The Rat on Fire

A fast read about the usual assortment of Boston lowlifes, corrupt attorneys and assorted sadsacks who inhabit the world of George Higgins. The witty dialogue is vintage Higgins. Highly recommended to all readers who like their crime novels gritty and hard-boiled.

A small but complex story. The dialogue is hilarious, the characters interesting. Get your hands on a copy while you still can.

This novel deals with some would-be arsonists, a corrupt fire marshal, and the cops trying to catch them. It's a good, ingenious story, but the real reason to read it is the side-splitting dialogue. Politically incorrect, but hilarious. The Rat on Fire is one of the funniest books I've ever read. I will always be grateful to this book because it cheered me up at a time when I badly needed cheering up. The only flaw is on the very first page, where Higgins shifts scene a bit too abruptly, which is momentarily confusing. Nonetheless, I would recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humor. One of Higgins' best..