Category: Heist

A Swell-Looking Babe by Jim Thompson

July 20, 2022

Originally published in 1954.

It was supposed to be only a temporary job — something to pay the bills until Dusty could get his feet back on the ground and raise enough money for medical school. After all, there’s nothing wrong with being a bellboy at a respectable hotel like the Manton — that is, until she came along.

Marcia Hillis. The perfect woman. Beautiful. Experienced. Older and wiser. The only woman to ever measure up to that other her — the one whose painful rejection Dusty can’t quite put from his mind.

But while Dusty has designs on Marcia, Marcia has an agenda of her own. One that threatens to pull the Manton inside-out, use Dusty up for all he’s worth and leave him reeling and on the run, the whole world at his heels.

Dusty Rhodes was meant to be going to medical school but his plans were put on hold when his father lost his job, forcing him to take a job working the night shift at the pretty high-end Manton Hotel. The hours may not be great but the tips are pretty generous. The only thing he has to be careful of is to never get involved with any of the guests. This was easy enough for him until he met Marcia Hillis.

Marcia checks into the hotel late one night, getting one of the few cheap rate rooms in the establishment. Dusty immediately finds himself drawn to her, perhaps because of her resemblance to a woman from his past, and struggles to keep his distance. Then one night he answers a call from her asking him to bring her stationery and finds himself in a compromising position, only to receive help from an unexpected source.

The problem is that the help comes with a catch. Dusty’s guardian angel wants his help with pulling off a heist. The job is a daunting one but the score could set him up for years to come and make his financial worries go away. The question is whether they can manage it and get away without detection?

A Swell-Looking Babe is one of the most interesting books I have read to date by Jim Thompson. It is certainly not a great work in the way that Pop. 1280 was, nor is it as successful in what it does as the likes of After Dark, My Sweet, yet I was struck by its ambition. Thompson may not accomplish everything he sets out to do for reasons I’ll come onto but I appreciated that he attempts to try something a little more ambitious, blending styles in such a way that the reader is not likely to anticipate exactly how the story may unfold at its beginning.

As with many of Thompson’s works, A Swell-Looking Babe is at heart a complex character study. Dusty is initially quite a likable protagonist. In the first few chapters we learn a little about his background and the circumstances in which he started work for the hotel and that story is likely to endear him to the reader. As they read on however it will become increasingly clear that he is not quite as charming or as good-natured as he initially appears.

This devil with an angel’s face concept is an idea that runs through many of Thompson’s novels and it is realized well here. Dusty’s issues are significant and while I was disappointed that the blurb on my edition gave the nature of his secret away, I think there were enough clues early in the book that I may well have guessed it anyway. What was more surprising though are the things that secret has led him to do and when we do understand that we are likely to see him in a whole new light. It makes for an interesting psychological portrait of a rather angry young man and in some ways the more limited scale of his crimes makes them all the more interesting.

The subject of Dusty’s obsession, Marcia Hillis, is no less interesting than the novel’s protagonist, though we spend only brief periods in her company. Her actions can confuse as Thompson leaves the reader wondering to some of the motivations that lie behind them – an ambiguity that is built on in some interesting ways in the later parts of the novel.

The centerpiece of the novel is its heist sequence, set in the hotel. Part of the reason it works is that Thompson allows our anticipation to build steadily, describing the idea in general before presenting it in greater levels of detail as we near its beginning. This portion of the book is not only exciting because of the nature of the risks that the characters are taking but I also think it’s a pretty interesting scheme logistically too.

The process of getting Dusty involved in the scheme in the first place though is a little more awkward. Having seemed to establish that Dusty was smart enough to stand a good chance of doing well in medical school, his lack of application of any logic or reasoning in the predicament he finds himself in may strike some readers as odd. While I am not sure that there is ever a safer way out of the messy situation he is in at the start of the novel, his gullibility at points can be quite astounding.

Another issue I have with the book is more of a structural one. While I can tell you that Thompson will pull all of his elements together by the end of the novel, there are sections of the book which read like tangents to the rest of the material. Readers may well wonder why we spend so much time watching Dusty’s father potter around asking for money or discussing his lawsuit. Eventually Thompson does connect the book’s themes and elements together and once he does I found myself all the more engaged with it – I would have sympathy though with those who may feel that there are some sections of the book which feel a little conspicuously padded.

My final complaint would be that the middle third of the book suffers a little from feeling a little predictable, particularly for those already well versed in this style of mystery fiction. Thompson establishes some of his ideas a little too clearly early in the book and so the likely consequences of those elements are often quite apparent.

That is not to suggest however that the book is without surprises. In fact there are some quite satisfying ones along the way, particularly as we near the novel’s endgame and resolution. Thompson’s conclusion here may be a little abrupt yet it feels fitting given the circumstances and while it may not be as punchy as some of his other endings, I appreciated that it does resolve matters quite tidily, providing the reader with a clear idea of how the story’s various elements are connected to each other.

The Verdict: A clever and interesting character study about a young, obsessive man. It perhaps lacks the power and focus of Thompson’s most powerful works but it is a largely rewarding one.

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

April 14, 2022

Originally published in 2022

History is told by the conquerors. Across the Western world, museums display the spoils of war, of conquest, of colonialism: priceless pieces of art looted from other countries, kept even now. 
Will Chen plans to steal them back.
A senior at Harvard, Will fits comfortably in his carefully curated roles: a perfect student, an art history major and sometimes artist, the eldest son who has always been his parents’ American Dream. But when a mysterious Chinese benefactor reaches out with an impossible—and illegal—job offer, Will finds himself something else as well: the leader of a heist to steal back five priceless Chinese sculptures, looted from Beijing centuries ago…

It will likely come as little surprise to many of you, particularly those well-versed in my love of inverted crime stories, that I also have a great appreciation for heist stories. Whether the job is big or small, there is something inherently entertaining in watching a group of characters – often from quite different backgrounds – come together to plan and execute a crime. Particularly when those characters inevitably mess up, go off script or face an unexpected obstacle or three that will make them have to adjust those carefully laid plans on the fly.

Portrait of a Thief, like many heist stories, is first and foremost a lot of fun. It gives the reader all the story beats they might expect from the genre such as those temporary setbacks and fallings out between the group as well as moments of action, romance and suspense. In addition to the fun however it is also a thoughtful, provocative work that addresses serious questions about colonialism, cultural identity and the need to belong.

Will Chen, an art history student at Harvard, is approached by a woman who offers him a lucrative but seemingly impossible job. She wants him to steal five priceless sculptures looted from China centuries earlier and now located in museums across the globe.

He won’t have to do it alone. He quickly assembles a crew, each member contributing their own special skills to the operation whether that be hacking, driving or sleight of hand. They all hope to get their cut of a fifty million dollar payment should they succeed but several have their own personal reasons for getting involved too which range from the practical to the ideological.

One of the things I loved most about Portrait of a Thief was the sense that though these five characters share some similarities in aspects of their backgrounds, they possess very distinct personalities and concerns. Indeed one of the most interesting things about the book are the range of perspectives we encounter on how each character feels about their American and Chinese identities, reflected both in their motivations for getting involved but also how they intend to live when the job is done. This not only enriches some of the book’s thematic discussions, it also reinforces that these characters are individuals who have had quite different life experiences from each other.

This book digs deep into the lives of these five young people, exploring what has motivated them to get involved as well as their hopes and aspirations for the future. While some begin the book as strangers to one another, several already have connections to one another at the start of the story while other links develop as it goes on. The author does a splendid job of portraying how those relationships slowly evolve and are shaped by the common experience of plotting this heist, and I appreciate that several of those relationships feel really quite deep and meaningful by the end of the novel.

While I liked all five members of the team, the one I found to be the most interesting was Daniel, the only labeled as ‘the thief’ in the blurb. What drew me most to this character is his fascinating personal history and his complex relationship with his father who, as the world’s leading expert on Chinese artwork, is set up to be in opposition to our heroes for a substantial part of the story. I really enjoyed learning more about those characters and their uncomfortable relationship and by the end of the novel I felt particularly invested in what the outcome to that plot thread would be.

The idea that lies at the heart of the novel is that there are many cultural artefacts in the hands of public and private museums that are there because of theft, looting or other illegal trades. The pieces that the team are being commissioned to steal and return to China are pieces of great cultural significance, having originally been displayed as a set, and so for Will at least this is about righting an injustice and it seems to be presented almost as a sense of duty for him.

I found the discussions of those ideas to be quite thoughtful, particularly some opinions voiced toward the end of the novel, and I once again appreciated that the author offers us a range of views not only on the specific matter of ownership but also on the relationships between objects and the cultures from which they were created or developed.

The development of the characters and the themes the novel discusses are closely intertwined with that of the book’s exciting heist storyline. As problems occur we see the different members of the group interact and read how they respond to those central questions about identity and belonging. Often their personalities become clearer in how they react to those adversities, with problems prompting conflicts and introspection. Li does a great job of finding a strong balance between the exciting heist elements and those quieter, character-driven moments.

While I found the result to be both engaging and provocative, there were a couple of elements that were less successful for me. The first were the car racing scenes which felt a little disconnected from the rest of the action and only added to the sense that the action could become rather too slick in places. They are certainly quite exciting and yet they do seem to distract from the other elements of the heist at times.

Perhaps a bigger challenge is the credibility of Will and his friends being approached in the first place. I tried to consider what might prompt a wealthy Chinese woman to hire someone with no practical experience and expect them to pull off a truly difficult job.

My biggest question though left at the end of the novel is pretty simple: why, when we are exploring the lives and desires of all five members, is the title in the singular. It seems quite odd and it makes me wonder which of the characters the portrait is intended to be of.

The Verdict: This entertaining and provocative heist story mixes some enteratining action with some thoughtful development of ideas, and does both brilliantly.

The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura, translated by Satoko Izumo and Stephen Coates

March 1, 2021

Originally published as 掏摸 (Suri) in 2009.
English translation published in 2012.

This book has a sister volume, Kingdom, which was translated in the same year. The two stories can apparently be read in either order.

The Thief is a seasoned pickpocket. Anonymous in his tailored suit, he weaves in and out of Tokyo crowds, stealing wallets from strangers so smoothly sometimes he doesn’t even remember the snatch. Most people are just a blur to him, nameless faces from whom he chooses his victims. He has no family, no friends, no connections…. But he does have a past, which finally catches up with him when Ishikawa, his first partner, reappears in his life, and offers him a job he can’t refuse. It’s an easy job: tie up an old rich man, steal the contents of the safe. No one gets hurt. Only the day after the job does he learn that the old man was a prominent politician, and that he was brutally killed after the robbery. And now the Thief is caught in a tangle even he might not be able to escape.

The Thief is told from the perspective of a nameless thief who has supported himself since his teen years by picking pockets and shoplifting. He is good at what he does, knowing how to evade the eyes of store detectives and the police, though he has started to not even realize when he does it, occasionally finding wallets in his pockets he doesn’t remember taking.

Though he has more than enough to survive, the thief lives a solitary existence. He has no family or friends beyond a couple of fellow pickpockets he has worked with in the past. When one of those, Ishikawa, tells him that he has been told he must recruit him to help out with a heist the thief agrees. The job is supposed to be a simple one where the gang steal some money and papers from a safe and they pull it off with ease but the next day they learn that the victim was brutally murdered after they left.

The book is a short one and while I would suggest that it is more focused on character than plotting. I will say that I do not expect that readers will be surprised at the general direction of the story but that the details and the development of theme, combined with the novel’s brevity, make for a surprisingly weighty read.

I had only read one other Nakamura novella prior to this one, The Gun, which was his very first work. That was of a similar length and was also clearly intended as a character study but where that work built a sense of dread about where the story was headed, inching slowly towards a grim inevitability, this story feels quite different. Certainly we will be aware of the danger facing the protagonist but where The Gun features a character descending into obsession and inhumanity, here we have a character who clearly is searching for the light, even if he knows he will never escape his lifestyle.

This idea is most clearly shown in his actions towards a pair of characters he encounters at several points in the story. His actions, while not exactly heroic, show him in a generally positive light and establish him as far more likeable than the protagonist in The Gun. In other words, I think readers will want him to survive and hope that he finds a way out of his predicament, even if we recognize that this seems unlikely.

While we do not learn a lot of detail about the thief’s background, we do become quite versed in his lifestyle. Nakamura carefully describes different aspects of pickpocketing and thievery, painting a convincing picture of that life and giving the reader a sense of what it would be like to live that way. The material feels well-researched and there is even a little interesting background about some noteable historical pickpockets and thieves, helping flesh out that world for readers even more.

Though the bulk of the story explores the character’s relationship with his chosen profession, there are some developments that compel him to action. This involves the introduction of a figure who serves as the antagonist of the piece though I think that term is not entirely accurate to his role within the story. This character’s appearance, while brief, feels substantial because they are not just representing an obstacle for the thief to overcome but because of the attitudes they express about everyone other than themselves.

Key developments happen pretty quickly and information learned fills in many of the gaps for us, helping the reader understand exactly what happened though a few of the broader details remain sketchy – no doubt because they aren’t really relevant to the thief’s story or the broader themes being discussed. This story is not, after all, about the crime but about the effect it has on the criminal.

It builds up to a rather powerful finish that some will doubtlessly find frustrating, though I found it quite intriguing. The ending provides a clear statement of the antagonist’s perspective and philosophy but Nakamura leaves a tiny sliver of space for the reader to consider and reject it. This is not exactly an open-ended conclusion – it does tie up several loose ends quite tidily. Instead it represents a sort of philosophical challenge to the reader, encouraging a judgment from the reader. As an exploration of theme it is a highly effective ending but those principally interested in the narrative may feel a little underwhelmed.

Which I suppose brings me to the question of genre.

One of the most tiresome discussions that people get into about this book is whether it is crime fiction at all. Those arguing this view typically suggest that the book should be read as literary fiction. The reason that this is tiresome is that unless you are merchandising this in a bookshop or library the question is entirely academic. I would suggest that you can have equally rewarding experiences reading it as either of those two forms though personally I would suggest that it is both.

Whether you come to this for an exploration of the human condition or to read a criminous tale of a safe-cracking gone wrong, I think this is a fascinating and worthwhile read. I far preferred this to The Gun and hope to get around to its similarly short sister volume, The Kingdom, at some point soon.

The Verdict: A very short but powerful exploration of the life of a thief with strong characters and thoughtful development of themes.

I read and wrote about this book in response to the 14th Japanese Literature Challenge which I am participating in this year.

The Black Lizard and Beast in the Shadows by Edogawa Rampo, translated by Ian Hughes

February 15, 2021

The Black Lizard (黒蜥蜴, Kuro-tokage) was originally published in 1934
Beast in The Shadows (陰獣, Injū) was originally published in 1928
English translations published as a collection in 2006

The Black Lizard (Kurotokage) first appeared as a magazine serial, published in twelve monthly installments between January and December, 1934. It features Rampo’s main detective character, Akechi Kogorō: a figure who combines elements of Poe’s Auguste Dupin with the gentleman adventurers of British golden age detective literature. The Black Lizard herself is a master criminal and femme fatale, whose charged relationship with detective Akechi and unconcealed sadism have inspired shuddering admiration in generations of readers…

Themes of deviance and sado-masochism are central to Beast in the Shadows (Inju), a tale from the height of Rampo’s grotesque period, which appeared in serial form between August and October, 1928. This tale of secret identities, violent sexuality, and dark crimes stands in stark contrast to the genteel detective stories then popular in English literature. It bears comparison with the American pulp fiction serial, the genre that led to the classic modern American crime novel, and with the more extravagant moments of film noir. Beast in the Shadows, however, recalls classic themes in Japanese popular fiction, with origins in the illustrated novels and mass market shockers of the Edo period (1600-1868)…

Edogawa Rampo is one of the most enduring and consequential writers of mystery fiction in Japan from the early 20th century. His work is heavily influenced by the likes of Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe, so the focus is often not on crafting fair play stories of detection but memorable moments of horror, discomfort and adventure. I previously reviewed a collection of his short stories on this blog, many of which memorably play with grotesque and disturbing types of crime.

In addition to his own stories for adults and children, he established a journal dedicated to mystery fiction, the Detective Author’s Club (later renamed as the Mystery Writers of Japan) and wrote critical essays about the history and the form of the genre. His works were frequently adapted into films both during and after his lifetime and his significance is recognized in the name of a Japanese literary award, The Edogawa Rampo Prize, for unpublished mystery authors which was introduced in the 1950s.

In short, there was no way I would commit to writing several months weekly posts about Japanese works of mystery and crime fiction without including at least one of his works. Based on this experience I may try and rework my schedule to make that two…

This volume contains two works from earlier in his career. Both stories were originally serialized for publication in magazines which is quite evident in the way the stories are structured. Many chapters seem to end either on a significant revelation or with moments of peril, particularly in the case of the first story in this collection – The Black Lizard.

The story is essentially inverted with the reader being party to the planning of a daring crime in which the titular crime boss, The Black Lizard, plans to kidnap the daughter of one of Osaka’s leading jewel merchants as a means of securing a fabulous prize – the largest diamond in Japan. Being a sporting sort however she sends him notice of her intent to kidnap his daughter, leading him to engage that great detective Akechi Kogorō to protect her.

While this story features a detective, do not expect much, if anything, in the way of detection. The style is really pulpy and layers plenty of plot twists and reversals on top of each other, building a story that seems to get crazier and more outlandish as it goes on. Expect plenty of disguises, identity tricks, lots of random moments of nudity (though these are not described in detail), a truly perverse museum and snakes.

Perhaps my favorite bit of craziness though is the very casual way in which Rampo drops detailed references to some of his other stories as works of fiction, having characters comment on how one plot development is reminiscent of the plots of a celebrated short story. It is all very meta and fits the general arch tone of the piece.

The most striking aspect of the story, other than Akechi himself, is the character of our villain – the Black Lizard. Though her entrance performing a naked dance for her henchmen to the accompaniment of ‘an erotic saxophone’ feels quite ludicrous, Rampo quickly establishes her as smart, ruthless and cunning. While the warning to her victim is silly, I really enjoyed the way that she directly engages with her adversary and that she seems to be as interested in the game she is playing with Akechi as she is in achieving her real goal. It makes for an entertaining, page turning read.

As much as I enjoyed The Black Lizard however, I think Beast in the Shadows is the more interesting work. Though shorter at just a hundred pages, it is both a really cleverly worked detective story and also an early work of ero guro nansensu (erotic, grotesque nonsense). As Rampo’s career developed his work would increasingly shift in that direction, in part because of demand from his readership, and those themes are often associated with his work for adults.

The story is told by a writer of detective stories who has been approached by a married woman desperate for his help. She tells him that as a teenager she had lost her virginity to a man who became obsessed with her, stalking her and threatening her when their relationship broke down. A sudden move seemed to put a temporary stop to his activities and she subsequently met a merchant and married though she never told him about her prior affair.

Recently however she started to receive letters once again, detailing her movements within the family home and threatening both her life and that of her husband. The narrator visits her home and after making some disturbing discoveries devises a plan to protect her but when her husband ends up dead they worry that she will be next.

Rampo manages to balance the moments of unsettling, chilling horror with telling a carefully constructed story of perverse obsession, cleverly layering some elements of fair play detection beneath those horrific elements. It is a highly successful blend of those styles with each complementing the other, combining to build a cohesive and interesting work.

The length of the work makes it hard to offer much detailed comment without getting into spoiler territory. I can say though that the pacing here is as strong as the atmosphere and that I think the two characters we spend the most time with – the narrator and Shizuko, the married woman – are interesting. Though there is one development related to one of the other character’s motives that is only speculated upon rather than clearly established and described as fact.

It is a fascinating and chilling read that for me is worth the price of the collection on its own, offering a view of both sides of Rampo’s writing. This left me excited to read more of Rampo’s work – now I just need to decide where to go next. If you are a fan, please feel free to offer advice!

The Verdict: A fun collection of two novellas. The Black Lizard is pure pulpy thriller stuff and good fun but Beast in the Shadows is a much darker and more interesting work. That story, while shorter, is worth the cost of the collection in itself.

I read and wrote about this book in response to the 14th Japanese Literature Challenge which I am participating in this year.
It also counts towards the Vintage Scattegories challenge’s Dangerous Beasts category as a Golden Age read.

Further Reading

Ho-Ling Wong’s blog is a great resource offering a number of posts both about Rampo’s works and also some of the film and television adaptations of them. Though it is now over a decade old, this post about Rampo’s works in translation, then a shorter list, is a nice starting point. There is even a translation of one of his short stories – One Person, Two Identities (Hitori Futayaku).

My Fellow Citizens! (TV)

February 9, 2020

Show Details

국민 여러분! (Korean)
Originally Broadcast: 2019
36 episodes
Starring: Choi Siwon, Lee Yoo-Young, Kim Min-Young
Available on Viki (US)

The Blurb

A con man, who gets involved with unexpected incidents, marries a police officer and somehow ends up running to become a member of the National Assembly. (Wikipedia)

The Verdict

A lively and amusing comedic drama that sustains its farcical premise surprisingly well.

My Fellow Citizens! (국민 여러분!) is a comedic drama about a con man who discovers on the day of his marriage that his wife is a police officer. If this wasn’t problem enough, a loan shark he scammed catches up with him in search of their money.

Presented as short half hour episodes, this series is at its most successful when Yang Jung-kook (played by the incredibly charming Choi Siwon) is running a con or working to out-maneuver someone. There are several excellent set pieces and a few of the twists in the story are genuinely surprising and quite cleverly constructed.

Siwon’s performance as Jung-kook is very good as he manages to create a character who is simultaneously very charming and yet also often quite frustrating. We know how this character feels about his wife and yet we see that he is unable to find a better path for himself that will remove the barriers to trust in that relationship. We also get a sense of the harm some of his cons can cause which is a bit of a rarity in the con genre which tends to emphasize the style and trickery over its consequences. Still, we also get to see him evolve over the course of the series and while he may not be a good man (at least at the start), we quickly see there are far worse people out there.

Lee Yoo-young is strong and sympathetic as his wife, Kim Mi-young, and she gets to make a truly memorable entrance. I appreciated that she is shown to be passionate and skilled at her work and I particularly enjoyed the way the early episodes play with the idea that she is unwittingly trying to hunt down her own husband. This leads to some brilliant comedic scenes and I was surprised at how well the series sustains this tension.

The show also includes a heavy dose of social commentary, both about the resurgence of populist politics worldwide and about corruption, the influence of money in politics and the decline of civic values. While some of these themes are presented in ways that are quite specific to South Korea and its National Assembly, many are universal and for most of its run the show balances these serious elements well with more lighthearted, comedic moments.

One of the ways it does this is through the character of Kim Joo-Myung, a Member of the National Assembly who has been forced out on corruption charges and who is being blackmailed into helping Yang Jung-kook. This part is played perfectly by Kim Eui-sung who injects a wonderful cynicism and weariness into the character and gets many of the biggest laughs as he tries to keep an unruly political campaign on track only to be frustrated by his independent-minded candidate.

The only disappointment for me was in its ending which shifts the emphasis away from the characters’ relationship problem onto its social and political themes. As a result I felt that some parts of the story were not given quite the degree of attention and resolution that I was looking for. Specifically the resolution of the conflict between Jung-kook and Mi-young feels a little too rushed, which is a shame given the strong build up. Still, overall I found the depiction of their relationship to be enjoyable and really appreciated the way the two actors played off each other.

Finally I have to mention the show’s fantastic musical score. For those unfamiliar with k-dramas, there are typically recurring musical themes and stings that are used pretty frequently at key points in each episode and that is not any different here. This show’s score, which ranges from rap to pop, is brash, lively and often deployed to heighten the humor in the show’s most comedic scenes. In particular, I loved this song which is STILL stuck in my head months after first watching it.

Overall, I enjoyed this series to be consistently entertaining and amusing. If its final few episodes fall a little short of the comedic heights reached in it earliest episodes, the show is still amusing and hits some strong dramatic moments. Fans of heist stories should find enough to enjoy here, particularly if they are open to the series’ romance themes and elements.

Devil in Dungarees by Albert Conroy

February 13, 2019

Originally Published 1960

HALF THE LOOT was Police Detective Bonner’s price for masterminding the bank robbery. Bonner couldn’t keep a gorgeous young chick like Peg on his lousy cop’s salary. And he had to have Peg. That’s why the deal to knock over the Second City National Bank. Seven minutes was all it would. take. Seven little minutes against a lifetime of easy living and Peg. There was only one thing wrong. But Bonner didn’t know it until it was too late. He had sold his soul to a DEVIL IN DUNGAREES.

Sometimes I pick up a book based on meticulous research or the recommendation of a friend. Today’s title, Devil in Dungarees, grabbed my attention simply because its title made me smile as the idea of hyper-sexualized dungarees seemed ridiculous. As it turns out this is because in the period in which this was written dungarees would have meant jeans as shown on the Crest Book cover which makes a whole lot more sense than what I initially pictured (Sarah-Jane Smith in the Doctor Who story The Hand of Fear).

The novel is an example of a type of crime novel I have not written about before on this blog – the heist. While I have enjoyed many films that feature these sorts of crimes, I suspect this may be the first novel I have read detailing that sort of crime. Certainly no others readily come to mind.

The appeal of these sorts of heist stories is in following a crime from its conception to execution and exploring its aftermath. Typically things do not go well for the criminals (or there is some element of double-cross). Given my love of inverted crime stories in general, it should come as little surprise that this sort of story might appeal to me. The only real surprise is that it has taken me so long to try one.

Devil in Dungarees begins on the morning on which the crime is planned to take place. The target is a bank on the day before payday and the plan is not particularly complex. The armed gang aims to get in and out within a very tight window of seven minutes, being off the scene before the police are able to arrive.

They have enlisted the help of a policeman, Walt Bonner, who has passed them information about patrol movements and agreed to arrange a diversion to give the gang the widest window possible to get in and away before the police can arrive. For this he is expecting to get paid half of the total takings for the job.

Walt is being encouraged and persuaded to take part by Peggy, a young woman he has been seeing for a little over a month. She claims to be twenty though Walt suspects she is younger in spite of her experience with men, and keeps pushing the idea that they will be together permanently after the job is done and they have the money. Of course the moment he leaves we learn that Peggy and the others have no intention on keeping their promises to Walt and plan on running out on him.

This then is the setup for a day that will turn into a disaster and I think it makes for an effective starting point for the novel. By choosing to begin after the crime has been planned, Conroy is able to focus on injecting action into his story while choosing to reveal important and pertinent pieces of information as needed. This works nicely to drive the narrative towards that moment where everything begins to go wrong with their plan and these characters begin to react to their situation and each other.

The way their plan ends up breaking apart is relatively simple but I think it is very effectively done. Each development feels properly set up and clued, particularly as we already know something about the personalities of each of the gang and their eventual intentions towards each other. The result is a story in which developments feel logical and satisfying and the tension seems to steadily build throughout the bank job.

While Conroy’s focus is on developing his plot and structure, his characters feel striking, colorful and distinctive. This is particularly true of some of the supporting characters such as the members of the gang and Bonner’s partner on the force, Ben Travis who is probably the most likable character in the novel. No one really changes – they begin the novel as they end it – but there are some surprising and challenging moments along the way for several of them.

Unfortunately I was a little less enamored of the handling of the two most central characters, Walt and Peggy. Conroy’s focus in his story is on pushing the plot forwards at all times and so neither character has any moments of introspection or reflection. They simply spend the novel responding instinctively to circumstances. This is interesting enough and I enjoyed the ride but given some of the things that happen to them I felt that there were questions about their backstories and their emotional states that were left unanswered.

This frustrated me most with regards the character of Peggy. From the moment she is introduced it is clear that she is serving in the role of a femme fatale and it is easy to understand the effect she has on Walt. I was curious about how Peggy came to be the way she is and why she is willing to be used and to endure some of the things she puts up with here.

I think we also come to recognize that this is a character who is conditioned to survive, clinging to the man she believes offers her the best chance of doing that. That is inferred however through the choices made rather than from any direct discussion of her choices in the narration or dialogue. We learn little about her beyond that impulse even when she is being put through the wringer as she is at points here.

I cannot hold this against Conroy too strongly however because I do not think he singles Peggy out. He is simply uninterested in exploring those questions. Peggy and Walt are the way they are presented and his interest lies in how these character types will interact and cope with the situations they are presented with. In that respect I think this story is very effective.

The power of the novel lies in its simplicity both in terms of its construction and the themes Conroy is interested in exploring. Because all of the other details are stripped away to focus on the plot, we are encouraged to anticipate conflict we know is coming up. The surprise lies in seeing what elements factor into that moment as other characters shift in and out of focus. It is simple but effective storytelling and Conroy is able to pack a lot of action into the story as a result.

While I was left wanting a little more depth in the characterization, I think that focus Conroy has on story pays off well. The result is a tight, engaging and sometimes quite dark read that drives towards its conclusion without ever really letting up.