Book Review: Grand Theft

Reviewed By: Woodstock - RAM

Grand Theft     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Timothy Watts
Class/Genre:   Mystery

Teddy Clyde is a small potatoes criminal, he boosts luxury cars, delivers them to a chop shop, takes his cut and keeps his profile low. He has a small stock brokerage business as a front, lives comfortably but not ostentatiously, and is satisfied to keep it that way.

But in the space of three brief days, everything begins to come apart dramatically. Teddy's brother, who is several beans short of a full taco salad, attempts to join Teddy in boosting cars. The attempt fails, and from there the two are up to their eyeballs in events which are (1) in fact none of their business and (2) a lethal threat to their safety.

In the thorougly readable and admirable tradition of Elmore Leonard's books, the reader notices almost from the start that everyone who knows him underestimates Teddy. But it takes Watts a couple hundred pages until the other characters realize it as well. In the course of events, Teddy meets a journalist who specializes in the type of feature article which splashes startling exposes on the front page of the Sunday paper. With her help, Teddy stays one step ahead of danger.

Fast paced, and full of action! I'll be sure to watch for more books by Watts in the future!

Woodstock - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Woodstock - RAM