The Friends of Eddie Coyle: A Novel (John MacRae Books) [Paperback]

George V. Higgins (Author)

Book Description

Series: John MacRae Books | Publication Date: September 1, 2000

The classic novel from "America's best crime novelist" (Time), with a new
introduction by Elmore Leonard

Eddie Coyle works for Jimmy Scalisi, supplying him with guns for a couple of bank jobs. But a cop named Foley is on to Eddie and he's leaning on him to finger Scalisi, a gang leader with a lot to hide. And then there's Dillon-a full-time bartender and part-time contract killer--pretending to be Eddie's friend. Wheeling, dealing, chasing, and stealing--that's Eddie, and he's got lots of friends.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

George V. Higgins's first novel is like a blast of Atlantic air; the Boston prosecutor virtually reinvents the language of the crime novel with his unique ability to breathe life into the dialogue of the smalltime hoodlum and hustler. Trying to pull off one final score, career crook Eddie Coyle finds himself squeezed out of shape by the people above and below him. The explosive conclusion is inevitable yet fascinating. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"Chilling...the most penetrating glimpse yet into what seems the real world of crime...positively reeking with authenticity!"--The New York Times Book Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks; 2nd edition (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805065989
• ISBN-13: 978-0805065985
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #735,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read, great dialog..., January 8, 2001

By 

Erik J. Larsen (st. paul, mn) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Friends of Eddie Coyle: A Novel (John MacRae Books) (Paperback)

I read a list by James Ellroy where he listed Higgins as one of his major influences, so I bought this one. I was pleasantly surprised.

The story is very simple, the dialog is incredibly lifelike and readable. The characters are very real and the story is believable. Its not really a mystery as much as it is a story about some criminals and what they think and feel.

Warning, though. Don't buy this if you like the 'high concept' plots of Grisham and Patterson. This is a very simple story about real people and real criminals. If you're an aspiring writer of crime fiction, definitely check it out especially the dialog.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars streetwise dialogue, October 13, 2000

By 

Orrin C. Judd "brothersjudddotcom" (Hanover, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Friends of Eddie Coyle (Paperback)

Eddie Coyle is a low-level Boston hood, supplying mobsters with handguns. He earned his nickname, "Fingers", after one gun deal went poorly & he had his hand slammed in a drawer, giving him an extra set of knuckles on his left hand. Once in a while the mob throws him some more lucrative work, but on the last such opportunity he was arrested in New Hampshire illegally trucking liquor. Now he faces three to five years in prison and as he says: "Well, ...I got three kids and a wife at home, and I can't afford to do no more time, you know? The kids're growing up and they go to school, and the other kids make fun of them and all. Hell, I'm almost forty-five years old."

The only way Eddie can avoid prison is to trade information & he's soon caught in between the Feds, his gun dealer & the Mob. George V. Higgin's debut novel (now almost thirty years old) is notable for it's streetwise dialogue and the nearly Shakespearean sense of tragedy (well, at least, Billy "Sonnets" Shakespeare) that surrounds Eddie.

GRADE: A

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the friends of eddie coyle, December 28, 1999

By 

anonymous - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Friends of Eddie Coyle (Paperback)

Possibly the best account of real life crime, gangsters, and cut throats ever written...a rare insight into the real world of low level criminals, proving "There is no honor amongst thieves"...having been born, raised, and lived in the neighborhoods depicted in this novel, I can honestly say..."This story is all too real relative to Boston area criminals and their alleged loyaties...this book is a masterpiece...