Rickards vs. Higgins. FIGHT! (x-posted)

[Steven Torres]

Started reading two novels recently. One is The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins. The other is Winter's End by John Rickards. The first book was recommended to me as a crime classic and must-read, but I'm finding it slow going. Confusing. Maybe I'm not concentrating hard enough, but then it's summer break and I don't want to work all that hard. Will I continue? Yes, of course. Generally, things don't get as widely praised by people who know crime fiction if it's utter crap. I'm certainly not at the point where I think anything like that yet.

However, Rickards' book is much more fun. Gripping I think is the word. I turn the pages actually wanting to know what happens next. That makes it a page-turner. Good stuff.

Now, there's every chance that Rickards will bog down in the middle, and I'll yearn for the days when it was Higgins who was boring me but at least the book was slimmer giving me hope of a quick end.

Also every chance that Higgins' book will come on like a house afire leaving me to wonder why other authors even bother.

So far, Higgins is getting whipped, however. And yes, writing is a competitive sport - your ass can be handed to you in a bucket. Happens to me every time I read Ken Bruen novel actually.