Caught Stealing: A Novel (Henry Thompson)

Saw other reviewers saying this was a good beach read, which was exactly where I was when I downloaded it to my Kindle. Had also read a NY Times review that Stephen King thought it was best book of the year too. Turned out everyone was right! It was hilarious, fast paced, suspenseful and really fun. The first person narrative was absolutely perfect and you just really really felt for the never ending "what could be worse" predicaments this guy keeps getting into. It takes place all over NYC so that was extra bonus for readers like myself who know the city pretty well and can picture the settings (but this is not essential, as the descriptions are terrific). Somehow, as crazy as the plot became, it was quite believable, perhaps due to the writing style and vivid often riotous character descriptions. One warning to maybe sensitive readers out there -- and please don't be put off by this disclaimer .... lots and lots of the F*#@ word use in dialogue, but it turned out perfectly OK since it was hilariously comical and almost understated at whatever point this or that character swore. I'm no prude, but usually think swearing comes off gratuitous. This was an absolute non-issue in the book. I can't imagine dialogue any other way given the situations the main character gets himself into and out of. Really loads of fun, perfect for Kindle, beach, plane or any day frankly.

"Caught Stealing" is an absolute blast. It's violent, it's funny, and it constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat, as the Reaper spares no one in this exhilarating debut (the bodies pile up faster than the twists in the story)."Stealing" is a classic wrong-man pulp novel -- an innocent guy (in this case a drunk named Hank Thompson who is stagnating in his life as a bartender) watches his neighbor's cat as a favor. Under the cat's blanket is a key. A lot of bad guys, including a police lieutenant, want that key and the money it leads to. Hank doesn't know what the key is for, but he must try to survive as the bad guys disrupt his life and take aim at everyone he cares for.Huston's greatest accomplishment is Hank himself. He is a believable hero. He's never been in these types of situations before and he's scared. He toughens up as the story progresses, but it's easy to see through his eyes.And the action is just nonstop. It picks up from the first page, keeps you moving forward, and just when you think things are going to sort themselves out and Hank will slip out of trouble, Huston ably shakes you up all over again. Along with all the chases, shootouts and noirish prose, you get a running commentary about the baseball season from the former player Hank (though, oddly, all the information about the Giants and Mets that Huston gives his reader is made up; none of it actually happened, though it does add a nice element to the story).The ending was a bit of a letdown, but this doesn't detract from what is a terrific read."Caught Stealing" is about as much fun as you can have. I consider Charlie Huston a major find. I look forward to reading his other books, including "Stealing's" sequels.

Well written trio of three books; wishe'd written more in this series.

I thought I was going to enjoy this book when I started in, but around 20% (reading it on Kindle), when the protagonist was getting tortured, I didn't think I'd make it through without skimming. So I skimmed, but when they started beating the cat, I'd had enough and had to give it up. I'd received the book, and two of its sequels, free years ago, so nothing lost but my time. The writing was fine, the premise was a little unlikely, but graphic descriptions of pain and suffering are not something I want to read for relaxation, and I'm not just a cozy reader. I read McBain, Connolly, Parker, etc.

I have just finished reading the book in my Kindle. I liked it. I didn't have any expectations because I didn't know the author. At first I was surprised by the narrative. The author chose to tell the history from the main character perspective. The whole book is narrated by the main character in the story. After the first few pages I got accostumed to this and actually enjoyed being inside his head. It helped understand what was happening from his point of view.The narrative was quick and full of surprises. At some points a little too gruesome. I didn't care much for the baseboll backdrop - I am not a baseboll fan and I don't even understand the game. However I those parts were not too long and I was able to read through them quickly to get back to the main plot.I am looking forward to reading the 2 other books in this series and maybe other title from the author. I hope he can keep my interest up.Overall, I would recommend it to a friend. Good reading!

Read this book twice. I burned through the whole trilogy and then re-read it after a few months. Just a break neck pace, and great characters. Memorable. Probably read it a third time.

absolut glaubwürdiger, Thriller. Keine Sekunde zum durchatmen, man kann und willnicht aufhören zu lesen.Selten einen Thriller gelesen der mich so berührt hat

I bought this book because I had run out of sci fi books to read and the author Richard Morgan recommended it. I groaned when I opened it as there are no speech marks and it seemed to almost be a script. A quick scan and I thought I had sussed it as a pulp fiction rip off.How wrong I was! It did take a while to get used to the style of writing but I got hooked and read the whole thing in a day and a half.This book is a typical lot of things, meaning there is the wrong guy in the wrong place, lots of bad luck, criminals, violence, it's almost a cliché. But the story is so so good.The man this cathartic spiral of doom revolves around Hank, is so realistically normal, boring and believable that it could be me. Or you. And when things start to get heavy the decisions Hank makes are ones the reader feels they would make lending a real good feel of empathy.So when the ultraviolence kicks off its a real slap in the face and I found myself reading pages whilst holding my breath, and not interested whether I could work out what was going to happen or whether it was well written, just whether Hank (and the cat) were going to make it.Great story. Give it a try. I ordered the next two books the night I finished this one.

This is altogether quite a silly book. It's aiming for the noir thriller, but the verisimilitude isn't there, so ultimately the gritty stuff comes across as pantomime. The violence is excellent though.

The main character is engaging but the villans lack credibility.