Ratings18
Average rating3.7
The classic novel from "America's best crime novelist" (Time), with a new introduction by Dennis Lehane George V. Higgins's seminal crime novel is a down-and-dirty tale of thieves, mobsters, and cops on the mean streets of Boston. When small-time gunrunner Eddie Coyle is convicted on a felony, he's looking at three years in the pen--that is, unless he sells out one of his big-fish clients to the DA. But which of the many hoods, gunmen, and executioners whom he calls his friends should he send up the river? Told almost entirely in crackling dialogue by a vivid cast of lowlifes and detectives, The Friends of Eddie Coyle is one of the greatest crime novels ever written. “The best crime novel ever written--makes The Maltese Falcon read like Nancy Drew.” -- Elmore Leonard
Reviews with the most likes.
recommended by my brother, a break in my usual form. a crime novel that pulls no punches. writing style is stripped and dry, adding to the cold atmosphere of it all. engaging. perhaps i’ll check out another of his books.
I have been hearing about this book for years. It appears on just about every Greatest Crime Novels list I've seen, and I have heard many authors from many genres say how great it is. It did not disappoint.
It's not a big story. Just a bunch of mid-level hoods being pursued by mid-level cops. But the dialogue is outstanding. Most of the book is written in dialogue, and it's what makes it so great.
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