Crumbtown

Zusatztext "Scathing social commentary. . . . At a time when reality itself is a style! the truths revealed in fiction are all the more indispensable." — The New York Times Book Review “Funny . . . not to mention original and surprising . . . smart! engaging.” – The Washington Post “ Crumbtown is a playful romp. . . . All hell is breaking loose! and lively and entertaining hell it is." – The Boston Globe “A masterly comic triumph.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch “[ Crumbtown ] showcases Connelly’s knack for humor and snappy! cinematic prose.” — The San Francisco Chronicle Informationen zum Autor Joe Connelly Klappentext Some might say that Crumbtown isn't a place. It's a state of mind. And for the residents of this sinking, stinking, carcinogenic, potholed neighborhood, "There's bad luck in the world, and then there's crumbluck.” But for Don Reedy, a true victim of this phenomenon, his crumbluck is about to change. Sentenced to 15 years in prison after a botched armed robbery, Don is paroled early when a television producer decides to turn Don's tragic story into a television show. Back in Crumbtown and working as a special consultant on the shoot, Don wrestles with delusional actors, pines for a beautiful Russian bartender, and reunites with cops and accomplices alike. But when the opportunity presents itself, Don decides to do something really daring: He robs the re-enactment of his legendary robbery. With the cameras rolling and the line between television and reality blurring, the hunt for Don—and a ratings coup—is on. Chapter One SCENE I Joe Far unlocked the door to the bar and held it open with a chair, to let in what was left of the morning and air out the last of the night. He filled the mop bucket in the sink, set the chairs on the tables, the stools on the bar, and rolled the bucket mop and broom into the men's room in the back. Through the dim light of the gated window he swept the used cigarettes from around the sink, the derelict pipes in the corner. The door to the bathroom stall was locked, the handle of a cane hooked over the top. Joe bent down and found the cane's owner sitting on the pot. "Wake up, Tim," Joe said, jabbing his broom into the man's legs. "Up. Get up." When the man didn't move, he took out the mop and rubbed it over the splintered tiles around Tim's feet, then he rolled the bucket out and closed the door. "Joe, hey Joe." A bald man wearing a neck brace had come into the bar, and was sitting in the shadowed rear end, his stool tilted back into the surrendering paneling. "Get me a beer," the man said. "No, Tom. We closed." Joe walked to the front door and shut it, slamming the lock. "Come on, Joe," Tom said. "I need a beer, and one for Tim. He ought to be getting up soon." Joe Far threw a glass that shattered a foot above Tom's head, a framed photo of a police lineup. "Now I clean," Joe said. Tom adjusted his brace and walked behind the bar and pulled two bottles from the cooler. "Tim," he yelled, setting a stool on the floor next to his. "Beer," he said. The bathroom door opened and the cane came out followed by Tim, who knocked down two chairs as he made his way to the bar. "What happened?" he said. "You fell in there last night. We couldn't wake you up." Tom raised his beer and leaned his stool against the wall. With the brace around his neck, Tom could only drink at sharp angles to the floor. "We thought you were dead." "Oh no," Tim groaned, "I can't keep living like this." He reached for the bottle in front of him, pressing it to his ribs. "What about my kids, Tom, who's gonna take care of my kids?" "Who's been taking care of them?" Tim sighed. He drank for a long time. "I have no regrets," lowering his bottle and lifting it again. "Just tell me one thing, brother, who was b...

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Joe Connelly
• Editore: Vintage USA
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Tascabile
• Pubblicazione: 08.06.2004
• EAN: 9780375712975
• ISBN: 978-0-375-71297-5
• Pagine: 272
• Dimensioni: 132 mm x 205 mm x 15 mm
• Serie: Vintage Contemporaries; Vintage Contemporaries
• Categoria: Narrativa > Gialli > Polizieschi, thriller, spionaggio