THE GETAWAY by Jim Thompson

GRADE: B+

Doc McCoy was recently released from prison and doesn't waste any time getting right back in the game with a new heist with his inexperienced wife and an insane partner. The bank robbery is successful but Doc soon realizes that the robbery itself was the simple part!

The Getaway begins with what would usually be the middle of most heist stories and is mostly about the aftermath of the crime (hence the title). But the story is not your usual "Bonnie and Clyde"-type thriller. This highly suspenseful yarn is ultimately about the disintegration of this couple's relationship as their journey leads them into some deep shit (literally). The only disappointing thing is the build up of a great character with lots of potential, that ultimately goes nowhere.

This is my 2nd Jim Thompson novel, and it turns out to be just as haunting, bizarre, and all-out ballsy as my first, A Hell of a Woman. And just like in that book, The Getaway has an ending that will first make you pause and think to yourself, "Wait, what in the f......hold on, did I just read that?", and then make you want to go back and read the entire book again. I definitely can't wait to see what his other books are like!

"You tell yourself it is a bad dream. You tell yourself you have died--you, not the others--and have waked up in hell. But you know better. You know better. There is an end to dreams, and there is no end to this."