∎ PDF Free Matchstick Men A Novel About Grifters with Issues Eric Garcia 9780812968217 Books

Matchstick Men A Novel About Grifters with Issues Eric Garcia 9780812968217 Books

Download As PDF : Matchstick Men A Novel About Grifters with Issues Eric Garcia 9780812968217 Books

Matchstick Men A Novel About Grifters with Issues Eric Garcia 9780812968217 Books

With Matchstick Men, you get great insight into the world of con artists. It's descriptive, funny, and hard to put down. The relationship between the two main characters, Roy and Frankie, is delightfully dynamic and Angela is something else all on her own. Plus, it has one of the best twists I think I have ever read. Just as a side note, if you are sensitive to foul language, then you probably ought not buy this book. Otherwise, go for it and enjoy a great read!


Tags : Matchstick Men: A Novel About Grifters with Issues [Eric Garcia] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • A novel about grifters with issues, by the acclaimed cult author of  Anonymous Rex </i>and  Casual Rex</i></b> Roy and Frankie are matchstick men—con artists. Partners in elegant crimes for years,Eric Garcia,Matchstick Men: A Novel About Grifters with Issues,Random House Trade Paperbacks,0812968212,Media Tie-In - General,AMERICAN MYSTERY & SUSPENSE FICTION,FICTION Crime,FICTION Family Life General,FICTION Media Tie-In,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction-General,GENERAL,General & Literary Fiction,General Adult,MovieTV Tie-In,MovieTv Tie-Ins,United States,crime;crime fiction;family;crime books;fiction;novels;fiction books;books fiction;realistic fiction books;crime novels;collusion;mystery;comics;thrillers;thriller;romance;adventure;noir;fantasy;satire;comic;thriller books;comedy;art;movies;hard case crime;horror;movie;historical;drama;pirates;western;hollywood;law enforcement;pulp fiction;classic;urban fantasy;vampires;espionage;time travel;sports;games;collection;science fiction;drugs;mafia;short stories;supernatural;paranormal;pop culture;film

Matchstick Men A Novel About Grifters with Issues Eric Garcia 9780812968217 Books Reviews

Author Eric Garcia has written two previous books in which hard-boiled private eye Vincent Rubio is actually a dinosaur in disguise. No dinosaurs in his latest masterpiece but two sleazy con artists who are very good at taking money from others by all kinds of clever scams. Roy and Frankie are very good at what they do, in spite of Roy's obsessive compulsive disorder and hypochondriasis. The book becomes really interesting when Roy's long lost daughter from a failed marriage turns up and begins to change his life.
What will happen next? The plot takes a number of surprising twists and turns and carries you along, unable to put the book down, until the surprise ending that blew me away. While some of the reviewers found the ending obvious, I must be a good "mark" because I fell for it completely.
This book is not for everyone. It is not uplifting or redeeming. It is about some very bad people doing very bad things, but it is extremely well-written, fast-moving, entertaining and engaging. It has a lot of interesting information about scams and flimflams. Sometimes it is funny. But nothing like dinosaurs. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.
Roy and Frankie are partners in con, ripping off everyone who crosses their paths from college kids to home making women to greedy men. But Roy is also suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Frankie hooks him up with psychiatrist Dr. Klein so he can get the pills he needs. Dr. Klein in turn hooks Roy up with a daughter he never knew he had. Angela, fourteen, is eager to have a dad and wants to learn all about his job. Pretty soon she's helping. Pretty soon Roy wants to give up all his tricks in order to gain custody of her, but Frankie convinces him they should play the con game one more time ... just one more time.
MATCHSTICK MEN is one of the best books I have read this spring. It is fast, full of twists and cons, cleanly and cleverly plotted, and peopled with characters who, while not brilliant, are sturdy enough to hold up their ends of the book. Angela especially will keep you reading. For me, the ending was a complete surprise and it left me thinking the whole book through again from a different angle. I found it a resounding and fitting wrapup for a book of cons, hinted at but unexpected.
If you like fast, absorbing, perfectly plotted little books of petty crime with a twist, MATCHSTICK MEN is a treasure I couldn't recommend more highly.
When obsessive compulsive con-man Roy learns that he has a daughter from a long abandoned marriage, it changes his life. Despite objections from his partner, Frankie, Roy insists on including his daughter on some of their scams, teaching her the tricks of the game. Frankie resists, reminding Roy that this violates Roy's rules, but Roy is transformed. Maybe he'll even turn over a new leaf, get a real job, and join life as a mark rather than as a grifter.
Author Eric Garcia does a fine job describing the cons and making Roy sympathetic even as he systematically steals thousands of dollars from people who can ill-afford to lose their money. Roy's occasional attacks of ethics, and his growing affection for his daughter, as well as his emotional problems with obsessive compulsion disorder give him a degree of complexity.
The key characteristic of a good con is that the mark doesn't see it coming. Readers may fault MATCHSTICK MEN in this. The plot may twist and turn, but the destination is telegraphed early. Few fans of the genre are likely to be surprised by the ending of this novel.
GREAT TO SPEND TIME READING IT
I will preface this review in saying that I saw the movie first, so the plot was severely ruined in many ways for me. But I'm a huge fan of Garcia's work, so I figured I would enjoy the book anyway.

Unfortunately I found that this novel is all about the plot, and the character development lacks. The main character, Roy, is the only individual who really gets fleshed out at all, and his character seems to deviate heavily from neurotic and crazy to calm, collected, and "normal." I found the transitions between his behaviors jarring; there didn't seem to be enough indication of his issues throughout the majority of his narrative.

However, despite the lack of memorable and interesting characters, the plot is still well developed, and if you haven't seen the movie, I think you'll be quite satisfied with the direction the story takes. With that said... I recommend seeing the movie, which in a rare turn of events, I find is better than the book.

As an additional note I picked up the edition and it is riddled with typos. I normally don't get too bothered by such things, but it became somewhat distracting as I kept reading.
The books pretty short and it's kind of interesting. Author does a fine job of building up the main character even though his problems are pretty understandable from the beginning, but I'm never fully on his side and i dont feel the other characters are very complex. In other con books the grifters can be related to or pull cons that aren't just cruel. Some of these cons just ruin people and it's all about getting cash and leaving. Not much elaborate planning. And there are some questions that are unanswered about the larger plot.
With Matchstick Men, you get great insight into the world of con artists. It's descriptive, funny, and hard to put down. The relationship between the two main characters, Roy and Frankie, is delightfully dynamic and Angela is something else all on her own. Plus, it has one of the best twists I think I have ever read. Just as a side note, if you are sensitive to foul language, then you probably ought not buy this book. Otherwise, go for it and enjoy a great read!