(PRWEB) June 17, 2014
Harry Hallman, author of the novel Mercy Row, continues his series with the debut of the second novel in the series, Mercy Row Clann. Mercy Row is the story of the rise of a North Philadelphian crime family that was responsible for building the homes and factories that make up the blue-collar area of the city. Despite the violent trials and tribulations caused by rival gangs from South Philadelphia and Chicago, Jacob Byrne and Franklin Garrett, with the help of the Irish immigrants who settled the Kensington area of Philly, build a formidable Irish mob, which they call the K&A gang.
Mercy Row Clann continues the story, as the Byrne family of Philadelphia fights two wars—one for the freedom of the world and the other for the survival of the family. As World War II rages on, the Byrne family must send their sons to fight the Germans and Japanese, while they battle for survival against old and new enemies at home. The Byrne children's ability to protect and grow the family, and the K&A Gang, is tested with violence, sorrow, fear, and love.
Here is what readers have said about the Mercy Row series:
"This is exactly what historic fiction SHOULD be. From the opening paragraph, all the way through, I was completely riveted. This story has everything: violence, romance, gangsters, history. Harry Hallman paints a vivid picture with his gripping writing style and compelling characters."
"This book, from the start, will have your attention. You immediately get a sense of who all the characters are and their roles. This book is not sweet. It is violent, like you should expect a novel concerning a story about the rivalry and the mob."
"I found a refreshing, not often found, variety in Mercy Row Clann. World War II, men going and coming from the service, the local strife placed on the public with rationing and restrictions, and most of all, a mother's agony over serving sons. I witnessed much of this as a small child, and it would do all well to read what it was like in the 1940s war era at home in the nation's arsenal: Philadelphia."
"This is not a war story, but takes place at that time and is a continuation of Mercy Row, a novel about the same families in the 1920s and 30s. The gangs and families, the neighborhood, and many of the advents are real. There is love, violence, sorrow, and happiness, and accurate history in this book."
The author's father was Harry Hallman, Sr., a champion billiards player who owned a poolroom called Circle Billiards, located at Allegany Avenue and Lee Street in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. The younger Hallman spent many hours after school at his father's pool room and watched his father play in other poolrooms in Philadelphia and New Jersey. The people he met, some belonging to the real K&A Gang, influenced his writing of the Mercy Row series.
Harry Hallman 404-664-5664
Additional information sources:
http://www.mercyrow.com
http://www.facebook.com/mercyrownovel
http://www.amazon.com/author/harryhallman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/harryhallman
Hallman's novels are available on Amazon.com, iTunes, Audible.com, and other eBook and book retailers.