Wheelman, The

Vietnam War veteran—could only compare it to “the stench of bloated bodies floating along the Mekong Delta.”

“We have the best environmental forensic analysts in the country working on it,” responds Jeffrey Greenblatt, the young, troubled developer who has watched multiple projects fizzle at the last moment. This, however, could spell the breaking point for Greenblatt, real-estate analysts say, as well as the end of new development in Philadelphia or Camden for years to come.

Briefly … CITY/REGION

$100 from Wachovia heist recovered

LAS VEGAS, NV.—Police made an arrest today in the months-old Wachovia bank heist after a Philly resident used a hundred dollar bill to pay for beer and pornography magazines in a convenience store.

Dylan McManus, 20, aroused the suspicions of the clerk when he insisted he was a “high roller from Philadelphia” and didn’t need to be carrying I.D. for beer. The clerk took the bill, then called the FBI, who traced McManus to a motel in Laughlin.

Previously, McManus had been employed as a security guard at Park-o-Matic, a park-it-yourself lot based in downtown Philadelphia.

PRAISE FOR THE WHEELMAN BY DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI

“A bittersweet slice of noir … . Swierczynski’s novel, like those of [Elmore] Leonard, offers an undertow of humor beneath the churning sea of man’s inhumanity. His knowledge of both the City of Brotherly Love and the mind-set of bank robbers helps make The Wheelman the delight it is.”

—Patrick Anderson, The Washington Post

“Adrenaline-charged … fast-moving and funny, The Wheelman is Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in an R-rated amusement park.”

—Booklist

“The Wheelman is as lean and intrepid as its title character, an assured and accomplished novel with a devilish sense of humor. In this, just his second novel, Duane Swierczynski puts the rest of the crime-writing world on notice. So learn to spell the last name. He’s going to be around for a while.”

—Laura Lippman, Edgar Award–winning author of Every Secret Thing

“A great heist story in the rich tradition of Richard Stark’s Parker novels and Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing … keeps readers holding their breath to see what’s going to happen next. It is clearly the work of a maturing writer who is possessed of a keen style and abundant talent.”

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

“[A] promising debut … the gripping tale of a heist gone wrong.”

—Robert Wade, The San Diego Union-Tribune

“Dark stuff … hilariously funny at the same time. Swierczynski has come up with his own twisted and thoroughly enjoyable genre. Bring on some more, sir.”

—Rocky Mountain News

“Swierczynski has an uncommon gift for the banal lunacy of criminal dialogue, a delightfully devious eye for character, and a surprisingly well-developed narrative engine for a beginner.”

—Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune

“I cancelled a night out and stayed up all night reading. That’s how much I loved this book … at every turn, I was blindsided. Hilarious and bloody violent.”

—Ken Bruen, author of the Shamus Award–winning The Guards

“A double-joined plot that twists and turns so furiously he could take the gold if contortionists competed in the Olympics … . The Wheelman is twisted, funny, violent—and a blast.”

—Mystery Scene

“Astonishing! Duane Swierczynski has written one of the great all-time heist novels and this guy’s just getting started.”

—Jason Starr, Barry Award–winning author of Twisted City

“I loved it. Can’t wait for the next one.”

—Robert Ferrigno, author of Prayers for the Assassin

“An exciting, gritty, adrenaline-charged tale … . Swierczynski is definitely a rising star in contemporary American crime fiction; his oddball cast of characters is reminiscent of the Donald Westlake’s Dortmunder Gang—on steroids!”

—Lansing State Journal

“A blistering, edge-of-your-seat tale from a major new talent. This book was an absolute joy to read.”

—Richard Aleas, Edgar-nominated author of Little Girl Lost

“Heist novels don’t get any better than this. The Wheelman grabs hold of you and refuses to let go.”

—Allan Guthrie, Edgar-nominated author of Kiss Her Goodbye

“If Donald Westlake were on speed and in a nasty mood, the result might be a lot like The Wheelman … . A welcome throwback to a genre that was once prominent in American crime fiction.”

—The Flint Journal

“[A] fast-paced, violent yet funny book. Swierczynski may well be the future of crime fiction writing.”

—Bookbitch.com

“The Wheelman mixes the darkness, grit, and ultra-violence of Ken Bruen’s Irish noir with the bad-ass cool of Richard Stark’s Parker books … [it’s] a noir cocktail that’ll knock you on your butt and keep you up all night at the same time. This book rocks.”

—Mystery Ink

“The Wheelman is way more Pulp Fiction than “pulp fiction.” It’s brief and nearly absurd in its violence—Peckinpah animated by Warner Brothers.”

—Bookslut.com

“Swierczynski seems to get such a kick out of writing about eccentric crooks, it’s almost criminal.”