Company of Thieves

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining novel
Review: Con artist Warren Allison left Omaha intending to clean up his act and start life fresh. He moves to Los Angeles where he works night using a machine to stuff envelops with telephone bills. Once he has enough cash, Warren plans to attend college and study entomology.

Warren's plans change when he receives two calls from Australia asking him about his granddaughter. A third caller, Willem Block asks to meet Warren, who in his early thirties insists he has no grandchildren let alone children. Willem shows Warren the picture of his fiancé who stole a fortune in opals from him. Warren recognizes the picture as Maggie Weaver, his girlfriend form Iowa who vanished one day. Instead of helping Willem, Warren finds Maggie and soon joins her in Iowa where he begins his return into the world of scam, but at a much higher and more dangerous level than when he previously participated with Maggie as his partner.

COMPANY OF THIEVES is an entertaining novel starring a flawed protagonist who cannot resist the adrenaline high of a clever sting. The plot moves forward at a rapid pace although the big business nature of con artists as a "Fortune 500" company seems stretched even for fiction. Still, Warren is a fabulous player who cannot resist the lure of the con while Maggie is marvelous yet nasty. Gil Roscoe is no con man as a writer as he provides the audience with a very entertaining tale.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Contrasting Views
Review: Gil Roscoe's novel "Company of Thieves" is a nice light read for the summer. The front cover states that it's "a dark caper in the tradition of Hiassen." This is somewhat true.

The main character/rogue, Warren (a.k.a. Tom), is likeable enough. He works a graveyard shift gig but wants to return to college. An old flame (read: ex-partner in small time crime) re-enters his life with a chance-of-a-lifetime scam that will get him the money he needs to further his education.

The two travel to New Zealand (!) to commit their crime. Their objective? A set of coins worth a tidy sum!

I personally think that this is where a truly funny storyline was passed up. Warren and Maggie set their sites on the son of New Zealand's Prime Minister. Warren, now posing as Tom, gets a job as a dishwasher at the cricket club in an attempt to befriend the young man and get Maggie involved with him. However, women aren't exactly this guy's cup o' tea.

Rather than pursue this as a potential storyline, Gil Roscoe settles for going after the younger sister. I think some laughs could have been had in the other realm. Warren would have truly been a fish out of water had the author gone that route. Or possibly, maybe the world's greatest con man! Who can say?

That very tiny nitpick having been said, "Company of Thieves" is a fine novel. It's a quick and entertaining story. I will certainly pick up Gil Roscoe's next novel.

I give it a solid three and a half stars.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: I am not much of a book reader. Although I have read a few in my days, this book by far out ranks them all. I loved this book! I wouldn't describe this book anything short of a bestseller waiting to happen! It has everything from drama to suspense, to comedy all wrapped up in a sultry conscience twisting suspenseful book. I couldn't put it down. I reccomend that everyone read it.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: I don't read books that often and when I picked this one up, I couldn't put it down. I especially enjoyed the twists and turns in the story and the potentially dangerous situations that the main character boldly pushed his way through. I read some of the other reviews, concerning being disappointed about the excitement of the ending. My feeling is the opposite! This book is ripe for a sequel and I left the last chapter excited and wondering about the next book to come. Life isn't always wrapped up in tidy complete sentences. Indiana Jones too, rode off into the unknown. Enjoy the book and look forward to the anticipation of his next adventure...it is in his blood. My wife read the book, as soon as I put it down, and enjoyed it so much, she suggested we buy some and give them to our friends for Christmas! We can't wait for the movie and the sequel! Keep up the good work Gil!

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: I don't read books that often and when I picked this one up, I couldn't put it down. I especially enjoyed the twists and turns in the story and the potentially dangerous situations that the main character boldly pushed his way through. I read some of the other reviews, concerning being disappointed about the excitement of the ending. My feeling is the opposite! This book is ripe for a sequel and I left the last chapter excited and wondering about the next book to come. Life isn't always wrapped up in tidy complete sentences. Indiana Jones too, rode off into the unknown. Enjoy the book and look forward to the anticipation of his next adventure...it is in his blood. My wife read the book, as soon as I put it down, and enjoyed it so much, she suggested we buy some and give them to our friends for Christmas! We can't wait for the movie and the sequel! Keep up the good work Gil!

Rating:
Summary: Great beach read
Review: This is fun. Convoluted enough that you don't want to put it down; sympathetic characters if somewhat amoral; but nothing too strenuous for the emotions or the brain. Definitely ripe for a movie version.