Grifter's Game (Hard Case Crime)

Grifter's Game is so short, so intense, so spot-on that I'd venture to call it perfect. You think you've heard the story a hundred times before, but Block's writing is full of wonderful touches and makes it all seem completely new and fresh. I'm interested that folks (other reviewers) especially liked the ending. I'd say though the ending was "interesting" and quite shocking it was the one part of the book that might have been a touch off. Didn't detract from the overall enjoyment one bit, however. A note: This is part of the Hard Case Crime series. Though we (spouse and I) never do this kinds of thing, we joined the club. It's terrific! Out of about 6 books at least 3 were outstanding, especially Dutch Uncle by Peter Pavia (?) Question: Who is the editor for this Hard Case series? He/She clearly has a splendid sense of what's good. Again, these books aren't just very good, they're among the best mysteries I've ever read!

So, I picked up the first set of Hard Case Crime novels with the expectation of a good time. As anyone who has read my livejournal knows, I dig a good crime fiction novel, and I've recently started reading Block's Matthew Scudders, so I thought I knew what to expect. Starting the novel, we had a bit of a typical setup. The con man snags some bags because he's shy on a change of clothes, discovers a box of H inside, what to do? Then he runs into a classy girl on the beach who just happens to be the wife of the fellow who had that box of heroin, and before you know it, they wife and the con man are involved. I started to wonder about the level of coincidence in this novel. Still, it was a good read, a real page turner. Then, the character begins to wonder about the coincidence. Just when I thought I had everything figured out and knew the ending of the book, well... That's when the book bit me in the brain. There are parts of this novel, particularly in the ending, which evoked gooseflesh. Ellroy commented that Jim Thompson was a writer of good HORROR, and there's more than a good deal of HORROR in this novel. So, if you like a good crime tale, ala the classic Fawcett Gold Medal paperbacks, pick up this killer story!

Joe Marlin spends his days skipping out on hotel bills and double-crossing gold-diggers; not the best of lives, but it works for him. One day, after lifting some luggage to check in to his next hotel with (if you go without, they pay closer attention), he discovers a large cache of heroin. Later that night, he meets the married Mona Brassard, and they get to know each other better. Now, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the heroin and the heroine are somehow connected, but Block keeps the pace of Grifter's Game moving so fast that it doesn't matter. Joe is quickly in love -- and in over his head -- and this portrait of love between the hardest of hearts can only end in disaster. We just don't know what form it will take -- other than that mentioned in the tagline, of course. (I love those floating eyes in the cover illustration by Chuck Pyle, by the way.) Grifter's Game was an excellent choice to inaugurate the new Hard Case Crime line. Since it comes from very near that period, the details are fresh and natural: phone exchanges that begin with words, Joe's lunch in an Automat, even the mention that "the elevator was self-service" plants us right in the middle of the time -- and this was at the beginning of Block's career. (Marlin's skill with locks predicts Block's later Burglar series, and his Matthew Scudder is an example of what happens when genre-dictated drinking gets out-of-hand.) Lawrence Block is one of my favorite authors for that skill with detail. His insertion of humor in the story as a necessary means to break the tension is another reason (Marlin's response to a juicer pitchman is priceless). But, in the end, what I like best about the author is his creativity. A book like this could have ended in any of a dozen ways, all of them somewhat predictable, but Block comes up with one that absolutely knocks you to the floor, turning Grifter's Game from a really good story into a surprising and terrific one.

as the other reviewer said, it's "Body Heat" with an additional plot twist. Whoa, mama! I can't say anymore than that--you have to read it for yourself. Fortunately, it's a fairly quick and easy read. Lawrence Block can make you smell the grimy city one minute and have you basking in luxury the next. If you like his other books, you'll like this one, too.

This book reminded me of the movie "Body Heat" where a black-widowish femme fatale lures an unsuspecting male into her web. Unlike that movie, however, this protagonist is just a little too sharp to be left holding the bag--not without a fight. That's the point this story really takes off, and the ending is a "gotcha." Enjoy. .