Culprits: The Stories of a Crime Gone Wrong

by Richard Brewer (Editor), Gary Phillips (Editor), Joe Clifford

Some stories are all about the crime. These stories are about the maelstrom of what happens after...

A hard-bitten crew of professional thieves pull off the score of their lives, coming away with seven million in cash. Like any heist there are some unforeseen complications, and unfortunately they don’t get away without a few bodies dropping. But despite this, they get away with the swag. Seven million. Enough to change their lives, make new identities, start fresh. But that’s when the real trouble begins...

A unique, fun, and compelling anthology of stories all set in the aftermath of a crime. While the crime itself seems to have gone off without a hitch, each story then follows a member of that crew as we find out that their troubles have just begun... Featuring stories from acclaimed writers David Corbett, Zoe Sharp, Joe Clifford, Manuel Ramos, Gar Anthony Haywood, and more.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction

166 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2018

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Culprits is a crime anthology centered around a band of professional criminals who pull off a career heist. The short stories each follow a member of the crew in the aftermath of the opening stanza which introduces the characters and sees them execute their plan.

There's some top talent in crime fiction contributing to this well paced and plotted anthology including David Corbett, Zoe Sharp, and Gary Phillips to name a few. Each bringing a unique perspective to the fallout.

I really liked the structure of this anthology and consistency in the way the characters are portrayed throughout. While the number of characters is initially hard to follow, each is clearly defined by their role and individual circumstance following in the aftermath of the heist.

My rating: 4/5 stars, I was looking forwarding to reading Culprits and wasn't let down. This book has appeal to both readers of long and shorter forms of crime fiction.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Culprits is a crime caper novel, fast-reading, full of action, hard to put down. That said, it’s also an anthology with the introductory part written by the editors and seven authors each contributing a chapter, kind of a fun parlor game for writers. Not the first time this has been done, but quite well done in this case. The trick with this type of book is to make the transitions seamless so that the reader feels as if it’s one while novel, not an anthology of stories by different writers.

The other interesting thing they did with Culprits is that, although it’s a crime caper novel, the planning and the adrenaline rush leading up to the incident, the robbery, the caper is over rather quickly because the real meat of the book is what happens to all of the players post-caper as they try to escape with the loot and hopefully without the proverbial knife in the back. This is where this novel really shines and is really fun to read.

Although it took a little bit to figure out who all these diverse characters are, eventually it becomes clear as you hear each individual story.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Culprits is an interesting concept nicely done. The book is a series of short stories of what happens after a caper goes down. The initial story sets things up, introduces the gang and follows them through the robbery. Then a group of authors take individual gang members and provide their tale of woe following the tears that happen afterwards. Some survive, some are found out and suffer consequences, and a very few thrive. Outside of Westlake/Stark's Parker novels, the reader is not often shown the longer term results of a caper, so this book is a treat!

Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun idea that mostly works pretty well. The whole idea is that the main story, the heist, is a setup for an anthology of stories (by different authors) that traces the aftermath from the perspective of each individual character as they go their separate ways.

The only problem I had was that some of the characters weren't clearly defined to begin with so I had a little trouble keeping up with who was who and then following that along through their particular story. Not a major issue but it took me out of the reading a few times when I had to go 'Wait, now who was this?' and backup to get it sorted out.

Final result: A pretty good collection of stories.

[Mollie Fink · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not like oceans 8 - cool concept but most definitely not for me

[Lawrence Maddox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A group of criminals, each with their own specialty, commit a well-planned heist. After the crime goes down, Culprits shows what happens to each member when things don't go as planned. Editors Brewer and Phillips do a great job setting up the heist. The editors pass the baton to various crime writers, each depicting the fate of one of the culprits. Every tale is riveting in its own right. Some of the culprits meet a bad end, while others find their own way out. There are lots of surprises along the way.

I love heist books, and especially heist flicks. This book has all the twists and turns I'd expect, with really interesting, well-drawn characters. I had a hard time putting Culprits down, and I was completely satisfied by the ending. Highly recommended.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

entertaining. innovative narrative. unpredictable. satisfying. page turner.

[Samantha Sprole · Rating 2 out of 5]

An altogether unremarkable book. The authors take up a novel method of execution, but the result is hollow characters and a nonexistent theme.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever and occasionally thought provoking, a great look a crime from several different angles.