"Final Score" | Reviewed by Bill Schwab

Fans of crime fiction that take place in a wide array of settings will find Don Winslow’s latest collection of action-packed stories smart, rowdy, and poignant. In “Final Score,” best-selling author Winslow has included six short novels in a single volume, each featuring strong characters and compelling plot lines.

The author uses his firsthand experiences as a former investigator, anti-terrorist trainer, and trial consultant to write some of the most eloquent crime fiction over the last three decades. Here are a few of my favorite stories from this collection.

“Final Score,” the title of the first tale, outlines the tactics for carrying out an impossible multimillion-dollar casino heist. John Highland is already facing prison, so what does he have to lose? Besides, the theft poses a significant challenge for the inveterate robber. He and a small group of colleagues plan a final score that requires intricate planning. But who among his partners can he trust? The plot makes for an intense read.

Dave, hired to protect a spoiled actress and ensure she shows up on set sober and on time, is the protagonist of “The Lunch Break.” But the “drunken, drug- addled promiscuous little diva” claims someone wants her dead. This circumstance leads to a suspenseful story with a thrilling ending. 

In “The Sunday List,” a college-bound student works for a liquor store in 1970s Rhode Island. The Ocean State, however, is dry on Sundays. Yet, Nick McKenna delivers liquor to private clients who pay him cash for the service. Nick’s personal life is rudderless, and his mother has run off with his college savings. Is his dream of escaping to a better life now out of the question?

In the final story in the collection, “Collision,” life is nearly idyllic for a privileged white family of three. Brad McAllister, an exceptional hotel manager, is invited to dinner at a fine restaurant, where upper management offers him an amazing promotion. A squeal of tires in the parking lot, however, changes his family’s life forever. Will his marriage survive? What do the circumstances force Brad to become? This gripping tale highlights Winslow’s talent for grittiness, sensitivity, and perceptiveness. 

All six of the author’s stories have spellbinding plots and candid dialogues. This 284-page volume is a stirring, masterful collection of crime writing that demonstrates Winslow’s love of writing.

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