THE WHEELMAN by Duane Swierczynski (St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur, 2005) Trade paperback, 223 pages. ISBN #0312343787.
The summary from the Goodreads website . . . . .
Meet Lennon, a mute Irish getaway driver who has fallen in with the wrong heist team on the wrong day at the wrong bank.
Betrayed, his money stolen and his battered carcass left for dead, Lennon is on a one-way mission to find out who is responsible--and to get back his loot. But the robbery has sent a violent ripple effect through the streets of Philadelphia. And now a dirty cop, the Russian and Italian mobs, the mayor's hired gun, and a keyboard player in a college rock band maneuver for position as this adrenaline-fueled novel twists and turns its way toward its explosive conclusion.
One thing's for sure: This cast of characters wakes up in a much different world by novel's end--if they wake up at all, in Duane Swierczynski's The Wheelman.
my review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
Swierczynski’s time as editor of Philadelphia's City Paper served him well in writing this crisp, taut crime thriller. His knowledge of the geography of Philadelphia, it's ethnic neighborhoods, crime families, and police force drapes an aura of authenticity over the proceedings in The Wheelman.
Lennon, the main character, is in demand in the underworld for his skills as a getaway driver. He's a meticulous planner of escape routes and not inclined to violence, content to leave the rough details to his partners in crime. Unfortunately, he's paired up with the wrong duo on a bank robbery, and when things go wrong he's forced to become as ruthless as his associates.
The Wheelman is very dark, grim and gritty, with some humorous touches in just the right places to help take the edge off. It's a very fast-paced novel and Swierczynski has a very cinematic flair for writing action scenes and dialogue. I wouldn't be surprised to learn this has been optioned for a movie adaptation. I'd certainly purchase a ticket to see it.
The Wheelman is as close as you can come to experiencing the dark underbelly of Philadelphia without getting your hands dirty or bloodied. The gang's all here: crooked cops and politicians, Italian crime families, Russian mobs, and common everyday thugs.
Things don't necessarily end well but that seems appropriate for a cast of colorful characters, all of whom have a dark side that keeps them on the wrong side of honor and respectability. You may empathize with a few, as I did with the main protagonist, but you won't feel sorry for them.
ROUGH COUNTRY by John Sanford (Berkley, September 2010) Paperback, 417 pages. ISBN # 0425237346
The summary from the Goodreads website . . . . .
The murder of a successful advertising executive leads Detective Virgil Flowers to the unlikely scene of the crime: a peaceful and bucolic wooded resort. But one with as many suspects as it has secrets.
My review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
I can't get enough of the Sandford detection novels featuring BCA investigator Virgil Flowers, a complex, engaging, offbeat and likable character. When he's not working he prefers to be fishing (he throws his catch back in) or flirting and cavorting with women. His work usually interferes with one or both and becomes sort of a running gag. Laughed out loud at the end of this book.
However, it's not a funny book and takes its subject matter seriously. The humorous moments that run through the story help to take the edge off as the suspense mounts higher and higher.
Flowers is assigned to look into the murder of a high-powered female advertising agency executive at a woodland resort. Through his skillful investigatory work as well as leads obtained through friendly casual conversation (one of his many talents) this seemingly isolated murder is linked to several other similar but different crimes over the last two years, and ongoing.
As Flowers keeps probing, the list of suspects becomes larger and larger. All of the characters are well-rounded and developed by Sanford, many of them very likable. Every chapter seems to point the finger of guilt at a different character. By the middle of the book, I had a hunch who the killer was but continuing evidence seemed to point to others which confuses the reader as well as Flowers.
The ending packs another (but sad) surprise. A hard book to put down.
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