The Big Whatever

(Paperback)

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Description

As the swinging '60s turn into the '70s, Billy Glasheen is stuck in the slow lane. He's deep in debt to the mob, driving a taxi, running low-level rackets. One day he finds a trashy novel in his cab - and he's the main character! Only Max could've written it, his double-crossing ex- partner in crime. Except Max went up in flames after a bank job, along with the cash. If Max is alive, Billy has a score to settle. If he didn't get burned up, maybe the money didn't either. Billy follows the clues, and discovers he's not the only one on the trail.

Reviews

The Big Whatever can be read as a caper novel or a lament for the '60s and the way a few slimy characters sank the peace and love . . . There's plenty of retro appeal here, harkening back to Newton Thornburg's 1976 cult classic Cutter and Bone." -- Booklist

'Wonderful references to pop culture are dotted throughout, beautifully crafted into the narrative, designed to make readers smile and nod. The sense of humour . . . is razor sharp and desert dry, and about as Australian as you can get in a culture that's got American influence worming its way into everything.' -- Newtown Review of Books (Sydney)

Author Bio

Peter Doyle is the author of the crime fiction series featuring Billy Glasheen, which brilliantly explore the criminal underworld, political corruption, and the postwar explosion of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll in Australia. The series, which includes Get Rich Quick and The Devil's Jump, has won him three Ned Kelly Awards, including one for lifetime achievement. Doyle's other books include the highly acclaimed City of Shadows: Sydney Police Photographs 1912-48 and its successor, Crooks Like Us.

Luc Sante's books include Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York, Evidence, and Kill All Your Darlings. His lucid, authoritative introductions have graced the works of such seminal authors of crime fiction as Georges Simenon, Richard Stark, and Charles Willeford. Sante is a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books and teaches at Bard College.