King Con - Stephen J Cannell byBuoy

One of the very first audiobooks I ever listened to in 1998, it was a big part of what got me hooked on listening to books.

Conman extraordinaire Beano Bates and his beautiful, unlikely partner, District Attorney Victoria Hart, join forces to engineer a multi-million-dollar scam designed to bring down a powerful mob boss and his clan.

Interview with Stephen J. Cannell :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKs9PfZyKzk




Amazon.com Review

Using the same mixture of action, charm, and believable characters that made his television series like The Rockford Files so much fun, Stephen J. Cannell has come up with a thriller that's as bright and breezy as a day at the beach. Ace grifter Beano X. Bates and his extended family make a nice living conning folks out of their savings with scams like "The Most Valuable Dog in the World." But when a New Jersey mobster named Joe Rina puts him in the hospital, Beano is out for massive revenge. With the help of a harried but sexy female prosecutor, the Bates family pulls off a series of consummate cons that leap to life from the printed page. Cannell's last thriller, Final Victim, is available in paperback.



From Library Journal
New Jersey mobsters Tommy and Joe Rina kill the star witness in the state's case against them, and "King Con" Beano X. Bates plots revenge in the form of an elaborate "sting." Aiding him is former New Jersey prosecutor Victoria Hart, prim, upstanding, and dedicated, who's drawn into the sting unwillingly, then takes glee in committing felonies and telling lies right and left. Screen- and TV writer Cannell's second novel (following Final Victim, LJ 4/15/96) is pure delight; its well-developed plot line has nice detours here and there so the reader cannot quite foresee the conclusion. The entire Bates family, criminals all, are wonderful characters, and although some of the action is far-fetched and the sting dialog gets boring in its technicality, the wry humor will keep readers enthralled. Great summer reading for all libraries.

Reader Review
Fun, fun, fun page turner for those who love to read about grifters and con artists. In the prologue the best con artist in the US cheats a number of people at cards, including a mobster, who beats him nearly to death afterward (an act which is totally contrary to the way the character is depicted throughout the rest of the book, but oh well). After a number of convolutions, the lovable con artist and the local DA team up to run a huge con to take out the mobster and his psychopathic brother. The characters are all cardboard, but its fun to read along and watch the author shuffle them around and spin a good story. Of course, Cannell knows that the details make the story, and this book is chock full of grifter tricks and cons which are a delight.

Reader Review
I bought this book with a half-hearted interest. Never one to gamble, I just didn't see a connection to the topic. From the first chapter, I was hooked, I could not put the book down (read it in one afternoon). The lead character, Beano Bates, is so well written you find yourself in the middle of this Con. If you love a fast paced read with lots of twists and turns, this book is for you.





Book Details
• Hardcover: 407 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688147763
• ISBN-13: 978-0688147761