Victor Gischler - Suicide Squeeze (2005)
Reviewed by David J. Montgomery
Victor Gischler, author of 2002’s Gun Monkeys, one of the best debut crime novels of the past decade, returns with Suicide Squeeze, a more down-to-earth, although still entertaining new book.
Suicide Squeeze begins with an intriguing premise, involving a choice pop culture collectible: a Joe DiMaggio baseball card signed during the filming of The Seven Year Itch by Joltin’ Joe, his then-wife Marilyn Monroe and the film’s director, Billy Wilder.
The card is a true one-of-a-kind, worth a fortune to the right collector. When its owner, Teddy Folger, learns that Japanese mob boss Ahira Kurisaka is willing to pay $1 million for the card, it looks like life is going to turn rosy for the perpetual loser.
Before he can sell the card, though, Folger runs into some problems, not the least of which is Conner Samson, a down-on-his-luck repo man hired to reclaim Folger’s boat, which he stopped making payments on several months before.
Samson starts tracking Folger and his thirty-six foot sloop, but quickly finds himself in trouble of his own. Among the wild cast of characters plaguing his efforts are Fat Otis, the hulking enforcer for local crime kingpin Rocky Big, Joellen Becker, a former NSA agent whose violent tendencies got her cashiered from government service, and Tyranny, a nymphomaniac friend from years before who can’t decide if she loves Conner or just wants to sleep with him.
Although the plot and players of Suicide Squeeze are wacky and unique, the way the narrative plays out doesn’t really do them justice. The story seems poised to break out into a no-holds-barred, lightning-paced comedic romp, but it never quite gets to that point.
It’s probably not fair, though, to judge a book based on what you hoped it would do, rather than what it actually does. And the truth is that Gischler has produced an enjoyable and funny story, with plenty of nice touches along the way. (The scenes set in a mobster’s warehouse, a wiseguy’s version of Costco, filled with swag, are especially good.)
If you’re a fan of Elmore Leonard or Donald E. Westlake, or even if you’re not and you’re looking for a diverting book to read, Suicide Squeeze is going to be right up your alley.
Don't miss our interview with Victor Gischler.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
