The Helicopter Heist
A Novel Based on True Events
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4.0 • 8 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
NOW A NETFLIX MINISERIES: Ocean’s Eleven meets Heat in this Swedish crime thriller inspired by “one of the most spectacular heists of all time” (Time).
“Bonnier’s novel is a rapturous account of . . . a true crime so wildly far-fetched it seems the stuff of fiction.” —Jake Gyllenhaal
Sami has a new child to provide for, so after years of petty crime, he's training as a chef. But when a business deal suddenly goes sideways, Sami is left wondering how he'll ever provide for his newborn daughter.
Michel and his family fled a bloody civil war in Lebanon, and he grew up in the suburbs of Stockholm surrounded by poverty and criminals. He's trying to turn over a new leaf, but the past just won't let him go.
Niklas has traveled the world and made an effort to become the sort of person people talked about. He followed through on his vision...and no good has come of it.
Zoran is a businessman who knows everyone and seals a deal with a handshake. When he was young, the ambitious Yugoslavian had a dream—to get rich, by whatever means necessary.
And Alexandra? She's the reason that the four men found themselves plotting to rob a Stockholm cash depot in September 2009.
At first, the plan seems foolproof. Every contingency is covered, and the payoff will make them all rich for life. No one would even get hurt. But not everyone is who they seem. Even as the gang's stolen helicopter is lifting off from the cash depot with $6.5 million inside, questions remain unanswered. What secrets does each man hold?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Swedish author Bonnier makes his U.S. debut with this uneven thriller based on the audacious 2009 robbery of a Stockholm cash service depot in which criminals used a helicopter as transport. Over the course of nine months, four men meticulously plan out the robbery of a cash depot located near a police station in southern Stockholm that, if successful, could be the biggest robbery in Swedish history. The scheme is filled with obstacles from the start such as how to obtain a helicopter and enter the building from the seemingly impenetrable roof, and how to ground any law enforcement aircraft nearby and becomes even more complicated when police begin following the group's leader just days before the heist. Though the novel's breakneck-paced last part is virtually impossible to put down, the beginning suffers from a serpentine narrative that lacks focus and intensity. The fatal flaw, however, is a cast of forgettable characters coupled with a predetermined outcome. The bombshell plot twist at the end can't save this unsatisfying novel.
Customer Reviews
The Helicopter Heist
Spoiler Alert: What happened? Did I miss something? I have more questions than answers: who is the old man with dogs, why did he cheat his friends? I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the robbers, their friends and families. Was the meeting to propose making security bags really just a way to disappoint Michel? Was the deal Sami had sabotaged too so that he would be open to the heist? The ending was so sad for the three friends, unless the old man is keeping the money for them....? He already has decaying money in the place he keeps the puppy food! Why? Lena seemed to really like Michel, so why did she betray? The book was poorly written, with too many loose ends. I won’t see the movie either as I fear it would be even more convoluted! Three stars is generous....but I finished it hoping for answers.