DAVID LAZAR: A Novel (Paperback)

Robert Kalich blurs the lines between memoir and fiction to tell a timeless story of love and redemption, with a dash of noir.     David Lazar is a born and bred New Yorker reflecting on the arc of his life as he composes his memoir. Filled with colorful New York Characters—childhood friends, business mentors, wealthy associates, organized crime figures, celebrities and sports stars—and told by a complex and compelling narrator, the city from the 1950s up to the present comes alive. The Big Apple is Lazar’s cradle and his cauldron, and a life like Lazar’s is unique to New York City.    A professional sports gambler, Lazar is haunted by the immoral nature of the very work that made him rich. His innermost being is shaken as he reimagines the dehumanizing nature of his work and former life. Did he sell his soul to make it? Is there redemption for wealth based on corruption and violence? If he is completely honest, does he risk losing what he cherishes the most: the love and respect of his wife and son? Lazar has a decision to make. This is the story of a perilous journey into the soul of a man who risks losing far more than he’s ever won.    Welcome to the world of David Lazar, the world of doubt and self-doubt, where life is lived as a novel and a novel is truer than life.   Robert Alan Kalich (1937- ) is an American writer and author. His first novel, The Handicapper: A Novel About Obsessive Gambling, was published in 1981 by Crown Publishing. The book became a national best-seller and garnered critical praise and was selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club. His second novel, The Investigation of Ariel Warning, was published in 2012. Kalich was born in and lives in New York City. He co-founded a film and theatrical production company called The Kalich Organization with his twin brother Richard Kalich, who is also a published author. As an avid sports enthusiast, Kalich has also compiled rating handbooks on players in professional basketball and baseball.   “In eloquent prose Robert Kalich launches a brilliant novel, one most assuredly to become a best seller. Highly recommended.” —SAN FRANCISCO REVIEW OF BOOKS   “Awesome honesty, pacing and reflection. The best book I’ve read in a long while.” — Susan Braudy, Pulitzer Prize Nominee, author of Kick Kennedy’s Secret Diary   “If David Lazar were a song, it could only be sung by Frank Sinatra. As a book, it could only have been written by Robert Kalich. If it’s true that we’re all reduced to stories, Kalich has told one helluva one! Enjoy the ride.” — Tim O’mara, author of the Raymond Donne Mystery Series   “In the hands of a vivid and cinematic storyteller, David Lazar’s winter-of-life soul search becomes an addictive journey, leaving the reader to wonder just how much Kalich has blurred the lines between memoir and fiction.” — Karen Tintori, author of Unto the Daughters: The Legacy of an Honor Killing in a Sicilian-American Family   “David Lazar is a gripping story of choices and their consequences. It’s worth the journey.’’ — Ira Berkowitz, Shamus Award-winning author of the Jackson Steeg Mystery Series   “A truly disturbing look into the mind of a guy who could live next door—if you happen to live next door to a professional gambler who works with mobsters and wealthy businessmen and just happens to be the best college basketball handicapper in the business.” — Kenneth Wishnia, author of 23 Shades of Black, and editor of Jewish Noir   “David Lazar is a refreshingly unabashed narrator, and his memory lane is populated by characters who are, well . . . characters! A most compelling read!” — Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times best-selling author