Crumbtown
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
Some might say that Crumbtown isn’t a place. It’s a state of mind. And for the residents of this sinking, stinking, carcinogenic, potholed neighborhood, “There’s bad luck in the world, and then there’s crumbluck.” But for Don Reedy, a true victim of this phenomenon, his crumbluck is about to change.
Sentenced to 15 years in prison after a botched armed robbery, Don is paroled early when a television producer decides to turn Don’s tragic story into a television show. Back in Crumbtown and working as a special consultant on the shoot, Don wrestles with delusional actors, pines for a beautiful Russian bartender, and reunites with cops and accomplices alike. But when the opportunity presents itself, Don decides to do something really daring: He robs the re-enactment of his legendary robbery. With the cameras rolling and the line between television and reality blurring, the hunt for Don—and a ratings coup—is on.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lean, mean and comically incompetent so run the characters of Connelly's riotous sophomore effort (after Bringing Out the Dead) about a crime junkie and the town that defeats him. Don Reedy's been down on his luck for as long as he can remember, and a recap of his past reveals a collection of stolen vehicles, botched stickups and robbed banks, the last landing him in jail with a 15-year term. He's just been granted conditional parole and is being shipped back to Crumbtown (a neighborhood in the fictional city of Dodgeport, "where dummies like Don were a dime a dozen") to act as consultant on a TV movie of his life of crime. On the set, he watches his infamous bank robbery replayed, complete with his triumphant trademark of tossing dollar bills in the air while speeding away with the big bucks. He's also keeping a lustful eye on Rita, a tough-talking Russian barmaid running from an abusive husband who can't seem to resist Don's charms. A ridiculous scheme to rob the staged bank on the set reunites Don with inept twin robbers Tim and Tom, the same pair who bungled the original bank robbery but this time manage a clean getaway. Could the cameras still be rolling on Don's new grift? This mangy hit parade of hardscrabble locals is kinetic. Connelly sustains a reckless, devil-may-care mood a dramatic shift from his stark and harrowing debut with clipped, fast prose and serpentine plot that offers plenty of opportunities for satire.
