Very early Block, written under a surname. Smooth.

Lawrence Block has become a highly prodigious writer. He gives an afterword to this audiobook which is quite explanatory and very enjoyable. He wrote the book under a surname, Paul Kavanaugh. The book is based an two serial killers, John Starkweather and Carol Fugate, who murdered a number of people in Kansas for no reason other than their severe psychopathy. I want to say that Alan Sklar's voice is beautiful, gravelly, and perfectly tuned to the characters and the plot. The male, Jimmy John, is a pure psychopath: there is absolutely no reason for killing the people that he kills. The woman, Betty, is basically taken along for the rides. Jimmy John also steals dozens of cars, in order to evade the police, who eventually catch up with him. At first Jimmy John is completely repellent. You don't ever really like him, and Betty is a cipher. However, Mr. Block and Mr. Sklar make an excellent team, and the book becomes compelling reading in spite of our complete distaste for Jimmy John. Block never makes the mistake of trying to "nicen him up," or make him sympathetic in any way. He is just a loser, and so is Betty. It happens that Terence Malick made his memorable movie "Badlands," about the Starkweather/Fugate story, and Block candidly admits the classic betrayal by the denizens of Hollywood. He obviously wishes that the book had made it to the screen, and it is quite cinematic. Malick won that contest, and Block may have been better off, as he never again wrote with half an eyeball on a movie contract. Block's tone and pitch of the plot are perfect. He keeps the suspense moving and keeps us reading. Nothing is really "explained" about either of the characters, and even though that has been the fashion of more recent crime novels, Block somehow knew that he didn't need to do it. He also didn't need to create a dogged detective in pursuit of the criminals, a style which has driven hundreds of crime series since. This was a one-off, and it is better off for it. Block's move to New York and his development of the character Bernie Rhodenbarr, the bookshop owner/detective, has really never held me in the way that this book did. You might hate this book, as the primary character is completely repellent with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. However, I found it a very enjoyable read. I do like action, although of course I like thought as well. In this book you get a whole lot of the former and very little of the latter. Don't say I didn't tell you.

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3 people found this helpful

The ring-tailed cat in the rumble seat!

I think of this story as a dual character study. One of a young, naive, small-town girl wanting to be anywhere else. The other, an affable, criminally insane serial killer. These two opposites meet and attract. Their whirlwind romance is tarnished with death and destruction, ending in a predictable confrontation. Ol’ Jimmie John would be a likable feller if he wasn’t so damn crazy. The tale loosely reminds me of Bonnie and Clyde. A good story that I’ve had on my shelf for quite some time. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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