Stiletto (published in 1960) - A book by Harold Robbins, silencing the witnesses against the mob

Harold Robins is one of the prolific writers of the 21st century. Born Harold Rubin, his parents were Russian and Polish immigrants. After dabbling in sugar futures he took up a job in Universal Pictures which propelled his interest towards writing. Thus came out “Never love a Stranger” which courted a controversy for its graphic sexual content. Soon Robbins would become a prolific writer churning out innumerable best sellers. He had this knack of mixing up a thriller with sex and historical anecdotes to create a taut mystery. The world's favorite author, Harold Robins would publish over 20 books which have been translated into 32 languages and estimatedly selling over 750 million copies. Many of his books were made into successful movies, the very first being “A stone For Danny Fisher” which was adapted as “King Creole” starring Elvis Presley. The stories were also made in to mini series and were part of documentaries. Robbins also lived a jet setting life style with cars, wine and women at his disposal. His decadent life style along with those of the high and mighty of Hollywood was often mirrored in his books. Robbins was one of the authors honored with a star on the Hollywood walk of frame. This prolific writer died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 81 in Palm Springs, California.
Stiletto has the usual ingredients of a Harold Robbins pot boiler, a mafia hit man, a special agent, voluptuous blondes who are deemed intelligent by the author but having the IQ of a dodo and graphic sexual encounters. This book also boasts of graphic violence and descriptions of the thrill of killing. Cesare Cardinali is a young aristocrat who is a pervert, disturbed sociopath. But for Harold Robbins he is a young aristocrat with a penchant for killing.



He kills using a stiletto which is a knife not something which the ladies crave for. Cesare, being Italian is tall dark, muscular and handsome with incredible love making prowess that the ladies flock to him asking for more.
Cesare is a race driver and a hit man who enjoys a kill. He is given the job to silence four witnesses by the mafia bosses which he does with aplomb. The scrunch of the stiletto on his victims body gives him a high. But soon his party is over as the mafia gets cold legs about his trustability. Soon they want him dead and also pursuing him is George Baker, a nice guy special agent who had given his prime years marching up the witnesses. The cat and mouse encounters with lot of sexual encounters and bone chilling violence covers the rest of the book.
Stiletto is vintage Harold Robbins. From the man who invented sex, stiletto is full of erotic content and this might be the reason for its popularity. The book has nothing original to offer, no new twists, no great insights as it is a typical hit man on the run from the mafia story. But for Harold Robbins fans this might be entertaining as the typical racy potboiler. So it gives you the expected and since it never promises to be a literary masterpiece, I think there is no scope for complaints.