Goldilocks [Mass Market Paperback]

Andrew Coburn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Corruption, betrayal, the Mafia and ties that go back to childhood provide the underpinnings of this gloomy but well-written entry from veteran Coburn ( Off Duty ; The Babysitter ). Louise Baker, child of the slums, has worked her way to the top of a Mafia loan operation, meanwhile having married the mentally unstable scion of an old New England family and established herself in a small, affluent town near her birthplace, Lawrence, Mass. She still keeps in touch with, and helps, friends from her youth, and she calls on one of them, lawyer Barney Cole, to find employment for a young man whom she had briefly taken as a lover but now wants to get rid of. He is Henry Witlo (the Goldilocks of the title), a psychotic Vietnam War veteran who now proceeds to terrorize a recently widowed client of Cole's. This subplot moves in tandem with the main plot, chronicling the downfall of Louise and the network of people who owe her favors. The feds are after her, and when they start putting pressure on her associatesCole, his lawyer mistress, the police captain who kills for herit all ends in death and betrayal, with only Cole standing firm to his principles.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 358 pages
• Publisher: Leisure Books (January 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843957077
• ISBN-13: 978-0843957075
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,570,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Prose in this Novel is First Rate, February 8, 2007

By 

Thriller Lover (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Goldilocks (Mass Market Paperback)

GOLDILOCKS is my first novel by Andrew Coburn, and I was heavily impressed with the very high quality of his writing.

Coburn has a real talent for dialogue, characterization and description. This book, which was originally written in 1989, was nominated for the Edgar award for novel of the year. Despite this fact, Coburn has never achieved much mainstream success. Coburn is much more popular in Europe than he is in the United States; it's unfortunate that a writer of his caliber is so obscure in his home country.

Still, this book isn't for everybody. When it comes right down to it, GOLDILOCKS is a rather gloomy, slow-paced read. The storyline essentially deals with a rather eccentric group of characters and their highly dysfunctional relationships with one another. As the novel progresses, Coburn reveals more about these characters and what their true motivations are. This makes for an interesting read, but it's hardly exciting or suspenseful. This is not a true page-turner.

So while this novel is a finely crafted work, those looking for a thriller will probably be disappointed. This is more of a literary crime novel instead, in the spirit of Dennis Lehane or John D. McDonald. If you are open to the idea of reading such a work, then GOLDILOCKS is definitely one of the better choices out there. I enjoyed it, and I think readers who enjoy good writing will enjoy it also.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thanks, Leisure Books!, June 18, 2007

By 

Rob Siders "52 novels. I counted them myself." (Denver, Colo.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Goldilocks (Mass Market Paperback)

Thank you, Leisure Books, for reissuing this Edgar nominated thriller! This book had it all: the Mafia, corrupt cops, a wicked Viet Nam vet who terrorized a widow. Good stuff!

I loved how often I was surprised by the way Coburn interconnected the characters--it was like the feathers in a down pillow. And surprising at every turn. He's a great storyteller.

I've added Coburn's name to the list of authors I'll be reading again.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So glad to see this title re-issued, August 16, 2007

By 

Brendan A. Dubois "Brendan DuBois" (Exeter, NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Goldilocks (Mass Market Paperback)

A first-rate novel by a first-rate author who deserves much more attention. This book is seductive in its prose, settings, and wonderful tension.... highly recommended.