The Winter of Frankie Machine

By: Don Winslow

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Frank Machianno is a late-middle-aged ex-surf bum who runs a bait shack on the San Diego waterfront. An affable Italian with a love of people and life, he's a stand-up businessman, devoted father, and a beloved fixture in the community.

He's also a hit man - specifically, a retired hit man. Back in the day, when he was one of the most feared members of the West Coast Mafia, he was known as Frankie Machine. Frank consigned his Mob ties to the past years ago, which is where he wants them to stay. But a favor being called in now by the local boss is one Frank can't refuse, and soon he's sucked back into the treacherous currents of his former life. Someone from the past wants him dead. He has to figure out who and why, and he has to do it fast.

©2006 Don Winslow (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Elmore Leonard fans who have not yet discovered Winslow will be delighted by his fourth thriller....Winslow has created plausible characters and taut scenes of suspense that will keep readers turning pages." (Publishers Weekly)

Great story

Great dialogue and well read. Outstanding character development. This was my second book from Mr Winslow, who is becoming one of my favorite authors.

Underrated Gangster Masterpiece

I was completely blown away by this story and the narration.
Old school - just completely and lovingly old school stuff.
I felt transported - and I just fell in love with Frankie.
This was a smooth and entertaining listen - really underrated book.
One of the best gangster books I've listened to.

Fantastic!

The build-up is perfect and then constant action, really great book. Narration was also excellent.

Started slow and became fast

It’s nice the way Don ties it all together in an entertaining way. Starts in the past and finishes in the present.

Zen and the Art of Surfing and

Don Winslow is a total guilty pleasure. I think the cliché that there are only seven basic stories needs to be expanded to include reluctant former mobster assassins who surf. I love how the late 2000s brought some pretty amazing surfing/slacker crime fiction. You've got Winslow's 'The Winter of Frankie Machine' and 'The Dawn Patrol', Pynchon's 'Inherent Vice', obviously 'the Big Lebowski' (which isn't technically in the early 2000s and is more of a bowling slacker flick than a surfing slacker flick, but details). Anyway, these are all children of Chandler and the 60s. And they all speak to my need for the beach and revenge. Having worked in a bait shop myself (during a college summer) I can totally relate to the Zen nature of selling worms. There is something zen about both surfing and fishing. it reminds me of an old Utne reader article I read awhile back:

"I remember listening to a dharma talk five years ago by one of my favorite teachers, Ajahn Amaro, a witty British monk in the Thai Forest tradition who lives in a humble hut in the Mendocino Forest in Northern California. He used a surfing metaphor to explain samsara, the endless cycle of birth and death. The Ajahn laughed as he talked about the ridiculousness of surfers.

They struggle to paddle through the crashing surf in search of their perfect wave. But when they finally catch one, they get a fleeting rush of adrenaline, get shoved underwater, come up breathless, and then struggle to get back out again for another round. This, he said, is dukkha-suffering."

The same can be said of fishing and probably mob killing. So it goes.

A great story, very fun.

I liked this story because it was fast moving, and had flawed characters that were interesting.

Great crime story.

Bad language

The story didn't grab me and I didn't want to continue listening because of the bad language. Getting harder to find clean books.

Winslow's Best

This is my favorite of Winslow's. Don't care for anything that Oliver Stone thought he had to film (Savages). This one's fun and clever.

One of the best...

...audio books I have ever experienced. (I spent a week in San Diego this past autumn and loved the connection between my vacation memories and the setting of this story.) This book does not romanticize Mafia life. The author avoids applying any glamor to organized crime, yet manages to give the criminal characters a measure of dignity and appeal. The writing and narration of this book are excellent. I loved every minute of this story and hated the fact that it had to end. The characters are down to earth real, gifted with virtues as well as plagued by flaws. Frankie's story starts slowly, but it soon explodes into action, forcing him to use his smarts and his skills in order to survive and to discover the source of the threat to his life. Despite the growing tension, there is plenty of humor, especially in Frankie's reflections on life and on the people he encounters. I particularly enjoyed the ever increasing number of surprises as the story progressed, especially the ending, which was very satisfying. There was only one weak spot, the brief role Frankie's mistress played near the end of the story. Her behavior and the reasons for it didn't seem to fit this story. Perhaps the mistress's appearance at this point was an afterthought, or a means to make other segments of the ending workable. I can't get into details without dumping spoilers on those who are reading this review. Maybe this small detail bothered only me. It certainly didn't ruin the story. This is one book I will listen to again, and soon, and one that I will recommend to my friends.

awesome

Would you listen to The Winter of Frankie Machine again? Why?

Yes, i will listen to this again, enjoyed the narration of a nice story.
I felt that there were some plot holes, nothing that was too bad. The characters were very enjoyable and well brought to life here.

Any additional comments?

enjoyable use of my credit