Trust No One, Promise Nothing has been beta read, finished and query letters sent to agents.
One thing agents are interested in is similar title and authors' names.
My novel is perhaps most reminiscent of Billy Summers by Stephen King, in that both books feature protagonists with horrific childhoods, vigilantes who are ‘made men’ working undercover for the Mafia and only kill bad guys.
I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt is an epic saga of organized crime, hustlers, and hitmen. These stories, like Trust No One, Promise Nothing, explore unsolved murders, mafia rivalries, and the protagonist's rise in their mafia families. Although Brandt’s story is nonfiction and mine is fiction, both stories are page-turning crime classics.
Similar to my novel, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas shows how the protagonist loses his innocence and gains survival skills. They both are the recipient of an elder’s wisdom and, through adversity, enter a new life.
Okay, I gave them what they asked for, but here's what I wanted to tell them:
Superman and Batman came to the forefront of my google inquiries for vigilante protagonists.
They hide behind a businessman’s identity to lead a normal life when not engaged in illegal activities and vigilante actions.
They protect their loved ones, are mysterious and strike fear into their enemies.
There is always a supervillain who is crazy.
The Mafia is like a group of superheroes, related to each other but with complicated loyalties.
A backstory always tells of the Superhero’s origin to explain his motives.
In the battle between good and evil, both superheroes and the Mafia have a moral code of honor they live by. Some crimes are so heinous it would guarantee a sanctioned hit.
In unmasking the superhero, the audience is privy to his true identity, but his family is not and are drawn into the intrigue before learning the truth.
My gardens are calling ... gotta go.
Hugs,
ggwakem