A terrific novel by any standard. Everyone remarks on Higgins's dialogue, which is not "realistic" but stylized; these people deliver monologues the way in which characters in musicals burst into song. I assume that the talk of real dirtbags isn't as interesting or funny. For me, the draw of Higgins's novels is the way in which they dramatize the kinds of things that go on in offices and at work all the time: the plot here abut the Greek, Torrey, and Schabb could be replicated (minus the guns and mob junkets) in a thousand offices on Monday morning. This one also has three absolutely terrific set pieces: the Digger's wife giving him a hard time for how he eats and spends money, when the Digger asks his brother (a priest!) for eighteen-thousand dollars, and the one later on in which the Greek gets upset at the new ofice digs. Yes, there's some crime, but very little. This isn't a caper, but a great portrait of an unlikable loudmouth who gets himself in trouble. You'll read it, I don't know. Two, three days. Three days. (That's my weak imitation of Higgins.) ( )

Higgins second novel (not counting the 14 or so unpublished ones he threw away) after THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE is also a fantastic, dialogue-driven story of a small-time hood, Digger Doherty, trying to earn enough money to pay back an $18,000 gambling debt incurred during an unwise trip to Las Vegas. Digger is only part of the story, however. There's also the shady operation that sets up the gambling trips, run by a shady mafioso, "The Greek", and a disbarred but clever lawyer. The interrelated stories play themselves out over the course of the book. It looks very similar at first to the story of the hard luck Eddie Coyle, but Higgins has more up his sleeve and the ending is not routine at all. Throughout the story, the frequently profane dialogue will have you laughing or perhaps trying not to throw up. I have only read three of Higgins' book so far, but they are all winners. Don't miss this one. ( )