- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Serpent's Tail (Oct 1 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1852426659
- ISBN-13: 978-1852426651
- Product Dimensions: 22.4 x 16.3 x 1.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 181 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #667,793 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
From Amazon.co.uk
Danny King returns with the second instalment in his Crime Diaries series. In The Bank Robber Diaries we're treated to another riot of outrageous, unlawful behaviour as Chris Benson and his unscrupulous gang get themselves into some unthinkable tangles. When Gavin Benson is sent down for 15 years, the onus is on his kid brother Chris to safeguard the family "business". This is never easy when you have a scandalous wife with an insatiable taste for married men; and it's especially hard when your brother's wife--your lonely and sexually frustrated sister-in-law--demands "solace" in the absence of her husband. But Chris's major problem turns out to be his partner in crime, Vince. This unashamedly violent individual (even in bank-robbing terms) demonstrates a complete disregard for the lives of anyone who gets in his way, be they bank managers, passers by or even participants in a paintball battle. Vince is one liability that Chris can do without.
The book is not all about laugh-out-loud comic writing. The Bank Robber Diaries also explores the darker side of criminal activity... and that's a pretty large canvas when hired hit men, murders in the woods and the ever-looming prospect of capture or death are thrown into the equation. Thus King's success in popularising, if not glorifying, his protagonists is brought to an abrupt halt at all the right moments. Danny King is a witty and insightful narrator well in tune with the mind of a criminal, likable or otherwise. The Bank Robber Diaries is by no means a book for the faint hearted but the dark humour, hilarious episodes and gripping action described so well here make for a captivating read. --David Thwaites
- The Bank Robber Diaries is joint winner of the 2001 Amazon.co.uk Writers' Bursaries
Review
'Hilarious... well worth buying - and definitely worth half-inching' GQ
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
My Daddy Was A Bankrobber, But He Never Hurt Nobody...,
By
This review is from: The Bank Robber Diaries (Paperback)
There's nothing like the promise of a behind-the-scenes tour of crime and vice to send law-abiding citizens scurrying for the nearest movie theater, TV set, or bookstore. Former burglar King has certainly tapped into this interest with his "Diaries" series. His well-received debut The Burglar Diaries was the first-person account of a burglar's career. This successor volume follows the formula, being a first-person account of the life and times of a London bank robber. (It should be noted that the "diary" label is not really accurate, as it's not a day-by-day account, but more of a memoir that looks back at the past.) The narrator is Chris, who followed his brother into a life of bank robbery and becomes the head of their small crew when his brother gets nabbed and jailed for 15 years.The story covers about a decade of his career, from inept beginner to slick professional. Along the way, he embarks on a loveless marriage, a desperate affair with his brother's wife, and must confront the growing psychopathic tendencies of his partner Vince. The reader is pulled this way and that, as Chris grows more human and sympathetic, and then will do something awful. He's a subtly compelling character-all he really wants is to be left in peace and quiet to watch TV, enjoy the odd beer, and maybe find some comfort and love. On the other hand, he's not opposed to putting two slugs in anyone who stands between him and jail. The tension mounts as Vince grows more out of control, and in one episode of high black comedy, completely loses it in a paintball battle and starts bludgeoning anyone who stands between him and winning. The whole book is written in a very easy, smooth storytelling style that moves right along and has the ring of authenticity about it. King treads that fine line between humanizing and glorifying criminals, and does an excellent job of bringing the dark reality of the criminal life back every time the story strays toward the sentimental. It can be funny at times, sometimes slapsticky, but more often the humor of the black Coen Bros. kind. Climaxing in an ambiguous dark ending, the story makes its own statement as to the attractiveness of the criminal life. King's series continues with The Hitman Diaries, and the forthcoming Pornographer Diaries.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
My Daddy Was A Bankrobber, But He Never Hurt Nobody...,
By A. Ross - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Bank Robber Diaries (Paperback)
There's nothing like the promise of a behind-the-scenes tour of crime and vice to send law-abiding citizens scurrying for the nearest movie theater, TV set, or bookstore. Former burglar King has certainly tapped into this interest with his "Diaries" series. His well-received debut The Burglar Diaries was the first-person account of a burglar's career. This successor volume follows the formula, being a first-person account of the life and times of a London bank robber. (It should be noted that the "diary" label is not really accurate, as it's not a day-by-day account, but more of a memoir that looks back at the past.) The narrator is Chris, who followed his brother into a life of bank robbery and becomes the head of their small crew when his brother gets nabbed and jailed for 15 years.The story covers about a decade of his career, from inept beginner to slick professional. Along the way, he embarks on a loveless marriage, a desperate affair with his brother's wife, and must confront the growing psychopathic tendencies of his partner Vince. The reader is pulled this way and that, as Chris grows more human and sympathetic, and then will do something awful. He's a subtly compelling character-all he really wants is to be left in peace and quiet to watch TV, enjoy the odd beer, and maybe find some comfort and love. On the other hand, he's not opposed to putting two slugs in anyone who stands between him and jail. The tension mounts as Vince grows more out of control, and in one episode of high black comedy, completely loses it in a paintball battle and starts bludgeoning anyone who stands between him and winning. The whole book is written in a very easy, smooth storytelling style that moves right along and has the ring of authenticity about it. King treads that fine line between humanizing and glorifying criminals, and does an excellent job of bringing the dark reality of the criminal life back every time the story strays toward the sentimental. It can be funny at times, sometimes slapsticky, but more often the humor of the black Coen Bros. kind. Climaxing in an ambiguous dark ending, the story makes its own statement as to the attractiveness of the criminal life. King's series continues with The Hitman Diaries, and the forthcoming Pornographer Diaries. |
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