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Hell-Bent by Jason Ryan

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Hell-Bent

Publisher
Blackstone Publishing
Publish Date
23 April 2019
Run Time
8 hours 52 minutes
Format
Audiobook
$13.95

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What to expect

World-class beaches, fragrant frangipani, swaying palms, and hula girls. Most folks think of Hawaii as a vacation destination. Mob-style executions, drug smuggling, and vicious gang warfare are seldom part of the postcard image. Yet, Hawaii was once home to not only Aloha spirit, but also a ruthless, homegrown mafia underworld. From 1960 to 1980, Hawaiian gangsters grew rich off a robust trade in drugs, gambling, and prostitution that followed in the wake of Hawaii’s tourist boom.

Thus, by 1980—the year Charles Marsland was elected Honolulu’s top prosecutor—the honeymoon island paradise was also plagued by violence, corruption, and organized crime. The zeal that Marsland brought to his crusade against the Hawaiian underworld was relentless, self-destructive, and very personal. Five years earlier, Marsland’s son had been gunned down. His efforts to bring his son’s killers to justice—and indeed, eradicate the entire organized criminal element in Hawaii—make for an extraordinary tale that culminates with intense courtroom drama.

Hawaii Five-O meets Wiseguy in author Jason Ryan’s vigorously reported chronicle of brazen gangsters, brutal murders, and a father’s quest for vengeance—all set against an unlikely backdrop of seductive tropical beauty.

Critics Review

  • “A penetrating look at the darker side of a sunny paradise, the book is sure to be appreciated by those with an interest in true crime or simply those looking for a bit of fast-moving, adventurous nonfiction.”

    Charleston Mercury

  • “Ryan’s well-researched account expertly weaves historical fact into an engrossing true crime narrative.”

    Publishers Weekly

  • “Portions of the book are gripping and Marsland’s search for justice takes him through a twisted landscape.”

    Kirkus Reviews

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Details

Author
Jason Ryan
Narrator
Keith Sellon-Wright
Duration
8 hours 52 minutes
Release Date
23 April 2019
ISBN
9781982624743
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Blackstone Publishing
Genre
True crime, Organized crime, History of the Americas, Local history, History of the Americas

Synopsis

World-class beaches, fragrant frangipani, swaying palms, and hula girls. Most folks think of Hawaii as a vacation destination. Mob-style executions, drug smuggling, and vicious gang warfare are seldom part of the postcard image. Yet, Hawaii was once home to not only Aloha spirit, but also a ruthless, homegrown mafia underworld. From 1960 to 1980, Hawaiian gangsters grew rich off a robust trade in drugs, gambling, and prostitution that followed in the wake of Hawaii’s tourist boom. Thus, by 1980—the year Charles Marsland was elected Honolulu’s top prosecutor—the honeymoon island paradise was also plagued by violence, corruption, and organized crime. The zeal that Marsland brought to his crusade against the Hawaiian underworld was relentless, self-destructive, and very personal. Five years earlier, Marsland’s son had been gunned down. His efforts to bring his son’s killers to justice—and indeed, eradicate the entire organized criminal element in Hawaii—make for an extraordinary tale that culminates with intense courtroom drama.Hawaii Five-O meets Wiseguy in author Jason Ryan’s vigorously reported chronicle of brazen gangsters, brutal murders, and a father’s quest for vengeance—all set against an unlikely backdrop of seductive tropical beauty.

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