Novels about criminals/criminal exploits

[Sean Patrick Fox]

Hey all. I'm looking for novels (aka fiction) about criminals, specifically crime bosses or powerful criminals. Not looking for stuff about serial killers, rapists, but "for profit" criminals (bookies, drug dealers, pimps, etc). Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[Tony Rabig]

In the unlikely event you haven't picked it up yet, try Mario Puzo's The Godfather.

You may also want to try the Parker novels by Donald Westlake writing as Richard Stark.  Parker is a professional thief (but not a crime boss), and the series is terrific reading.

[Math]

not read it, but maybe The Untouchable by Gerald Seymour

[MartinStanley72]

Not sure if he's out on Kindle yet, but you can't go wrong with the early books by George V Higgins: The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Cogan's Trade, The Digger's Game, all deal with small-time mob and criminal elements. The stories are told mostly in dialogue, which is some of the best ever written, and are pretty snappy, well-paced affairs. I agree with Tony about the Parker novels, especially the earlier ones, which are all superb. In The Godfather vein, E.L. Doctorow's Billy Bathgate (about a boy who works for mobster Dutch Schultz) is a far better book than Puzo's (in fact, the films are far better than the book) and well worth a read.

[Harry Shannon]

Another vote for Higgens and Puzo, but the novels of Elmore Leonard often nails the personalities of smaller figures to a T with a very wry sense of humor.

[Sean Patrick Fox]

Thanks for the recs, keep 'em comin! I'm checking out the Doctorow and Puzo novels now.

[MartinStanley72]

Another vote for Higgens and Puzo, but the novels of Elmore Leonard often nails the personalities of smaller figures to a T with a very wry sense of humor.

I agree totally, Elmore Leonard is a must. Dennis Lehane's Mystic River and Richard Price's Clockers should be others to add to your list

[jumbojohnny]

Keith Dixon's second Sam Dyke PI tale; although the first, Altered Life maybe fits the bill, the second one, The Private Lie, is right in there as Sam comes up against two Irish-Scouse brothers; although ostensibly builders, they are really up to all sorts of rackets which of course includes liberal dashes of violence. The tale is set partly in Cheshire and partly in Merseyside.



And for good measure, here is the first, Altered Life.

[LadyHawk]

You could try a couple from Martina Cole.   

[BTackitt]

have you tried looking at http://www.stopyourekillingme.com website?  you can sort by all sorts of topics.

[Sean Patrick Fox]

have you tried looking at http://www.stopyourekillingme.com website?  you can sort by all sorts of topics.

Never heard of the site before, but thanks for the link. The problem I have is I'm not sure how these books would be categorized. I'm looking for something very specific. The best way I can think of to describe it is fictional true-crime about organized crime. Not sure what genre that is 

[DebBennett]

I'd say Martina Cole definitely seems closest to your spec.

[Casper Parks]

It's considered western / historical... Humor is great...

Ralph Cotton's "Life and Times of Jeston Nash". Lookalike cousin to Jesse James. Nash was the horseman for the gang, six book series Jeston and his buddy's mis-adventures between robbing with the James - Younger Gang.

http://www.ralphcotton.com/angelsdance.html

[Jon Olson]

I agree totally, Elmore Leonard is a must. Dennis Lehane's Mystic River and Richard Price's Clockers should be others to add to your list

I second all those. Price is great.

[MartinStanley72]

Another to add to your list: Don Winslow's The Power of the Dog is awesome. It's about Mexican drug cartels, which should be right up your street.

[MariaESchneider]

It's not on Kindle that I know of, but it's a very, very interesting book focusing on the Black (and Puerto Rican) mafia:

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Money-High-Rolling-Superflying-Drug-Powered/dp/B000NBH45K/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330997173&sr=1-2

Goddard has some others out that were also good:  The Insiders and Undercover

He also did at least one biography and co-wrote some historical books about the mafia.

[Harry Shannon]

Try some of Roger Smith's work (Mixed Blood, Ishmael, etc.) they are crackling good, dark crime novels set in South Africa. Dave Zelsterman's Outsourced, Small Crimes. Vicki Hendricks turns noir on its head with Miami Purity and other novels.

[Zackery Arbela]

I'm surprised no one'es mentioned the Ripley books by Patricia Highsmith. Amoral elegance in a guy who most definitely gets away with it, murder just being the start of the depravity.

If your looking for something in the fantasy vein, try the Lies of Locke Lamora, about a criminal mastermind in what is basically a fanntasickal version of Renaissance Venice.

[PCBsmith]

You might like The Butcher's Boy, by Thomas Perry.  It's about a hit man who discovers he has become a liability to the mob.
Several of Thomas Perry's books are written from the criminal's point of view, but not always Mafia. 

[Thalia the Muse]

I heartily second Billy Bathgate -- it's just great.
Also:

Queen of the South, Arturo Perez Reverte (drug trafficking)
Sacred Games, Vikram Seth (cops and crimelords in Bombay)
Fingersmith, Sarah Waters (one of the main characters is a pickpocket, but she's "run" by a criminal syndicate)

[MartinStanley72]

Try some of Roger Smith's work (Mixed Blood, Ishmael, etc.) they are crackling good, dark crime novels set in South Africa. Dave Zelsterman's Outsourced, Small Crimes. Vicki Hendricks turns noir on its head with Miami Purity and other novels.

I'll second the high opinion of Smith and Zeltserman, both are awesome. Not heard of Hendricks before, will have to check her out.