Nowhere to Go

by Donald MacKenzie

Paul Gregory, a Canadian confidence trickster operating in London, targets a wealthy Canadian woman in Britain to sell her collection of valuable coins. When she agrees to give him legal control over the sale, he completes the deal without her knowledge, stashes the proceeds in a safe deposit box, and then deliberately waits to be caught by the police. Gregory plans on getting a five-year sentence, with time off for good behaviour, and then collecting his loot when he is released.

But when the judge hands Gregory a ten-year term, his only way out is escape...

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Donald MacKenzie was born in Ontario, Canada, and educated in England, Canada and Switzerland. For twenty-five years MacKenzie lived by crime in many countries. 'I went to jail,' he wrote, 'if not with depressing regularity, too often for my liking.' His last sentences were five years in the United States and three years in England, running consecutively. He began writing and selling stories when in American jail. 'I try to do exactly as I like as often as possible and I don't think I'm either psychopathic, a wayward boy, a problem of our time, a charming rogue. Or ever was.' He had a wife, Estrela, and a daughter, and they divided their time between England, Portugal, Spain and Austria.

Reviews

[Andi Chorley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent taut British crime thriller that was made into an Ealing film of the same name with a sultry jazz soundtrack by Jamaican-born trumpeter Dizzy Reece. Full of observed details and fascinating insight into life in 50s Britain for criminals. The author had lived the life himself so it rings true.

https://www.existentialennui.com/2015...