THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE (George V. Higgins) - January 10/20

Finally, an entertaining book. I'll admit it took me a while to get a handle on the various characters and there was a stretch near the beginning that lost its hold on me, but my interest returned with a vengeance after the first bank robbery, which was exciting and visceral. I can definitely see how this book has influenced certain filmmakers, especially Quentin Tarantino (the cheese sandwich/mayonnaise bit!), and I loved how brisk and appropriately short it was. ***1/2 out of ****