THE BOOSTER

by Eugene Izzi ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 22, 1988

A break-in to the 90th-floor of the Sears Tower--from the outside--forms the climax of this bright and brassy but far-fetched Chicago-underworld crime thriller from Izzi (The Take, 1987; Bad Guys, 1988). Again, Izzi writes flush in the Elmore Leonard mode, offering an edgy, hip illumination of the moral gray zone between law and outlaw. Now it's Vince Martin, once a master thief but after seven years in jail reduced to boosting cars and VCRs, who surprises himself by straddling both sides of the law--and even helping an honest cop nab his partner's killer. Vince's carefully structured crooks-only world--pruned to his daytime haunt of a bar run by mentor-thief Enrico (Bolo) Rubolo and to his nighttime digs of a book-lined loft--begins to crack just as intra-mob warfare offers him the heist of a lifetime: one million if he, along with Bolo, will break into the Sears Tower fortress-apartment of a mob boss and steal audio tapes (with which the mobster plans to zap his rivals). Meanwhile, two intruders chip away at Vince's world: Evyln, a waitress with whom he falls hopelessly in love; and Sean Kent, Chicago's sole honest cop ever since his equally honest partner was gunned down by the mob punk who's been assigned to help Vince and Bolo with the heist. Leaning on Vince's sense of honor, Kent convinces Vince to rat on the punk; leaning on his heart, Evyln convinces Vince to give up thieving after this last score. In a long but tense finale, Vince and Bolo, equipped in ultra-high-tech climbing gear, brave vertigo and record cold temperatures to make the heist--and to bring satisfaction and riches to Evyln and Kent as well. Although weakened slightly by the unlikelihood of the Sears Tower caper and more severely by the too-sweet-to-buy commingling of spirits between thief and cop, this novel's dead-on dialogue, gleaming nails-tough prose, bustling plot, and vivid crime-world portraits make for a gripper that confirms Izzi as one of today's snappiest crime writers.

Pub Date: Feb. 22, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1988

Categories: FICTION