Pop. 1280

By: Jim Thompson

Narrated by: John McLain

This classic southern noir follows the seemingly dim-witted small-town sherriff Nick Corey as his bid for re-election takes him down a path of lies, manipulation, and deception.

Nick Corey is a terrible sheriff on purpose. He doesn't solve problems, enforce rules or arrest criminals. He knows that nobody in tiny Potts County actually wants to follow the law and he is perfectly content lazing about, eating five meals a day, and sleeping with all the eligible women.

Still, Nick has some very complex problems to deal with. Two local pimps have been sassing him, ruining his already tattered reputation. His girlfriend Rose is being terrorized by her husband. And then, there's his wife and her brother Lenny who won't stop troubling Nick's already stressed mind. Are they a little too close for a brother and a sister?

With an election coming up, Nick needs to fix his problems and fast. Because the one thing Nick does know is that he will do anything to stay sheriff. Because, as it turns out, Sheriff Nick Corey is not nearly as dumb as he seems.

In Pop. 1280, widely regarded as a classic of mid-20th century crime, Thompson offered up one of his best, in a tale of lust, murder, and betrayal in the Deep South that was the basis for the critically acclaimed French film Coup de Torchon.

Top Notch

John McLain's performance elevates what is already one of Thompson's best, if not his very best. He captures the tone so perfectly, making the darkly comic material come to life even more than it does on the page. I loved this listen.

4.23 stars.......offensive and good

This won't be an audiobook for anyone who is easily offended. It's an old style, country noir, and it's pretty entertaining. The narrator does a nice job of capturing the voice of the sociopathic sheriff the story revolves around. If you don't mind some crude humor and aren't offended easily, this book is probably for you. I'll surely look into more of Thompson's works in the future.

Overall rating: 4.23 stars

Guffawed out loud

The delightfully flawed main character brings to mind Harry Flashman, of the infamous Flashman Papers — a racist, misogynistic, narcissistic liar who is nonetheless a highly entertaining spinner of yarns.

Perfect narration! This is what Im looking for..

Pop. 1280 is my benchmark for audiobooks. I love when the narration and story are so well actualized. Amazing "sympatico" makes this Audible title much greater than the sum of its parts.

very nice surprise

Great Book! May want to turn the narration to 1.25 to 1.4 speed on this one. His drawl is very, very, very slow.