No Such Creature-Giles Blunt

No Such Creature
Giles Blunt
Holt, Ape 27 2009, $25.00
ISBN: 0805080627

An orphan for years, eighteen year old Owen Maxwell has toured the country with his verbose Shakespearean actor Uncle, Magnus "Max" Maxwell conning wealthy Republicans. However after doing this for a few years, Owen has a chance to attend Juilliard. He tries to persuade his uncle to give up the criminal life as Max is getting on in years and should retire, and the teen wants to attend the drama school.

As they leave San Francisco for Vegas with their latest loot, Zig and the Subtractors come after them; the gang is known for catching up with thieves in order to rob them after they pound the crap out of their prey. On the run from the Subtractors the duet meet twenty year old Sabrina Bertrand, daughter of the legendary jailed felon Pontiff. With her also in trouble from a security guard obsessing on her, she joins the uncle and nephew as they flee across the country

Although none of the key players are full blooded though they bleed, NO SUCH CREATURE is a zany crime caper that seems on the verge of going out of control, but never quite does. Leaving Canada for the States (giving Homicide Detectives John Cardinal and Lise Delorme a breather), Giles Blunt provides an over the top chess game between violent criminals and rakish criminals. Bluntly fans of Elmore Leonard will want to join the cross country marathon.

Harriet Klausner