Monty Haaviko is an interesting hero. A former drug user, thief and murderer, Monty has now settled down in Winnipeg's North End with his wife and young son, and is starting to settle into a quiet life as a babysitter while his wife works realty to support them.
A Criminal to Remember is Michael Van Rooy's third novel featuring Haaviko, and I cannot talk this series up enough. It is entertaining and honest about the criminal lifestyle (while he sometimes misses the adrenaline rush or the high from the drugs and alcohol, he is very clear about how satisfied he is with his family and current low-key lifestyle).
To me, this novel is another example of trying to redeem our villains. Monty says over and over again that he used to be a bad man, he used to do bad things, but he is reformed now (more or less). His character gives us hope for redemption and rehabilitation. Yes, his life is full of trials and tribulations, but he overcomes them. He is always better than the antagonists, either stronger or smarter, or he is able to outlast whatever is happening to him.
Monty is often playing the bad guys on one side against the bad guys on the other side, while trying to make sure he comes out neutral, with little attention drawn to himself and his family, while also making sure no harm befalls them. He has had to deal with local mobsters, people smuggling, angry neighbors, crooked cops, and making and keeping friends. He balances most of these things while raising his son and doing his best to keep his wife, who he clearly worships (without deifying), on the right side of happy.
When I first picked up Van Rooy's first novel in this series, An Ordinary Decent Criminal, I think I took it home with me solely because it's not often I randomly grab books set in Winnipeg, and I was curious. Usually, when reading, I make myself a map or picture in my head, because rarely have I been to the settings of the books I am reading. If I have visited a location, my sense of direction is so terrible, that I still don't have a good idea in my head and just sort of go along with a sense of the place. Having been born and raised in Winnipeg, though, I generally knew exactly where the action was taking place, and I felt like if I went to a certain street corner I might see the building Monty broke into, or a blood stain on the sidewalk where someone was beaten or shot (a little morbid to be excited at that last prospect, but there you have it). It added another dimension to the story that drew me in.
I cannot wait for Van Rooy's next novel (assuming there is one) to see what trouble awaits the Haaviko family as life goes on.
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