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The Killing
The boys said it couldn't be done -- knocking over a racetrack. Too much security. Too much money to handle. Too many obstacles. But Johnny Clay knew, if anyone did, how to mastermind a daring robbery. You just had to have the right people to work with, a few ringers on the inside who could keep their mouths shut, and a diversion. A big diversion. Like taking out the favorite horse on the most anticipated race with a high-powered rifle. Things can go right, and things can go wrong. But Johnny knew his plan could work. If only everyone did his part without cracking.
The Killing (originally titled Clean Break) by the master of capers, Lionel White, is what many people consider the greatest heist novel of all time. Stanley Kubrick liked the book enough to option it and make a classic noir film of it, co-scripted with the great Jim Thompson. Now available from Chalk Line Books in an illustrated, premium quality edition.
The Killing (originally titled Clean Break) by the master of capers, Lionel White, is what many people consider the greatest heist novel of all time. Stanley Kubrick liked the book enough to option it and make a classic noir film of it, co-scripted with the great Jim Thompson. Now available from Chalk Line Books in an illustrated, premium quality edition.
174 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1955
12 people are currently reading
745 people want to read
About the author
Lionel White
93 books36 followersLionel White was a crime reporter who wrote around 38 suspenseful thrillers beginning with The Snatchers in 1953 and ending with The Walled Yard in 1978.
Most of his books were translated into a number of different languages and his earlier novels were published as Gold Medal pulp hard-boiled crime fiction, but when Duttons began a line of mystery and suspense books, he also wrote for them.
He was most well known for what a New York Times review described as "the master of the big caper."
A number of his books were made into movies and Stanley Kubrick liked his book 'Clean Break' (1955) so much that he licensed the rights for his film "The Killing" in 1956.
In Quentin Tarantino's film "Reservoir Dogs", Lionel White is listed as an inspiration for the film in the credits.
Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2011
Most of his books were translated into a number of different languages and his earlier novels were published as Gold Medal pulp hard-boiled crime fiction, but when Duttons began a line of mystery and suspense books, he also wrote for them.
He was most well known for what a New York Times review described as "the master of the big caper."
A number of his books were made into movies and Stanley Kubrick liked his book 'Clean Break' (1955) so much that he licensed the rights for his film "The Killing" in 1956.
In Quentin Tarantino's film "Reservoir Dogs", Lionel White is listed as an inspiration for the film in the credits.
Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 21, 2018
Originally published in 1955, this is a classic noir novel from the prolific pulp writer, Lionel White. The main protagonist, Johnny Clay, is fresh out of prison with what he believes to be a foolproof plan for a robbery that will net a huge score. Clay plans to hit a horse racing track on the day of a big race and grab the day's proceeds just before they would be loaded into an armored truck to be taken to the bank.
The plan is so audacious and seemingly impossible, that no one has ever tried it before. But Clay has calculated the plan down to the last second and has recruited an unusual crew to assist him. Johnny believes that using professional crooks would be the mistake that would doom the plan. Rather, he has brought into the scheme a group of men, all of whom have regular jobs and all of whom have money problems that could be resolved by getting their share of the loot.
As the story unfolds, the point of view shifts among the various members of the crew and a few others as well. We watch them plan the robbery, and almost immediately, we see the weak point in the scheme. This is, after all, a noir novel and in these sorts of books things never go according to plan, and they generally don't turn out well. The characters are well-drawn, and the plot sucks the reader in from the beginning. It's a great example of the genre.
Stanley Kubrick made an excellent movie from this novel called The Killing, starring Sterling Hayden as Johnny, and Stark House has just released a new edition of the novel, joined with another of White's books, The Snatchers. There's a couple of great evenings to be had here, first reading the novel and then watching the film.
The plan is so audacious and seemingly impossible, that no one has ever tried it before. But Clay has calculated the plan down to the last second and has recruited an unusual crew to assist him. Johnny believes that using professional crooks would be the mistake that would doom the plan. Rather, he has brought into the scheme a group of men, all of whom have regular jobs and all of whom have money problems that could be resolved by getting their share of the loot.
As the story unfolds, the point of view shifts among the various members of the crew and a few others as well. We watch them plan the robbery, and almost immediately, we see the weak point in the scheme. This is, after all, a noir novel and in these sorts of books things never go according to plan, and they generally don't turn out well. The characters are well-drawn, and the plot sucks the reader in from the beginning. It's a great example of the genre.
Stanley Kubrick made an excellent movie from this novel called The Killing, starring Sterling Hayden as Johnny, and Stark House has just released a new edition of the novel, joined with another of White's books, The Snatchers. There's a couple of great evenings to be had here, first reading the novel and then watching the film.
August 23, 2022
Something weird/dumb about me, but during a heatwave the only reading I do involves old crime fiction. Something relatable about all those desperate men and opportunistic women that breaks through to my lizard brain.
This one was shallow even by the standards of the genre but it was innovative in that it had a well thought out race track heist and it followed all the different guys who were in on it in their own threads. Also liked their getaway plan: shoot the heavy favourite horse during the race to cause a riot. The gangsters stalking the crew didn't really get enough page time and the woman who betrays the crew is dumped in a way I found callous even for these sort of books.
This one was shallow even by the standards of the genre but it was innovative in that it had a well thought out race track heist and it followed all the different guys who were in on it in their own threads. Also liked their getaway plan: shoot the heavy favourite horse during the race to cause a riot. The gangsters stalking the crew didn't really get enough page time and the woman who betrays the crew is dumped in a way I found callous even for these sort of books.
November 24, 2018
Johnny Clay had spent four long years in the joint, four long years plotting the best crime ever imagined. It was going to be foolproof. He wasn't going to recruit a bunch of hoods who would turn on him and squeal. No. he was going to get a bunch of ordinary guys who had every reason to pull the caper off and get away clean. "They all have jobs, they all live seemingly decent, normal lives. But they all have money problems and they all have larceny in them."
Johnny was but one of a crew of absolutely unforgettable characters
White created in this book. Four years hadn't changed Johnny much. There was now the slightest of gray over his ears, but his gray eyes were as clear and untroubled as they had always been. The time behind bars hadn't soured him, but he now had a "serious undercurrent to him which hadn't been there before" and "a sort of grim purposefulness which he had always
lacked."
Marvin Unger was a court stenographer. He had connections and information. He had a bank account. Johnny had found him when he was looking around for a guy with a respectable front, "who had a little larceny in his heart and who might back the play."
Big Mike Henty was a bartender at the track. "He was an inveterate gambler and in spite of endless years of consistently losing more than half of his weekly pay check on the horses, he still had a great deal of difficulty where he stood at the close of the last race. He had no mind
for figures at all."
"Big Mike was a moral and straight-laced man, in spite of a weakness for playing the horses and an even greater weakness for over excess in eating." He wanted desperately to get his family out of the crappy neighborhood they lived in and have his daughter safely ensconsed in a suburban school district.
George Peatty was thirty-eight, gaunt, nervous, and looked his age. He had crooked, squirrel-like teeth and long fingered hands of a pianist. "His clothes were conservative both as to line and as to price." "After two years of marriage, he still spent most of his idle time thinking of his wife." He did know, however, that she was bored and disenchanted and that somewhere along the way he had failed as a husband and as a man. But, that was because of luck and fate which consigned him to his limited earning capacity as a cashier at the racetrack.
Officer Randy Kennan was heavily indebted to Leo Steiner, to the tune of nearly three grand and he didn't have the dough to pay even the vig on the loan.
Johnny also figured to hire three guys who weren't in on the deal as distractions at the track while the hold-up went on. What could go wrong? What indeed? If you are at all familiar with hardboiled pulp from the fifties, you know that there is always a woman to blame (or quite often, at least).
Sherry Peatty had "long, theatrical lashes half closed over her smoldering eyes" and her body was "small, beautifully molded, deceptively soft" and she moved "with the grace of a cat." "At twenty-four, Sherry Peatty was a woman who positively exuded - . There was a velvet texture to her dark olive skin her face was almost Slavic in contour and she affected a tight, short hair cut which went far to set off the loveliness of her small, pert face." She was tired of the dump they lived in and not having any money. When Johnny got a load of her, he wondered how Peatty had rated anything this pretty. But, he soon realized that she was a tramp, that she was wide open and anybody could take a crack at her. "A tramp. A goddamned tramp. A pushover." "That was the trouble. She was beautiful. She was a bum."
And, Sherry had someone on the side: a bad guy, Val Cannon, who intrigued her because he dressed expensively, but never told her what he did for a living. "She took it for granted that he was mixed up in some sort of racket or other." Hopefully, George didn't blab to Sherry and Sherry didn't blab to Val cause then there would be more trouble.
White writes like a consummate professional. The story is compelling
as it unfolds piece by piece. Johnny has this job planned out to the "T"
and nothing could possibly go wrong. This is one terrific, top-notch piece of hardboiled fiction. There are few who can write as well as White and do it so effortlessly, creating such unforgettable characters and such a tightly woven plot. Five stars.
Johnny was but one of a crew of absolutely unforgettable characters
White created in this book. Four years hadn't changed Johnny much. There was now the slightest of gray over his ears, but his gray eyes were as clear and untroubled as they had always been. The time behind bars hadn't soured him, but he now had a "serious undercurrent to him which hadn't been there before" and "a sort of grim purposefulness which he had always
lacked."
Marvin Unger was a court stenographer. He had connections and information. He had a bank account. Johnny had found him when he was looking around for a guy with a respectable front, "who had a little larceny in his heart and who might back the play."
Big Mike Henty was a bartender at the track. "He was an inveterate gambler and in spite of endless years of consistently losing more than half of his weekly pay check on the horses, he still had a great deal of difficulty where he stood at the close of the last race. He had no mind
for figures at all."
"Big Mike was a moral and straight-laced man, in spite of a weakness for playing the horses and an even greater weakness for over excess in eating." He wanted desperately to get his family out of the crappy neighborhood they lived in and have his daughter safely ensconsed in a suburban school district.
George Peatty was thirty-eight, gaunt, nervous, and looked his age. He had crooked, squirrel-like teeth and long fingered hands of a pianist. "His clothes were conservative both as to line and as to price." "After two years of marriage, he still spent most of his idle time thinking of his wife." He did know, however, that she was bored and disenchanted and that somewhere along the way he had failed as a husband and as a man. But, that was because of luck and fate which consigned him to his limited earning capacity as a cashier at the racetrack.
Officer Randy Kennan was heavily indebted to Leo Steiner, to the tune of nearly three grand and he didn't have the dough to pay even the vig on the loan.
Johnny also figured to hire three guys who weren't in on the deal as distractions at the track while the hold-up went on. What could go wrong? What indeed? If you are at all familiar with hardboiled pulp from the fifties, you know that there is always a woman to blame (or quite often, at least).
Sherry Peatty had "long, theatrical lashes half closed over her smoldering eyes" and her body was "small, beautifully molded, deceptively soft" and she moved "with the grace of a cat." "At twenty-four, Sherry Peatty was a woman who positively exuded - . There was a velvet texture to her dark olive skin her face was almost Slavic in contour and she affected a tight, short hair cut which went far to set off the loveliness of her small, pert face." She was tired of the dump they lived in and not having any money. When Johnny got a load of her, he wondered how Peatty had rated anything this pretty. But, he soon realized that she was a tramp, that she was wide open and anybody could take a crack at her. "A tramp. A goddamned tramp. A pushover." "That was the trouble. She was beautiful. She was a bum."
And, Sherry had someone on the side: a bad guy, Val Cannon, who intrigued her because he dressed expensively, but never told her what he did for a living. "She took it for granted that he was mixed up in some sort of racket or other." Hopefully, George didn't blab to Sherry and Sherry didn't blab to Val cause then there would be more trouble.
White writes like a consummate professional. The story is compelling
as it unfolds piece by piece. Johnny has this job planned out to the "T"
and nothing could possibly go wrong. This is one terrific, top-notch piece of hardboiled fiction. There are few who can write as well as White and do it so effortlessly, creating such unforgettable characters and such a tightly woven plot. Five stars.
March 31, 2017
I’d say THE SNATCHERS has echoes of Richard Stark’s Parker novels—but I can’t, because it was first published in 1953, seven years before the first Parker book, The Hunter. What’s the opposite of echoes? Beats me, but the feeling was there, the whole way through.
The author doesn’t fool around here. As the story begins, the crime has already taken place, and tensions are rising. The plot is simmering on page 1 and keeps getting hotter until—on the final page—well, you’ll have to read it and see. It’s the kind of thriller that keeps your eyes glued to the page.
Our hero is Cal Dent, the guy who masterminds and bankrolls the kidnapping of a little rich girl. As Parker will do so many times in years to come, Dent chooses the crew, then struggles do deal with their potpourri of personality disorders to keep the job from going off the rails. And while each member of the gang has a skill Dent requires, each has a nasty quirk that worms its way to forefront. By the end of the story all four quirks are quirking full blast, and Dent is battling an unexpected one of his own. I don’t remember Parker ever having it this tough.
Lionel White manages to shift point of view anytime he wants, and gets away with it, immersing us in every scene from multiple angles. We know what each of the Snatchers is thinking and feeling about the situation—and about each other—at every step of the way. Instead of being distracting, it heightens the tension.
As you’d expect, Cal Dent is the clearest thinker of the lot, and the closest to a normal human being. Though a career criminal, he has scruples—even a conscience—and has carefully planned this kidnapping to be his last job, the one that sets him up for life. Commensurate with his management skills, he expects to walk away with half the take, a cool $250,000.
Under Dent’s skin right from the start is Pearl, a hard-edged dame who oozes sex appeal and wields it like a weapon. At the moment, she’s hooked up with a brutal and ignorant thug named Red, who seems to be on hand chiefly as a driver. Hating everyone, and being hated in return, is an even more brutal, bestial and utterly merciless thug named Gino. Aside from Dent, the only member with any brains is Fats, an unkempt, foul-smelling rat who proves too smart for Dent’s own good.
Also on hand, and a major factor in the proceedings, is the kidnapee’s nanny, a hot-but-clean young babe who fires the blood of every Snatcher but Pearl.
The whole bunch are lot are holed up in a beach-front house in a rural area of Long Island (which presumably still existed in 1953), from which they venture out for sustenance and the needs of Dent’s scheme, and where they are bedeviled by a small-town cop who’s a lot smarter than he lets on.
It all comes to a boil with a slam-bang finish, with plenty of surprises along the way. This was White’s first book (with 35 or so more to come), and was filmed in 1968 as The Night of the Following Day, with Marlon Brando, Richard Boone and Rita Moreno.
CLEAN BREAK, published in hardcover in 1955, was White’s third book. It’s another caper novel, and the goal this time is much more ambitious, as a gang of unlikely conspirators plot to rob a race track—at the height of the racing day.
White unwraps the plan one tantalizing scene at a time, as he introduces the various co-conspirators and hints at their connection to the man behind it all, Johnny Clay.
Johnny is fresh out of prison, after a four year stretch on a robbery rap. He spent that four years plotting what appears to be the perfect crime, and the plan is just now getting into motion. The trouble with crime, he’s discovered, is that it’s usually committed by criminals. Criminals are already on the police radar, limiting their movements, and—by their very nature—they can’t be fully trusted.
Johnny’s cunning plan is to use amateurs, dependable honest citizens with what he recognizes as a touch of larceny. To that end he recruits four men: milquetoast Marvin Unger, who’s just flush enough to finance the operation; Racetrack bartender Big Mike; a cop named Kennan, who’s betting habit has put in deep with a loan shark; and racetrack cashier George Peatty, who can’t afford—or satisfy—his hot pants wife. With a crew like that, what could go wrong?
Surprisingly little, as it turns out, until Peatty tells his wife what’s going on, and she tells her boyfriend, then two-times (or it is three-times?) him and tries to vamp Johnny.
White walks us through the whole operation, shifting point of view with each short scene and cranking up the tension as the big job draws ever closer. The day of the heist gets even closer attention, occupying more than a third of the book. It’s riveting stuff, keeping you guessing until the very end.
The story, retitled The Killing, was filmed by Stanley Kubrick in 1956, with screenplay assistance from Jim Thomson. The movie starred Sterling Hayden, Vince Edwards, Marie Edwards and Elisha Cook Jr.
Together, The Snatchers and Clean Break pack a one-two punch, and will leave you wanting more from the pen of Lionel White.
The author doesn’t fool around here. As the story begins, the crime has already taken place, and tensions are rising. The plot is simmering on page 1 and keeps getting hotter until—on the final page—well, you’ll have to read it and see. It’s the kind of thriller that keeps your eyes glued to the page.
Our hero is Cal Dent, the guy who masterminds and bankrolls the kidnapping of a little rich girl. As Parker will do so many times in years to come, Dent chooses the crew, then struggles do deal with their potpourri of personality disorders to keep the job from going off the rails. And while each member of the gang has a skill Dent requires, each has a nasty quirk that worms its way to forefront. By the end of the story all four quirks are quirking full blast, and Dent is battling an unexpected one of his own. I don’t remember Parker ever having it this tough.
Lionel White manages to shift point of view anytime he wants, and gets away with it, immersing us in every scene from multiple angles. We know what each of the Snatchers is thinking and feeling about the situation—and about each other—at every step of the way. Instead of being distracting, it heightens the tension.
As you’d expect, Cal Dent is the clearest thinker of the lot, and the closest to a normal human being. Though a career criminal, he has scruples—even a conscience—and has carefully planned this kidnapping to be his last job, the one that sets him up for life. Commensurate with his management skills, he expects to walk away with half the take, a cool $250,000.
Under Dent’s skin right from the start is Pearl, a hard-edged dame who oozes sex appeal and wields it like a weapon. At the moment, she’s hooked up with a brutal and ignorant thug named Red, who seems to be on hand chiefly as a driver. Hating everyone, and being hated in return, is an even more brutal, bestial and utterly merciless thug named Gino. Aside from Dent, the only member with any brains is Fats, an unkempt, foul-smelling rat who proves too smart for Dent’s own good.
Also on hand, and a major factor in the proceedings, is the kidnapee’s nanny, a hot-but-clean young babe who fires the blood of every Snatcher but Pearl.
The whole bunch are lot are holed up in a beach-front house in a rural area of Long Island (which presumably still existed in 1953), from which they venture out for sustenance and the needs of Dent’s scheme, and where they are bedeviled by a small-town cop who’s a lot smarter than he lets on.
It all comes to a boil with a slam-bang finish, with plenty of surprises along the way. This was White’s first book (with 35 or so more to come), and was filmed in 1968 as The Night of the Following Day, with Marlon Brando, Richard Boone and Rita Moreno.
CLEAN BREAK, published in hardcover in 1955, was White’s third book. It’s another caper novel, and the goal this time is much more ambitious, as a gang of unlikely conspirators plot to rob a race track—at the height of the racing day.
White unwraps the plan one tantalizing scene at a time, as he introduces the various co-conspirators and hints at their connection to the man behind it all, Johnny Clay.
Johnny is fresh out of prison, after a four year stretch on a robbery rap. He spent that four years plotting what appears to be the perfect crime, and the plan is just now getting into motion. The trouble with crime, he’s discovered, is that it’s usually committed by criminals. Criminals are already on the police radar, limiting their movements, and—by their very nature—they can’t be fully trusted.
Johnny’s cunning plan is to use amateurs, dependable honest citizens with what he recognizes as a touch of larceny. To that end he recruits four men: milquetoast Marvin Unger, who’s just flush enough to finance the operation; Racetrack bartender Big Mike; a cop named Kennan, who’s betting habit has put in deep with a loan shark; and racetrack cashier George Peatty, who can’t afford—or satisfy—his hot pants wife. With a crew like that, what could go wrong?
Surprisingly little, as it turns out, until Peatty tells his wife what’s going on, and she tells her boyfriend, then two-times (or it is three-times?) him and tries to vamp Johnny.
White walks us through the whole operation, shifting point of view with each short scene and cranking up the tension as the big job draws ever closer. The day of the heist gets even closer attention, occupying more than a third of the book. It’s riveting stuff, keeping you guessing until the very end.
The story, retitled The Killing, was filmed by Stanley Kubrick in 1956, with screenplay assistance from Jim Thomson. The movie starred Sterling Hayden, Vince Edwards, Marie Edwards and Elisha Cook Jr.
Together, The Snatchers and Clean Break pack a one-two punch, and will leave you wanting more from the pen of Lionel White.
November 25, 2016
Wow. Just brutal. Everyone gets it in the end.
White convincingly depicts several days in the lives of various co-conspirators who execute the meticulously-planned robbery of a racetrack till. The caper goes off successfully, but one of the operators breaches confidentiality, with deadly results.
White switches rapidly between the points of view of the various characters, and slowly builds up to the big day. My edition is only 155 pages. White packs an amazing amount of detail into this short book. A very effective noir thriller!
I was inspired to read this by watching the great Stanley Kubrick film, which (as best I recall) follows the novel pretty closely.
White convincingly depicts several days in the lives of various co-conspirators who execute the meticulously-planned robbery of a racetrack till. The caper goes off successfully, but one of the operators breaches confidentiality, with deadly results.
White switches rapidly between the points of view of the various characters, and slowly builds up to the big day. My edition is only 155 pages. White packs an amazing amount of detail into this short book. A very effective noir thriller!
I was inspired to read this by watching the great Stanley Kubrick film, which (as best I recall) follows the novel pretty closely.
March 8, 2017
This audibobook was courtesty https://audiobookreviewer.com/ in exchange for an honest review.
Listening to The Killing (originally titled Clean Break) is like listening to a fantastic crime noir movie from the 1940’s. It was written in 1955 by Lionel White and made into a film titled The Killing by Stanley Kubrick in 1956. I have never seen the film and probably will not. It cannot possibly top the audiobook.
The Killing takes place in New York City and on Long Island. It is a heist novel, meaning a huge robbery is central to the story. There are several characters who could be considered the main character because of the parts they play but I feel Johnny Clay is it. Johnny has spent the last four years in jail planning the perfect heist. Not only does he have the perfect plan but he has the perfect crew to pull it off. Johnny’s crew is made up of non-criminals. The beauty of his plan is that no one should be an immediate suspect by the police. Even Johnny himself has not a record that would make him a usual suspect for that type of crime.
The heist is to rob the cashier’s office at the track immediately after the start of the biggest race of the year but right before the armoured truck shows up to collect the expected 1.5 to 2 millions dollars. Everything must go off exactly at the time planned and every man must do his job exactly as planned. This is Mission Impossible with a clock and silencer on a rifle as the high tech. If it works, they split the money, each about a half million each. If it doesn’t, Johnny is probably the only one caught and sent to jail.
Johnny’s gang consists of:
Big Mike a bartender at the track clubhouse
George Peatty a cashier at track
Randy Kennan, a cop with a need for cash to pay off loan sharks
Marvin Unger, a court stenographer
Marvin is the respectable man who has never done anything wrong. He gives Johnny a place to live and hold the planning meetings. He also fronts the money needed to pay off individuals and buy weapons. Johnny’s motivation is his girlfriend Fay. Fay waited for him while he was in prison. His plan is to pull this one job and then for he and Fay to leave the country and start living the good life.
All of this is going great until Sherry Peatty, George’s wife finds a ticket stub with an address and time written on it in his jacket pocket. She suspects he is up to something based on his recent behavior. George is a poor soul who thinks he has somehow won the luck lottery by convincing beautiful Sherry to marry him two years ago. Actually, in the vernacular of the time, Sherry is a tramp looking for the easy life and lots of money. George keeps a roof over her head and all she has to do is be “nice” to him when it suits her. She uses her hold over him to find out the minimal details on the heist. She then goes to visit Val, her boyfriend. Val is a gangster who drives a Cadillac and has a real gang of hardened criminals at his disposal. He and Sherry plan to get the details of the heist, let Johnny do the work, and then rob the robbers.
Mike Dennis’s narration is first rate. He has a wonderful voice in just doing the descriptions. When it gets to the characters speaking, his talent really shines. Listen to the gravely voice of Randy the cop which conveys his large size. Marvin truly sounds like a fussy little man who alternates drooling over the thought of the money and regretting he ever got involved. Mr. Dennis brings all of those emotions out in his narration. The accents are fantastic. His command of the different shades of a New York City accent is incredible.
The novel does a great job of introducing each character and their motivation to join the heist or try to get it for themselves. The language is full of 1950’s slang. It really is addictive. I found myself listening every chance I got. Would they get away with it? Who would end up with the money?
Listening to The Killing (originally titled Clean Break) is like listening to a fantastic crime noir movie from the 1940’s. It was written in 1955 by Lionel White and made into a film titled The Killing by Stanley Kubrick in 1956. I have never seen the film and probably will not. It cannot possibly top the audiobook.
The Killing takes place in New York City and on Long Island. It is a heist novel, meaning a huge robbery is central to the story. There are several characters who could be considered the main character because of the parts they play but I feel Johnny Clay is it. Johnny has spent the last four years in jail planning the perfect heist. Not only does he have the perfect plan but he has the perfect crew to pull it off. Johnny’s crew is made up of non-criminals. The beauty of his plan is that no one should be an immediate suspect by the police. Even Johnny himself has not a record that would make him a usual suspect for that type of crime.
The heist is to rob the cashier’s office at the track immediately after the start of the biggest race of the year but right before the armoured truck shows up to collect the expected 1.5 to 2 millions dollars. Everything must go off exactly at the time planned and every man must do his job exactly as planned. This is Mission Impossible with a clock and silencer on a rifle as the high tech. If it works, they split the money, each about a half million each. If it doesn’t, Johnny is probably the only one caught and sent to jail.
Johnny’s gang consists of:
Big Mike a bartender at the track clubhouse
George Peatty a cashier at track
Randy Kennan, a cop with a need for cash to pay off loan sharks
Marvin Unger, a court stenographer
Marvin is the respectable man who has never done anything wrong. He gives Johnny a place to live and hold the planning meetings. He also fronts the money needed to pay off individuals and buy weapons. Johnny’s motivation is his girlfriend Fay. Fay waited for him while he was in prison. His plan is to pull this one job and then for he and Fay to leave the country and start living the good life.
All of this is going great until Sherry Peatty, George’s wife finds a ticket stub with an address and time written on it in his jacket pocket. She suspects he is up to something based on his recent behavior. George is a poor soul who thinks he has somehow won the luck lottery by convincing beautiful Sherry to marry him two years ago. Actually, in the vernacular of the time, Sherry is a tramp looking for the easy life and lots of money. George keeps a roof over her head and all she has to do is be “nice” to him when it suits her. She uses her hold over him to find out the minimal details on the heist. She then goes to visit Val, her boyfriend. Val is a gangster who drives a Cadillac and has a real gang of hardened criminals at his disposal. He and Sherry plan to get the details of the heist, let Johnny do the work, and then rob the robbers.
Mike Dennis’s narration is first rate. He has a wonderful voice in just doing the descriptions. When it gets to the characters speaking, his talent really shines. Listen to the gravely voice of Randy the cop which conveys his large size. Marvin truly sounds like a fussy little man who alternates drooling over the thought of the money and regretting he ever got involved. Mr. Dennis brings all of those emotions out in his narration. The accents are fantastic. His command of the different shades of a New York City accent is incredible.
The novel does a great job of introducing each character and their motivation to join the heist or try to get it for themselves. The language is full of 1950’s slang. It really is addictive. I found myself listening every chance I got. Would they get away with it? Who would end up with the money?
March 10, 2018
"Lionel White is rather neglected at present, but for unadorned action, suspense, and vigorous storytelling his novels have seldom been surpassed." (the late Bill Crider).
"The Killing" is a powerful novel. Don't miss it.
"The Killing" is a powerful novel. Don't miss it.
October 27, 2017
Should appeal to fans of Richard Stark's 'Parker' character, although The Killing predates Stark's Hunter by 7 years.
May 30, 2016
After spending time in the surprisingly law-abiding west of John Williams, I needed to confirm my belief in the basically criminal nature of my fellow man, so I picked up the nasty, brutish, and short novel by Lionel White, The Killing. Re-named shortly after publication to use the title of the Kubrick movie adaptation, the novel’s original title of Clean Break is preferable for its underlining of the book’s ironic final lines. Those familiar with the excellent Kubrick film, scripted by Jim Thompson, will be familiar with the book’s general plot, but still be kept interested by a few significant differences between the two versions as well as a few plot complications left out of the screenplay.
This is hard-boiled crime at its 1950s sleaziest, set in cheap hotels, bars, “the finest damn whore house in the state of New Jersey”, and centered around a racetrack robbery, with a cast of characters for whom no act is too cruel or depraved if there’s a reasonably substantial payout at the end of it. This is the kind of book that tells you a roll of nickels works as well as a blackjack but is less incriminating.
These signs of hasty writing and negligent revision and editing keep this taut down-and-dirty thriller from getting a five star rating. But, since White generally keeps his many characters and their equipment moving like clockwork, skillfully balancing a fast pace with sordid detail, it gets a solid four stars, certain to please fans of low-life crime stories.
This is hard-boiled crime at its 1950s sleaziest, set in cheap hotels, bars, “the finest damn whore house in the state of New Jersey”, and centered around a racetrack robbery, with a cast of characters for whom no act is too cruel or depraved if there’s a reasonably substantial payout at the end of it. This is the kind of book that tells you a roll of nickels works as well as a blackjack but is less incriminating.
“Right,” Johnny said, “I want it. The chopper.”That “typewriter” makes its way to the crime scene in a large florist’s box when track bartender Mike Henty picks up the box from a Penn Station locker and transports it to his locker at work. However, something must have gone wrong with White’s own typewriter because when Johnny Clay puts the chopper into the locker (which occurs later in the book due to the back-and-forth time scheme of the narrative) it is in a suitcase. Nevertheless, when Johnny later retrieves the gun from Mike’s locker, it is back in the florist’s box. There’s also an incidental clue noticed by one of the characters which leads to the novel’s climactic confrontation; White misses introducing the reader to this clue at the proper point in the narrative, but only gets around to mentioning it right before the confrontation to which it leads.
“That’s what I figured, Johnny, when the dough dropped out. I got it all ready for you.”
He pulled a cheap, imitation leather suitcase from under the bed, inserted a key from a ring he carried in his side pocket. A moment later he tossed open the top and took out a long, heavy bundle wrapped up in a Turkish towel, He carried it over to the bed and unwrapped it. It was a broken down Thompson sub-machine gun.
“Pretty baby,” he said.
He began to assemble it.
“These things are hard to come by today,” he went on, working steadily, his lean, strong fingers finding the parts automatically. “Very hard to come by. Know anything about them?”
Johnny half shook his head.
“I only know what they’re for,” he said.
Nikki nodded.
“Well, they’re really simple enough. This is an old-timer; probably left over from prohibition days. But it speaks with just as much authority as the new ones. It’s simple; I’ll show you how it’s done.” He reached for a clip.
“This thing holds exactly twenty-five shots. You want to remember that. Twenty-five. Most jobs shouldn’t take that much. I’m giving you three extra clips, just in case. But remember one thing: The chances are pretty much against your having time to reload, in case baby has to talk.”
Johnny nodded, watching him intently.
“If you do use her, remember to touch her just lightly, very lightly. One burst will release five or six shots a lot faster than you can count them. Don’t throw them away or you’re likely to end up holding a piece of dead iron in your mittens while someone is taking potshots at you.
“Also, watch the accuracy. Don’t stand too far away; don’t try to use this as a sporting rifle. It’s designed for close quarters. And don’t shoot it at all unless you’re ready to kill. You hit ‘em once and the chances are you hit ‘em half a dozen times. Too much lead to be anything but fatal.”
Johnny reached over and touched the barrel.
“Looks plenty lethal,” he said.
“It is. That’s the beauty of it. They only have to see it and they behave right proper. Even the heroes don’t give a typewriter an argument.”
These signs of hasty writing and negligent revision and editing keep this taut down-and-dirty thriller from getting a five star rating. But, since White generally keeps his many characters and their equipment moving like clockwork, skillfully balancing a fast pace with sordid detail, it gets a solid four stars, certain to please fans of low-life crime stories.
Read
July 27, 2016Lionel White is not a great WRITER--his prose style is merely serviceable, and at times inelegant--but he is one hell of a STORYTELLER. THE KILLING (originally titled CLEAN BREAK, retitled after Kubrick's film adaptation) details a brilliantly audacious heist: robbing a racetrack of all its winnings during the main event. Through a wide variety of characters and subtly shifting perspectives White keeps the reader on the edge of the seat, right through to the violent finish. I have to imagine this book was a huge influence on Donald Westlake's (Richard Stark's) meticulously plotted "Parker" series, as well as John Godey's brilliant THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE. In fact, probably just about every heist narrative since THE KILLING probably owes something to it, whether it realizes it or not.
August 11, 2025
(1955) “Well, you shot a horse. It's not first degree murder. In fact it isn't even murder. I don't know what the hell it would be.”
A lot like the movie. In fact, I would say you can just watch the movie. Kubrick streamlined an already slim book, though that scene with the black parking attendant, the surreal masks, and the memorable ending were his own contributions (along with, perhaps, Jim Thompson).
It’s one of those novels—like Ten Little Indians—that introduces the various principals in a succession of short chapters, each one’s predicament briefly sketched. The whole caper starts to gradually take shape for the reader, but the author keeps you curious about a few key elements until the actual robbery. He adds to the suspense when the lover of one of the gang’s wives jeopardizes the job with his heist on the heist. The way everyone keeps saying the plan is crazy also piques your curiosity about how they plan to get away with it.
The story is ingeniously structured. You can see how it would appeal to Kubrick. White shows the action leading up to the crime from several different viewpoints. (Sterling Hayden joked that it was pitched to him as similar to Rashoman). The violent mayhem at the end felt very modern. However, the scrupulously detailed logistics of it all can be a little dry, like reading a police report. And, come to think of it, why even bother shooting the horse? A simple fire would have served as a distraction just as well.
A lot like the movie. In fact, I would say you can just watch the movie. Kubrick streamlined an already slim book, though that scene with the black parking attendant, the surreal masks, and the memorable ending were his own contributions (along with, perhaps, Jim Thompson).
It’s one of those novels—like Ten Little Indians—that introduces the various principals in a succession of short chapters, each one’s predicament briefly sketched. The whole caper starts to gradually take shape for the reader, but the author keeps you curious about a few key elements until the actual robbery. He adds to the suspense when the lover of one of the gang’s wives jeopardizes the job with his heist on the heist. The way everyone keeps saying the plan is crazy also piques your curiosity about how they plan to get away with it.
The story is ingeniously structured. You can see how it would appeal to Kubrick. White shows the action leading up to the crime from several different viewpoints. (Sterling Hayden joked that it was pitched to him as similar to Rashoman). The violent mayhem at the end felt very modern. However, the scrupulously detailed logistics of it all can be a little dry, like reading a police report. And, come to think of it, why even bother shooting the horse? A simple fire would have served as a distraction just as well.
April 8, 2023
Great plot and a perfect level of nastiness, but there wasn't a single person even remotely likeable, and sometimes you just need someone to root for.
November 5, 2009
A con gets out of prison with a perfect plan. He's been working on it for years. He's not going to use cons or ex-cons, but normal folk. That's the beauty of it - they won't make the mistake a con would make. The plan is perfectly laid out. Everyone has their role. Everyone knows what to do.
The fun in this type of noir is how things will fall apart. Somewhere in the back of our minds, we hope that everything will go right, but we know that's not going to happen. What gets our pulse quickening is wondering what can go wrong, and trying to spot the flaws in the plan before the story shows them to us.
This book is perfect example of the doomed caper. Of course, there is a femme fetale (and what a doozy!). Of course, there are double crossings and triple crossings. Of course, there is the noir ending. Go pour a swig of scotch, sit the bottle next to you, and delve into this book. You won't be disappointed.
The fun in this type of noir is how things will fall apart. Somewhere in the back of our minds, we hope that everything will go right, but we know that's not going to happen. What gets our pulse quickening is wondering what can go wrong, and trying to spot the flaws in the plan before the story shows them to us.
This book is perfect example of the doomed caper. Of course, there is a femme fetale (and what a doozy!). Of course, there are double crossings and triple crossings. Of course, there is the noir ending. Go pour a swig of scotch, sit the bottle next to you, and delve into this book. You won't be disappointed.
July 12, 2016
Maybe not a great heist novel, but a pretty good one. Originally published under a different title ("Clean Break"), under this title it was the basis of Stanley Kubrick's first feature, which was scripted by none other than Jim Thompson. I think Thompson and Kubrick definitely improved on the novel's pacing and dramatic tension, resulting in one of the greatest crime films ever made. The novel is not perfect, and has serious pacing problems, but it's still a nice slice of history and a great read for anyone who loves noir fiction. Like the other Lionel White novel I've read 1968's The Night of the Rape, I would say this is pretty clearly B-list stuff, but well worth reading.
November 14, 2013
I loved this book! I guess I could be wrong, but I gather Richard Stark (Donald Westlake) got a lot of inspiration from this book for his immortal Parker series. It is certainly the closet thing I've found to feeling like a Parker novel. Damn cool. I've never seen the Kubrick movie, though I think it's time that I do. I also need to check out some more Lionel White. If you like gritty heist novels, like Parker for example, I think you'll really like this one.
November 9, 2023
This is the most capery of the older heists I'd read, and I kind of wish I hadn't seen the movie first, because seeing how it fits together is a major part of these stories.
May 23, 2019
A top-botch heist novel that swims into noir with a bleak and ironic ending.
November 21, 2025
Review forthcoming
February 1, 2019
It can be dicey reading a book that you’ve seen the movie of so often especially when it’s this old. I was afraid it would be dull and meandering and only like the movie conceptually. So, I was surprised that all the pulp and grit of the movie are right here down to a lot of the dialogue. Speaking of dialogue the phrase “breaking bad” is used here and made me do a double take. It’s a little bit of a shame that the novel was called Clean Break and now it only known as The Killing. I read it the “illustrated” version and the quote marks are because there is a shitty sketch at random points throughout. Who needs this story illustrated at all let alone so badly? I kept forgetting and would cackle every time what popped up. The ending of the book is rushed and unsatisfying especially if you’re familiar with the amazing way Kubrick improves it. But on the whole, I’m curious and encouraged to check out more White novels I’m not as familiar with.
March 19, 2019
Read the Starkhouse reprint as an ebook (a few typos in there), which includes "The Snatchers" (have not read it yet) and a fan-boy intro by Rick Ollerman - he spends a lot of time on White's novels being made into films. And that is why I read this - it is the basis for Stanley Kubrick's early film, "The Killing".
Quite different, especially in that the third person omniscient narrator of the novel fills us in on the background and reasoning much more for the main characters. Such as, Big Mike has a gambling problem, and a problem with his teenage daughter - but the narrator cynically informs us that getting her out to a suburb/rural area is not gonna really help her. The novel is non-chronological, and there arer a number of characters involved, but it is never confusing.
The novel and film are very similar, but the novel is based in NY (set in CA - filmed in the Bay Area, but has an LA feel to it), the shooter is a pool shark (not a mechanic), and there is no Russian, chess playing thug - and the ending is completely different. Kubrick's, in a way, is much more depressing - you can't win!
From the first time George Peatty turns up in the book you can envision Elisha Cook, Jr. playing the role! And in the book his wife's sexiness does her no good with the avarice and cruelty of Val. White's description of violence in the book is quick and minimal - he leaves it to our imagination. And in the film, well, there were some things that could not be shown in a film in a theatre in 1956!
I miss the feel of a brittle, yellowing, thin paperback in my hands, with a lurid cover. But I appreciate publishers like Starkhouse providing us with reasonably priced reprints for pulp authors like White, Whittington, Rabe, Brown, Brewer, and others.... In my 30 years of travel I used to love to come across collections of pulp novels, often for $0.50 each in some old, dark, dusty used bookstore in a small town. Although I found some great stuff in Spokane and Fresno too!
Book and novel are similar, yet different - and both are well worth your time if you like 'em Tough!
Quite different, especially in that the third person omniscient narrator of the novel fills us in on the background and reasoning much more for the main characters. Such as, Big Mike has a gambling problem, and a problem with his teenage daughter - but the narrator cynically informs us that getting her out to a suburb/rural area is not gonna really help her. The novel is non-chronological, and there arer a number of characters involved, but it is never confusing.
The novel and film are very similar, but the novel is based in NY (set in CA - filmed in the Bay Area, but has an LA feel to it), the shooter is a pool shark (not a mechanic), and there is no Russian, chess playing thug - and the ending is completely different. Kubrick's, in a way, is much more depressing - you can't win!
From the first time George Peatty turns up in the book you can envision Elisha Cook, Jr. playing the role! And in the book his wife's sexiness does her no good with the avarice and cruelty of Val. White's description of violence in the book is quick and minimal - he leaves it to our imagination. And in the film, well, there were some things that could not be shown in a film in a theatre in 1956!
I miss the feel of a brittle, yellowing, thin paperback in my hands, with a lurid cover. But I appreciate publishers like Starkhouse providing us with reasonably priced reprints for pulp authors like White, Whittington, Rabe, Brown, Brewer, and others.... In my 30 years of travel I used to love to come across collections of pulp novels, often for $0.50 each in some old, dark, dusty used bookstore in a small town. Although I found some great stuff in Spokane and Fresno too!
Book and novel are similar, yet different - and both are well worth your time if you like 'em Tough!
March 14, 2015
"Η μεγάλη δουλειά", εκδόσεις Πεχλιβανίδη.
Το βιβλίο μπορεί να μην είναι ιδιαίτερα γνωστό, ούτε στην Ελλάδα, ούτε στο εξωτερικό, όμως πάνω σ'αυτό βασίζεται το The Killing του Στάνλεϊ Κιούμπρικ (τους διαλόγους του οποίου έγραψε ο Τζιμ Τόμσον!), ένα από τα καλύτερα φιλμ νουάρ που γυρίστηκαν ποτέ.
Πρόκειται για μια κλασική παλπ ιστορία εγκλήματος με μια συμμορία πέντε αντρών να έχει στόχο τις εισπράξεις του μεγαλύτερου ιπποδρόμου της Νέας Υόρκης, με την λεία να είναι πάνω από δυο εκατομμύρια δολάρια! Αρχηγός της συμμορίας και οργανωτής του σχεδίου είναι ο Τζόνι Κλέι, που μόλις αποφυλακίστηκε από το Σινγκ-Σινγκ και οι υπόλοιποι είναι ένας μπάρμαν που θέλει καλύτερη ζωή για την οικογένειά του, ένας αστυνομικός που χρωστάει τις Μιχαλούς σε τοκογλύφους, ένας ταμίας του ιπποδρόμου που η γυναίκα του έχει ακριβά γούστα και ένας στενογράφος δικαστηρίου που ήθελε να σπάσει την ρουτίνα της ζωής του κάνοντας ταξίδια. Το σχέδιο είναι τέλειο και η μπάζα σίγουρη, αλλά τα πράγματα θα μπερδευτούν όταν η γυναίκα του ταμία/μέλους της συμμορίας θα θέλει να κλέψει τα λεφτά από τους κλέφτες, μαζί με τον ερωμένο της...
Η ιστορία είναι αρκετά απλή και χωρίς πολλή περιπέτεια, όμως υπήρχε μια κάποια αγωνία για το τέλος, που μόνο χαρούμενο και "τέλος καλό όλα καλά" δεν ήταν. Η γραφή και αυτή απλή, έκανε όμως καλά την δουλειά της. Οι χαρακτήρες δίχως βάθος, μάλλον μονοδιάστατοι, όπως θα τους περίμενε κανείς από ένα αστυνομικό παλπ μυθιστόρημα της δεκαετίας του '50. Η νουάρ ατμόσφαιρα, οι διάλογοι και η ίδια η ιστορία μου άρεσαν, οπότε τα παίρνει τα τέσσερα αστεράκια του.
Η χωρίς περικοπές μετάφραση του Τζίμμυ Κορίνη μου φάνηκε μια χαρά, αν λάβει κανείς υπόψιν ότι έγινε πριν από τουλάχιστον σαράντα πέντε χρόνια! Κάποια στιγμή θα κατεβάσω και θα δω την κλασική ταινία...
Το βιβλίο μπορεί να μην είναι ιδιαίτερα γνωστό, ούτε στην Ελλάδα, ούτε στο εξωτερικό, όμως πάνω σ'αυτό βασίζεται το The Killing του Στάνλεϊ Κιούμπρικ (τους διαλόγους του οποίου έγραψε ο Τζιμ Τόμσον!), ένα από τα καλύτερα φιλμ νουάρ που γυρίστηκαν ποτέ.
Πρόκειται για μια κλασική παλπ ιστορία εγκλήματος με μια συμμορία πέντε αντρών να έχει στόχο τις εισπράξεις του μεγαλύτερου ιπποδρόμου της Νέας Υόρκης, με την λεία να είναι πάνω από δυο εκατομμύρια δολάρια! Αρχηγός της συμμορίας και οργανωτής του σχεδίου είναι ο Τζόνι Κλέι, που μόλις αποφυλακίστηκε από το Σινγκ-Σινγκ και οι υπόλοιποι είναι ένας μπάρμαν που θέλει καλύτερη ζωή για την οικογένειά του, ένας αστυνομικός που χρωστάει τις Μιχαλούς σε τοκογλύφους, ένας ταμίας του ιπποδρόμου που η γυναίκα του έχει ακριβά γούστα και ένας στενογράφος δικαστηρίου που ήθελε να σπάσει την ρουτίνα της ζωής του κάνοντας ταξίδια. Το σχέδιο είναι τέλειο και η μπάζα σίγουρη, αλλά τα πράγματα θα μπερδευτούν όταν η γυναίκα του ταμία/μέλους της συμμορίας θα θέλει να κλέψει τα λεφτά από τους κλέφτες, μαζί με τον ερωμένο της...
Η ιστορία είναι αρκετά απλή και χωρίς πολλή περιπέτεια, όμως υπήρχε μια κάποια αγωνία για το τέλος, που μόνο χαρούμενο και "τέλος καλό όλα καλά" δεν ήταν. Η γραφή και αυτή απλή, έκανε όμως καλά την δουλειά της. Οι χαρακτήρες δίχως βάθος, μάλλον μονοδιάστατοι, όπως θα τους περίμενε κανείς από ένα αστυνομικό παλπ μυθιστόρημα της δεκαετίας του '50. Η νουάρ ατμόσφαιρα, οι διάλογοι και η ίδια η ιστορία μου άρεσαν, οπότε τα παίρνει τα τέσσερα αστεράκια του.
Η χωρίς περικοπές μετάφραση του Τζίμμυ Κορίνη μου φάνηκε μια χαρά, αν λάβει κανείς υπόψιν ότι έγινε πριν από τουλάχιστον σαράντα πέντε χρόνια! Κάποια στιγμή θα κατεβάσω και θα δω την κλασική ταινία...
June 8, 2018
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. You can plan the perfect crime, execute it with precision, but if people are involved, it can all go sour. That is the moral, if one can call it that, of this terse, suspenseful heist novel. Johnny Clay’s brilliant plan is to commit a crime with a team of non-professionals, men without records. However, men carry baggage. This is almost as great as a Richard Stark novel, and the shifting point of view of the different participants is Stark-ish. However, Lionel White was there first, laying the groundwork for other writers to follow. This is as noir as one can get, brutal and primal.
August 3, 2018
3.5
A tightly wound, concise, heist/caper story. Johnny is fresh out of jail and has the perfect 2 million dollar heist planned. Instead of professionals, he gets some ordinary guys to help him pull it off. One of them, inevitably breaches the secrecy and things go very very wrong. The deadly ending reminded me of Dwayne Swierczynski's "The Wheel Man". The only negative thing for me was that I didn't connect or care about any of the characters. I just wanted to know what happened.
A tightly wound, concise, heist/caper story. Johnny is fresh out of jail and has the perfect 2 million dollar heist planned. Instead of professionals, he gets some ordinary guys to help him pull it off. One of them, inevitably breaches the secrecy and things go very very wrong. The deadly ending reminded me of Dwayne Swierczynski's "The Wheel Man". The only negative thing for me was that I didn't connect or care about any of the characters. I just wanted to know what happened.
June 26, 2019
[review for The Killing (oka Clean Break) only]
Immaculately constructed/realised heist story, with crystal-clear plotting/characterisation/dialogue. Short chapters jump off the page at you with immediate impact a la a film screenplay, which (guess what!) is exactly what Stanley Kubrick thought too! 4.5 Stars but pickily rounding down cos a bit too perfect(!) (I like my noirs slightly "murkier/messier" than this.)
[review for The Snatchers will follow after I've read it - duh!]
Immaculately constructed/realised heist story, with crystal-clear plotting/characterisation/dialogue. Short chapters jump off the page at you with immediate impact a la a film screenplay, which (guess what!) is exactly what Stanley Kubrick thought too! 4.5 Stars but pickily rounding down cos a bit too perfect(!) (I like my noirs slightly "murkier/messier" than this.)
[review for The Snatchers will follow after I've read it - duh!]
June 14, 2018
Classic noir hest turned into a great film by Stanley Kubrick and inspired an even better one by Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs). The story moves quick and jumps between perspectives and time adding to the tension.
December 4, 2007
Like the film version by Kubrick of this novel this is a very taunt suspenseful novel about a racetrack heist. Books like this should not go out of print!
February 16, 2019
Great book, great movie.
June 9, 2019
I love a good heist and this one's a corker. It was filmed by Stanley Kubrick and it might be the closest he's ever kept to his source material. Still the book has pleasures all its own.
October 25, 2025
Why The Long Face?
Instructions on how to live high on the horse - if you can make yourself get off your high hog.
Instructions on how to live high on the horse - if you can make yourself get off your high hog.
January 1, 2023
The Killing, originally published as Clean Break, is a noir heist. Johnny Clay, recently released from prison after four years, has a plan. It's a big plan. It's a two million dollars in cash plan. And he's pulled together a group of guys to help him carry it out. But these aren't the usual criminals. He wants them clean.
There's a stenographer, a bar man, a cashier and a cop. Guys who, as Johnny himself says when talking to his girl, Fay:
"These men, the ones who are in on the deal with me—none of them are professional crooks. They all have jobs, they all live seemingly decent, normal lives. But they all have money problems and they all have larceny in them."
Crooks, Johnny knows, are all rats. Use these guys, all of whom need money for something and the police will never track them down. He calls his plan 'fool proof', which knells with the same sound of doom that the word 'unsinkable' did with the Titanic.
Johnny should know there are always complications. In this case on of his guys, George Peatty, has a wife called Sherry. Sherry isn't happy.
"As crazy as George Peatty was about his wife, he was not completely blinded to her character or to her habits. He knew that she was bored and discontented. He knew that he himself, somehow along the way, had failed as a husband and failed as a man."
And he's right. Sherry isn't happy. So, when George in an attempt to make her happy blabs a little about the caper he's involved in Sherry gets involved and goes to tell Val Cannon. She's attracted to Cannon. They've slept together after she fell for him. And she fell for him because:
"The man’s overwhelming casualness had first piqued her and then acted almost as a challenge."
And that puts the first spanner in the works.
The book is a really good, pared down story. The characters are three-dimensional. Each has their own motives for doing what they're doing. Each of them reacts to the changes and complications differently.
The book builds up to the heist itself, its carrying out and the ending is great. And not necessarily what you'd expect. Lionel's writing has that tang of noir. I think this book stands comparison with the noir greats, although Johnny doesn't quite have the charisma of a Sam Spade or a Marlowe. It comes with all the tropes of noir. There's betrayal, femme fatales, violence, smart talk, and a lot of tension.
Worth a read. I've read this as the first book in my Kubrickathon. So, I'm looking forward to watching the film adaptation next week.
There's a stenographer, a bar man, a cashier and a cop. Guys who, as Johnny himself says when talking to his girl, Fay:
"These men, the ones who are in on the deal with me—none of them are professional crooks. They all have jobs, they all live seemingly decent, normal lives. But they all have money problems and they all have larceny in them."
Crooks, Johnny knows, are all rats. Use these guys, all of whom need money for something and the police will never track them down. He calls his plan 'fool proof', which knells with the same sound of doom that the word 'unsinkable' did with the Titanic.
Johnny should know there are always complications. In this case on of his guys, George Peatty, has a wife called Sherry. Sherry isn't happy.
"As crazy as George Peatty was about his wife, he was not completely blinded to her character or to her habits. He knew that she was bored and discontented. He knew that he himself, somehow along the way, had failed as a husband and failed as a man."
And he's right. Sherry isn't happy. So, when George in an attempt to make her happy blabs a little about the caper he's involved in Sherry gets involved and goes to tell Val Cannon. She's attracted to Cannon. They've slept together after she fell for him. And she fell for him because:
"The man’s overwhelming casualness had first piqued her and then acted almost as a challenge."
And that puts the first spanner in the works.
The book is a really good, pared down story. The characters are three-dimensional. Each has their own motives for doing what they're doing. Each of them reacts to the changes and complications differently.
The book builds up to the heist itself, its carrying out and the ending is great. And not necessarily what you'd expect. Lionel's writing has that tang of noir. I think this book stands comparison with the noir greats, although Johnny doesn't quite have the charisma of a Sam Spade or a Marlowe. It comes with all the tropes of noir. There's betrayal, femme fatales, violence, smart talk, and a lot of tension.
Worth a read. I've read this as the first book in my Kubrickathon. So, I'm looking forward to watching the film adaptation next week.
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