Reading – The Wheelman

I’m pretty damned certain that Duane Swierczynski (blog, Twitter) wrote “Speed Trap” (found in G.I. Joe: Tales from the Cobra Wars*) for one simple reason: To trick me into blowing through his crime novel, The Wheelman*, at a breakneck pace that — no matter how fast my mind absorbed the text — couldn’t even come close to matching the speed that the action was unfolding in the book.

Writing that short story (see my Tales from the Cobra Wars review) was one dirty trick, but I expect no less from someone who would even dare to imagine an anti-hero like Lennon, a “mute Irish getaway driver who has fallen in with the wrong heist team on the wrong day at the wrong bank.”

The Wheelman is a pretty short book — only about 230 or so pages — but don’t think that means it’s short on action. From the mistake at the bank job — the book begins with the team attempting to exit the bank — to the completely unexpected ending the book doesn’t give you much time to take more than a breath or two before something else totally disastrous happens to keep the story moving. This is not a happy ending kinda tale, and it’s not a pretty story; which is to be expected when just about every character in the tale is less-than-friendly and this is definitely not a collection of good guys.

Swierczynski’s book doesn’t exactly have chapters, but it does have several short sections; the book is almost made completely of “good stopping points” except for the fact that you don’t wanna stop because you want to know what happens next. And as fast as the book is to read it feels even quicker to comprehend; there are some twists, and I was a bit confused at a spot here or there, but generally The Wheelman digs into your brain and keeps you fired up and on top of the story.

(One important note that I feel needs to be made is that this isn’t a story about car chases and fast getaways. Hell, Lennon does everything but escape the city and even if the book’s name makes you think you’re in for chase after chase don’t worry if there’s actually very little car action in the story.)

A fantastic read if you’re into modern day thrillers. How this hasn’t already been released as a movie is a mystery, but then everything Hollywood does these days is a mystery to me.

If you read “Speed Trap” in G.I. Joe: Tales from the Cobra Wars* and enjoyed it then do yourself a favor and snag The Wheelman*. Swierczynski’s work is new to me, but I’m already planning to try another one of his books.