THE LEAVENWORTH IRREGULARS

by William D. Blankenship ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1974

Three ""graduates"" from the Army prison at Leavenworth (for reasons having mainly to do with corruption or incompetence of higher-ups) decide to take their revenge by stealing the approximately half-million monthly paycheck from Fort Riley, Kansas. Unfortunately, Master Sergeant Joe Moody, who combos with the post's crooked commanding General Handson in everything from loan sharking to extortion, figures out the gig. So with nothing to lose and everything to gain (they are already under investigation by the Army's CID) they set off with an equally amoral pilot to recapture the money via torture and murder and mutilation, which the general learned too efficiently in the notorious Vietnam Phoenix Operation and makes the Mafia look like toy soldiers. Virtue triumphs more or less in the end, as the three assist the only surviving thief (Ryan) in knocking each other off -- though the spoils of victory are now so tainted that Ryan buries the loot with the general and his pals -- an unrealistic but heartwarming illustration of the adage that bad karma creates bad karma. Not only is this an excitingly vicious tale, but apparently the crooked army personnel are taken from real life -- one more footnote to America's most disgusting war.

Pub Date: March 1, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Bobbs-Merrill

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1974

Categories: FICTION