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BAG MEN is Mark Costello's second book. BAG MEN recreates Boston's political machine during the 1960s; hence, a main theme of the book is the corruption of the governing bodies of the city. The title itself is evocative of this theme; the term "bag man" refers to the person that actually picked up the bribes and pay-offs. Manny Manning is a narcotics detective whose men are guaranteed to be straight i.e. they cannot be bought as other cops. When he was a younger cop, his entire unit was arrested and indicted for taking bribes; he somehow escaped this fate. He starts investigating crimes involving a new drug. In this instance, he wants to take down the producers of this drug. Ray Dunn is an assistant DA. His father was a member of Manning's unit who was arrested and this shadow hangs over him. He is handed a case involving the murder of a priest, because the DA would like to see him fail. Dunn spends a lot of time actually investigating this crime in order to fine a suspect not just to put a case together. It quickly becomes apparent that there is a connection between the murdered priest and this new drug. Dunn and Manning struggle to put together a solid case before more people are murdered and the Catholic Church is threatened. BAG MEN captures the feel of this period of Boston's history. The level of corruption and the limitations it puts on everyday life is apparent. Dunn is given the priest's murder simply because he does not want to support the nomination of the current DA's son. He is demoted and threatened simply because he might change the status quo of the Machine. The police are not there to protect the innocent and helpless; they are only concerned with making a fast buck regardless of who they get the money from. The actions of the characters within this book accurately demonstrate the dangers of not obeying the guidelines of the Machine. The book also focuses on the importance the Catholic Church has for the Irish community. There are marital problems that are made more difficult by the rules of the Church. The murder of the priest is also a political issue. Showing that the priest did something wrong would make the Church look bad, while not solving the case would demonstrate that the Boston in the 1960s. Costello has added a powerful layer of grittiness and hopelessness by placing his book within this period. In fact, few of the situations within the book would be realistic in any other setting. BAG MEN is incredibly dark. Not only does the threat of the political machine threaten normal everyday survival, the situations of all of the characters are hopeless. The nation is a couple of years from the draft and the Vietnam War, and the characters demonstrate the splitting that is occurring in the nation at large. BAG MEN is a powerful book, which captures one of the many dark periods of American history. At the core of the book is a murder mystery; yet, the social commentary dominates the actions and reactions of the characters. BAG MEN should be read by anyone hoping to understand the politics of the past as well as any fan of noir mysteries.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, June 2003
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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