The Wheelman (Paperback)

by Duane Swierczynski (Author)
Key Phrases: hank robber, prepaid calling cards, South Philly, Center City, Kelly Drive (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
The man who wrote the book on robbing banks--This Here's a Stick-Up: The Big Bad Book of American Bank Robbery (2002)--here indulges his fascination from a fictional angle. Lennon, the untalkative Irish hero, doesn't technically rob banks, but he does drive the getaway car for guys who do. Though he is a consummate pro, the job is unpredictable by nature, and when we meet him--waiting outside a Wachovia bank in Philadelphia--he is about to find out exactly how unpredictable. The heist goes horrifically wrong, and in the adrenaline-charged pages that follow, Lennon is betrayed, beaten, and befuddled as he relentlessly tries to recover his loot and get out of Philly intact. Fast-moving and funny, The Wheel Man is a Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in an R-rated amusement park. It's cartoonishly violent, but fans of pulp fiction won't bat an eyelash. The book sports a blurb by Ken Bruen (Vixen, 2005), which makes sense: despite their different milieus, fans of one writer should enjoy the other. Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Praise for THE WHEELMAN by Duane Swierczynski

"If you are partial to past-paced thrillers that present this world as an unforgiving, blood-soaked wasteland, you should love Duane Swierczynski's first novel. Swierczynski's novel, like those of [Elmore] Leonard, offers an undertow of humor beneath the churning sea of man's inhumanity."-The Washington Post

"Swierczynski has an uncommon gift for the banal lunacy of criminal dialogue, a delightfully devious eye for character and a surprisingly well-developed narrative for a beginner." -The Chicago Tribune

“[A] promising debut… the gripping tale of a heist gone wrong.” -Robert Wade, San Diego Union-Tribune

“A great heist story in the rich tradition of Richard Stark's Parker novels and Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing… keeps readers holding their breath to see what’s going to happen next. It is clearly the work of a maturing writer who is possessed of a keen style and abundant talent.” –Philadelphia Inquirer

“Adrenaline-charged… fast-moving and funny, The Wheelman is Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in an R-rated amusement park.” —Booklist

“I cancelled a night out and stayed up all night reading. That’s how much I loved this book… at every turn, I was blindsided. Hilarious and bloody violent.” –Ken Bruen, author of the Shamus Award-winning The Guards

“Dark stuff… hilariously funny at the same time. Swierczynski has come up with his own twisted and thoroughly enjoyable genre. Bring on some more, sir.” -Rocky Mountain News

“Astonishing! Duane Swierczynski has written one of the great all-time heist novels and this guy’s just getting started.” -Jason Starr, Barry Award-winning author of Twisted City

“Oh, what style!”—Kirkus

“The plot twists of Richard Stark novel but the style of Ken Bruen’s non-series work. Very noir and highly recommended.” -Black Orchid Bookshop

“Duane Swierczynski is one of the best new things to happen to crime fiction in a long time.” -Victor Gischler, Edgar-nominated author of Suicide Squeeze

See all Editorial Reviews

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur (November 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312343787
• ISBN-13: 978-0312343781
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: