Crime Novels

[Lazaro Vega]

Rick Lopez of Erie was cleaning house, sent out a note about "free" books. Who wouldn't? I did. This one, "Final Score," came with a bunch of others. Grogan wrote "Ringolevio," too, which I hadn't heard of or read but now feel I must. Are you hip to this author? Ever read "Final Score"?

[Dave James]

Wasn't Grogan the guy who was part of the San Francisco countercultural group called The Diggers?

[marcello]

Yep, that's him.

About half of Ringolevio is great, though mostly fantasy, by the time it moves on to San Francisco it drones on, and on.

just re-read it recently.

You may want to look here, Laz:

1%Free v2's photostream

There are some photos and memorabilia.

[AfricaBrass]

About 20 years ago, I read "Ringolevio" and loved it. I should find another copy of it and read it again.

[Lazaro Vega]

The library is digging up Ringolevio for me to read: apparently Ringolevio is a type of tag game played on the streets of New York.

"Final Score" is staying with me: quick, terse, consice writing; effective noire metaphore and similie, and a plot that's actually more effective, emotionally and evocatively, than the movie "Heat," which this story is in the most general way similar to.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/emmett-grogan/final-score/#review

Edited April 21, 2012 by Lazaro Vega

[Lazaro Vega]

Finished Ringolevio -- and thought, given the Occupy movement, the parts in San Francisco were timely. That meeting with then Governor Romney! "Hey MItt! One question? Did your Dad ever talk about that time in Golden Gate Park with Emmett Grogan?"

[Lazaro Vega]

From Wiki: "He wrote in Ringolevio that he had traveled to Europe to escape the Mafia and lived there for several years; in reality, after high school in Brooklyn, he attended Duke University for one year before moving to San Francisco."

He did, however, live in Italy for a time. There are plenty of photos of him hanging out there, and in Ireland.