In the Company of Killers

Gr 9 Up–Natasha “Tasha” Nicastro, 17, is always at the top of the social ladder. But even with her shrewd social acumen, Tasha is shocked to learn that her family’s status comes from more than generational wealth and strong investments. In reality, they are the most powerful mob family in New York, and her father wants Tasha to take on a bigger role in the family business. But then her father and beloved older sister are shot down in front of her, and Tasha is left with a misogynist mafia that’s unwilling to follow her, scattered clues, and a thirst for revenge. Hoping to bring the killer to justice, Tasha seeks help from Leo Danesi—her former best friend and the son of the Nicastro’s closest mob rival. With a protagonist reminiscent of Regina George from Mean Girls crossed with Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl, Cook’s novel shines a light on a seedy financial underbelly where acts of violence are as over the top as the obscene wealth of the main characters. That Tasha and the other mafia families are Italian feels largely surface level with income status serving as the dominant culture marker. Chapters alternate between Tasha and Leo’s first-person narrative highlighting their deep reluctance to engage with their family’s respective criminal activities until it is more expedient. This shift causes both Tasha and Leo to read as reactive and lacking in agency.