Even A Pandemic Can’t Stop Love & Murder:
“Get it!”…”While this book offers a solid wrap-up, the author has two more installments in the works. A rousing crime tale with an indelible cast and a sharp, edgy environment.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“O’Neill infuses his series opener with a perpetual sense of unease. Jagger, for example, is a constant menacing presence, and readers know his ferocious search puts him closer and closer to Alby. In the same vein, the mobsters’ deadline ignites the story’s momentum, as each new chapter designates the day and time like a countdown. Even romantic interludes with Alby and Ginger hardly slow the narrative down. Their dialogue scenes pop, and their dates include such winsome bits as Alby’s mostly futile attempts at dancing.
The titular pandemic enhances this story—it creates a brooding atmosphere rather than serving as the plot’s driving force. In this case, the near-future world endures Covid-22. Alby protects himself with the most elaborate mask available, while Jagger, who’s getting his hands dirty for the mob, makes sure to sanitize when mingling with the unvaccinated. Despite the romantic couple’s appeal, Jagger is the standout; it’s not his violent acts that prove the most terrifying but rather his painstaking dedication to his grim assignment. His actions often showcase O’Neill’s stark, concise prose: “He saw an empty garage with weeds starting to poke through the black parking lot tar; an abandoned business, two large bay doors with narrow glass windows near the top. Jagger got out and peered through the windows. The place was half-lit from the parking lot, so all he could see was a mess; trash and oil stains were the main inhabitants.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Writers Digest: “Exemplary!”
“A truly gripping narrative!”
“…This was a truly gripping narrative. When I first read the prologue, I saw a story already, but pulling readers from an already difficult situation with historical accuracy that made me question which parts were real and which parts were fictionalized into a narrative that follows a small life turned large by this huge thriller of a case. The details—down to what each character was feeling at any given moment to—were superb in this novel. I appreciated the nuances in characters’ clothing, the backdrop that situations would occur in, and the little easter eggs that kept me interested in how this mob bank operated. I also appreciated the voice of each character, especially Alby and Ginger. There was a lot of narration of actions that made it easy to distinguish between who was talking or acting, even if there was dialogue tag or a stray pronoun. These distinct voices and actions in the characters also allowed for a great deal of character development, namely on Alby’s part, because of how consistent the core values and traits of these characters were.
—Judge, 32nd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.
Press for Volume 2
Full Pacific Book Review
Alfred O'Neill's Even Climate Change Can't Stop Love and Murder Vol.2 Paying the Price is a sequel to O'Neill's Even a Pandemic Can't Kill Love and Murder Vol.1 Break the Bank. The book is a pelleting of the psychological, political, and crime thriller sub-genres. The writing is spiced with observations on catastrophic climate change.
The book picks up the story right where the first book left off - Alby and Ginger escaping. It begins with Alby and Ginger preparing to run, helped by 'The Handlers.' They receive new names, vax ID cards, driver's licenses, and Social Security cards, as well as details about their families, education, the high school they attended (including Ginger's favorite teacher's name), jobs, and how they met and got married. Next, Ginger and Alby begin their road trip in a truck. Their destination is Sedona, where they secretly have to start a new life.
Since the book is the second in the series, the plot starts right with the action and builds it further in a well-structured manner. In addition, readers glimpse the inner lives of the central and supporting characters through the narration of the story's different points of view. Each character is provided with flashbacks which add depth to their significance. Also, Ginger's personality and her troubled past have been fully developed. Jagger's childhood trauma and complex relationships with his father are well-written, offering more profound insight into Jagger as a person. The chemistry between Alby and Ginger develops as they gradually learn about each other's personalities and grow closer. The initial trip serves their relationship as they are forced to let themselves be vulnerable in front of each other.
The book's setting in the period of the climate crisis gives this exciting tale a new level of suspense. The connection between Alby and Ginger and key storyline twists keeps readers interested in the characters. Whatever the case, the book closes on a suspenseful one-liner cliff-hanger that could reveal more about Alby and Ginger's complex relationship. I suggest this book to people who like slow-burning thrillers with a touch of romance, contemporary world issues, and American politics.
The Great Reviews are Coming in!
“Romance fans will enjoy the Alby-Ginger dynamic, which illustrates the stops-and-starts of nurturing a relationship amid the distraction of running for one’s life…
…Alfred O'Neill's EVEN CLIMATE CHANGE CAN’T STOP LOVE AND MURDER (the second in a series) is a literary thrill ride full of sharp social commentary wrapped in a mystery with a touch of romance.”
—IndieReader (4.8 out of 5)
“Character descriptions are clear and often clever, as in the noirish line, “She did not like guns, but they seemed to like her.” Things take a potentially deadly turn in the feverish final act, which ends with a hint of another sequel. A quiet but effective novel that slowly rises in intensity.” — Kirkus Reviews
"The book's setting in the period of the climate crisis gives this exciting tale a new level of suspense. I suggest this book to people who like slow-burning thrillers with a touch of romance, contemporary world issues, and American politics.”
—Manik Chaturmutha, Pacific Book Review, 5-Star Review
"Weaving such a human and real love story into a thriller was a perfect way to hook the audience...Highly recommended."
—JJ Barnes, Editor at The Table Read
…and press coverage…
New Book In The Exciting “Love And Murder...” Series | Family Living | chathamstartribune.com
New Book In The Exciting “Love And Murder...” Series | Family Living | newsargus.com
New Book In The Exciting “Love And Murder...” Series | Family Living | loganbanner.com
New Book In The Exciting “Love And Murder...” Series | Family Living | 2news.com
New Book In The Exciting “Love And Murder...” Series | Family Living | theunion.com
New Book In The Exciting “Love And Murder...” Series | Family Living | esubulletin.com
New Book In The Exciting “Love And Murder...” Series | Family Living | decaturdailydemocrat.com
The Great Reviews are Coming in!
BookTrib on “Pandemicv fiction”:
Even a Pandemic Can’t Stop Love and Murder, Volume 1: Break the Bank by Alfred O’Neill, BookTrib
Time and place are key elements of any novel and something with which all writers struggle. Get them right, and readers will readily accept your story’s invented reality. But get the time and place wrong, and your story can crash and burn before it even gets started.
And, just when we thought we’d figured out the perfect setting, the perfect time frame, along comes a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. So now what? Where does that leave the fiction scene?
CREATING A PATH FOR “PANDEMIC FICTION”
Recently, I’ve read two novels that addressed the pandemic in diametrically opposed ways. One writer simply made a vague passing reference to the pandemic changing the world and then went on to tell his story. The other used the pandemic and its fallout on society as a key plot driver. Both worked.
In Even a Pandemic Can’t Stop Love and Murder, Volume 1: Break the Bank (AESON Publications), Alfred O’Neill has conjured a third path. Set sometime in the mid-2020s, the story takes place in a world that has adjusted to the long-term presence of Covid-19. Masks, smartphone alerts, and even separate entrances for the vaxxed and non-vaxxed, create a dark and depressing overarching presence in this fast-paced romantic thriller.
NOWHERE TO HIDE IN THIS NEW WORLD
Alby O’Brien is running. First, mourning the loss of his mother, and blaming his sister, he heads to Baghdad as a construction contractor. Then, after getting caught up in a questionable anti-terrorist firefight, wounded and wanted, he runs back to New Jersey to live a non-existent off-the-radar life as a small-time construction contractor hiding from terrorist retribution.
But when one of his work crew rips off a mob-owned bank, he’s now faced with a whole new reason to run. Jagger, the mob’s psychotic killer, has been sent to recover the stolen goods and clean up the mess. In the world of thrillers can mean only one thing: Kill everyone.
Meanwhile, Alby has fallen for Ginger, a red-haired, smart-talking, tap-dancing, Zumba instructor who seems as lost as Alby. And to make matters worse, Ginger lives upstairs from Jagger, which qualifies her for inclusion in his homicidal plans.
STRANGER THAN FICTION
Alfred O’Neill claims this novel is based on a true story as told to him by his father who worked for the mob. Like they say, “you can’t make this stuff up.” But at least the author put it down on paper for everyone to enjoy in a snappy, fast-paced story.
I guess we’ll have to wait for Volumes 2 and 3, to find out what other dark tidbits of gory information might bloom on the O’Neill family tree.
About Alfred O’Neill:
Alfred O’Neill grew up going to a private school paid for by a mobster father, rocks out to the Grateful Dead and Beethoven for inspiration, reads comics to never lose his inner child, and disregards most of society’s rules — except for the importance of decency, empathy and humanity. Roll it all up? He gathers and tells stories.
After several decades of film school, professional writing, public speaking, and travel blogging (www.outspokentraveler.com) experience, his debut novel, Even a Pandemic Can’t Stop Love and Murder, a three-volume, romance/thriller that takes place in the mid-2020s, is based on a true story. Told to him by his father years ago, the plot centers on a robbery at a mob-owned bank and the violent consequences that followed.
From a childhood marked by wiretaps, mob dinners, and FBI agents following his father, O’Neill learned to understand the complexities of love, crime, and human behavior that drive right and wrong. Inspired by the snappy patter of 1930s talkies, and the mundane, ever-present danger of the Pandemic Era, he used this story to show what he believes are the major themes in human behavior: the interplay of light and dark, of love and death, of choices made and lived with. Despite all of his own life’s more challenging lessons, O’Neill knows that love will always win.
His audiobook, read by the well-known Sean Pratt, is available on Amazon and other platforms.
Book Review: Even a Pandemic Can’t Stop Love & Murder Vol. 1: Break the Bank | PR for People
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/even-a-pandemic-cant-stop-love-and-murder
Even A Pandemic Can’t Stop Love And Murder – Alfred O’Neill | Book of the Day .org
Member of the Month: Alfred O’Neill (naiwe.com)
Author Interview - Alfred O'Neill - Even A Pandemic Can't Stop Love And Murder (thetableread.co.uk)
Love, Murder and Mobs in This New Pandemic-Centric Romantic Thriller | BookTrib.
EVEN CLIMATE CHANGE CAN’T STOP LOVE AND MURDER | IndieReader
Writers and Publishers Network
New Book In The Exciting "Love And Murder..." Series | Whatagraph (reports.live)
Reader Reviews for Volume 1
Stephen S of WV
★★★★★
Suspense, humor, romance, and South Jersey, too!
November 28, 2021
A close friend from Philly put me on to this amazing mystery which moves like a speeding freight train rumbling down the side of a mountain. The story put me under its spell from the opening pages and never let go. With crisp dialogue, vivid descriptions, and a plot that unfolds under the unforgiving weight of the current pandemic, O'Neill masterfully allows the building suspense to take the reader into the minds and motives of the characters whose lives collide in the shabby shadows of South Jersey. As a reader whose tastes run to historical nonfiction, essays, and biographies, I rarely delve into mysteries. I'm glad that the tip from my hometown friend prompted me to dive into this engaging page-turner. I highly recommend it!
Reiki Master
★★★★★
You won't be able to put this one down!
December 27, 2021
“On the ride to Marlton, he kept things silent, his head empty. They had given him eight days; he did it in seven. Was this what they had called a new life? It felt phony and hollow; the Jersey Turnpike didn’t help. Their words rang in his ears: “Your job is to hide. You are now going to live a small life.” He was beginning to suspect a small life meant no life.”
I highly recommend this book! Do you know the name Hannibal? If so (or if not..) read on.
It’s the mid-2020s. Much of the world’s population has become resigned to the rules resulting from the pandemic, although the anti-vaxxers still angrily protest them. Two years before, back in his hospital room in Baghdad, Alby O’Brien’s “Handlers” had informed him that he was on a militant Iraqi hit list after having been set up by some part of the US government as the bait for a “cleansing” mission of a leader of one of Iraq’s terrorist groups. One of his Handlers told him that he could “disappear” anywhere in the world, yet the only place he could think to go was Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where his estranged sister and her adult son Stephen live. Alby O’Brien is about to start a new life in South Jersey that will have him living in his garage “cave” where he deals with PTSD nightmares and stays away from any situations where he might be recognized. Until...
Although an experienced building contractor, Alby has been forced to take small jobs just to stay under the radar. Now two years after his disappearing act, he hears about some renovation work at a local bank that pays well and all he has to do is gather up some men who are willing to remove asbestos from the upper floors of the bank after hours while he goes home and sleeps. It seems like a no-brainer to Alby. What he doesn’t know is that this bank is owned by the Mob and one of his crew is about to pull off a heist that will very quickly put Alby and just about everyone else in this story in the gun site of an obsessively methodical and completely terrifying mob hit man.
Added to this line-up of suspense is a woman named Ginger who puts him somewhere between scared and seduced, a sister who he blames for the death of their mother, a nephew who works his jobs with him but has to be kept in the dark about his Iraq debacle (and has his own secrets), and his constant battle to maintain his sanity in a situation that just keeps getting tighter and tighter.
Even a Pandemic is based on a true story told to author O’Neill years ago by his father. Keep that in mind as you live one terrifying and life-altering week in the life of Alby O’Brien.
Ms. Shreve
★★★★★
A titillating tale of family life that includes war, mobsters, murder and love.
November 22, 2021
This novel gripped me from the start, from Iraqi to New Jersey, what a journey and the ending…that is the beginning for volume 2. There are really bad guys doing their thing, entangling hired day workers, families and lovers. Great dialogue brings you into the narrative and characters leaving you wanting more. I can’t wait to see where Ginger and her new dance partner go in Vol.2.
green genie
★★★★★
Well written
December 16, 2021
Mr. James
★★★★★
couldn't put it down
October 28, 2021
Read it twice; couldn't put it down. A real thrill-ride, with a lot of heart and a really delicious villain.
KNubs
★★★★☆
Great story!
December 30, 2021
I really enjoyed this - what a great story! - and I can’t wait to read more about Alby and Ginger and their adventures. Great fleshed-out characters and really good writing…
Terry M. Cullison
★★★★★
Action thriller with a splash of romance
November 18, 2021
Great action adventure with a hint of romance. Cant wait till book #2. AES O'Neill has a gift for descriptive language. Positively worth a read. I liked the setting.
Victor O Morrison
★★★★★
A Classic Page Burner!
November 30, 2021
The author paints an intricate tapestry of the cast of characters, landscape, cultures, businesses, and interrelationships that make up Southern New Jersey. His obviously very intimate vantage point enabled him to project four or five years into the future and offer a very realistic and compelling story about life, love, war, business, surviving, and NOT surviving in one of the more corrupt and dangerous parts of the country against the backdrop of an ongoing never-return-to-normal pandemic. Well Done!
Lisa W
★★★★★
Even a pandemic couldn't stop me from reading this book!
November 19, 2021
Even a pandemic couldn't stop me from reading this book! I needed to find out what was going to happen to Alby ASAP. I don't usually read "thrillers" but the dialogue and insights into human nature throughout the narrative made it suspenseful and thoughtful. Loved the love intrigue as well.
Helene
★★★★★
Clever plot, riveting dialogue and a surprising romance
December 9, 2021
This novel offers the reader a clever, thrilling plot that keeps you wondering what might happen next. The dialogue is ingenious and both captures the characters and aids in their development. The ending is full of surprises both as a thriller and a romance. The characters are so memorable you will be anxiously awaiting the next novel in the series.
