Bank Job (Hardcover)

by Steve Brewer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Brewer's writing is gritty and witty, tough on its characters but easy on the reader."-The Albuquerque Tribune

"Brewer's . . . pacing is among the best in the genre."-Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

An amateur crime spree takes a turn in the piney woods of far northern California in Bank Job, the latest fast-paced escapade from author Steve Brewer.

Jaded, rage-laden, and utterly stupid, brothers Leon and Junior Daggett and their homicidal partner, Roy Wade, entertain themselves by knocking over liquor stores and gas stations. When a run-of-the-mill robbery goes sour, they find themselves bloody and knocking on the door of a stranger for help. That stranger ends up being Vince Carson, retired bank robber.

Thinking they've discovered their big-time score, Leon and Roy take Vince's wife hostage, forcing him to rob the local bank in exchange for Maria's safe return. But Vince has other ideas. He sets out to prove that old age and treachery always triumph over youth and ineptitude.

Bank Job plays out like a movie-The Desperate Hours meets Raising Arizona. It's just the sort of hilarious mix readers expect from Brewer, author of the recent novels Boost and Bullets.

Steve Brewer spent 22 years in the newspaper business before turning to fiction full time in 1997. A weekly humor column he writes for The Albuquerque Tribune is distributed by Scripps Howard News Service. Steve serves on the board of directors of Mystery Writers of America.

About the Author
Steve Brewer is the author of ten crime novels and a member of the board of directors for Mystery Writers of America. His weekly newspaper column, The Home Front, is distributed nationally by Scripps Howard News Service. He lives in Redding, CA, with his wife and two sons.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 268 pages
• Publisher: Intrigue Press; First Edition edition (October 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890768650
• ISBN-13: 978-1890768652
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,724,949 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real winner, November 4, 2005

By	David Montgomery "Book Critic" (davidjmontgomery.com) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Another top-notch book from Steve Brewer, the working man's Elmore Leonard. He may only get a fraction of the attention that Dutch does, but his work is just as entertaining. Bank Job is the witty and suspenseful story of three hayseed stick-up men on the lam who take an old bank robber and his wife hostage. When they force the retired crook to perform one last heist, things go more wrong than they ever could have imagined. Combining big laughs with some serious tension and a terrific plot, Bank Job is a real winner.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Brewer Success, December 5, 2005

By	New Mexico Fan (Sandia Park, NM United States) - See all my reviews

I have read every one of Steve Brewer's novels and have been impressed with each one. He is a master at creating quirky characters--a la Elmore Leonard--and at creating story lines that move with pace and excitement.

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun with Rhinoplasty, June 3, 2006

By	Gary Griffiths (Los Altos Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Bank Job" is the story of three small time crooks, brothers Leon and Junior Daggett and psycho-friend Roy Wade off on a self declared "crime spree" in northern California. Memorable for their bumbling stupidity, this inept trio is proof that the Darwin Awards will never run out of rich material. After a routine liquor store robbery leaves junior bleeding and picking glass out of his scalp, the boys seek refuge in a nearby cabin, whose resident happens to be retired bank robber Vince Carson and his elderly wife, Maria. Taking Maria hostage, the three geniuses enlist Vince to rob a bank for them, leading to a wacky and mostly gripping tale of suspense and chicanery.

Steve Brewer writes with a lively wit, tempered with enough of a flinty edge to keep the humor decidedly black. No pretense in Brewer's prose - this is simple entertainment cleanly told. For the most part, the story zipped along, with decent action and some interesting twists on a familiar plot. Not a novel you'll be thinking about two months from now or telling all your friends about, but a solid little tale you'll not regret.