Even more compelling reading since the murder of Whitey Bulger! Writer
Kevin Weeks was top Lieutenant to James "Whitey" Bulger, head of the
South Boston Irish Mob, who was on the run for more than 16 years before
his capture on June 22, 2011. While on the FBI Most Wanted list with a
two million dollar reward, Whitey had been second only to Osama bin
Laden. HUNTED DOWN is a story of murder, friendship and loyalty within
the mob, using many situations that Weeks could have omitted from his
NYT bestselling memoir, BRUTAL: THE UNTOLD STORY OF MY LIFE INSIDE
WHITEY BULGER'S IRISH MOB. While HUNTED DOWN is fiction, its insider
knowledge makes it all the more intriguing, with hints toward where
Whitey and his companion Catherine Greig may actually have spent those
16 years on the run.
In this story, Joey Donahue is released from prison after serving six
years for racketeering and crimes committed as deputy to the infamous
South Boston Irish Mob boss and psychopathic murderer Whitey Bulger.
This time, he is determined to stay clear of the life of crime that has
supported him for the past twenty-five years. After a year of trying
unsuccessfully to find a job due to his notorious association with
Bulger, Joey finally surrenders to the temptation of a friend's offer to
join him in a fast score, a simple robbery of a drug dealer that should
pay the bills until he finds a viable job. The robbery turns out to be a
sting operation set up by the FBI for the express purpose of forcing
Joey to cooperate in the frustratingly unsuccessful search for his
onetime mentor. With Joey reluctantly partnered with an FBI agent, the
hunt for Whitey takes place against an international backdrop until the
old friends finally meet up in a high-stakes climax, ending the game of
cat and mouse once and for all.
It is speculated that Bulger is also the inspiration for the ruthless
crime kingpin Francis "Frank" Costello, played by Jack Nicholson in
Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning film The Departed (2006).
