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The Price You Pay
“The Price You Pay” unravels in mid-1970s Jersey City, a crumbling town where violence and coercion reign. Young Mickey Wright is thrust into a world controlled by a powerful Teamster local associated with the Genovese crime syndicate. The man who puts him in jeopardy: his father, a free-wheeling policeman well-known to Jersey City's politicians and drug dealers. When a Black trucker is murdered, Mickey is forced to choose between loyalty to family, the Teamsters, or to values he shares with Debbie Olsen, the love of his young life.
“The Price You Pay” is rich with vivid details and the kind of propulsive yet compassionate storytelling that defines Fusilli’s career as one of today’s most admired mystery writers. As in his novels “Narrows Gate” and “The Mayor of Polk Street,” he proves once again that he knows how danger can explode when the mob, police, and politics are intertwined.
As for Mickey and Debbie, there is a way out. Will they survive to take it?
“The Price You Pay” is rich with vivid details and the kind of propulsive yet compassionate storytelling that defines Fusilli’s career as one of today’s most admired mystery writers. As in his novels “Narrows Gate” and “The Mayor of Polk Street,” he proves once again that he knows how danger can explode when the mob, police, and politics are intertwined.
As for Mickey and Debbie, there is a way out. Will they survive to take it?
238 pages, Paperback
First published January 22, 2024
5 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Jim Fusilli
48 books44 followersJim Fusilli is the author of nine novels including “The Mayor of Polk Street” and “Narrows Gate,” which George Pelecanos called “equal parts Ellroy, Puzo and Scorsese” and Mystery Scene magazine said “must be ranked among the half-dozen most memorable novels about the Mob.”
Jim’s debut novel “Closing Time” was the last work of fiction set in New York City published prior to the 9/11 attacks. The following year, his novel, “A Well-Known Secret” addressed the impact of 9/11 on the residents of lower Manhattan. Subsequent novels include “Tribeca Blues” and “Hard, Hard City,” which Mystery Ink magazine named its Novel of the Year. “Closing Time,” “A Well-Known Secret” and “Tribeca Blues” were reissued by Open Road Media in October 2018. Lawrence Block provided a new foreword for “Closing Time.”
Jim has published short stories that have appeared in a variety of magazines as well as anthologies edited by Lee Child, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman and other masters of the mystery genre. He edited and contributed to the anthologies “The Chopin Manuscript” and “The Copper Bracelet.” His “Chellini’s Solution” was included in an edition of the Best American Mystery Stories and his “Digby, Attorney at Law” was nominated for the Edgar and Macavity awards. The novel “Narrows Gate” was nominated for a Macavity in the Best Historical Fiction category.
The former Rock & Pop Critic of The Wall Street Journal and an occasional contributor to National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” Jim is the author of two books of non-fiction, both related to popular music. “Pet Sounds” is his tribute to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys’ classic album. It was translated for a Japanese language edition by Haruki Murakami Combining his interests, Jim edited and contributed a chapter to “Crime Plus Music: Twenty Stories of Music-Themed Noir,” published in 2017.
His novel for young adults “Marley Z and the Bloodstained Violin” was published by Dutton Juvenile.
Jim is married to the former Diane Holuk, a global communications executive. They currently reside just north of New York City. Find out more about them at https://jimfusilli.com/.
Jim’s debut novel “Closing Time” was the last work of fiction set in New York City published prior to the 9/11 attacks. The following year, his novel, “A Well-Known Secret” addressed the impact of 9/11 on the residents of lower Manhattan. Subsequent novels include “Tribeca Blues” and “Hard, Hard City,” which Mystery Ink magazine named its Novel of the Year. “Closing Time,” “A Well-Known Secret” and “Tribeca Blues” were reissued by Open Road Media in October 2018. Lawrence Block provided a new foreword for “Closing Time.”
Jim has published short stories that have appeared in a variety of magazines as well as anthologies edited by Lee Child, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman and other masters of the mystery genre. He edited and contributed to the anthologies “The Chopin Manuscript” and “The Copper Bracelet.” His “Chellini’s Solution” was included in an edition of the Best American Mystery Stories and his “Digby, Attorney at Law” was nominated for the Edgar and Macavity awards. The novel “Narrows Gate” was nominated for a Macavity in the Best Historical Fiction category.
The former Rock & Pop Critic of The Wall Street Journal and an occasional contributor to National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” Jim is the author of two books of non-fiction, both related to popular music. “Pet Sounds” is his tribute to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys’ classic album. It was translated for a Japanese language edition by Haruki Murakami Combining his interests, Jim edited and contributed a chapter to “Crime Plus Music: Twenty Stories of Music-Themed Noir,” published in 2017.
His novel for young adults “Marley Z and the Bloodstained Violin” was published by Dutton Juvenile.
Jim is married to the former Diane Holuk, a global communications executive. They currently reside just north of New York City. Find out more about them at https://jimfusilli.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 26, 2024
****A Literary Trifecta—A Compelling Crime Drama, Coming-Of-Age Story And Family Saga!
Having recently finished two earlier books by Fusilli that I enjoyed very much ((Narrows Gate and The Mayor Of Polk Street), I moved The Price You Pay to the top of my TBR list and was very glad I did. With these three books, Fusilli has become one of my go-to authors and I’ll soon be reading some more of his early works.
Lifting from its book description, The Price You Pay takes place in Jersey City, NJ during the mid-1970s in which young Mickey Wright is coerced to take a job for a trucking company controlled by a powerful Teamster local associated with the Genovese crime family. The man pressuring Jimmy to enter this world is his father, a policeman well known to Jersey City’s politicians and drug dealers. When a Black trucker is murdered, Mickey is forced to choose between loyalty to his father and the Teamsters or to values instilled by his dead mother and he shares with his loving girlfriend, the daughter of a solidly middle-class family. The outcome of whether Mickey can break free and live a worthy life of his choosing is what drives the plot and isn’t determined until the final confrontation. This outcome, while satisfying, is pretty predictable; and for this reason I deducted one star from my overall rating.
As was true for me about the two other books I read by Fusilli, my principal reasons for enjoying (and recommending) The Price You Pay are as follows — (1) Fusilli does a masterful job in creating such well-developed, three-dimensional characters that the reader feels “right there” with these characters and knows them well; and (2) Fusilli excels in creating what life was like during the mid-1970s in urban Jersey City that was heavily influenced by the Teamsters, organized crime and dishonest politicians. (As I write this, I realize that life then in Jersey City isn’t very different than in today’s world.)
#The Price You Pay #NetGalley
Having recently finished two earlier books by Fusilli that I enjoyed very much ((Narrows Gate and The Mayor Of Polk Street), I moved The Price You Pay to the top of my TBR list and was very glad I did. With these three books, Fusilli has become one of my go-to authors and I’ll soon be reading some more of his early works.
Lifting from its book description, The Price You Pay takes place in Jersey City, NJ during the mid-1970s in which young Mickey Wright is coerced to take a job for a trucking company controlled by a powerful Teamster local associated with the Genovese crime family. The man pressuring Jimmy to enter this world is his father, a policeman well known to Jersey City’s politicians and drug dealers. When a Black trucker is murdered, Mickey is forced to choose between loyalty to his father and the Teamsters or to values instilled by his dead mother and he shares with his loving girlfriend, the daughter of a solidly middle-class family. The outcome of whether Mickey can break free and live a worthy life of his choosing is what drives the plot and isn’t determined until the final confrontation. This outcome, while satisfying, is pretty predictable; and for this reason I deducted one star from my overall rating.
As was true for me about the two other books I read by Fusilli, my principal reasons for enjoying (and recommending) The Price You Pay are as follows — (1) Fusilli does a masterful job in creating such well-developed, three-dimensional characters that the reader feels “right there” with these characters and knows them well; and (2) Fusilli excels in creating what life was like during the mid-1970s in urban Jersey City that was heavily influenced by the Teamsters, organized crime and dishonest politicians. (As I write this, I realize that life then in Jersey City isn’t very different than in today’s world.)
#The Price You Pay #NetGalley
February 10, 2025
Actually, probably close to 3.5 stars as it is fairly well written and the story flows well. Coming of age tale of a lad being raised by his dad, a racist, corrupt cop. To assist with college expenses, Dad lines up a job for him at a Jersey City shipping center run by the Teamsters.
Can Mickey resist being sucked into the world of hoodlums and somehow escape that life with the love of his life? (I will admit having the same nickname "Mickey" drew me into the tale.)
Just a bit stereotypical and predictable to my liking but an interesting read.
Can Mickey resist being sucked into the world of hoodlums and somehow escape that life with the love of his life? (I will admit having the same nickname "Mickey" drew me into the tale.)
Just a bit stereotypical and predictable to my liking but an interesting read.
March 11, 2024
I've been a huge fan of Jim Fusilli's work ever since I read his debut novel, Closing Time by Jim Fusilli, which appeared in 2001, but as much as I enjoyed those earlier books, I think that The Price You Pay is probably his best one yet.
The story is set in a decaying Jersey City, New Jersey in the 1970s; the protagonist is a young man named Mickey Wright. Mickey's mother died when he was quite young, leaving him to the not-so-tender and not-so-loving care of his father a corrupt, racist cop with ties to the mob. Mickey is just starting college and dreams of becoming a baker, but his father lines him up with a job at a trucking company. The company has been organized by a chapter of the powerful Teamsters' Union with ties to the Genovese crime family. The company's trucks are occasionally hijacked by people who clearly have inside information and some of whom are actually employed on the docks where Mickey works.
Mickey works in the office as a clerk from four to midnight, doing paperwork and routing trucks. He's being paid very well--much more than he could hope to make virtually anywhere else at this point in his life. He understands that the world in which he now finds himself is riddled with corruption, but he hopes to distance himself from that sort of activity, keep his head down and simply do the job that was assigned to him.
Sadly, that will prove impossible, and little by little Mickey is drawn into the web of corruption that surrounds him. All too soon he'll be confronted with a significant crisis that will test his moral character and his image of himself. It may also wind up threatening his very life.
This is a great coming of age story as well as a window that allows the reader a very interesting and disturbing view into a specific time and place. As always, Fusilli writes beautifully and creates a brilliant setting. Mickey Wright is a great lead character and the author has surrounded him with an excellent cast of well-drawn and very believable characters. His description of the Jersey City of a half a century ago sounds absolutely spot on, and once you get immersed in the story, it's virtually impossible to put the book down.
If I had any complaint about this book it would be that, in my view at least, both the tease on the front cover and the summary on the back cover give away far too much of the plot, denying readers the opportunity to discover these important details for themselves. The Price You Pay
is a book that will appeal to large numbers of readers who enjoy expertly done, gritty crime fiction, but if you pick up the book, ignore all of the cover copy and dive right into a story you will not soon forget.
The story is set in a decaying Jersey City, New Jersey in the 1970s; the protagonist is a young man named Mickey Wright. Mickey's mother died when he was quite young, leaving him to the not-so-tender and not-so-loving care of his father a corrupt, racist cop with ties to the mob. Mickey is just starting college and dreams of becoming a baker, but his father lines him up with a job at a trucking company. The company has been organized by a chapter of the powerful Teamsters' Union with ties to the Genovese crime family. The company's trucks are occasionally hijacked by people who clearly have inside information and some of whom are actually employed on the docks where Mickey works.
Mickey works in the office as a clerk from four to midnight, doing paperwork and routing trucks. He's being paid very well--much more than he could hope to make virtually anywhere else at this point in his life. He understands that the world in which he now finds himself is riddled with corruption, but he hopes to distance himself from that sort of activity, keep his head down and simply do the job that was assigned to him.
Sadly, that will prove impossible, and little by little Mickey is drawn into the web of corruption that surrounds him. All too soon he'll be confronted with a significant crisis that will test his moral character and his image of himself. It may also wind up threatening his very life.
This is a great coming of age story as well as a window that allows the reader a very interesting and disturbing view into a specific time and place. As always, Fusilli writes beautifully and creates a brilliant setting. Mickey Wright is a great lead character and the author has surrounded him with an excellent cast of well-drawn and very believable characters. His description of the Jersey City of a half a century ago sounds absolutely spot on, and once you get immersed in the story, it's virtually impossible to put the book down.
If I had any complaint about this book it would be that, in my view at least, both the tease on the front cover and the summary on the back cover give away far too much of the plot, denying readers the opportunity to discover these important details for themselves. The Price You Pay
is a book that will appeal to large numbers of readers who enjoy expertly done, gritty crime fiction, but if you pick up the book, ignore all of the cover copy and dive right into a story you will not soon forget.
January 11, 2024
I loved this book. I went into it not knowing at all about how it would evolve.
Mickey's dad, a cop, gets him at job at a shipping company. He was working at a bakery and going to school and loved his job but he didn't feel he could say no. Teamsters, corruption, shady councilpeople. Mickey sees things that he didn't want to see,hears things he doesn't want to hear and does things that he doesn't want to do.
Mickey meets a girl at college who he falls in love with. Her family takes him into their hearts and he sees that family life that he never had.
When there is a death of one of the drivers at his shipping company, things change. The FBI comes calling and Mickey is between a rock and a hard place. Does Mickey do the right thing? Does he get the girl? What happens with his father?
Everything gets tied up at the end with a vary satisfying ending. Highly recommended.
Mickey's dad, a cop, gets him at job at a shipping company. He was working at a bakery and going to school and loved his job but he didn't feel he could say no. Teamsters, corruption, shady councilpeople. Mickey sees things that he didn't want to see,hears things he doesn't want to hear and does things that he doesn't want to do.
Mickey meets a girl at college who he falls in love with. Her family takes him into their hearts and he sees that family life that he never had.
When there is a death of one of the drivers at his shipping company, things change. The FBI comes calling and Mickey is between a rock and a hard place. Does Mickey do the right thing? Does he get the girl? What happens with his father?
Everything gets tied up at the end with a vary satisfying ending. Highly recommended.
September 4, 2023
This gritty and fast-paced thriller is a great addition to the crime novel genre! What I appreciated the most about this book were the characters. It is not often that you see a crime novel juxtaposed with a tender coming of age storyline. I think that the author did a great job of getting the reader deeply invested in the characters and action of the story! Fusilli is a must-read crime novelist!
September 4, 2023
Loved this thrilling but heartfelt crime/ mob novel by Jim Fusilli. Jim masterfully balances the complex relationships between his characters while navigating a taut and action-packed plot that will keep readers racing through the pages of this book. I really appreciated Jim's writing style and how connected to the characters I felt, especially the protagonist Mickey!
September 4, 2023
A great novel that teases out how an individual's morals will stand up to a corrupt environment! I loved the main character in this book and the way that the author has him wrestle with his morals and values was so relatable and really puts the human condition at the forefront of the narrative. I love a thriller that has some grit and heart and "The Price You Pay" delivers on both fronts.
September 4, 2023
Great read with some tender characters! I think it can be rare to find thriller novels nowadays that really dissect the morals and values of their main characters, but I think Jim does a great job of writing robust characters with interesting and complex interpersonal relationships. Those relationships juxtaposed with the explosive nature of this mob crime plot were so intriguing!
September 4, 2023
Really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller with some complex and relatable main characters! Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews