DELEON DEMICOLI - LES CANNIBALES (2017)

 

Synopsis/blurb ...

During a robbery, Blinky sees police activity down the street. His crew assumes cops have the art gallery surrounded, unaware of their true presence, which is responding to a car accident that has left one man dead. The thieves shoot at responding officers and take hostages. When Detective Reynolds arrives on the scene, he identifies the dead man involved in the car accident. This becomes his main lead to hunt down the thieves' true identities and work out a peaceful resolution before S.W.A.T moves in.

Each thief has a story explaining why he chose to take the job. Inky is a con artist repaying an old debt, Blinky is a stuntman in need of quick cash, Pinky is an enforcer that's looking to move up in the ranks and Clyde is a sociopath / art aficionado that loves to steal. When S.W.A.T teams get the "go-ahead" to overtake the gallery, it's dog-eat-dog as the gunmen plan their escape.

Enjoyable. Good not great, slightly confusing with the number of characters I had to keep tabs on, not helped by three of them being called Inky, Pinky and Blinky. I don't know why the fourth member of the gang was called Clyde, the author might as well have gone all in and called him Winky IMO.

We have an art heist which goes wrong, due to an unforeseen accident on the street outside - which involves another gang up to no good. Our bandits never really get back on track after that .... confusion, chaos, mayhem, violence, death, a falling out among thieves, conflict, danger, cops, a SWAT team, a rushed investigation, some backstory and tangetial details and an outcome which I liked.

More to like than not. Plenty of short, snappy scenes most of which were confrontational. Decent writing and with the constant, fast-moving action and incident I was never bored.

3.5 stars from 5 

Read - January, 2023

Published - 2017

Page count - 140

Source - purchased copy

Format - Paperback