The Kingpins of Riverbend

The Kingpins of Riverbend is set in a fictional town along the Mohawk River in upstate New York in 1968. It is about a group of seven pin boys at a local bowling alley who, in one way or another, are confronting their futures against the backdrop of a town desperately trying to recapture the prosperity of the past.

In a Time of Sorrow & Change

Rich Halvey has been writing since he was in high school. Before his retirement from his regular job, he was praised for his ability to write on a variety of subjects, including the improvement of air quality in the West and promoting the development of clean energy sources.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Richard halvey

Richard Halvey was born in Amsterdam, NY in 1953. He is the oldest of seven children. He was involved in athletics in high school and was a member of the National Honor Society. He had a scholarship to attend the University of Buffalo where he studied Geography and Economics. He moved to Colorado to obtain his MA in Geography and Urban Planning.

About the Book

The Kingpins of Riverbend

is set in a fictional town along the Mohawk River in upstate New York in 1968. It is about a group of seven pin boys at a local bowling alley who, in one way or another, are confronting their futures against the backdrop of a town desperately trying to recapture the prosperity of the past. The pin boys include the thoughtful Gianni, called G, the book’s narrator; his irrepressible best friend, Vinnie; Charlie Horse, a girl who just moved to town after losing her mother; Borneo, a Vietnam veteran broken by the war and coming home to an ungrateful country; Danny, a mentally challenged adult with the mind of a child; Albert, an alcoholic haunted by his failure as a soldier; and Crackers, the overweight kid who has always been picked on.

“First, like G. And in the end Mingo, Im honest. Second, this was a fun read that kept my attention while wanting to read more. I may have some bias growing up in upstate NY and could totally relate to both the setting and those in the story. All of it was well written, with a clear understanding of each character. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It had just the right amount of twists and turns to keep it entertaining and believable. I absolutely recommend this to the avid reader, as well as to anyone who’s ready to curl up to thier kindle for a firsttime full end to end read. Enjoy!!!“

William J Halvey

“Extremely well written with all the elements of a great book. Great characters and an engaging plot that adresses friendship, redemption and true love. Set in a classic upstate NY town in 1968 an incongruous group of pinboys bond in brotherhood. The characters are realistic and come alive on the page. I found the book hard to put down. Not just for teen readers! Adults will appreciate this period piece as well. An insightful and beautiful book. Hope to see more from this author!“

B. Losey

“I enjoyed getting to know each character. Some of the characters seemed self centered at first but later demonstrated outstanding behavior. A charming story that educated me about the history of bowling and almost gave me the sense of smelling the environment, feeling the breeze, and experiencing the river on a hot summer day.“

TL

“Well written nostalgic look at an upstate NY that’s reminiscent of Richard Russo’s Mohawk books You could do worse than this engaging story teller.“

David Szafraniec

“Great read. Loved the period in which the book set. Took me back to to my days in 1968. Very well written book with a good story. Thoroughly enjoyed it.“

Amazon Customer