The Fall Guy

by Simon Wood

When you're down on your luck, life never wants to cut you a break. Todd Collins has failed in every job he's ever undertaken, but that all changes when he backs his jalopy into a shiny, new Porsche belonging to a drug dealer. When the police stop the drug dealer for a broken taillight that Todd has caused and discover a cocaine shipment, a West Coast kingpin holds Todd responsible. On the run from organized crime, Todd discovers his true calling when he fights back.

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Fiction

132 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2010

About the author

Simon Wood is a California transplant from England. He's an ex-competitive racecar driver, a licensed pilot and an occasional private investigator. He shares his world with his American wife, Julie. Their lives are dominated by a longhaired dachshund and five cats. In the last ten years, he's had over 150 stories and articles published. His stories have been included in “Best of” anthologies and he's a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest. He's the Anthony Award winner and a Crime Writers Dagger Award finalist. He's the author of Working Stiffs, Accidents Waiting to Happen, Paying the Piper, Terminated, We All Fall Down, Deceptive Practices, The Fall Guy, Hot Seat and Did Not Finish. His latest thriller is, Saving Grace. He also writes horror under the pen name of Simon Janus. Those titles include The Scrubs and Road Rash.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute fun! This would make a great movie. Poor Todd should have left his insurance info after hitting a porsche. I really enjoyed his adventures as he sets out to do a job for the head boss as payback. It starts a string of dangerous and sometimes hilarious shenanigans as Todd tries to stay alive.

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I choose a book if its an author I don't know I read the synopsis and decide if it is a story I can relate to. If it is one of my 'favourite' authors I download it even if it isn't a story I would choose otherwise because 9 times out of 10 I enjoy it anyway. The Fall Guy is about drug lords which isn't a story that would ordinarily grab me but Simon is an excellent author and I haven't read a book from him yet that I haven't enjoyed and the Fall Guy was no different. A normal every day 'odd job' man who manages to bring down the drugs barons would normally be a bit far fetched but Simon turns this into a very believable realistic story and has once again earned 5 stars. Maybe not quite as 'thrilling'' as many of his books but gripping and enjoyable nevertheless with the usual amount of twists and turns.

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kurzes Action-geladenes Abenteuer...
Todd wird gezwungen für einen Drogenboss zu arbeiten. Um ihn wieder loszuwerden wird er selbst kriminell und merkt wie gut er das kann.
Seine Gedankengänge sind oft überraschend und es ist meist nicht vorhersehbar, was er als nächstes vorhat.
Guter kurzer Thriller, viele unerwartete Wendungen. Ein wenig weit hergeholt ist es schon aber alles passier sehr schnell und die Spannung wird durchgehend hoch gehalten.

[Nathan Henrion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wood's books are always a fast-paced, lean and mean affair, and The Fall Guy is no different. Todd Collins makes a mistake by backing into the wrong car, which leads him on a life and death odyssey from San Francisco, to Dallas, to Seattle, then back home....a huge triangle of suckage.

What makes this book so enjoyable is the way Collins dances around the idea of becoming a full-fledged criminal. At times he wants to jump in with both feet but is always pulled back by some thin line of conscience. I loved how the character craved the idea of doing bad things to bad people, but always found that he didn't really want to occupy that space. He does enough to exact his revenge, and at times seems to be a hapless dude always walking into the wrong situation, but in the end he takes what he wants from the underworld and is still able to walk away guilt free.

Great read!

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Todd Collins has failed in every job he's ever undertaken, but that all changes when he backs his jalopy in a shiny, new Porsche belonging to a drug dealer. When the police stop the drug dealer for a broken taillight that Todd has caused and discover a cocaine shipment, a West Coast kingpin holds Todd responsible. On the run from organized crime, Todd discovers his true calling.

This one is a "read in one gulp" thriller. At .99 on iBooks this one was a steal.

[Tom Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story that keeps you guessing all the way through.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced, lots of fun.

[Toxic Graveyard · Rating 4 out of 5]

There comes a time in every Horror fiend’s life when he or she must step out of the genre and breathe the fresh air of something that doesn’t involve graveyards, monsters, or serial killers. It’s important to have these moments of rest so that we can dive back into the genre with renewed vigor. Comet Press understands this. They understand that we cannot be singularly focused humans and must branch out. The Fall Guy is definitely a breath of high octane gasoline.

Todd Collins is a loser. Pushing 30 and working in a warehouse for minimum wage, his life is going nowhere. Nowhere until he accidentally cracks the taillight of a porsche in a parking lot which leads to the discovery by law enforcement of a massive amount of drugs being smuggled in said porsche. The owner of the drugs then gives Todd an ultimatum. Drive a car to Texas for him, or be murdered on the spot. Todd wisely chooses to drive the hot car and thus begins his twisty turny life in crime.

Simon Wood is an author I had never heard of despite having released several novels and over 150 short stories before The Fall Guy. And I should have because this book is 130 pages of pure kick ass fun. Honestly I could have read it in one sitting because I had trouble putting it down but as always life got in the way of what I really wanted to do. The book is gripping, funny, intelligent and exciting. We are in the same shoes as Todd. We also know nothing about crime and how to be good at it so we learn as he learns, which is a wonderful way to rope the reader in. The characters are fun and Todd is likable. How can you not enjoy a classic tale of the Hero’s Journey, but the journey is through the underground world of organized crime?

No monsters, no serial killers, just gritty action that never lets up. I can’t wait to get my hands on more books by Simon Wood, and I can thank Comet Press for introducing me to such a strong talent.

[Nancy Silk · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Can A Fallen Man Ever Get Up?

This story is a warning as to how lazy workers can get amazing work ... work for the criminals who can lock you in tight with fear. Todd Collins, always late for work, who puts no energy into his job, may be facing his last working day if late this day. He's one guy who never stays on the job for long. He lacks incentive. But this one day will change his life. His old Honda Accord has transmission problems. Most of the time he has trouble discerning which gear he is in. Well, just his luck to plow in reverse, smacking into a Porsche. He leaves a note on it's windshield in his hurry to get to work. But the note is not going to pacify the owner. In fact, the owner is going to repay Todd big time. The owner is a successful drug dealer who has been stopped by police because of the damage done to the Porsche tail light. He's no longer able to move drugs for his employer. The drug kingpin has lost a reliable employee by killing him, rather than the dealer share information about the organization. Well, Todd is paid back by the kingpin who has demolished Todd's Honda Accord. And Todd is strongly encouraged to take the job offered him, perhaps taking the place of the dealer? Well, the pay is better, but the environment is not healthy nor safe. What's a guy like Todd gonna do? With one misstep, Todd falls into the crime world, being used by many to do their dirty work. He really needs to learn how to make the big escape and stay alive! This story by popular author Simon Wood is fast paced, gripping and captivating. This is the style of writing by Simon Wood which draws many fans to his exciting novels. He's becoming more popular with every new story. Come join the happy readers, read this story.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

The next time you bump into a car and even contemplate not leaving a note, think of Todd. A simple hit and run starts Todd on a journey of not only trying to keep himself alive, but also one of self discovery. The 'Small Man' wants Todd to pay for the loss of his drugs (they were in the Porsche when it got pulled over for the busted light), and sends him to Dallas to deliver what he thinks is "just a car." But nothing is ever "just" anything in the land of illegal doings. Todd soon finds out there is much more involved, and begins to live the life of a criminal. A life that is both completely foreign to him, yet somewhat exhilarating. He soon wonders if he could be cut out for a life of full time crime as he certainly seems to have the knack for it. As Todd zig-zags his way from San Fran to Texas to Seattle and home again he tests the boundaries of the law and how close he thinks he can come to going over the line. While he wasn't Mr Perfect (hello, he did hit a car and leave a fake note), he isn't/wasn't a hard core criminal. But will he become one? Will he be pushed to his limits? Will he do whatever it takes to save himself? Or will he run from everyone and live in hiding, working dead end jobs for the rest of his life, just below the radar? Can he ever find his way out of the wrong place, wrong time position he continually finds himself in? The Fall Guy is the true definition of a thriller ~ depicting a great mystery with exciting plot twists and suspense galore, and a character that struggles daily with choosing his true moral compass or a life he thinks he is meant to live.

[S.B. Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Low Down
The Fall Guy by Simon Wood gives us Todd Collins, a bit of a dead beat working a low wage job. He's going to be late for his dead end job and risking being fired when he backs his car into a Porsche Boxter. The Porsche happens to belong to small time drug dealer with big connections. And from this point of Todd's life becomes a roller coaster ride as he lurches headlong into a life of crime. A profession, as it turns out, he is quite suited to.

The Good
I found the writing to be, fast paced, well written and the dialogue engaging. Wood introduces some humour as well, which doesn't distract from the story(though nothing like JA Konrath).

The Not so good
What I did find was that the book stretched my suspension of disbelief. Todd tends to be too good too quickly at the jobs/tasks he's required to perform. For a guy who can't make it in time to his regular day job I am not convinced he would have the discipline and foresight to manage being a "player".

I never felt that Todd was really in any danger at all. He seemed to me to fall into luck and out of danger too easily. I guess I like the realism in my crime fiction dialed up a little more.

I also got the feeling that the story was a little rushed. Now, it only showed up as 122 pages on my Sony and it has been included as part of a larger anthology previously. Perhaps a longer book with more room for characterization would have made a difference, I am not sure.

Final Verdict
If you enjoy a little fast paced crime fiction and you are not into gritty realism, then this book could be for you.

[Ashley Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely a thriller! Todd backed into the wrong car and gets thrown into the chaos. He is running from criminals who think it is his fault they lost so much money when through an unfortunate (for Todd) series of events leads to their drug shipment being found. He gets tangled in crime's sticky web and finds that he may just fit there....
Todd was a very interesting character. He seems to start out just an average joe who wishes for more and whose money doesn't make ends meet. Then when he gets into the criminal world, he makes some armature mistakes but finds his footing fast! He does have a conscience and I liked that. He wanted revenge and took it but didn't go overboard like I half expected him to.
I rate this a 4/5. It was a good, quick read that had some harsh insight into human nature.


Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps there is no such thing as a coincidence in Simon Wood's THE FALL GUY. When Todd Collins has a fender bender with a Porsche, he thinks leaving a fake note will take care of everything. His problems just begin, though, when the small man makes Todd pay. THE FALL GUY is a novel of revenge and vengeance. By being thrown into the dealings of a major drug cartel, Todd learns that he might have found the job for him, but even saving his own life comes at a price too high for him to pay. Mr. Wood yanks the reader into the novel full of twists and turns. I couldn't go through the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next to Todd. THE FALL GUY is a great action mystery story that takes the reader from California to Texas to Seattle and back to California.

[Eleanor Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I made the mistake of thinking I'd just read a few pages before bed. One long sitting later, I finished the book and remembered to breathe. Reads like a really long short story, with continuous action and interest. Completely memorable characters. Loved it. Treat yourself! Simon Wood is a master plotter.

[Kathy LeJeune · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this in his short stories and then I had to download the copy to my Kindle. This is true Simon Wood creative scaring the daylights out of his readers. You feel sorry for his characters and then you think how can they get into so many dumb situations. I loved it!!!

[Edmund Davis-Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I debated between 4 and 5th stars on this one. I just had a ton of fun reading this fast paced, kind of insane thriller. Finished in 2 days which is blazing fast for me, compulsively readable book, with a blistering, fast pace. Fun.

[Ted Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good romp and chase book, kind of a continuous adrenaline rush. It was fun to read. And even though some parts felt a little contrived, it was no more than a good Bond movie, and in many ways more inventive and fun.

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding story. Non-stop action from cover to cover. Also, kudos where deserved, there were zero errors detected in the body of the book. That, for me, is a rare event. 5 stars all the way!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining read. Reminded me of Raymond Chandler with a sort of anti-hero feel. Easy to root for Todd even though he is far from the traditional hero. Lots of interesting twists and good pacing to keep you interested. Really enjoying Simon Wood! Can't wait to read more...

[Ann Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I didn't think I was going to, at the beginning I thought the main character was a real loser. But the plot developed nicely, was believable and I enjoyed the circular nature of it. End was a bit rushed but I liked it!

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this tale of the trouble a guy finds himself in when he damages the wrong cat and leaves the scene of the accident. He only thought his life was the puts before as he tries to stay a step ahead of his pursuers.

[Yoshiyah Burrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb book that I was recommended from Amazon

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and fast moving plot. I wasn't sure what to make of it to start with but I was sucked into the story quickly and couldn't put it down.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. A real page turner

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always look forward to any book by Simon Wood and this was no exception.

[Cori Arnold · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what didn’t hit me right. I loved the premise, but I didn’t enjoy the middle to end execution? The characters felt flat.

[Victor Catano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise, gets wildly convoluted

Todd is having a bad day. After wrecking a drug dealer's car, he finds himself spiraling into a web of crime and deceit.

Great set up, but the plot contrivances and coincidences keep piling up till it's hard to suspend disbelief. Never a dull moment, though!

[Shirma · Rating 1 out of 5]

After wishing and hinting at wanting a Kindle for my birthday and Christmas for the past two years, I gave up and switched desire from the Kindle to the NOOK. I sooo want a NOOK. The colored screen, the apps, the touch screen. I want a Nook. Now my sweet, sweet sister gives me a Kindle and I love it and I love her more (but I still want a NOOK.) Anyway, this is my first book on my brand new Kindle, so far so good. I usually read with a pen in hand, circling errors and writing notes -- I'm missing that.

[terry l sartin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Author is a good read

I have three of his books We All Fall Down,Terminated,Paying The Piper . I have found them all to be quite good. The plots and stories and the characters start quick and you fill yourself moving right along with them.That is for us who like these types of reads. It will not be a waste
of time. Trust me on this
Terry L Sartin