'57, Chicago

Former newsman Monroe does a credible job of capturing the gritty feel of 1957 Chicago's seamier side in his noirish debut, a boxing morality play that focuses on the efforts of down-and-out fight promoter Eddie ""The Lip"" Lipranski to put together the bout of his life. The rising star to whom he attaches himself is young black fighter Junior ""The Hammer"" Hamilton, a devastatingly powerful physical specimen with some unsavory family connections and a history of violence outside the ring. Hamilton's opponent, a smooth Elvis-like hipster named Tomcat Gordon, enters the fight as the reigning champion, but as the local fight community gets word of Junior's talent the boxer's fortunes begin to rise. When the syndicate steps in and fixes the fight, though, all hell breaks loose for Lipranski and Hamilton, who suddenly find themselves on the short end of the financial stick. Monroe's plot isn't exactly innovative, but he compensates by bringing to life a colorful crew of secondary characters that includes the bookies who cover the fight, Lipranski's sexy girlfriend and the various mobsters and boxing commission authorities who try to muscle in on a piece of the action. Monroe also inserts a deft plot twist that sends the fight itself in an unanticipated direction, distinguishing the book to some extent from conventional boxing novels. The result is a solid piece of pulp fiction that pays homage to the various masters of the genre. (Apr.) Forecast: Miramax is developing the novel as a film, which may eventually bring it to the attention of readers who wouldn't otherwise care although that could take a while. In the meantime, Chicago advertising and promotion may attract local readers.