"Carlos Monz³n's life was one that could have been defined with an almost unblemished boxing record, but was ultimately overtaken by a completely defaced personality. The only legacy he leaves is that the narrative, told brilliantly in the book, is unfortunately so absorbing."-Jack Porter, The Sportsman
From the pages of Fistful of Murder...
The death of Alicia Muniz wasn't a complete surprise to anyone who knew Carlos Monzon. The surprise was that no one else had died in his company.
He had a volcanic temper. He drank heavily and used cocaine. He drove recklessly, had a fascination with guns, and had been arrested many times for physical assaults. In February of 1988, with his personal life in shreds, Monzon had finally reached the nadir of an existence defined by hostility, with nothing to obstruct his most savage instincts.
***Carlos Monzon was one of Argentina's most celebrated figures. A renowned boxing champion and movie actor who enjoyed affairs with beautiful women, he also harbored a secret life of drug use, alcohol, and domestic violence.
When his estranged wife was found dead-strangled and tossed from a balcony-Monzon confessed that they'd fought the night before, but he couldn't remember what had happened. The resulting murder trial cast a long shadow over Monzon's legacy and launched a decades-long battle between his critics and defenders.
In A Fistful of Murder, Don Stradley explores Monzon's turbulent life, from his beginnings in poverty to his dramatic rise to stardom, all the way to the case that shook a country-and still haunts Argentina today.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: The Void
CHAPTER 2: Rome, 11/7/1970
CHAPTER 3: "They Killed Themselves with Laughter"
CHAPTER 4: Luna Park 1965-69
CHAPTER 5: Champion
CHAPTER 6: Garbage and Miracles
CHAPTER 7: Bad Bennie
CHAPTER 8: Bullets
CHAPTER 9: Taking on the World
CHAPTER 10: A Glass Full of Piss
CHAPTER 11: The Boxer and the Beauty
CHAPTER 12: "He Can Be Evil"
CHAPTER 13: One Fight/One Film
CHAPTER 14: Superstar
CHAPTER 15: El Macho's Last Ride
CHAPTER 16: Desperate Sundown
CHAPTER 17: Alicia
CHAPTER 18: The Lady on the Bricks
CHAPTER 19: Murder in Mar del Plata
CHAPTER 20: Killer and Still Champion
CHAPTER 21: The Outlaw Saint
A Fistful of Murder: The Fights and Crimes of Carlos Monzon is the fifth in the Hamilcar Noir series. Hamilcar Noir is "Hard-Hitting True Crime" that blends boxing and true crime, featuring riveting stories captured in high-quality prose, with cover art inspired by classic pulp novels.
Industry Reviews
"Carlos Monz?n's life was one that could have been defined with an almost unblemished boxing record, but was ultimately overtaken by a completely defaced personality. The only legacy he leaves is that the narrative, told brilliantly in the book, is unfortunately so absorbing."--Jack Porter, The Sportsman
"Sports fans will be drawn to the work thanks to Stradley's considerable powers of description: he is probably one of the best fight writers operating today...A Fistful Of Murder manages to be several things at once: a character study of a brooding, malevolent archetype; a simple but absorbing boxing biography; and a pulpy story of a hideous crime barnacled with conflicting testimonies."--Ronnie McCluskey, The Fight City
"...the story moves at a brisk pace...compelling portions of the book lie in the portrait [Stradley] paints of Monzon's personal life."."--Thomas Hauser, The Sweet Science
"the enormity of the court case in Argentina is explained brilliantly as well as the impact the case had not just on Argentina at the time but in the present time."--Chris Akers, Fight Post
"In spite of its often gruesome subject matter, A Fistful of Murder is a breezy and enjoyable read."--Micah Wimmer, Fansided
