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Rating: 
Summary: Sub-par Thompson
Review: Jim Thompson has written some exciting novels, but his canon also comprises quite a few second-tier books, including "The Transgressors." Tom Lord is bright man from a good family, who through a series of misfortunes is unable to pursue his dream of becoming a physician. Instead, he ends up a sheriff's deputy in the small West Texas oil boom town of Big Sands. Lord hates his job and feels cheated by life. He grasps at one final straw - a land lease that might contain oil. When he gets swindled by a small oil company, Lord vows to get revenge. The plot develops from here and Lord becomes entangled with various low-lifes and swindlers as well as a potential love interest. As with many Thompson novels, the plot is full of glaring holes and coincidences. However, his protagonists are usually fairly well etched, and Lord joins the pantheon of intriguing Thompson characters. A number of themes representative of Thompson's work are also included here, such as the main character being a law man as well as the son of a deceased doctor. However, these themes are not used to much avail here and the plot and characters simply don't gel cohesively. Ironically, "The Transgressors" was published between two of Thompson's finest novels - "The Getaway" and "The Grifters." If you're new to Thompson, then you should read one of these books first.
Rating:
Summary: Sub-par Thompson
Review: Jim Thompson has written some exciting novels, but his canon also comprises quite a few second-tier books, including "The Transgressors." Tom Lord is bright man from a good family, who through a series of misfortunes is unable to pursue his dream of becoming a physician. Instead, he ends up a sheriff's deputy in the small West Texas oil boom town of Big Sands. Lord hates his job and feels cheated by life. He grasps at one final straw - a land lease that might contain oil. When he gets swindled by a small oil company, Lord vows to get revenge. The plot develops from here and Lord becomes entangled with various low-lifes and swindlers as well as a potential love interest. As with many Thompson novels, the plot is full of glaring holes and coincidences. However, his protagonists are usually fairly well etched, and Lord joins the pantheon of intriguing Thompson characters. A number of themes representative of Thompson's work are also included here, such as the main character being a law man as well as the son of a deceased doctor. However, these themes are not used to much avail here and the plot and characters simply don't gel cohesively. Ironically, "The Transgressors" was published between two of Thompson's finest novels - "The Getaway" and "The Grifters." If you're new to Thompson, then you should read one of these books first.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best work, or even a mid range work, maybe his worst
Review: Jim Thompson IS a great writer, he writes vintage crime noir, and most of his tales of the seaminess of man are terrific, but this is not one of them. And it begins terrifically to boot, so one becomes more and more suprised as one reads on, for the book simpily gets worse as one reads. The characters are mostly two dimensional, and the plot loses all coherence quickly. Please, pick up his four star works like The Getaway, The Grifters, and a personal favorite, Now And On Earth, et.all.
Rating:
Summary: Not Thompson at his best
Review: Thompson is going through the motions here, with what is for him a very typical, even ordinary plot and an inconsistently characterized protagonist. The two female leads are unusually annoying, and the stakes never seem very high, despite the increasing body count. It's got its moments, but overall this is a major disappointment. Still, it's better than Texas By the Tail. If you want a taste of Thompson, just about any one of his other books is a better starting place.
Rating: 
Summary: Don?t be dissuaded from checking this out
Review: Yes, it's a little atypical Thompson. But just because it's not the bleak nihilism of The Getaway or The Grifters doesn't mean it's not a good read. There are some interesting characters here, with the main character a sort of well-adjusted version of Killer Inside Me's Lou Ford (Lou Ford, Tom Lord, hmm). The plot is intricate and engaging, call it three and a half stars.
Rating:
Summary: Don¿t be dissuaded from checking this out
Review: Yes, it's a little atypical Thompson. But just because it's not the bleak nihilism of The Getaway or The Grifters doesn't mean it's not a good read. There are some interesting characters here, with the main character a sort of well-adjusted version of Killer Inside Me's Lou Ford (Lou Ford, Tom Lord, hmm). The plot is intricate and engaging, call it three and a half stars.
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