Connor O'Brien are hunting for a Russian professor who has been translating documents for underworld bigwigs. Meanwhile, Mafia footman Bobby Blue Eyes is also searching for the egghead, who may be a link between the Russian and Italian Mobs. The two strands of this fictional case, set in 1985, are told in alternating chapters by exwiseguy Bonanno and former FBI undercover agent Pistone, better known as Donnie Brasco. Written with the help of ghostwriter Fisher, this effort is a strange concoction, like asparagus cannoli. The narrative is marred by commentary that yanks you out of the story: "When you work on an investigation, you never know which single piece of the puzzle is going to make all the difference," interjects Pistone. "So, like Connor O'Brien, you collect everything." Bonanno's sections are more engaging, as he guides us through a Mob funeral and a rubout. Some neat twists lead to a finale that you'll have to endure twice, as each side reacts to the carnage.
