I’ve read several of Don Winslow’s works over the years ( you can read my reviews: Satori here, The Power of the Dog here, The Cartel here, The Gentleman’s Hour here, and The Dawn Patrol here). The Final Score is a collection of six crime stories that cover a lot of ground.
My favorite story in The Final Score is the title story. I love capers and “The Final Score” could have been written by Donald E. Westlake. A professional thief about to go to prison for a Long Time decides he needs one more Big Score to make sure his wife is set for life while he’s doing a life sentence. The nearby casino is a laundry for millions of dollars of drug money and seemingly invincible. But, there’s always a flaw in any security system.
The planning is crafty and the ending has all the drama you would want.
On the cover of The Final Score there’s a Stephen King blurb: “The best crime fiction I’ve read in twenty years.” Reed Farrell Colman agrees. GRADE: B+
Table of Contents:
Forward by Reed Farrel Coleman — xi
- The Final Score (A high-stakes casino robbery) — 1
- The Sunday List (Caught between dreams and danger) — 41
- The North Wing (A patrolman faces a loyalty dilemma regarding his cousin) — 77
- True Story (Mob associates sharing tales) — 117
- The Lunch Break (Features PI Boone Daniels) — 153
- Collision (A family man’s desperate situation) — 193
Acknowledgements — 285
I don’t agree with King or Coleman- I’d take a couple of S. A. Cosby books – but I agree with you, it was a good one. I read one review downgrading the title story and overrating “Collision” (IMHO), but like you I liked the title story, and I also got a kick out of the dark humor in “True Story.”
Jeff, at one time Don Winslow announced his “retirement” but he’s back now.
I’ll have to give Winslow more of a try. I vaguely remember reading a story or two over the decades, in anthos or magazines.
Todd, THE FINAL SCORE would be a good place to start.