Crime 101

A Novella

By: Don Winslow

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 2 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

A string of high-level jewel heists up and down the Pacific Coast Highway has gone unsolved for years, mostly because the perpetrator has lived by a strict code he calls “Crime 101”. Police attribute the thefts to the Colombian cartels. But Detective Lou Lubesnick’s gut says it’s the work of just one man. Now the lone-wolf jewel thief is looking for that fabled final last score, and Lou breaks all the rules of "Crime 101".

©2021 Don Winslow (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Love Don Winslow!

Great little story but too short! Loved the cop, loved the theif. Would love to see these characters again.
Highly recommend. Off now to watch a Steve McQueen movie...

Awesome 2-hour novella!

Awesome 2-hour novella by author Don Winslow, narrated by the great Ray Porter. "Crime 101" is a short story about a string of high-level jewel heists up and down the Pacific Coast Highway that have gone unsolved for more than 10 years, mostly because the perpetrator has lived by a strict code he calls “Crime 101”. Police attribute the thefts to the Colombian cartels, but San Diego Police Detective Lou Lubesnick thinks it’s the work of just one man. Invigorating tale of a police detective's hunt for a very smart and thorough jewel thief. Narrator Ray Porter could read the obituary of a newspaper page and make it a worthwhile listen!

Formula perfection

Another schlub of a white male detective, with a paunch and marital woes, doggedly pursuing a thief. Another refined thief with a methodical plan and a taste for the finer things. The characters, plot, and dialogue would fit right in with any number of 80s TV episodes or with the classic 70s movies and Steve McQueen references contained herein.

But, that ain't a bad thing at all. In a 2 hr novella, I want to get straight to the buttery popcorn goodness. This crime kernal is perfection, delivering all the best tropes in a tight, engaging listen. Fade to black scenes, TV level violence, an profanity free, this novella doesn't rely on shock value to sell the story...
just good ole classic cop vs. criminal.

Another great Don Winslow tale.

Don Winslow is IMHO the best crime writer out there today. He really knows how to spin a story and Ray Porter is one of the best narrators in the game. No wonder Don picked him for so many of his books. Crime 101 is a novella about the cat and mouse of a master jewel thief and a police detective in Southern California. I found it to be exciting and well paced with a satisfying finish. I really enjoyed it and you will too.

Damb Good!!!

It's not woke like Don Winslow's most recent novels...it's a great 2 hour listen and will keep you captivated.

Really enjoyed.

I loved this book like I love women and like Davis loves the 101. Solid.

Don Winslow 101

Don Winslow does it again. If you read one Don Winslow you’ll read one more - you’re hooked. I know because I am too. He writes like life flows - smoothly. One moment after another, without interruption. I can’t get enough.

Another engrossing Winslow read

4.5 of 5 stars.

Winslow delivers a lot of story telling and character development in a 2 hour audible. There are a couple of coincidences that drive the resolution towards a tidy ending, but then, not entirely impossible. Winslow's prose and ability to draw the listener in is top notch. Very few authors can repackage the cliches of the criminal who will retire after "one more heist" and the newly-divorced detective "married to his work" into something fresh and page-turn worthy. Winslow is one of the best.

Ray Porter, as always, is excellent.

To Catch a Thief

Fast paced novella about a jewel thief who commits the perfect string of heists and the tenacious detective trying to track him down. The thief always makes sure to follow the strict rules of Crime 101 while always centering his activities around California's fabled Highway 101.

Don Winslow has crafted an almost perfect novella here. The obvious problem is that it's too short. This would have been a great full length novel. Especially since Winslow would have made Highway 101 a full fledged character, as he has done with his locales in other books.

One other problem. Neither the thief nor the cop believes in coincidence. "Crime 101: There's a word for a man who believes in coincidence: the defendant." Winslow repeats that statement several times. And yet coincidence plays a big role in the story -- not so totally as to be a fatal error, but perhaps if this was a full length novel, Winslow could have gotten to the same place without relying on one chance happenstance.

Ray Porter as always does a great job voicing Winslow. I haven't read Winslow in print, but I can't imagine a better way to capture his writer's voice than Porter's narration.

Pitch perfect!

This was a very entertaining tale. And it was told in the area. I am very familiar with. Southern California, and all the beaches and Highway 101. A good story with a satisfying ending… What more could you ask for?