Grifter's Game (Classic Crime Library Book 3) Online
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qjbsS [Free read ebook] Grifter's Game (Classic Crime Library Book 3) Online [qjbsS.ebook] Grifter's Game (Classic Crime Library Book 3) Pdf Free Lawrence Block audiobook | *ebooks | Download PDF | ePub | DOC #392844 in eBooks 2016-01-05 2016-01-05File Name: B01A9ENC1A | File size: 79.Mb Lawrence Block : Grifter's Game (Classic Crime Library Book 3) before purchasing it in order to gage whether or not it would be worth my time, and all praised Grifter's Game (Classic Crime Library Book 3): 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. wonderful stuffBy Dave WildeGrifter's Game was originally published as "Mona" in 1961. It was one of the earlier books Block published under his own name rather than a pen name. It is one of a number of books he wrote in the early sixties about grifters and con men along with Girl With the Long Green Heart.Here, the narrator (Joe Marlin) stays in fancy hotels without any intention of paying the bill. And, "there was a girl in it. Her name was Londa Jamison and she smelled like money." The narrator explains that he liked money. He thought she was Mainline all the way, meaning from the wealthy side of Philly. She thought he was wealthy. Two gold diggers playing for each other!Having to leave town in a hurry and without luggage, the narrator heads to Atlantic City, hoping to find some wealthy broad to hustle.He appropriates two top grade suitcases with the initials LKB when leaving the railway station because hotels frown on guests without luggage.On the beach, a gorgeous blonde who looked like she'd been poured into her bathing suit, made our narrator's acquaintance. She confesses that her husband is old boring and rich. Why do pretty girls marry rich old men, she explains.Our plucky narrator returns to his hotel room and decides to have a gander at what's in the suitcase: sixty cubic inches of raw uncut heroin.Later, after a steamy encounter on the beach, Mona let's drop that her husband's name is LKeith Bassard. As in, LKB, the initials on the suitcases.Of course, we are now into Postman Always Rings Twice territory as they both need the money and need each other. As Mona explained, once you get used to having money, you can't do without.But don't assume that this plot device is just a carbon copy of another book or that there's not more to the story. Remember, this book is called Grifter's Game and Joe may not be the only con artist in the story. And, maybe she had her pigeon in her sights right from the beginning.This, according to Block's afterword, was the first book he put his own name on and I can see why. This is an excellent book and I challenge you to have the willpower to put it down without finishing it.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good if ultimately disturbing; quite different from Block's later worksBy Phil (not) in MagnoliaIn the afterward to this novel, Lawrence Block tells the story of how it was the first book published under his own name and how it has been published with a variety of titles over the years (initially Block had titled it 'The Girl on the Beach'; it was first published as 'Mona' although the title 'Grifter's Game' had been suggested by the publisher or agent; and finally it has now been published as 'Grifter's Game' under the Hard Case Crime imprint). He wrote it in 1960, while living 'in a small apartment on West Sixty-Ninth Street between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues'.Of the various main characters that Block has created over the years - Evan Tanner, Bernie Rhodenbarr, Matthew Scudder, Chip Harrison, and my favorite, Keller, the philatelist hit man, Grifter's Game's Joe Marlin is less ironic and humorous, and ultimately much less sympathetic. I was expecting something more similar to the more mature Block characters that I have enjoyed in his other books, and the conclusion of this book was a bit of a surprise to me. That's not a bad thing, though, and overall it's a good story and interesting not only because it is a good example of Block's very early work. In fact, if he was writing this well so soon in his career, then it is no surprise that he came to be as successful as he did.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. TO GRIFT, OR NOT TO GRIFT, THAT IS THE QUESTION!By Greggorio!The whole concept of grifting - or, at the very least, writing a novel about this fine and highly developed art of human endeavour - has had the effect of creating yet another sub genre within the crime genre field. I must admit to having developed a taste for these books, but then again, who wouldnrsquo;t, if you are already a fan of the murder mystery, and a fan of Mystery Grand Master Lawrence Block.Itrsquo;s irrefutable, by George.Grifterrsquo;s Game is the first crime novel Mr Block had published under his own name. That event occurred back in 1956, and its a tribute to the quality of the story that its still available to purchase almost sixty years later. The story revolves around a natural born Grifter by the name of Gavilan (well, thatrsquo;s his *first* name, anyway) who is a professional con man. Staying at expensive hotels for weeks at a time, running up huge bills for accommodation, food, drinks, anything you want. And managing to skip town without paying, and without grabbing the attention of the law. But always looking for, and meeting, attractive young women, with or without rich husbands, and on the lookout for some quick money. Some times this works, but sometimes it just bounces back in your face.So this cat is cool. He soon finds himself in Atlantic City, and in the possession of a very smart looking and expensive briefcase belonging to Mr rsquo;KLBrsquo;. Inside the briefcase is close to a kilogram of top grade Heroine. And as luck would have it, he then meets up with a beautiful woman going by the name of Mona. It turns out Mona is married to KLB and of course KLB is not who he pretends to be.The Gods of Fate are now laughing at you, Mr Gavilan.The final solution to the book will leave you breathless. The overriding sensation throughout the story is one of wonder. The book grabs you with the opening chapter (a heck of a lot happens there, you know) but chapter four is pivotal to the novelrsquo;s story line, and it also possesses some of the bookrsquo;s finest writing. My favourite from this part of the book comes from KL 756:rsquo;... The dinner was probably good. Big hotels cook dependably if not imaginatively. They donrsquo;t ruin steaks, which was what I ordered. But I didnrsquo;t taste my dinner. I thought about him and I thought about her and I tasted murder instead of meat.rsquo;And another little titbit for those considering entering into a life of crime comes from KL 1461. I wonrsquo;t quote it here, so that you can discover it yourself.There are plenty of twists and turns in this oh so glorious cross-double-cross-triple-cross murder mystery; so many in fact that the reader will find it hard to put the book down. One could feel let down by the bookrsquo;s short length, and itrsquo;s relatively small reading time. But itrsquo;s so gosh-darned awesome that you could easily restart your kindle at KL #1 and pretend you are opening the tome for the very first time.So this is an obvious full marks from me. GRIFTERrsquo;S GAME is a joyous, adventurous, sexy, fun-filled but most of all brilliant way to spend three hours of your life. The Gods of Fate enjoyed it (you can hear them, laughing at the storyrsquo;s main characters at various points in the storyrsquo;s plot line) but more importantly, everyone who picks it up will enjoy it too. The final reward for our Grifter may not have come to him if he had the strength to walk away from his metaphorical Eve, but this just goes to show he is just as flawed as the rest of us.BFN Greggorio! Your namersquo;s Joe Marlin, but you change it almost as often as you change your shirt. Itrsquo;s David Gavilan when you skip a hotel bill and head for Atlantic City. You left empty-handed, and you need luggage to check into a decent hotel, so you grab two checked bags before the owner turns up to claim them. Theyrsquo;re monogrammed L.K.B.mdash;so now your name is Leonard K. Blake.But yoursquo;re not the only L.K.B. in Atlantic City. L. Keith Brassard is the owner of those suitcases you picked up, and hersquo;s also the husband of the gorgeous blonde who picked you up. One suitcase is full of his clothes, and his pants are too big in the waist and too short in the leg and no good to you at all. But however different the two of you may be built, yoursquo;ve got the same neck size and the same sleeve length, so the manrsquo;s shirts fit you just fine.And so does his wife.And when you open the second suitcase, yoursquo;ve got your hands full.