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113th out of 118 books
—
70 voters
Dope Thief
by
Dennis Tafoya (Goodreads Author)
Ray and his best friend, Manny, close ever since they met in juvie almost twenty years ago, have a great scam going: With a couple of fake badges and some DEA windbreakers they found at a secondhand store, they pose as federal agents and rip off small-time drug dealers, taking their money and drugs and disappearing before anyone is the wiser. It’s the perfect sting: the de...more
Hardcover, 291 pages
Published
May 2009
by Minotaur Books
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Dennis Tafoya’s Dope Thief presents a reviewer with problems: How to praise the book adequately, without giving away the fundamental surprise that makes it so worthwhile?
I don’t know how to do that, so I will limit myself to comments about Dope Thief that have more to do with the mechanics and art of it, and not the story. About the story I’ll limit my comments to these: you will not be disappointed, period. It is fast paced, lots of turns, surprises, relationships, danger, reality. Everything i...more
I don’t know how to do that, so I will limit myself to comments about Dope Thief that have more to do with the mechanics and art of it, and not the story. About the story I’ll limit my comments to these: you will not be disappointed, period. It is fast paced, lots of turns, surprises, relationships, danger, reality. Everything i...more
DOPE THIEF is essentially two tales – one of pure balls-to-the-wall, all out adrenaline noir, the other a quiet unassuming suburban-like cozy noir made for book lovers. Ray, one half of the sting duet features in both acts, firstly as a methodical hardened criminal accustomed to strong arm tactics, and lastly as a man trying to win his way back into society using money for good and making recompense for past discretions.
I love the concept of thieves imitating DEA agents to raid drug houses. The...more
I love the concept of thieves imitating DEA agents to raid drug houses. The...more
This book's premise is great. Dope fiends posing as cops ripping off dope dealers – excellent. I found it at my local Goodwill in the $1.99 hardback section and was totally stoked. The title: Dope Thief jumped out at me, and for the most part the book delivers. Dennis Tafoya's characters are vivid, and well formed. His plot is believable, intriguing, and at times gripping. Yet, unfortunately Tafoya gets a little caught up in trying to weave a back-story for his protagonist that really, if it had...more
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PROTAGONIST: Ray and Manny, ex cons
SETTING: Philadelphia
SERIES: Debut
RATING: 4.5
WHY: Ray and Manny met 20 years ago in juvenile prison. They've created a great scam where they impersonate DEA agents and rob low-level drug dealers of their stash and cash, no violence required. Of course, it's only a matter of time before a job goes out of control. After it does, and bad drug kingpins are looking for them, Ray experiences an ephiphany and goes on a redemptive journey to combat the futility of his...more
SETTING: Philadelphia
SERIES: Debut
RATING: 4.5
WHY: Ray and Manny met 20 years ago in juvenile prison. They've created a great scam where they impersonate DEA agents and rob low-level drug dealers of their stash and cash, no violence required. Of course, it's only a matter of time before a job goes out of control. After it does, and bad drug kingpins are looking for them, Ray experiences an ephiphany and goes on a redemptive journey to combat the futility of his...more
This story opens by introducing us to two friends who make their living posing as DEA agents with the purpose of robbing dealers of their cash and their 'product'. They're very good at it too. But, sometimes, even Lady Luck has a way of saying 'f*$k you', and then even the best laid plans can go tragically up in smoke.
Okay. It's simple and predictable, right? You know exactly where this is going, right? Wrong. While it is true that these two do make a big mistake and steal from someone they shou...more
Okay. It's simple and predictable, right? You know exactly where this is going, right? Wrong. While it is true that these two do make a big mistake and steal from someone they shou...more
Tafoya’s tale of lowlife despair and redemption in the Philadelphia area is an impressive debut and a potential future classic (if not this book than the next one). His writing is very much in the tradition of Pelecanos, Lehane, and Price, an accolade he deserves rather than it merely being shorthand for East Coast grittiness. He is a strong writer who has taken many of their strengths to heart and used it to map out his own territory. This is in the story of a low rung participant in the Philly...more
My book, coming from St. Martin's Minotaur in May. Hope you enjoy it!
1 like · like · see review
A good first novel. It hits the ground running and through the first two-thirds, it has a pace and story that is consistently strong. It just couldn't find the ending.
While I can see what the author was trying to do, the story ends at about pages 200 and the book ends closer to 300. Rather than tell two stories concurrently and retain the momentum, he tells two stories consecutively, the slower story second. It makes for an unsatisfying end, as the end of the book is what you are left with.
I'll...more
While I can see what the author was trying to do, the story ends at about pages 200 and the book ends closer to 300. Rather than tell two stories concurrently and retain the momentum, he tells two stories consecutively, the slower story second. It makes for an unsatisfying end, as the end of the book is what you are left with.
I'll...more
I've been lucky with the latest books I've read, as they were all pretty good reads.
This book starts out with a great story line - 2 druggies rip off drug dealers, using some old DEA windbreakers and badges they picked up at a yard sale. It's a quick read (at least it was for me, but aren't they all?) and held my attention pretty much the entire way through.
I'm not saying it's the read of the year, but if you've got the time, it's a good one to read.
This book starts out with a great story line - 2 druggies rip off drug dealers, using some old DEA windbreakers and badges they picked up at a yard sale. It's a quick read (at least it was for me, but aren't they all?) and held my attention pretty much the entire way through.
I'm not saying it's the read of the year, but if you've got the time, it's a good one to read.
Dope Thief is easily one of the best books I've read this year, a remarkable combination of action and dread, brains and heart, with everything I look for in great crime fiction, and more. While the "mystery" on the cover is certainly a misnomer, there is mystery within it, as well as a great plot and characters that live and breathe and suffer and change and stay with you long after you have put the book down. An excellent read.
I couldn't stop reading this novel. It has been days since I finished it, and it still resonates with me. The out of control actions of the main characters, then their scramble to save themselves, and a beyond touching turn of events make this a highly recommended read. Add in great imagery, and action packed drama laced with guns and dope, and you've got the makings of greatness. Don't miss it!
Don't be fooled by the words "A Mystery" on the front cover, or the adjectives "noir" and "fast-paced" on the back. This is as tender and subtle a portrait of a criminal mind I've ever seen. Effortlessly beautiful and heartfelt, even as the bullets fly and the wounds open. If In Cold Blood was set in a meth lab, and written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, you'd have DopeThief.
I couldn't go beyond a 3 star for this book regardless of its high rating here and on Amazon. The first part of the book was slow, then it became non-stop action which I found page turning, but then the last part of the book felt like an immense let down to me. I felt no closure from the main drama and the ending was somewhat disappointing to me. Had the book continued with the fast pace and had a climactic ending, who knows? This book has movie potential but the last 1/4 of the book would have...more
I wish, for both my sake and the author's, that this book hadn't been published at nearly the same time as Beat the Reaper. The premise is fantastic, but the execution, for the majority of the book, I found lacking. I can't help but think that if I hadn't loved Pietro so much, I would have found Ray more endearing.
Not at all what I expected. Especiallyfrom the blurbs about the book. Yes, it's very hard-boiled. Yes, it's a thrill packed ride. Yes, it's gritty and explosive and graphic. But it goes in such an unexpected way at the end - light and hope and redemption at the end of the long road. The more I think about this book, the more I like it.
Disclaimer: the author is on my friends list and performs a similar function in real life. But both these things came to pass after a mutual friend sent me a galley of "Dope Thief" to read. This is the real thing, hard core Noir the way many attempt and few achieve.
while it took about half the book to achieve that "I can't put it down" feeling, it did finally come then. Pretty interesting summer reading about down-and-out guys who steal from small-time dealers. While at times dark and hopeless, redemption and hope reign. Well done.
I did not enjoy the first 200 pages of this book, which were about two losers ripping off drug dealers. Yet, the book turned interesting when one of the losers meets someone special, sees the light, and rejoins humanity in a robust way.
I read the kindle version and sombody did a poor job of editing. I gave it a 4.5. The action is great and the story of redemption is very good.
I found the ending a bit too hollywood and the character of the supporting actors a bit lacking. I wish he would have done a little more development of Manny and Michelle. Overall a good start for a new novel. I plan to read the second one. Thanks Bob for the heads up.
I found the ending a bit too hollywood and the character of the supporting actors a bit lacking. I wish he would have done a little more development of Manny and Michelle. Overall a good start for a new novel. I plan to read the second one. Thanks Bob for the heads up.
If you like Dennis Lehane or George Pelecanos, you're going to love Dennis Tafoya. Fantastic characters and a plot that was simultaneously easy to follow and impossible to anticipate. Read this book!
Wow -- this is terrific. A very quick read, but not in a junk-food sort of way. Thoughtful, nuanced and surprising. Not my usual genre really, but I'm so glad I read it.
A brilliant first novel by a writer who is certainly going to continue hitting them out of the park. Smart, gritty, funny, sad, dangerous and superb.
Such a great book! Set in and around Doyelstown (where I live) but should be a pleasure for anyone. Suspensful, from the heart, and totally engrossing.
Excellent. Read a while ago and enjoyed it. If you like a good crime story check it out...
Violent...hardcore...and a smart ass main character = right up my alley...Plus, it's always a nice change of pace to pull for the bad (vs. the 'badder') guy.
A hard hitting crime novel that starts like a rocket and doesn't stop until..
"Everyone was high. Everyone was stupid. Everyone had guns."
Mar 15, 2010
W3IRD GIRL!!!! :D
marked it as to-read
i like the desgin and my friend told me bout this so i want to read this :)
A rare combination of taut action, gritty detail, and poignant heart.
Sep 04, 2010
Ladiibbug
marked it as wish-list
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Dennis Tafoya is the author of two crime novels, Dope Thief and The Wolves in Fairmount Park, both from St. Martin’s, as well as numerous short stories. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the International Thriller Writers, and the Liars Club, a Philadelphia-area group of writers, producers and other creative types. He lives in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where he is currently at work...more
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