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lauraellis's review against another edition
4.0
As a mystery fan, I particularly enjoy authors who do something new or different, a fresh voice, and this definitely one. The premise is great: a pickpocket trained up to be a private investigator for a bank—who is now in grad school and wants nothing more than to be an English professor. He is sent to England to retrieve the 17-year-old runaway daughter of a possible vice-president candidate (this is sup. 1976)—but first he has to find her, and once does things are, of course, not nearly as simple as he was originally told.
teejayniu's review against another edition
4.0
This story was a change of pace for the Don Winslow I've been reading. We get Don's take on the east coast and London. Cool story and I enjoyed the characters. I'm looking forward to continuing on in this series.
zade's review against another edition
3.0
There's a reason Don Winslow was selected to carry on in Trevanian's footsteps: He's a heck of a writer. In this private-eye novel, he does a great job of developing character and makes his unlikely protagonist quite likable. More impresively, he manages to make some pretty unpleasant people seem human and even sympathetic. The plot here is not particularly original; in other hands it could have been downright hackneyed, but Winslow handles it well and never lets it get boring. The bits that are clichés for the genre are fun because Winslow makes them seem fresh even as he clearly knows they're clichés. This isn't Winslow's best work, but it's a good entertaining novel with more than a little heart.
remocpi's review against another edition
4.0
Empecé esta novela para quitarme el mono de las dos novelas del detective surfero, Boone Daniels, que tiene Winslow (1 y 2).
La serie de Neal Carey es con la que se estrenó Winslow como escritor. Se notan algunos detalles como una fijación un poco obsesiva con que cada rasgo de nuestro personaje venga explicado por una experiencia traumática de su infancia, y cosas que no están mal pero te hacen preguntarte por qué el autor vuela tanto en círculos sobre un mismo punto.
La historia está bien, es entretenida, está muy bien construida (cada giro del guión da la sensación de ser inevitable, tenía que pasar como ha pasado) y uno les coge cariño a los personajes, casi incluidos los malos (no todos, claro. Hay un monstruo en la novela).
No me ha enganchado tanto como las de Boone Daniels pero me ha gustado. Hay unas cuantas más, además. Recomendable.
La serie de Neal Carey es con la que se estrenó Winslow como escritor. Se notan algunos detalles como una fijación un poco obsesiva con que cada rasgo de nuestro personaje venga explicado por una experiencia traumática de su infancia, y cosas que no están mal pero te hacen preguntarte por qué el autor vuela tanto en círculos sobre un mismo punto.
La historia está bien, es entretenida, está muy bien construida (cada giro del guión da la sensación de ser inevitable, tenía que pasar como ha pasado) y uno les coge cariño a los personajes, casi incluidos los malos (no todos, claro. Hay un monstruo en la novela).
No me ha enganchado tanto como las de Boone Daniels pero me ha gustado. Hay unas cuantas más, además. Recomendable.
ericwelch's review against another edition
5.0
The Kitteridge Bank, owned by a small Rhode Island family, has thrived over the years, in part, thanks to a small, off the books, department known as Friends of the Family. It specializes in helping out the bank's richer customers by providing services that they would like hidden. Joe Graham, one of their detectives "adopted" Neal, a street urchin, taught him some of the less savory aspects of the business, but also sent him to college and grad school where he now wants nothing better than to teach 18th century English Lit. Unfortunately, a vice-president wanna-be, needs Neal to find their daughter before the Democratic National Convention just a few weeks down the road so they can control the spin on their daughter's decadent and runaway life and it seems they believe Neal is the only one with the street and upper crust smarts to do the job.
There is some marvelous writing and imagery, much of it tongue-in-cheek. I loved the scene when Neal is picked up by the African safari guide who drives like a maniac, has only been in 2 or three life-threatening accidents, and who tailgates in a way that resembles "sodomizing a dairy truck." He also has hundreds of first editions including a very special annotated book by Smollett, the subject of Neal's thesis. Then Winslow manages to ruminate on all things London while Neal tries to find the girl by sitting on a park bench and traveling the subways. Never having been to London, I have no idea if he is spot on, but I suspect as much. Neal has just nine weeks to find the girl and he is not to bring her back early or later than August 1st. And his graduate school subsidy hangs in the balance.
Soon, it's con on con. Mix in the reportedly non-existant Smollett first edition Pickle, some delightfully seventies punk characters, a Chinese gang, and a bank that provides extra services to its clients and you have a marvelous romp. You'll love it.
There is some marvelous writing and imagery, much of it tongue-in-cheek. I loved the scene when Neal is picked up by the African safari guide who drives like a maniac, has only been in 2 or three life-threatening accidents, and who tailgates in a way that resembles "sodomizing a dairy truck." He also has hundreds of first editions including a very special annotated book by Smollett, the subject of Neal's thesis. Then Winslow manages to ruminate on all things London while Neal tries to find the girl by sitting on a park bench and traveling the subways. Never having been to London, I have no idea if he is spot on, but I suspect as much. Neal has just nine weeks to find the girl and he is not to bring her back early or later than August 1st. And his graduate school subsidy hangs in the balance.
Soon, it's con on con. Mix in the reportedly non-existant Smollett first edition Pickle, some delightfully seventies punk characters, a Chinese gang, and a bank that provides extra services to its clients and you have a marvelous romp. You'll love it.
lucaconti's review against another edition
2.0
Non è il Don Winslow del Potere del cane. Abbandonato
alanfederman's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first Don Winslow book and will definitely not be my last. I loved the "detective" - a kid from the streets of NYC who had a tough upbringing and mentored by a very street smart PI. The story centers around finding the daughter of a US Senator who has run away to London. Read it to find out the rest. Lots of great twists and turns and a great ending. Enjoy!!
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