Scan barcode
sydsnot71's review
4.0
The Killing, originally published as Clean Break, is a noir heist. Johnny Clay, recently released from prison after four years, has a plan. It's a big plan. It's a two million dollars in cash plan. And he's pulled together a group of guys to help him carry it out. But these aren't the usual criminals. He wants them clean.
There's a stenographer, a bar man, a cashier and a cop. Guys who, as Johnny himself says when talking to his girl, Fay:
"These men, the ones who are in on the deal with me—none of them are professional crooks. They all have jobs, they all live seemingly decent, normal lives. But they all have money problems and they all have larceny in them."
Crooks, Johnny knows, are all rats. Use these guys, all of whom need money for something and the police will never track them down. He calls his plan 'fool proof', which knells with the same sound of doom that the word 'unsinkable' did with the Titanic.
Johnny should know there are always complications. In this case on of his guys, George Peatty, has a wife called Sherry. Sherry isn't happy.
"As crazy as George Peatty was about his wife, he was not completely blinded to her character or to her habits. He knew that she was bored and discontented. He knew that he himself, somehow along the way, had failed as a husband and failed as a man."
And he's right. Sherry isn't happy. So, when George in an attempt to make her happy blabs a little about the caper he's involved in Sherry gets involved and goes to tell Val Cannon. She's attracted to Cannon. They've slept together after she fell for him. And she fell for him because:
"The man’s overwhelming casualness had first piqued her and then acted almost as a challenge."
And that puts the first spanner in the works.
The book is a really good, pared down story. The characters are three-dimensional. Each has their own motives for doing what they're doing. Each of them reacts to the changes and complications differently.
The book builds up to the heist itself, its carrying out and the ending is great. And not necessarily what you'd expect. Lionel's writing has that tang of noir. I think this book stands comparison with the noir greats, although Johnny doesn't quite have the charisma of a Sam Spade or a Marlowe. It comes with all the tropes of noir. There's betrayal, femme fatales, violence, smart talk, and a lot of tension.
Worth a read. I've read this as the first book in my Kubrickathon. So, I'm looking forward to watching the film adaptation next week.
There's a stenographer, a bar man, a cashier and a cop. Guys who, as Johnny himself says when talking to his girl, Fay:
"These men, the ones who are in on the deal with me—none of them are professional crooks. They all have jobs, they all live seemingly decent, normal lives. But they all have money problems and they all have larceny in them."
Crooks, Johnny knows, are all rats. Use these guys, all of whom need money for something and the police will never track them down. He calls his plan 'fool proof', which knells with the same sound of doom that the word 'unsinkable' did with the Titanic.
Johnny should know there are always complications. In this case on of his guys, George Peatty, has a wife called Sherry. Sherry isn't happy.
"As crazy as George Peatty was about his wife, he was not completely blinded to her character or to her habits. He knew that she was bored and discontented. He knew that he himself, somehow along the way, had failed as a husband and failed as a man."
And he's right. Sherry isn't happy. So, when George in an attempt to make her happy blabs a little about the caper he's involved in Sherry gets involved and goes to tell Val Cannon. She's attracted to Cannon. They've slept together after she fell for him. And she fell for him because:
"The man’s overwhelming casualness had first piqued her and then acted almost as a challenge."
And that puts the first spanner in the works.
The book is a really good, pared down story. The characters are three-dimensional. Each has their own motives for doing what they're doing. Each of them reacts to the changes and complications differently.
The book builds up to the heist itself, its carrying out and the ending is great. And not necessarily what you'd expect. Lionel's writing has that tang of noir. I think this book stands comparison with the noir greats, although Johnny doesn't quite have the charisma of a Sam Spade or a Marlowe. It comes with all the tropes of noir. There's betrayal, femme fatales, violence, smart talk, and a lot of tension.
Worth a read. I've read this as the first book in my Kubrickathon. So, I'm looking forward to watching the film adaptation next week.
billmorrow's review
4.0
In this classic 1950’s heist novel, a recently released from prison Johnny Clay is putting together the pieces of his plan to rob a racetrack during the biggest race of the year. The crew is a mixed bag of characters who aren’t professional thieves but either strangers or trusted acquaintances. Each have a minor but important task to fulfill. If everyone does their part, the job goes off with a hitch…except, his crew have not been living their best lives and some have trouble that could put the whole job at risk.
The Killing (aka Clean Break) is short and fast but gives enough a look into the lives of the crew to see how things can (and eventually will) unravel. The book slowly builds the suspense in the first two thirds and saves the fireworks until the end. Of course there’s a twist; this is noir.
The Killing (aka Clean Break) is short and fast but gives enough a look into the lives of the crew to see how things can (and eventually will) unravel. The book slowly builds the suspense in the first two thirds and saves the fireworks until the end. Of course there’s a twist; this is noir.
gatun's review
5.0
This audibobook was courtesty https://audiobookreviewer.com/ in exchange for an honest review.
Listening to The Killing (originally titled Clean Break) is like listening to a fantastic crime noir movie from the 1940’s. It was written in 1955 by Lionel White and made into a film titled The Killing by Stanley Kubrick in 1956. I have never seen the film and probably will not. It cannot possibly top the audiobook.
The Killing takes place in New York City and on Long Island. It is a heist novel, meaning a huge robbery is central to the story. There are several characters who could be considered the main character because of the parts they play but I feel Johnny Clay is it. Johnny has spent the last four years in jail planning the perfect heist. Not only does he have the perfect plan but he has the perfect crew to pull it off. Johnny’s crew is made up of non-criminals. The beauty of his plan is that no one should be an immediate suspect by the police. Even Johnny himself has not a record that would make him a usual suspect for that type of crime.
The heist is to rob the cashier’s office at the track immediately after the start of the biggest race of the year but right before the armoured truck shows up to collect the expected 1.5 to 2 millions dollars. Everything must go off exactly at the time planned and every man must do his job exactly as planned. This is Mission Impossible with a clock and silencer on a rifle as the high tech. If it works, they split the money, each about a half million each. If it doesn’t, Johnny is probably the only one caught and sent to jail.
Johnny’s gang consists of:
Big Mike a bartender at the track clubhouse
George Peatty a cashier at track
Randy Kennan, a cop with a need for cash to pay off loan sharks
Marvin Unger, a court stenographer
Marvin is the respectable man who has never done anything wrong. He gives Johnny a place to live and hold the planning meetings. He also fronts the money needed to pay off individuals and buy weapons. Johnny’s motivation is his girlfriend Fay. Fay waited for him while he was in prison. His plan is to pull this one job and then for he and Fay to leave the country and start living the good life.
All of this is going great until Sherry Peatty, George’s wife finds a ticket stub with an address and time written on it in his jacket pocket. She suspects he is up to something based on his recent behavior. George is a poor soul who thinks he has somehow won the luck lottery by convincing beautiful Sherry to marry him two years ago. Actually, in the vernacular of the time, Sherry is a tramp looking for the easy life and lots of money. George keeps a roof over her head and all she has to do is be “nice” to him when it suits her. She uses her hold over him to find out the minimal details on the heist. She then goes to visit Val, her boyfriend. Val is a gangster who drives a Cadillac and has a real gang of hardened criminals at his disposal. He and Sherry plan to get the details of the heist, let Johnny do the work, and then rob the robbers.
Mike Dennis’s narration is first rate. He has a wonderful voice in just doing the descriptions. When it gets to the characters speaking, his talent really shines. Listen to the gravely voice of Randy the cop which conveys his large size. Marvin truly sounds like a fussy little man who alternates drooling over the thought of the money and regretting he ever got involved. Mr. Dennis brings all of those emotions out in his narration. The accents are fantastic. His command of the different shades of a New York City accent is incredible.
The novel does a great job of introducing each character and their motivation to join the heist or try to get it for themselves. The language is full of 1950’s slang. It really is addictive. I found myself listening every chance I got. Would they get away with it? Who would end up with the money?
Listening to The Killing (originally titled Clean Break) is like listening to a fantastic crime noir movie from the 1940’s. It was written in 1955 by Lionel White and made into a film titled The Killing by Stanley Kubrick in 1956. I have never seen the film and probably will not. It cannot possibly top the audiobook.
The Killing takes place in New York City and on Long Island. It is a heist novel, meaning a huge robbery is central to the story. There are several characters who could be considered the main character because of the parts they play but I feel Johnny Clay is it. Johnny has spent the last four years in jail planning the perfect heist. Not only does he have the perfect plan but he has the perfect crew to pull it off. Johnny’s crew is made up of non-criminals. The beauty of his plan is that no one should be an immediate suspect by the police. Even Johnny himself has not a record that would make him a usual suspect for that type of crime.
The heist is to rob the cashier’s office at the track immediately after the start of the biggest race of the year but right before the armoured truck shows up to collect the expected 1.5 to 2 millions dollars. Everything must go off exactly at the time planned and every man must do his job exactly as planned. This is Mission Impossible with a clock and silencer on a rifle as the high tech. If it works, they split the money, each about a half million each. If it doesn’t, Johnny is probably the only one caught and sent to jail.
Johnny’s gang consists of:
Big Mike a bartender at the track clubhouse
George Peatty a cashier at track
Randy Kennan, a cop with a need for cash to pay off loan sharks
Marvin Unger, a court stenographer
Marvin is the respectable man who has never done anything wrong. He gives Johnny a place to live and hold the planning meetings. He also fronts the money needed to pay off individuals and buy weapons. Johnny’s motivation is his girlfriend Fay. Fay waited for him while he was in prison. His plan is to pull this one job and then for he and Fay to leave the country and start living the good life.
All of this is going great until Sherry Peatty, George’s wife finds a ticket stub with an address and time written on it in his jacket pocket. She suspects he is up to something based on his recent behavior. George is a poor soul who thinks he has somehow won the luck lottery by convincing beautiful Sherry to marry him two years ago. Actually, in the vernacular of the time, Sherry is a tramp looking for the easy life and lots of money. George keeps a roof over her head and all she has to do is be “nice” to him when it suits her. She uses her hold over him to find out the minimal details on the heist. She then goes to visit Val, her boyfriend. Val is a gangster who drives a Cadillac and has a real gang of hardened criminals at his disposal. He and Sherry plan to get the details of the heist, let Johnny do the work, and then rob the robbers.
Mike Dennis’s narration is first rate. He has a wonderful voice in just doing the descriptions. When it gets to the characters speaking, his talent really shines. Listen to the gravely voice of Randy the cop which conveys his large size. Marvin truly sounds like a fussy little man who alternates drooling over the thought of the money and regretting he ever got involved. Mr. Dennis brings all of those emotions out in his narration. The accents are fantastic. His command of the different shades of a New York City accent is incredible.
The novel does a great job of introducing each character and their motivation to join the heist or try to get it for themselves. The language is full of 1950’s slang. It really is addictive. I found myself listening every chance I got. Would they get away with it? Who would end up with the money?
thomasroche's review
4.0
Maybe not a great heist novel, but a pretty good one. Originally published under a different title ("Clean Break"), under this title it was the basis of Stanley Kubrick's first feature, which was scripted by none other than [a:Jim Thompson|7621|Jim Thompson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1310069486p2/7621.jpg]. I think Thompson and Kubrick definitely improved on the novel's pacing and dramatic tension, resulting in one of the greatest crime films ever made. The novel is not perfect, and has serious pacing problems, but it's still a nice slice of history and a great read for anyone who loves noir fiction. Like the other Lionel White novel I've read 1968's [b:The Night of the Rape|10123067|The Night of the Rape|Lionel White|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg|15020819], I would say this is pretty clearly B-list stuff, but well worth reading.
More...