The Wheelman

[re-posted from my old blog]

The Wheelman was yet another wild ride with Duane Swierczynski, author of [b:The Blonde|166966|The Blonde|Duane Swierczynski|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312013516s/166966.jpg|161239]. Wheelman was his first book, and actually kind of a series with The Blonde, as a major character in the latter book makes a surprise appearance in Wheelman. A short book, one I read in about 3 days, it was nonetheless a great read and highly recommended.

Patrick Lennon is an experienced and much sought after wheelman, or the guy who drives the getaway car. His latest job is with Bling and Holden, to knock off a Wachovia Bank that is getting a fresh delivery of $650,000 for the mayor to hand out in a much publicized buyout of houses. However, the job, not surprisingly, goes wrong right from the start and Lennon spends the rest of the book barely escaping with his life as he tries to figure out just what went wrong and who did the doublecross.

The body count is high in this book, and many of the characters barely escape two, three or even more times before finally getting put down the pipe. Houses blow up, cars get crashed, and people get doublecrossed at every turn. There's some funny serendipity, as various characters come across each other's paths at truly unforgettable times. It can be hard to keep track, as the short chapters jump from one perspective to another, but I think it all comes together in the end.

A wonderful ride is given to us by The Wheelman, and I would really suggest reading Swierczynski's first two books in order, something I usually try to do. I was unaware of the connection between the two books, as The Blonde is more of an offshoot story rather than a true sequel. Read them both and enjoy!