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The Agent
  
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The Agent (Paperback)

by George V. Higgins (Author)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: No Exit Press (10 Jan 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 190198284X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1901982848
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,133,962 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

A once brilliant career is now in the decline for Alexander Drouhin, the central character of George V Higgins' The Agent, a slangy novel of the US sports scene's less than moral underside. His underlings at what was for a while the sharpest sports agency in town are worried that his flair is gone, that he is losing them big names and failing to get new ones; above all, they are worried that his recent coming out as gay will lead to a homophobic reaction from the clients that they do still have. In a powerful opening section, we get to appreciate Drouhin as a rogue who knows how to do things--he bails out a young footballer who has been drinking on the wrong side of town. And then, suddenly, he is dead, with a hole in his head the size of a baseball; Lt Francis Clay, one of Higgins' savvy political cops, has to find the answer and knows that it will come through talking and talking until the facts of Drouhin's death fall into place... As always, Higgins scores here through his brilliant command of contemporary American idiom; this is a book in which conversation does most of the work, and does it with scabrous charm. --Roz Kaveney

Synopsis

Lieutenant Francis Clay is drawn into a sleazy cut-throat world obsessed with money, fame and power when successful sports agent Alexander Drouhin is murdered. A crime novel from the author of A CHANGE OF GRAVITY and WONDERFUL YEARS, WONDERFUL YEARS.
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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Typical Higgins - very talky thriller, 11 Mar 2002
By Peter Fenelon - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Higgins characters do one thing more than any other and that's talk - he is an absolute master of dialogue and perhaps even more so a master of monologue. "The Agent" contains many soliloquies on how corrupt the US sports scene is, on the corruption in many smalltown police forces, and generally on the dark side of truth, justice and the American way.

But Higgins was also a wonderful plotter - and this is one of his tighter novels, the tale of a murdered sports agent and the circumstances surrounding his death.

Alex Drouhin dominates the book, even after his murder. Frank Clay never quite comes alive - he seems to react to the other characters, but as far as plot's concerned it's all resolved satisfactorily in the end.

Good but not Higgins' best - "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" or "Outlaws" are slightly stronger.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Sport and Crime in the Mix, 21 April 2001
By A Customer
George V. Higgins was one of America's most highly praised crime writers, a real writer's writer, who specialized in portraying the darker side of picturesque New England, especially the City of Boston. Sadly, Higgins died in 1999.

This novel, centring as it does on the world of Big League American sport is far more than a routine detective novel. It is no less than a critique of a whole system, where middle men play for millions of dollars on behalf of clients who are the superstars of US pro sports in American football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey.

When one of the biggest of the agents in shot dead, Lieutenant Clay of the Massachusetts State Police has no shortage of suspects.

I enjoyed this novel though it never really ignited into flames of excitement for me. Having said that, if I come across any other Higgins books, I would definitely give them a look.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Better , but still relatively disappointing., 30 July 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Agent (Hardcover)
Looks like everyone's been a fan since "Friends of Eddie Coyle". Problem is, since say,"Cogan's Trade", the dialogue has so far outstripped the narrative that the plots are hard to follow, and, even more importantly, the conclusion is left up in the air. That's a real problem with this effort, too. Narrative returns, but exits shortly thereafter. And it seems like Higgins gets to the last chapter and decides, "I'd better finish this right now." Nevertheless, I always look forward to a new Higgins book. ("Swan Boats at Four" is a definite exception). Maybe it's the Woody Allen phenomenon: I keep hoping Woody will be funny again, and that George will write another "Eddie".
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars no good
this was a no good book. the plot runs through in like one chapter when the author all of a sudden tries to make it happen. it just doesn't work
Published on 13 Jun 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars Higgons adopts unusual narrative structure
The Agent by George Higgins is a curate's egg. As those of you familiar with Higgins' work will know, his speciality is description through conversation. Read more
Published on 20 Mar 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Higgins at his best-again!
I have been a fan of George V.Higgins since "The Friends of Eddie Coyle." I have a copy of every book he's written, including two really hard to obtain books,... Read more
Published on 7 Mar 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars The Agent is a great introduction to Higgins work.
I'm a long time fan of Higgins' work and I don't think that The Agent is the best of the batch. But that's not to say that it is not a very good book. Read more
Published on 1 Feb 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific novel
I'm not a sports fan, but I found this book enthralling, well-written and generally terrific. Higgins spends a lot of time on the sports world as seen through agents' eyes, and... Read more
Published on 23 Jan 1999

2.0 out of 5 stars A treatise on sports agency disguised as a murder mystery.
I was very disappointed with this book. The majority of the story was a description of the trials and tribulations of a high flying sports agent and his insufferable clients and... Read more
Published on 14 Jan 1999

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