The Snatchers / Clean Break (the Killing)

by Lionel White

Book Overview

Johnny Clay, an ex-con determined to strike it rich, has worked out a foolproof scheme to knock off a racetrack payroll. Two million bucks should be enough to last him a lifetime or two. But a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1944520198
• ISBN13: 9781944520199
• Release Date: January 2017
• Publisher: Stark House Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Did clean break make a killing?

"Copyright (c.)1955 by Lionel White. THE KILLING was originally published under the title CLEAN BREAK." The book, THE KILLING (c. 1988) by Lionel White, is a tightly written 155 page 'caper' novel that combined several personal stories together leading to a slightly anti-climatic ending, all into eleven short chapters.The author, Lionel White, must be credited for originating the non-linear story telling technique he used for the interplay of several disparate characters cooperating succesfully for a two million dollar robbery of a racetrack, during a major sweepstakes race, in broad daylight.Surprisingly well written and containing an articulate but streetwise writing-style, THE KILLING is the story of thirty-six year old career criminal Johnny Clay, who conjured-up in his mind a race track robbery during his four year stint in prison for larceny, and while out on parole, placed his theory into practice. Recruiting five key 'inside' figures to pull off his heist, Johnny Clay then sub-contracted three professional hoods, outside of his amateur entourage, to perform necessary and unique diversions. Johnny Clay's inner circle included: George Peatty, a track cashier; Big Mike, race club bartender; Marvin Unger, a court stenographer with important connections; and Randy Kennan, city police officer and life-long friend of Johnny.The out-of-sequence, anti-structure idea of THE KILLING began in chapter eight, as Johnny Clay recruited Nikki, a hit man, who would shoot the lead race horse, 'Black Lightening', from a parking lot in his MG, using a 30.06 scoped rifle with silencer, and after the lot attendent brought him a program, the bit of suspense would end as Nikki drove off the lot, unharmed, mission accomplished. Then again it dropped back in time as Johnny Clay hired Tex, a thug of a boxer, who then created a diversion at the bar, drawing away several Pinkertons from the 'Private Door' Johnny must enter, by slapping the bartender, Big Mike, in the face before the shooting and then getting clubbed into submission after creating a minor disturbance. Then another retrograde instance as Johnny Clay recruited a youth named Maurice Cohen, a skinny ex-con and ex-running back, to divert the police, and whoever else would follow Johnny out the Private Door once Johnny himself completed the two million dollar cash stick-up; so Johnny could do a quick change en route and melt into a hysterical crowd caused by the horse shooting. The logical plan went like clockwork as each key inside figure played out their role: Big Mike placed a flower box containing a .45 cal Thompson Submachine gun, 'the chopper', into a locker then nonchalantly goes back to work at the bar. George Peatty also nonchalantly unlocked the Private Door from the inside, then simply went back to his ticket window, his small but important part completed. Then Johnny entered the opened Private Door unnoticed during Tex's barroom brawl, ran upstairs to the employees locker room, took the flo