Hot Plastic

by Peter Craig

"[A] compulsively readable joy ride." -- Richard North Patterson

"As close to the day-to-day workings of modern con men as any sane person would want to get. Hot Plastic is a fascinating look at changing times on the grift." -- Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy and screenwriter of GoodFellas

"Buy an extra copy of Hot Plastic and keep it in mint condition. Peter Craig's novel of outlaw life at the end of the century will be a collector's item. It's a winner." -- Tony Hillerman, author of The Wailing Wind

Kevin's dad, Jerry, is a crook. And he taught his son every trick in the book. Masters of identity theft, Kevin and Jerry move from one seedy motel to another, always trying for the big score. Colette is a runaway who dreams of conning her way into the upper echelons of high society. Just a teenager, she's already a tough and talented grifter, and soon becomes Jerry's girlfriend and accomplice.

When Jerry is arrested, Colette makes Kevin her willing shill, dragging him along in her endless pursuit of sophistication. Meanwhile, Kevin's compulsive pursuit of new cons, bolder hoaxes, and better forgeries leads them to violent and unimagined retributions. When Jerry is released on parole, the three are reunited for one final scam, a patchwork of old and new techniques that should set them all up for life. The question is, would they rather work together or show each other up?

Hot Plastic is a hugely satisfying suspense novel about family and criminal intent from a fresh new voice.

Genres: Fiction, Crime, Mystery

341 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Peter Craig is an American novelist and screenwriter.

Craig grew up in Southern California and Oregon. He is the son of actress Sally Field and Steve Craig. He has two daughters from his first marriage, to poet and food writer Amy Scattergood. He was remarried in 2008 to Jennifer DeFrancisco, with whom he has a son.

Craig's first novel, The Martini Shot, published in 1998, chronicles has-been action film star Charlie West's troubled relationship with his two children. His second novel, Hot Plastic, published in 2004, portrays the complex relationship between credit card con artist Jerry Swift and his genius son, both of whom are attracted to the same woman. His most recent novel, Blood Father, published in 2005, tells of aging biker John Link and his teenage daughter, caught up in a drug bust gone wrong.

As a screenwriter, Craig has written the Warner Bros. picture The Town with Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard. He adapted the screenplays for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 with Danny Strong.

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has held up through all my multiple readings. Having never been on the grift, I can't really attest to how realistic it is. But Craig resists the temptation that many authors telling the tale of outlaws fall into, in that he doesn't try to infuse the story with stylistic grit and glamour. And the highly flawed characters are somehow very relatable and vivid.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tried to write this book once. Actually, I did write a book. And the manuscript was trying really, really hard, in a slightly embarrassing but oddly poignant manner, to be this very book.

It failed, boys and girls. Hard. This book looks at the book I tried to write, and laughs a little under its breath, and then smiles without showing its teeth, because it wants to be nice but it can't be completely fake. And then it quietly wishes my book would go away so it can get back to watching its stories and drinking its tea.

Actually, correction: this book would drink really good beer. Or a vodka tonic.

What?

Oh. Right. This book won't change lives, it really has no great hidden depths or meaning, but it's a good read, incredibly enjoyable. A surprise. The voice is perfect for the story, the characters are archetypes, but not annoyingly so. Go ahead and read it. It's okay with me.

[Sasha Strader · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know how sometimes you get a big box or bag of books because they're free or cheap and there are some books you know you want to read, then some you're sure you won't like? This was one of those instances for me, and I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be anything I enjoyed.

What a pleasant surprise though! Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. I love the way the story progresses just like someone relating their past (sort of meandering) and the characters are very interesting. I'll be keeping this!

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has a fancy pants cover.

It has a story that begins and ends with the same lack of feeling that it's a beginning or an ending. I would have liked to see more closure to the story.

Not a bad read, but I can't really say that I "liked" it, hence the 2 star review.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three point five stars for the writing, character, dialogue. One for originality. After a thousand mysteries (this is a thriller), it's hard to find something surprisingly different. Bravo.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dysfunctional family of grifters reunite after some prison time for one last job, only they're too busy squabbling to do the sting.

Seems like an Elmore Leonard imitation, but a pretty good one.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great action packed story of grifters. Pure escapist summer beach reading. But intelligent.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally found a copy of this book while cleaning out closets for someone with clutter issues. It was given to me as part of payment for the work and all these years later it's still a great read. These people are messed up but they are fascinating and the trouble they get up to is just great to read about. If they were real people I would despise them. They're not and I like them enough that I've read this book many times and don't have any plans for this to have been the last read through.

[Lenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance, stealing, and doing time for it make this a very captivating novel.

[Marcella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was better than I expected. I wonder if authors of books like this know anyone who's like their protagonists.

[zhixin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Having forgotten the reason why I had it down on my to-read list, I was a little wary of the cover when I finally managed to find it in the library. You know how books of some acclaim have a certain kind of cover - think elegant fonts, oil-painted illustrations, solemn feel - and this cover didn't fall into one of the above. But! I am glad to have my stereotypes proven wrong.

To be sure, the most quote-worthy parts of the book paradoxically end up being the most unnatural. They start off fabulously, but somehow end up losing air, falling limp, becoming cliches. I give you an example:

"Just for future reference, don't use words like love anymore. It's a very sensitive word and it wears out quickly. Romeo barely says it, but John Hinckley filled up a whole journal with it. To put it in your terms, it's a currency that's pretty easily devalued."

"Colette, I'm just going to go look for him. That's all. He could be bleeding to death in an alley, and even if he's a jerk to you-- he's still my father."

"Pretty soon you're saying it whenever you hang up the phone or whenever you leave. It turns into an apology. Then it's an excuse. Some assholes want it to be a bulletproof vest: don't hate me, I love you. But mostly it just means -- more. More, more-- give me something more. A couple years from now, when you're on your own completely, if you really fall in love, if it really comes to that-- and I pity you if it ever does-- you have to look right down into the black of her eyes, right down into the emptiness there, and feel everything, absolutely everything she needs, and you have to be willing to drown in it, Kevin. You'd have to want to be crushed, buried alive. Because that's what real love feels like -- choking. They used to bury women in their wedding dresses, you know. I thought it was because all those husbands were too cheap to spring for another gown, but now it makes sense: love is your first foot in the grave. That's why the second most abused word is forever."

I loved the middle of this quote, but thought the last part -- the part about wedding dresses -- was overdone. Just occasionally, though, Craig succeeds in pulling the whole quote off beautifully:

Kevin tried to sleep with a pillow tight over his face, and he nearly suffocated himself. When he tiptoed over to close the door, they were talking in a subdued tone on the narrow couch. Colette's bare legs were curled up on the pillows, her head riding on the camelback motion of his chest. But her eyes were open, and she looked more adrift than comforted. In a tired baritone, Jerry was talking about prison. It was a horror story -- about the echoing screams of young kids and eyeballs cut open with smuggled razor blades, beginning as the usual speech about the hell he'd seen. But somehow it bcame a lonesome country-western love song, about how every long night of his life he had dreamed of a woman like her-- quick-witted and beautiful and tenacious. It was more than Kevin expected from the man. He told her that if he could buy her safe passage out of this life, hers and Kevin's, he would; but it was hard with a teenage son always pressing to know more and a tiring and insatiable young girlfriend who wanted to devour the world. Think of the pressure on him. "You need to know that we're together like this partly because of you. You keep us up and running. I know it and Kevin knows it. I'm not a good person, Colette -- I never claimed to be, I don't want to be, and you can't expect me to be. But look me in the eye and accept me as a snake, and I'll tell you whatever you're waiting to hear: I need you, I want you, I hurt for you, down in the dust, honey, down in the dust of my bones."

She interrupted him with kisses that sounded like determined sips at a scalding drink.

I felt this book did an excellent job balancing fast-paced action with character development and thematic issues. Characters are complex; the tensions between them described with nuance -- the uncomfortableness of having both father and son in love with the same woman, the uncertainty of how much you can trust each other; the distinctions between concepts laid out clearly: love, trust, respect as separate issues that can never be lumped together in this complicated world of theirs. Jumping back and forth in the timeline, while not exceptional, was done well enough.

In short: I am impressed, and Craig clearly has the chops.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jerry and Kevin Swift are a father-son grifter team whose lives are turned upside down by a beautiful, young, talented con artist named Colette. It follows their lives from when Colette is hired by Jerry to babysit an ailing Kevin. The three embark on a road trip of stealing identities, credit card fraud, and burglary. Colette becomes Jerry's lover, and Kevin falls in love with her. Kevin's longing is very palpable, to the reader and the other characters. Feeling unappreciated, Colette inevitably leaves the two to start a new life. Years later, they are brought back together again to complete one last scam.

I really enjoyed this book. Peter Craig's writing is unpretentious, and I was ensnared by the story from the very beginning. His characters are bad people, but since it is from their points of view, they don't perceive themselves to be doing any major wrong, except when Colette has her brief flashes of conscience. I found Kevin to be an enjoyable character; he's moody, obsessive-compulsive, and pubescent. All of the characters are flawed and very human. Also, the more extravagant cons are very interesting and well-written.

The only issue I have is with the end. I felt it to be very anti-climatic, but I I don't think I would've wanted the end result to be any other way. A quick, breezy read. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Craig's works.

[Empress5150 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I must admit here that many of the books I listened to on CD, while either driving (to Florida in April, which is when I listened to this one) or on my iPod while on the elliptical machine or walking Lucy, I probably wouldn’t have picked up and read-read on my own. In fact, every single book on CD I listened to this year came courtesy of my step-mom, Margot, so I was pretty much at her “mercy”! Having said this, I got a kick out of “Hot Plastic”, the author’s second novel. It was a fast-paced tale of a minor criminal father, his teen-aged son and a young prostitute (picked up along the way to “babysit” the kid) journey across country and then some. They are all involved in scams revolving around stolen/fake credit cards (and more). The book continues into the son’s adult years (and in fact there are a few flash-backs which were at times a bit confusing but that could have been traffic that distracted me) where all of the major characters do some real switch-a-roos. Again, I listened to this one on the long, long drive from NC to FL and it really kept me entertained; I think, perhaps, it is one that would have held my nightly attention as well.
(Note: I wrote this review in 2007; just found it amongst my old Blog entries).

[Debra Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jerry and Kevin Swift are a father-son con artist team whose lives are turned upside down by a beautiful, young, talented con artist named Colette. It follows their lives from when Colette is hired by Jerry to babysit an ailing Kevin. The three embark on a road trip of stealing identities, credit card fraud, and burglary. Colette becomes Jerry's lover, and Kevin falls in love with her. Feeling unappreciated, Colette inevitably leaves the two to start a new life. Years later, they are brought back together again to complete one last scam. I really enjoyed the father and son relationship. When the father is out of the picture, I lost interest and had to force myself to read through those chapters. Luckily, the author brings Jerry back! Overall, the book started out strong and interesting, but didn’t quite stay strong to the end.
Peter Craig's writing is unpretentious, and I was fascinated by the story from the very beginning. His characters are bad people, but since it is from their points of view, they don't perceive themselves to be doing any major wrong.

[Ray Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally, books about grifters either have a sense of humor to them or the characters have some method of ethics to their cons. This has neither. Craig doesn't usually identify which character is speaking in a long conversation and uses way too many pronouns, both of which cause us to have to stop and figure out who's doing what to whom. The book was an amusing enough diversion, though.

Last five books:

1. The Walk - Richard Paul Evans
2. Sixty Things to Do When You Turn Sixty - Ronnie Sellers
3. The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw - Patrick McManus
4. Hot Plastic - Peter Craig
5. Bossypants - Tina Fey

[J.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is about a small time grifter father, his obsessive compulsive son and the prostitute they both fall in love with. I loved it from is blatant rip off of the Reservoir Dogs opening to its cheesy feel good ending. Its smart, sometimes humorous without trying to be, and a times very dark. a fun page turning read that is not to taxing on the brain.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keep on shredding all your information and credit card solicitations.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, interesting characters.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book about three grifters - a father, his son, and their girlfriend! Tension and anticipation abound. And the end was great...I didn't see it coming.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never new so much about fraud and identity theft. I will shred everything from now on! Interesting story too.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story of the grifters and their various schemes, encounters with the law and underworld. Mostly just really enjoyed the writing, want to read more from this author.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get these suggestions from Book Page on Book of the Day and then you get into them and wonder who made that choice? oh well, it's done now

[Margot Hypnos · Rating 1 out of 5]

To me this book had no climax.

[Athena · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. It is a good look into the minds of conmen.