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Hank Thompson #1
Caught Stealing
Alternate cover edition of ISBN-13: 9780345464781, ISBN-10/ASIN: 0345464788
It’s three thousand miles from the green fields of glory, where Henry “call me Hank” Thompson once played California baseball, to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where the tenements are old, the rents are high, and the drunks are dirty. But now Hank is here, working as a bartender and taking care of a cat named Bud who is surely going to get him killed.
It begins when Hank’s neighbor, Russ, has to leave town in a rush and hands over Bud in a carrier. But it isn’t until two Russians in tracksuits drag Hank over the bar at the joint where he works and beat him to a pulp that he starts to get the idea: Someone wants something from him. He just doesn’t know what it is, where it is, or how to make them understand he doesn’t have it.
Within twenty-four hours Hank is running over rooftops, swinging his old aluminum bat for the sweet spot of a guy’s head, playing hide and seek with the NYPD, riding the subway with a dead man at his side, and counting a whole lot of cash on a concrete floor.
All because of two cowboys, two Russian mafia men, and some of the weirdest goons ever assembled in one place. All because of Bud. All because once, in another life, in another world, the only thing Hank wanted was to take third base—without getting caught.
It’s three thousand miles from the green fields of glory, where Henry “call me Hank” Thompson once played California baseball, to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where the tenements are old, the rents are high, and the drunks are dirty. But now Hank is here, working as a bartender and taking care of a cat named Bud who is surely going to get him killed.
It begins when Hank’s neighbor, Russ, has to leave town in a rush and hands over Bud in a carrier. But it isn’t until two Russians in tracksuits drag Hank over the bar at the joint where he works and beat him to a pulp that he starts to get the idea: Someone wants something from him. He just doesn’t know what it is, where it is, or how to make them understand he doesn’t have it.
Within twenty-four hours Hank is running over rooftops, swinging his old aluminum bat for the sweet spot of a guy’s head, playing hide and seek with the NYPD, riding the subway with a dead man at his side, and counting a whole lot of cash on a concrete floor.
All because of two cowboys, two Russian mafia men, and some of the weirdest goons ever assembled in one place. All because of Bud. All because once, in another life, in another world, the only thing Hank wanted was to take third base—without getting caught.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
454 people are currently reading
7066 people want to read
About the author
Charlie Huston
101 books1,272 followersCharlie Huston is an American novelist, screenwriter, and comic book writer known for his genre-blending storytelling and character-driven narratives. His twelve novels span crime, horror, and science fiction, and have been published by Ballantine, Del Rey, Mulholland, and Orion, with translations in nine languages. He is the creator of the Henry Thompson trilogy, beginning with Caught Stealing, which was announced in 2024 as a forthcoming film adaptation directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Austin Butler. Huston’s stand-alone novels include The Shotgun Rule, The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death, Sleepless, and Skinner. He also authored the vampire noir series Joe Pitt Casebooks while living in Manhattan and later California. Huston has written pilots for FX, FOX, Sony, and Tomorrow Studios, served as a writer and producer on FOX’s Gotham, and developed original projects such as Arcadia. In comics, he rebooted Moon Knight for Marvel, contributed to Ultimates Annual, and penned the Wolverine: The Best There Is series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 640 reviews
March 31, 2009
On the back of this book, there's a blurb about how it's nearly impossible to put it down.
"Oh, really?" I thought, "We'll see about that."
After one day, the score is currently Blurb: 1, Wil: 0.
I'll write a full review when I'm finished with it, but based on about half of Caught Stealing, I can attest that that particular claim is not mere hyperbole.
"Oh, really?" I thought, "We'll see about that."
After one day, the score is currently Blurb: 1, Wil: 0.
I'll write a full review when I'm finished with it, but based on about half of Caught Stealing, I can attest that that particular claim is not mere hyperbole.
March 28, 2013
An explosive read that demands a soundtrack. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrwjiO...
Here we go!
Henry--Hank, to his friends--is just chilling in New York City, working his bartender gig, working his way up at the bar, and slowly pickling his liver. Hank is a genuinely nice guy: he gets along with his neighbors, does the odd job for the super, calls his California parents regularly, lends money to his friends and even--and this is astonishing--doesn't ask for it back.
I've been caught stealing
once when I was 5
I enjoy stealing
It's just as simple as that
Well, it's just a simple fact.
When I want something, man
I don't want to pay for it.
Hank stole for a brief period in his youth, after a tragic accident ruined his golden boy status. Now he's just a guy getting by. All that changes after neighbor Russ prevails upon Hank to watch his cat while Russ goes back to Minnesota to visit his dying father. Hank reluctantly agrees, becomes temporary owner of Bud, and everything starts to shift into overdrive.
I walk right through the door
And I walk right through the door.
Hey all right! If I get by, it's mine.
Mine all mine!
Strangely, it's not long after that a couple of Russian-like thugs beat Hank nearly senseless. Nearly, because he actually finishes the "senseless" part of it by drinking away the night after the thugs take off. He wakes up peeing blood, but knows from experience that his kidney is probably just bruised. Luckily, he has a doctor's appointment scheduled (his feet are just killing him), so when he passes out from shock, the doctor quickly gets him to the hospital and to surgery. Shortly after, he's minus one kidney and heading home, vowing to change his life--no more booze, no more bartending. Although it's hard to go cold-turkey, so he calls his dealer to get a little grass to smooth the transition. Even though the kidney-shaped hole in his side is just killing him, he heads out to do his laundry. Being the nice guy that he is, decides to toss in the cat's blanket as well (see how nice he is?).
My girl, she's one too.
She'll go and get her a skirt
Stick it under her shirt.
She grabbed a razor for me
And she did it just like that.
When she wants something,
She don't want to pay for it.
Returning from the laundromat, he sees the thugs that beat him having a pizza across the street from his place. Sliding up the stairs, he then notes strangers outside his apartment door. Perhaps they are connected? His missing kidney urges him on. He really wants to call the police, but he's got that big bag of dope sitting on his table, so he employs skills developed as a teenage thief to sneak down the fire escape and into his apartment. Stuff happens, and if you aren't in the mood for violence, you need to put the book down right now because it's about to get physical. For me, the level of casual violence and death was a detractor.
She'll walk right through the door
Walk right through the door.
Hey all right! If I get by, it's mine.
Mine all mine!
What follows is pretty much The Fugitive only with an alcoholic almost-baseball star instead of a doctor, and with gangsters instead of marshals. But you get the idea. I have to applaud Huston, he actually makes the plot seem plausible, with a protagonist that essentially wants to do right, only right isn't very clear when the bad guys change the rules all the time. Still, Hank gamely keeps trying, even when the curveballs come fast and loose.
We sat around the pile
We sat and laughed
We sat and laughed and
Waved it into the air!
And we did it just like that
When we want something,
We don't want to pay for it.
Huston has a gift for writing, no doubt. But ultimately, the book feels like a movie script for a wry, post-modern heist. Crystal clear visuals. Fast paced. Characters out of casting 101, even with their oh-so-clever quirkiness (Russians in track suits! Black guys wearing cowboy gear!) A protagonist trying to save his skin--and a cat--gets a pass for almost any behavior. Hell, I'd probably even watch that movie. But I missed Huston's subtle humor, his pokes at cultural mores, his vivid sense of place and character--everything I loved in the Joe Pitt books.
We walk right through the door
Walk right through the door
Hey, all right! If I get by, it's mine,
Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine...
The best parts for me were the subway scenes, and Hank's clever use of New York culture. But honestly, the song is a lot more fun.
Three (stolen) stars, not four, because I have a decent anti-theft system.
In parting, a couple of quotes with trademark Hudson humor:
"There's one beer left and it keeps staring at me. I get tired of trying not to stare back so I put it in the john where I won't see it or hear it."
"They cram into the elevator, making cracks in French about drunk Americans. Fucking French classes. I wish I'd taken Spanish."
Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
May 30, 2009
Not a bad sentence, nor a wrong word. This is easily one of the best books I've read this year.
I suppose one of the central messages of this book is that no good deed goes unpunished. Other messages, in no particular order, are:
- Alcoholic bartenders on a downward spiral can also be good guys.
- Good guys in bad situations often must do bad things.
- Some people care deeply about big bags of cash.
- Being cruel to cats brings on some wicked bad karma.
- Cold beer is often desirable, even if you have only one kidney.
- There is no honor among thieves.
- Kicking someone's ass hurts only slightly less than having one's own ass kicked.
- Manhattan is a cool, edgy place, but sometimes it's waaaay too edgy.
- The f-bomb retains a certain emotional potency, no matter how often it is dropped.
- Any piece of furniture has a use as a weapon.
- Although its fictional form can be exciting, real violence is ugly, brutal, and very bad when directed at you and/or yours.
- Baseball, however, is very good.
A lot of reviewers have compared this book to Pulp Fiction. It's a fair comparison, I suppose. I'd say it's somewhere in between that movie and something by Elmore Leonard, which is a pretty good place to be.
I suppose one of the central messages of this book is that no good deed goes unpunished. Other messages, in no particular order, are:
- Alcoholic bartenders on a downward spiral can also be good guys.
- Good guys in bad situations often must do bad things.
- Some people care deeply about big bags of cash.
- Being cruel to cats brings on some wicked bad karma.
- Cold beer is often desirable, even if you have only one kidney.
- There is no honor among thieves.
- Kicking someone's ass hurts only slightly less than having one's own ass kicked.
- Manhattan is a cool, edgy place, but sometimes it's waaaay too edgy.
- The f-bomb retains a certain emotional potency, no matter how often it is dropped.
- Any piece of furniture has a use as a weapon.
- Although its fictional form can be exciting, real violence is ugly, brutal, and very bad when directed at you and/or yours.
- Baseball, however, is very good.
A lot of reviewers have compared this book to Pulp Fiction. It's a fair comparison, I suppose. I'd say it's somewhere in between that movie and something by Elmore Leonard, which is a pretty good place to be.
September 4, 2025
When I found out this was going to be a movie with Austin Butler & Matt Smith, I knew I had to read it. I wasn't expecting it to read like an action movie, or to be so violent (especially towards an animal!!!!) though. I'm having a hard time rating it because of that.
It's very fast paced, I can see why someone thought it would be great to adapt on the big screen. At the same time, some of the language used is dated, and I'm not sure how much of that is from the characters, and how much from the author, if that makes sense. Hopefully it's just the characters who think that way.
What's kinda fun is that pretty much nobody you meet in the book is safe. Huston is not scared to kill anyone (and just about everyone) off in one way or another. It's also interesting watching Hank go from someone who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, to by the end of the book.
Another review brought something to my attention, I didn't notice it at first, but then I thought about it and realised this person was so right. Hank's girlfriend. I'm sure the movie will handle her character better.
And now of course, Bud the cat. The light of my life. I love Bud. I'd die for Bud, and so would Hank! But that scene where he was being harmed was unnecessarily graphic. I felt so sick while reading it, so please, if you're an animal lover and your Spidey Senses tingle when the bad guys mention the cat, skip ahead, don't read that scene. Just trust that he will be fine by the end.
I liked the rest of it enough to continue the series, it was wacky and all over the place, but kinda good? And my country/people were mentioned in it, granted, not in the best context (I'll leave the quote below), but I'll take what I can get.
—Uh, one guy big, even bigger than the two Russians.
—Russians?
—The guys who beat me up, the guys in the tracksuits, had accents. I think they were Russian or Ukrainian or Polish.
—You said Russian.
—Or Ukrainian or Serbian for all the fuck I know, just Russianic.
According to this book, I'm "Russianic", food for thought.
3.5
It's very fast paced, I can see why someone thought it would be great to adapt on the big screen. At the same time, some of the language used is dated, and I'm not sure how much of that is from the characters, and how much from the author, if that makes sense. Hopefully it's just the characters who think that way.
What's kinda fun is that pretty much nobody you meet in the book is safe. Huston is not scared to kill anyone (and just about everyone) off in one way or another. It's also interesting watching Hank go from someone who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, to by the end of the book.
Another review brought something to my attention, I didn't notice it at first, but then I thought about it and realised this person was so right. Hank's girlfriend. I'm sure the movie will handle her character better.
And now of course, Bud the cat. The light of my life. I love Bud. I'd die for Bud, and so would Hank! But that scene where he was being harmed was unnecessarily graphic. I felt so sick while reading it, so please, if you're an animal lover and your Spidey Senses tingle when the bad guys mention the cat, skip ahead, don't read that scene. Just trust that he will be fine by the end.
I liked the rest of it enough to continue the series, it was wacky and all over the place, but kinda good? And my country/people were mentioned in it, granted, not in the best context (I'll leave the quote below), but I'll take what I can get.
—Uh, one guy big, even bigger than the two Russians.
—Russians?
—The guys who beat me up, the guys in the tracksuits, had accents. I think they were Russian or Ukrainian or Polish.
—You said Russian.
—Or Ukrainian or Serbian for all the fuck I know, just Russianic.
According to this book, I'm "Russianic", food for thought.
3.5
December 29, 2018
Thanks to the awesome J.K. Grice for recommending this to me. I might not have ever heard of it otherwise. I read this in under twenty four hours if that tells you anything. There were times i felt really bad for the main character but then he started making a bunch of stupid decisions on his own and it was more like oh well, you reap what you sow because like one of the characters in the book says, four and a half million in cash makes you think differently. And I tip my hat to the author for pulling this off because if you are going to do this stuff in first person it's a fine line between nailing the tough guy voice and sounding corny. I dug this a lot and will probably try this author's vampire series next as that sounds a little more in-line with my personal preferences. Four stars because I think he has room to improve as an author as I will soon see.
September 14, 2012
Hank Thompson is haunted by his failed attempts at being somebody. From horrific accident, to horrific accident, he's lost pieces of himself (figuratively and literally) as well as friends. His dreams are constant reminders of why his lives life out of a bottom of a whisky glass. That is, until reality catches up with him and the glass smashes into his face. A bar brawl leaves him a kidney light, remedying his unhealthy outlet and unearthing a whole new world of pain. With a busted leg, bleeding wound, ghosts of friends haunting his dream-scape, and busted feat, his job prospects low after the doc tells him he needs to give up the bouncing gig - life is pretty low. It's just the beginning.
With a corrupt cop named Roman, Russian gangsters and professional madmen all wanting a piece him, Hank slowly evolves into an accidental hardman handing out beatings like they're cheap advice. Who knew looking after a cat would cause so much trouble?
'Caught Stealing' is a hard hitting New York bar room brawl of a novel. From it's blood stained opening, murderous intense plotting to bare knuckle ending, the first installment in the Hank Thompson trilogy is a homage to pulp noir.
This was a re-read for me in light of the recent news of it being adapted to he big screen. Having read it for a second time, I cant wait to see how it turns out. Alec Baldwin has been cast as Roman, and during 'Caught Steeling' I thought his look went well with the hard, greedy and vicious cop. Patrick Wilson will play Hank and I think he has the right look. Wilson very similar to how I pictured Hank so this works well for me. News on the movie can be found here: http://www.wordandfilm.com/2012/09/al...
Much like the first time I read 'Caught Stealng', the star rating remains at a solid 4.
Review also posted on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
With a corrupt cop named Roman, Russian gangsters and professional madmen all wanting a piece him, Hank slowly evolves into an accidental hardman handing out beatings like they're cheap advice. Who knew looking after a cat would cause so much trouble?
'Caught Stealing' is a hard hitting New York bar room brawl of a novel. From it's blood stained opening, murderous intense plotting to bare knuckle ending, the first installment in the Hank Thompson trilogy is a homage to pulp noir.
This was a re-read for me in light of the recent news of it being adapted to he big screen. Having read it for a second time, I cant wait to see how it turns out. Alec Baldwin has been cast as Roman, and during 'Caught Steeling' I thought his look went well with the hard, greedy and vicious cop. Patrick Wilson will play Hank and I think he has the right look. Wilson very similar to how I pictured Hank so this works well for me. News on the movie can be found here: http://www.wordandfilm.com/2012/09/al...
Much like the first time I read 'Caught Stealng', the star rating remains at a solid 4.
Review also posted on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
August 13, 2016
This had all the elements of a book I would love; a thriller set in NYC, baseball, and even a cat. And while I did like the story, and some of the phrases were well turned, I didn't actually love it.
My biggest problem was sheer physical implausibility (and I'm terrific at suspension of disbelief; if you lose me, you're screwing up). Right off the bat (so to speak), our hero has taken a beating, and wakes up in the hospital to learn that he's actually lost a kidney (and the remaining one is pretty darn sore). Yet, in less than a week, we see this same guy climbing up and down a fire escape, running for his life along 14th St., and even swinging a bat in a batting cage.
Yeah, no. I've actually donated a kidney--intentionally, not having it beaten out of me--and I went into the surgery healthy, not having been a functional alcoholic like this guy. Trust me, none of that would have been remotely possible. Walking very, very slowly up a flight of stairs was possible four days later; climbing a fire escape? Ha, ha, ha....
I suggest approaching this book like an action movie, or a cartoon. In movies, we expect to see two big men beat the tar out of each other for five minutes on screen, and then appear in the following scene with a single, small Band-Aid on their foreheads. It's patently ridiculous, but hey, it's the movies. If I could have read this book with that mindset, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I tried, but I just couldn't manage it.
My biggest problem was sheer physical implausibility (and I'm terrific at suspension of disbelief; if you lose me, you're screwing up). Right off the bat (so to speak), our hero has taken a beating, and wakes up in the hospital to learn that he's actually lost a kidney (and the remaining one is pretty darn sore). Yet, in less than a week, we see this same guy climbing up and down a fire escape, running for his life along 14th St., and even swinging a bat in a batting cage.
Yeah, no. I've actually donated a kidney--intentionally, not having it beaten out of me--and I went into the surgery healthy, not having been a functional alcoholic like this guy. Trust me, none of that would have been remotely possible. Walking very, very slowly up a flight of stairs was possible four days later; climbing a fire escape? Ha, ha, ha....
I suggest approaching this book like an action movie, or a cartoon. In movies, we expect to see two big men beat the tar out of each other for five minutes on screen, and then appear in the following scene with a single, small Band-Aid on their foreheads. It's patently ridiculous, but hey, it's the movies. If I could have read this book with that mindset, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I tried, but I just couldn't manage it.
May 2, 2022
Completely forgettable and a book I just want behind me. A big section of the beginning just described the narrator’s physical problems brought on by a vicious ass-kicking he received from two Russian thugs. Or were they Ukrainian? Don’t remember, don’t care. There is a bunch of money involved, some senseless violence and murder, a dog gets his ass kicked, and they all fly off in to the sunset. The end.
February 20, 2009
Forget plot summary. Think recipe:
Ingredients:
* party-boy bartender
* dirty cop
* Russian gangsters
* entrepreneurial gangsters
* mysterious key
* placid cat
* lots of money
Blend with Sharp Knife
* bullets
* booze
* lousy kidney
* fear
* dollop of conflicted conscience
Vigorously Mix
* violence
* non-stop action
* surprisingly realistic plot
* great characterization
Bake At High Temperature
Yield
Damned fine, rapid-paced, can't-put-down story that someone will probably crap up in the process of turning it into a blockbuster action movie.
Ingredients:
* party-boy bartender
* dirty cop
* Russian gangsters
* entrepreneurial gangsters
* mysterious key
* placid cat
* lots of money
Blend with Sharp Knife
* bullets
* booze
* lousy kidney
* fear
* dollop of conflicted conscience
Vigorously Mix
* violence
* non-stop action
* surprisingly realistic plot
* great characterization
Bake At High Temperature
Yield
Damned fine, rapid-paced, can't-put-down story that someone will probably crap up in the process of turning it into a blockbuster action movie.
July 6, 2016
I read it for 50 pages. The style is a turn off, but the writing & the plot are pretty good. If I didn't have anything else to read, I'd continue, but I have a LOT of other stuff & I just find this style too irritating to continue.
March 25, 2010
Hank Thompson is a great protagonist, like a character from a Hitchcock film who's minding his own business when he becomes the victim of circumstances that spin totally out of control and change his life forever. A plot that races along and demands that you race along with it.
April 21, 2011
This is a book written by an author who set out to write something "edgy" and "hip", vowing to take noir fiction to the "next level". Not even close. The book is a nihilistic hodgepodge of drug taking, drunkenness and gratuitous violence. "A tale told by an idiot signifying nothing" is an apt description. One by one the author beats and/or kills just about every character in the book. Wow, great accomplishment, that's so rad, man.
I don't really have a problem with the violence in the book. I read a lot of mysteries and crime fiction. But the attitude of the author seems to be, "ho-hum" another beating or killing or maiming of an animal -- no big deal. In addition, rather than write something intelligent that would require some thought -- forensics, interesting plot twists, real character development or ethical dilemmas, Huston, each an every time he has a choice, opts simply for more violence. It's funny at first, but ends up just seeming incredibly amoral.
The dialogue is inane and very affected with an attempt to be hip and cool. The author has been compared to Tarantino, and I would bet, Sam Peckinpah. Ah....*no*. More like whoever did "The Fast and the Furious" or "Go" or any of the other wannabe movies that don't bother with character development, plot or insight -- just action and violence for the sake of action and violence. So many authors do what he is trying to do so much better: plot - Michael Connelly, drug and alcohol binges - George Pelacanos, street reality - Dennis Lehane, violence - Cormac McCarthy. Better to read the real authors than the wannabe copycats.
I don't really have a problem with the violence in the book. I read a lot of mysteries and crime fiction. But the attitude of the author seems to be, "ho-hum" another beating or killing or maiming of an animal -- no big deal. In addition, rather than write something intelligent that would require some thought -- forensics, interesting plot twists, real character development or ethical dilemmas, Huston, each an every time he has a choice, opts simply for more violence. It's funny at first, but ends up just seeming incredibly amoral.
The dialogue is inane and very affected with an attempt to be hip and cool. The author has been compared to Tarantino, and I would bet, Sam Peckinpah. Ah....*no*. More like whoever did "The Fast and the Furious" or "Go" or any of the other wannabe movies that don't bother with character development, plot or insight -- just action and violence for the sake of action and violence. So many authors do what he is trying to do so much better: plot - Michael Connelly, drug and alcohol binges - George Pelacanos, street reality - Dennis Lehane, violence - Cormac McCarthy. Better to read the real authors than the wannabe copycats.
February 3, 2015
There are few authors whose prose style i like as much Charlie Hustons and not because its lean style or fancy. His style remind me of noir writers like Richard Stark.
I likes this story of an average man getting caught in trouble and only reason i dont rate this novel higher is because the lead character Hank Thompson is not hardcore, noir enough for this story. I like his other series character Joe Pitt much more.
I likes this story of an average man getting caught in trouble and only reason i dont rate this novel higher is because the lead character Hank Thompson is not hardcore, noir enough for this story. I like his other series character Joe Pitt much more.
August 16, 2011
4 stars
This is my first Charlie Huston book and I am already sold. This is a straight up noir type thriller that starts fast and ends even quicker. It a story about a young man that thanks to some bad luck and bad timing gets involved with things that will change him forever.
Hank is somewhat likable but easy to identify with as we all know people who seem to have everything going their way until fate reaches up and smacks them in their face and down into humble town. I thoroughly enjoyed the gritty first person narration that gives this novel the wonderful noir feel that it has. Like most noir, this book is filled with violence, darkness, tragedy, and a lot of unresolved issues to be worked out. Huston uses a peppering of humor and wit to give his story a more complete feel.
"I start with the beer, pouring it in the sink, but the smell backs up in there and my mouth starts watering, so I change my plan.I take the whole load into the bathroom and start pouring it all into the toilet. It works great and I feel very efficient: instead of drinking
all this and pissing it back out, I've cut out the middleman. "
I loved how we the reader could feel the helplessness of Hank as he tries to deal with the out of control situations that continually ramp up the stakes and threat of death and failure. By the end of this book fate and some really bad luck has changed Hank forever...backing him into making decisions that just a short time ago that he would never dream of. Damn I found that I totally empathized with him and could see myself making such sickening choices...
Great short read in a genre that I cannot seem to get enough of. Although, I generally read sci-fi type noir books this thriller was a blast to read. I highly recommend it. On to book 2!
This is my first Charlie Huston book and I am already sold. This is a straight up noir type thriller that starts fast and ends even quicker. It a story about a young man that thanks to some bad luck and bad timing gets involved with things that will change him forever.
Hank is somewhat likable but easy to identify with as we all know people who seem to have everything going their way until fate reaches up and smacks them in their face and down into humble town. I thoroughly enjoyed the gritty first person narration that gives this novel the wonderful noir feel that it has. Like most noir, this book is filled with violence, darkness, tragedy, and a lot of unresolved issues to be worked out. Huston uses a peppering of humor and wit to give his story a more complete feel.
"I start with the beer, pouring it in the sink, but the smell backs up in there and my mouth starts watering, so I change my plan.I take the whole load into the bathroom and start pouring it all into the toilet. It works great and I feel very efficient: instead of drinking
all this and pissing it back out, I've cut out the middleman. "
I loved how we the reader could feel the helplessness of Hank as he tries to deal with the out of control situations that continually ramp up the stakes and threat of death and failure. By the end of this book fate and some really bad luck has changed Hank forever...backing him into making decisions that just a short time ago that he would never dream of. Damn I found that I totally empathized with him and could see myself making such sickening choices...
Great short read in a genre that I cannot seem to get enough of. Although, I generally read sci-fi type noir books this thriller was a blast to read. I highly recommend it. On to book 2!
September 7, 2011
Although I did enjoy the witty and somewhat comical thought processes of Huston's Hank Thompson in the beginning, the language and violence were too over-the-top as the book progressed. Having the main character constantly getting the hell beat out of him and having his closest friends killed around him did not make for the thrilling plot I was seeking when I ordered the book. Hank Thompson went from likable, to pitiful, to pathetic ... In the end Hank turned into a mastermind avenger that wasn't "caught stealing." Elaborate plots, twists and turns were replaced with unnecessary violence and language. I have definitely read much more thrilling thrillers. I didn't hate the book, but I doubt I will be reading any more of Charlie Huston.
April 12, 2009
Quick, breezy read. Violent, but in an Itchy & Scratchy kind of way. The action gets so cartoony at times, but as long as you read in the spirit of giddy violence, you'll have a good time.
While the book makes attempts to create a human element (which I cannot fault for its effort), the body count is so high and the reactions so spelled out that it never carries any weight to the reader. The reader is told what the character feels, but it comes off a little forced.
I will definitely read the next in the series, as it is a rare pleasure to read a book that makes such an effort to put fun first.
While the book makes attempts to create a human element (which I cannot fault for its effort), the body count is so high and the reactions so spelled out that it never carries any weight to the reader. The reader is told what the character feels, but it comes off a little forced.
I will definitely read the next in the series, as it is a rare pleasure to read a book that makes such an effort to put fun first.
Currently reading
September 4, 2025Reading cuz I'm watching the movie tomorrow night.
September 5, 2007
CAUGHT STEALING (Amateur Sleuth) – G+
Charlie Huston – 1st book
Ballantine Books, 2004 – Hardcover
Bartender Hank Thompson agrees to look after his neighbor’s cat, Bud, for a few days and, as a result, is beaten so badly he loses a kidney. He is chased, beaten, tortured, and friends murdered by a pair of Russians, a red-headed Asian, two brothers, and a dirty cop all because of a key found in the bottom of Bud’s carrier.
*** Many of likened this book to a Tarantino movie and I can see why. The profanity, violence and pace are unrelenting. But Hank loves his parents and does everything he can to protect Bud and it’s those bits of humanity that balance the rest. I am not a Tarantino fan, or I’m certain I’d have rated it higher, but found I couldn’t but this book down.
Charlie Huston – 1st book
Ballantine Books, 2004 – Hardcover
Bartender Hank Thompson agrees to look after his neighbor’s cat, Bud, for a few days and, as a result, is beaten so badly he loses a kidney. He is chased, beaten, tortured, and friends murdered by a pair of Russians, a red-headed Asian, two brothers, and a dirty cop all because of a key found in the bottom of Bud’s carrier.
*** Many of likened this book to a Tarantino movie and I can see why. The profanity, violence and pace are unrelenting. But Hank loves his parents and does everything he can to protect Bud and it’s those bits of humanity that balance the rest. I am not a Tarantino fan, or I’m certain I’d have rated it higher, but found I couldn’t but this book down.
December 20, 2009
I bought this when it first came out, but quickly put it aside. It was difficult for me to adjust to the punctuation. You know, dashes instead of punctuation marks. Then 'Six Bad Things' was offered as a free download on Kindle. Cheap is good, but free is better.
Download it I did. I got past the dashes and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I then looked around for Caught Stealing. I had already tossed it. So, I paid for it again, this time on Kindle, and enjoyed it.
Lastly, I bought "A Dangerous Man' to complete the trilogy.
I tried reading Charlie's vampire books, but I guess I'm just not a vampire guy.
Download it I did. I got past the dashes and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I then looked around for Caught Stealing. I had already tossed it. So, I paid for it again, this time on Kindle, and enjoyed it.
Lastly, I bought "A Dangerous Man' to complete the trilogy.
I tried reading Charlie's vampire books, but I guess I'm just not a vampire guy.
June 3, 2008
Charlie Huston has been described as "the poor man's Cormac McCarthy" and "Tarantino meets Hitchcock meets Bukowski."
All are true, this is a fucking cool book..
I'm a fan, and will continue reading Charlie Huston, though crime-noir isn't my favorite type of book. The whole time I read it, I could visualize it unfolding as a movie. The dialogue is sharp and coarse, villans devious, and story timeless. Great New York book as a bonus
All are true, this is a fucking cool book..
I'm a fan, and will continue reading Charlie Huston, though crime-noir isn't my favorite type of book. The whole time I read it, I could visualize it unfolding as a movie. The dialogue is sharp and coarse, villans devious, and story timeless. Great New York book as a bonus
March 4, 2015
He gets beat up. He gets almost killed. He gets terrorized and tortured. His CAT gets tortured. I'm too far into the book and nothing's happened besides overlong descriptions of pain. And the cat was a step too far. I will not read something with pet torture
Enough already. Didn't finish.
Enough already. Didn't finish.
August 9, 2015
Παλπ μέχρι το μεδούλι. Ταραντινικό. Μπίρες. Μπέιζμπολ. Μια γάτα. Με μουσικές Κλας, Μπλακ Σάμπαθ, Μπάρυ Γουάητ και Κέρτις Μέιφιλντ. Διαβάζ��ται μονορούφι, απολαυστικό όσο μια παγωμένη μπίρα μες στο κατακαλόκαιρο.
Read
February 16, 2025propulsive as advertised. lol that one of the antagonists is seemingly that one guy from the band len??
April 21, 2024
It turns out I had read Caught Stealing by Charlie Houston (2004) before probably about 20 years ago when it was first published. My copy of the book is a first edition hard cover that's been sitting in my basement for years...I did some research on author Charlie Houston and Caught Stealing was his first book. Since then he has become a very popular writer putting out two more books with character "Hank" Thompson, a series of vampire books, and a number of screen plays. Caught Stealing follows directionless Hank as he finds himself caught-up with some criminals tracking down $4 million in cash in Manhattan. In the process Hank gets beaten up constantly through out the book, losing a kidney and other savageries. In fact, along with a lot of action the book is very violent through-out, almost becoming absurd and approaching dark humor. Houston's prose is very good and the story moves along at a good clip...but...it does feel like a first novel through-out. The plot barely hangs together and by the end you're left wondering what the purpose of the book was. As well there are two sub-plots that really have nothing to do with the main story. That being a series of baseball games involving the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets, and a relationship Hank has with a cat. But, I stuck with the book (my second time through) because it was an easy read moving right along with a lot of action. I read that it's going to be made into a movie in 2024. They'll need to strengthen the plot-line to make it a successful film...I'd give it a 3 due to it being a first novel, but, I really feel it's a 2...yeah, 2.0 outa 5.0...
September 19, 2024
Alright is this great literature probably no, but is it solid, fast, fun & entertaining? Hell yes! The story follows Hank, unsuspecting former star ball player doing the down on his luck, going through the motions thing until he gets caught up in a scheme involving corrupt cops, Russian mobsters, other various unsavory characters, $4m & a cat. John Woo meets John Wick meets a hapless oh well I guess I’m that guy now mood as the action picks up. Think old school Guy Ritchie.
The characters are fully developed with unique quirks & personalities & the action sequences are well written & exciting!
Definitely think I’ve found a new series to indulge in!
The characters are fully developed with unique quirks & personalities & the action sequences are well written & exciting!
Definitely think I’ve found a new series to indulge in!
September 1, 2025
Not a book I think I would typically read if I knew what it was about, ended up really enjoying it. A ridiculously fast read because of non-stop action and main character running from mishap into mishap.
Don’t think I’ve ever finished a book and watched the movie within the same year, much less the same day. Excited to watch the movie in a few hours, scared to see some of the brutality that occurs in the book to be put on the big screen.
One of my dad’s favorite authors and one of his favorite books so I’m glad I got to read this from a copy he owned :’)
This is also probably the fastest I’ve read a book, it’s a relatively short book but I’ll take it!
I love reading da books!
Don’t think I’ve ever finished a book and watched the movie within the same year, much less the same day. Excited to watch the movie in a few hours, scared to see some of the brutality that occurs in the book to be put on the big screen.
One of my dad’s favorite authors and one of his favorite books so I’m glad I got to read this from a copy he owned :’)
This is also probably the fastest I’ve read a book, it’s a relatively short book but I’ll take it!
I love reading da books!
February 9, 2025
This was such a fun read.. action packed and thrilling!
August 26, 2025
Book Club Book #4. @ Dutch Courage. Wildly entertaining story with nonstop action and violence (I’ve never read anything this violent!) but not a whole lot to sink your teeth into. You can immediately tell why this was adapted to a movie. Really really liked the dialogue and the characters were all super interesting, especially Ed and Paris. Would have liked to know more about Yvonne instead of her just being a vehicle to make Hank sad. I know there’s a pretty important throughline of baseball but it felt a bit too generic for someone who seemingly cared so much about it. Regardless, excited to see how this plays out on the big screen and nice to have an easy read before diving into Pynchon next.
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August 21, 2012I found this book to be boring, repetitive and clichéd. Neither the plot nor characters were original.
First, the premise is overused. The protagonist, a bartender, is beaten one night for unknown reasons by two guys who are obviously Russian Mob. Despite the fact that we later learn they do know who he is and do want something from him they never initially ask him any questions. Why?
The first half of the book is the bartender being beaten. 100 pages of the main character being beaten, trying to mend his wounds, being beaten, going to a drugstore to get supplies, being beaten, getting his friends killed or hurt, being beaten, going to a doctor then a drugstore etc. etc. The story does not advance, all we know is that the villains want something he has but in all 100 pages we are never given any hints as to why.
The second half of the book is a little better with less repetition. But any well-read reader will be writing the book along with the author because the action and the characters are so clichéd.
Too much of the book is filler: memories, dreams, conversations that do not advance the plot and do very little to round out the main character. They tell the reader nothing of what's going to happen next. There is no foreshadowing. The scenes and conversations are too long and pointless.
It felt as if the author sat down and made a list of what he thought belonged in a "cool" story and came up with a series of clichéd elements:
The villains: Russian mob, an Asian who dies his hair bright red, two black hoodlums and a corrupt cop.
The language: the same overused “urban drug-world hipster” lingo we hear in every second/third generation script or novel.
The violence: violence for violence sake.
The music: too many scenes are defined by what's on the CD player.
The present tense: why do writers think this makes the action edgy? Only TV journalists and documentarians talk in the present tense. Past tense is always a better choice because it gives the reader the feel that the events of the story might really have happened.
A blurb on the back of the book compares this novel to THE MALTESE FALCON. That’s like comparing TWILIGHT to DRACULA.
First, the premise is overused. The protagonist, a bartender, is beaten one night for unknown reasons by two guys who are obviously Russian Mob. Despite the fact that we later learn they do know who he is and do want something from him they never initially ask him any questions. Why?
The first half of the book is the bartender being beaten. 100 pages of the main character being beaten, trying to mend his wounds, being beaten, going to a drugstore to get supplies, being beaten, getting his friends killed or hurt, being beaten, going to a doctor then a drugstore etc. etc. The story does not advance, all we know is that the villains want something he has but in all 100 pages we are never given any hints as to why.
The second half of the book is a little better with less repetition. But any well-read reader will be writing the book along with the author because the action and the characters are so clichéd.
Too much of the book is filler: memories, dreams, conversations that do not advance the plot and do very little to round out the main character. They tell the reader nothing of what's going to happen next. There is no foreshadowing. The scenes and conversations are too long and pointless.
It felt as if the author sat down and made a list of what he thought belonged in a "cool" story and came up with a series of clichéd elements:
The villains: Russian mob, an Asian who dies his hair bright red, two black hoodlums and a corrupt cop.
The language: the same overused “urban drug-world hipster” lingo we hear in every second/third generation script or novel.
The violence: violence for violence sake.
The music: too many scenes are defined by what's on the CD player.
The present tense: why do writers think this makes the action edgy? Only TV journalists and documentarians talk in the present tense. Past tense is always a better choice because it gives the reader the feel that the events of the story might really have happened.
A blurb on the back of the book compares this novel to THE MALTESE FALCON. That’s like comparing TWILIGHT to DRACULA.
July 3, 2025
Book Review – Written on a Hospital Notepad
By: H.T. (I think?)
Title: Caught Stealing
Author: Charlie Huston
Just finished this book they left on my bedside table. Don’t know who gave it to me—nurse said “someone who thought you’d relate.” Cute.
It’s called Caught Stealing. And man, it’s a punch to the gut. Starts off normal enough—some down-on-his-luck guy just trying to mind his business in New York. Used to play ball, drinks too much, carries some ghosts around. Sounds like half the guys I used to know. Then—BAM—he’s suddenly in the middle of this blood-soaked mess, getting shot at, beat up, and framed for things he didn’t even know existed a few days earlier.
I swear, every time he stood up, someone knocked him down harder. By the end I wasn’t sure whether I admired him or pitied him. Probably both. It’s got this grime to it—not just dirt-under-the-nails noir, but real pain. Like the author knew what it’s like to get your ribs cracked and not remember how.
Thing is… I kept getting this feeling while reading it. Déjà vu. Like I’d lived parts of it. Street names I recognised. Bars I could smell. Hell, even the injuries felt familiar—like my body remembered them before my brain caught up.
Anyway, it’s good. Brutal, but good. Just hope that poor bastard gets a break in the next book, if he makes it that far.
Now if someone could tell me why my spleen hurts and who the hell left me a cat…
—H.T.
(Room 4B, St. Luke’s—maybe?)
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