John Reinhard Dizon has done it again!

Author John Reinhard Dizon has blown my mind once again with his latest release The Triad. He includes all the elements needed to keep my eyes plastered to the story.



 Short Interview with John about the book:
Elle: What was your inspiration for The Triad?

John: I had always wanted to write about Alvin Karpis. He was the most successful of the Thirties gangsters and the least well-known. Since non-fiction is not my genre, I was faced with the task of coming up with a storyline that would be relevant to today’s readers. Writing about Nazis and pre-WWII politics for a Millennial generation made it a greater challenge. That’s where the subplot of mind control and time travel kicked in. Karpis was the perfect anti-hero as he was far above and beyond his peers on an intellectual level and was able to grasp the concepts. In the novel, he knows that he and the gang are being manipulated by the Government to thwart the Nazi assassination team. He is faced with the challenge of turning the game plan to his benefit.


Elle: In your words what is The Triad about?

John: It’s all about governments controlling societies in their quest for power. The use of propaganda became an art form in the ‘30s, but America didn’t start catching up to the Nazis until the war began. People like J. Edgar Hoover saw the potential in adopting the Nazis’ tactics, and during the War on Crime he threw Constitutional rights out the window. He publicized his success against Dillinger, Nelson, Floyd and the Karpis-Barker Gang, but at what cost? We saw the same thing at the turn of the century when the Patriot Act marginalized the rights of target groups, but we had the head of Osama Bin Laden to show for it. When the ends begin to justify the means, people begin to ask what it’s all about. Scientists cannot resolve their search for the meaning of life, so they reach to the stars for the answer. They will find it much easier to reconcile it all if aliens from another planet appear in spaceships with the answer. It would be a lot easier for them to accept than the story of a baby in a manger.


Elle: What makes Karpis tick?

John: Alvin Karpis’ parents were Lithuanian immigrants who moved from Montreal to Kansas after he was born. He was a skinny kid dealing with lots of issues, and learned to rely on his brain power to survive on the streets. He led his gang into the major leagues at an early age, and spent most of his teen years in reformatories as a result. He made connections with career criminals, and when he got out he knew everything about succeeding without getting caught. It made him a control freak, which lent him to foul moods and a quick temper, especially considering the IQ of the people he had to work with. His demeanor grew so unpleasant they began calling him Old Creepy. Yet he built a gang of Ozark hillbillies, including the Barker brothers, that was so sophisticated they got away with the kidnappings of William Hamm and Edward Bremer. Whereas Dillinger and most of the other top gangs were actually bank robbery teams, the Karpis-Barker Gang had over fifty associates at any given time, a gang in the true sense of the word. Karpis often provided protection for mobsters in places like Reno and Las Vegas. Yet he had a way with women and was involved in numerous romances throughout his career. Their common concern was his inability to gain weight. After an FBI raid on one of his hotel rooms, they marveled at the size 27 pants they found in his wardrobe. He was a ball of nervous energy, and it made him one of the most remarkable figures in crime history.

Elle:  You left the end open for a sequel. Can we look forward to another Karpis adventure?


John: I’ve become a believer in trilogies after The Standard series, and I’m in the process of working out the storyline for Nightcrawler III. Karpis is certainly a compelling character, and it wouldn’t be beyond imagination for him to return from Spain for an encore. I’ve gotten rave reviews for the early release so far, and my good friend Marcha Fox did an awesome job with the cover art. If the momentum keeps building, I don’t see why Old Creepy couldn’t get it in gear for another round.

Review:

Triad by John Reinhard Dizon is a political supernatural thriller taking place in the late 1930’s. As a supernatural junkie, I am aware of all the speculation about alien landings and the overwhelming sense that aliens were going to take over the planet, the speculations about mind control experiments the government used at Alcatraz and all the government cover-ups. Dizon twists all the speculation, accusations, and well known historical figures such as Truman, Eisenhower, and Hitler along with the mafia and gangsters together into a mind-blowing novel that will have you believing. 

I have been a fan of this author since the first novel of his I read, Tiara. He has an amazing ability to tell a story through dialogue using just enough description to set the mood and build the characters giving them depth. Reading this story made me feel as though I was a bystander watching it unfold before my eyes as if I was watching a movie from the big screen; reaching for my buttery popcorn as the intensity built. The plot twists took me for a ride exploding into an action packed climax and wide open for a sequel.


Grab your snacks because you likely won’t put this book down until it’s finished!

Where to find John:

Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon
Barnes and Noble