Dan BilefskyThe Last Job - "The Bad Grandpas" and the Hatton Garden Heist

Mr. Bilefsky did justice to this why-dunnit tale about aged criminals taking one last stab at fame and (mis)fortune. Brilliantly written, the book is based on impeccable and exhaustive research. This is escapism at its best. If you like crime fiction, read this. It would be criminal not to.

Interesting story, but a better writer and less sloppy editor would have made all the difference. On page 82 Collins drives a "distinctive black Mercedes with its white roof". On the very next page the car is just white, but by page 119 it has become a "white Mercedes E200 with a black roof". Jeez . . . even a colorblind author and editor should have been able to get that one right.I could go on, but any reader above the age of ten should have no problem compiling a long list of discrepancies and contradictions.NYT journalists are world-famous for embracing a postmodernist definition of truth. I guess that explains it.

I was misled by thinking that an experienced journalist would write well, portray character and context objectively and benefit from thoughtful analysis, research and editing.Mr. Bilefsky appears to have remained awestruck by superficial contact with a criminal environment where the Bad are identified by use of four letter words (but accurately negative assessment of each other) and the Good through the wearing ties with eagles (while combining the attributes of both a "would-be" physicist and Hercule Poirot).

This is the story of how seven aging '"retired" criminals staged a burglary of a London bas.ed safe deposit company. That part of the book that describes the thieves and how they accomplished the heist is very interesting. The section of the book that describes how the police caught the burglars, their trials and prison time is much less compelling because the bios of the "bad" guys are better subjects, A dramatis personae would have been very helpful The book contains many photos of the characters and places frequentd by the aging burglars,

A decent read. It drags a bit in a few places, like the trial, but it is an interesting story that almost gives the reader he or she is understanding the crooks, or what they are up to. It does reinforce my impression of the criminal class in the United Kingdom. (I am an American and my impression may be purely prejudice).