Former professional boxer Jackie "Disaster" De Sesto manages Allegation Services, a crisis-management spin-doctor firm. His offices overlook the gaming floor of the Golden Prospect Casino in Atlantic City, owned by his prime customer and girlfriend, Angela Vanni, daughter of a deceased Mafia boss. Jackie Disaster and his team of Imps handle and often deliver scams and cons to paint a rosy picture of his clients regardless of the truth.

Millionaire Sally Naturale hires Jackie Disaster and associates to restore her and her firm's reputation. Murrin Connolly filed a lawsuit claiming that the organic soymilk that Sally's company produces caused her to miscarry. Expert Jonah Eastman suggests a two front attack. First Jackie Disaster and team need to destroy the credibility of Murrin with a negative dirt smearing campaign and second Sally must act contrite in public as a counter to her posh upper crust living style. Instead of smooth sailing, Jackie lives up to his nickname as nothing goes right especially when Sally vanishes. Jackie and the Imps begin a new counteroffensive.

JACKIE DISASTER is a superb satire that showcases a professional who uses any means including dirty tricks to provide counter cover for the rich and famous. The story line stuns the audience with its relative simplicity that paints a dirty image making game by the in crowd to protect their reputation. A cast, starting with the antihero and his cohorts including his father, niece, girlfriend, and new client make for a wild ride down the Jersey shore. To protect the image of Eric Dezenhall, a sequel is required.

Harriet Klausner

Last year, I read "Money Wanders" and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to pick up "Jackie Disaster." This book was even better than the first novel by this author. While both books were fun, (I actually laughed out loud many times) "Jackie Disaster" had a really well developed feel to it. The cast of characters was interesting, the plot ran smoothly without telegraphing the ending and I found myself completely caught up in the action. I definitely recommend this one-as well as "Money Wanders." Can't wait for Dezenhall's next book.

A clever skewering of mercenary, media-hungry "victims," czarinas of marketable "good taste," and Mafia wannabes by today's sharpest satirist of America's quest to reinvent itself. I especially loved the scenes where Jackie Disaster joins forces with the hero of Dezenhall's earlier (and equally perceptive) comic novel, Money Wanders, to trade insights and strategems in the quest to save New Jersey's Martha Stewart. The pace is a quick as the hero's wits.

The quiet frustrations I've shared with my friends and colleagues about media coverage have finally found a voice! Nail 'Em provides an insight to the motivations and manipulations that characterize the attack mode of the contemporary press. Written in a fluent, witty tone, Dezenhall gives his reader an inside look on why and how media attacks are generated, who falls victim and how corporate America responds. The self righteous veneer of America's watchdog groups is slowly starting to peel and rightly so.

Nail 'Em is a well-written and revealing account of crisis management decision-making in today's business climate. Mr. Dezenhall's thought-provoking descriptions of real-life situations certainly held my interest from cover to cover. I have passed this book on to diverse friends and family and all enjoyed it. The author draws from a wealth of personal experience and seems to be a born story-teller--I'm hoping he will try his hand at fiction sometime!

In a world where television dictates emotion and the latest rumor becomes the evening news fact, Nail' EM cuts through the fog and shows us exactly the forces at work against corporate Icons and celebrities. Not only did I buy this book but I sent a copy to Audi just in case 60 Minutes returns.

OK, here's the brief plot synopsis:
boy living in the modern world of PR/polling and the Internet is drawn back home to New Jersey and the Mob background that his grandfather was prominent in and wanted him to leave behind. It's an interesting merger of a mafia story with modern technology.

I found this on the new book shelve in the library and the synopsis caught my attention. I'm glad I picked it up. This is an entertaining read with a more substance than the typical summer novel. For a first novel, it is excellent, much richer than you would expect. For any novel, this is a fine read, well worth the time investment for you thriller fans out there.

The story was not predictable; you really had to hang in to the end to figure out what was going to happen. The characters get fleshed out as real people. I'd guess the author is from Jersey and knew these kinds of people growing up. He also knows the world of modern polling and media manipulation. Read his bio on the book jacket for some interesting background.

There were a couple of times you'd want to go back and read a sentence or two as some of the metaphors were a little strained but they stood out as exceptions. This guy is a very decent writer. I'll read his next one.

Fifty years ago I was sent to Las Vegas to do a Public Relations campaign that would portray mobsters as kindly, benign, businessmen. Lo and behold, Money Wanders presents a campaign I wish I had access to those many years ago. This book is "right on the money." It doesn't matter if the story is about New Jersy, Chicago, or Las Vegas, the characters appear as part of an international brotherhood.

This is a fun read with an honest plot, and moves toward a satisfying ending. I am on my third re-reading and continue to laugh at the characters who really believe they are "tough" guys. You don't have to be an authority on organized crime to enjoy this book, however you will learn to recognize the difference between Tony Soprano and authentic mobsters.

I truly enjoyed this book! I was slightly surprised, because I'm not usually interested in mob-related books or films. Thanks to this book's interesting characters, unusual story line, and sheer originality, however, I couldn't put it down. Somehow, Dezenhall has managed to come up with an intelligent, exciting story that is extremely funny, yet has a lot of depth. When I heard it was a "comic thriller" I expected something more slapstick--and was glad to find something far different. It is hard to put a brief descriptive label on this book--so if you enjoy a good, thoughtful story with a lot of laughs and interesting characters, buy Money Wanders!