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Four for the Money
In the penitentiary back East, there were four of us slated for parole. And we had plenty more on our minds than just freedom. We had a plan. If it worked, it would be the first time a successful heist had ever been pulled in this gambling town - a town where every cop had eyes in the back of his head and a hand on his gun 24 hours a day. There were a couple of snags - like the fact that we hated one another's guts, and the fact that a casino girl named Nancy was bugging me to get out and go straight. But I was locked into the plan, because if something went wrong, a Nevada prison - by reputation no rest cure - was preferable to having the other three guys looking for me as the pigeon who had made it go wrong.
- GenresCrime
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
9 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Dan J. Marlowe
87 books37 followersaka Albert Avellano, Jaime Sandaval, Gar Wilson (house name)
Dan J. Marlowe was a middle-aged businessman who, in the personal turmoil after the death of his wife of many years, decided to abandon his old life. He started writing, and his first novel was published when he was 45.
Marlowe's most famous book and his best-known character arrived from Fawcett Gold Medal Books in 1962 ("The Name of the Game Is Death").
Dan J. Marlowe was a middle-aged businessman who, in the personal turmoil after the death of his wife of many years, decided to abandon his old life. He started writing, and his first novel was published when he was 45.
Marlowe's most famous book and his best-known character arrived from Fawcett Gold Medal Books in 1962 ("The Name of the Game Is Death").
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 5, 2021
“Four for the Money” is a terrific crime thriller by one of the greats in the crime fiction field: Dan J. Marlowe. It is a tightly-written thriller that is perfectly plotted and filled with great characters. If you enjoy good crime thrillers, this is going to be your ticket.
The “Four” in the title are four convicts who meet in prison and are all soon to get out. There’s Blackie, the meanest, most ornery, convict of all, who was running the operation. There’s Smitty, who used to be a circus strongman and could carry a safe down six flights of stairs without help. He was an old-time professional burglary with lockpicking and safecracking skills. The kid, Tommy, was included only because it was easier to include him than to leave him out. Then there’s Slick, the narrator, who is a card mechanic and a con man. As the first one released from prison, it was up to Slick to high tail it out to the Nevada desert and set up the safe house and the cover story before the others arrived.
This story not only has crime, but some of the best cardplaying writing there is. There’s casinos, hoods, conmen of all types and sizes, and in it all, Slick is trying to play it cool and act like joe normal until the rest of the gang is released and can join him. He wonders, however, if he has conman written all over him because no one seems to believe that he is on the straight and narrow, not the local cops, not his new girlfriend, and not the local business owners that he deals with.
This novel is not as chockfull of action as some of Marlowe’s other novels, but it is smoothly written without wasted words and the long buildup to the climax is well worth it.
The “Four” in the title are four convicts who meet in prison and are all soon to get out. There’s Blackie, the meanest, most ornery, convict of all, who was running the operation. There’s Smitty, who used to be a circus strongman and could carry a safe down six flights of stairs without help. He was an old-time professional burglary with lockpicking and safecracking skills. The kid, Tommy, was included only because it was easier to include him than to leave him out. Then there’s Slick, the narrator, who is a card mechanic and a con man. As the first one released from prison, it was up to Slick to high tail it out to the Nevada desert and set up the safe house and the cover story before the others arrived.
This story not only has crime, but some of the best cardplaying writing there is. There’s casinos, hoods, conmen of all types and sizes, and in it all, Slick is trying to play it cool and act like joe normal until the rest of the gang is released and can join him. He wonders, however, if he has conman written all over him because no one seems to believe that he is on the straight and narrow, not the local cops, not his new girlfriend, and not the local business owners that he deals with.
This novel is not as chockfull of action as some of Marlowe’s other novels, but it is smoothly written without wasted words and the long buildup to the climax is well worth it.
September 13, 2020
Has all the goods. Marlowe sucked me right in with his smooth and well-paced style. This is a heist book with a long and interesting setup. Our narrator, "Slick," is the first of a gang of four to be released from prison. He heads out to Desert City, Nevada, which is described as being midway between Reno and Las Vegas. His task is set up a safe house and wait for the others to be released from prison. When they are all out they plan to go for one last big score. The first part of the book is all about Slick. He meets a woman, but she's on to him, calls him Slick without even knowing that that is his nickname. He's a card shark and takes some other card sharks for a big pile of cash. He's rousted by the police. Forced to get a job. Can't find a house to buy but ends up buying a motel from a scammer who's sold it over and over. So plenty of activity and Slick is an engaging narrator. Then the other three guys are released from prison one at a time and make their way to Nevada and Slick's motel. It's a volatile bunch with plenty of interpersonal drama as they try to figure out what the score is going to be and how to pull it off. That's the second half of the book. The heist comes at the end with a nifty surprise.
November 20, 2022
I discovered Dan J. Marlowe thanks to a review by my Goodreads friend James L. Thane, who is an excellent author himself. Marlowe was one of the greats of hardboiled fiction, active in the sixties and the seventies, who seemingly didn't get his due in the broader sense but is a cult favourite among the hardcore fans of the genre. And, Four for the Money, the first book of Marlowe's that I could get my hands on, offers ample proof of his skills.
Four convicts come together in jail with a plan to pull off a big heist that would set them all up for life, as soon as all of them are out of the can. The group consists of Blackie, the self-appointed leader who originally thought up the idea; Jim ‘Slick’ Quick, a smooth-talking card mechanic and conman; Smitty, an immensely strong safecracker; and Tommy, drafted to ensure his silence. Slick is the first to be out, and his job is to get settled in Desert City - a casino town that lies between Vegas and Reno in multiple senses - and await the release of the others.
Desert City has the distinction of never having had a successful heist, where the police keep watch for men who seem like trouble and put them in their place one way or the other. Slick is in the sights of the law at once and is given the choice of finding legitimate work or leaving the town. Simultaneously, he also meets a girl that he likes, whom he feels is a keeper. Forced by more than one reason to live on the right side of the law, Slick gets a job and, in the process, gains a few useful allies and a good amount of knowledge that will help him in the future, in addition to a few dangerous enemies.
As the entire gang comes together to prepare for the big job, tensions within the group rise, mainly because of Blackie who has a volatile temper and does not bear anyone questioning his plans. Though Slick is unsure of their chances of succeeding, running away is not an option, and he tries his best to keep the group together and get the job done as soon as possible. As is to be expected, serious complications arise that threaten to take away everything Slick has, including his life.
Four for the Money is a terrific entertainer with a superfast plot, sharp dialogues, and crisply rendered central characters that the reader will remember for a long time. Marlowe's prose is lean to the point of being skeletal, and his descriptions of people and places, and the action sequences - including Slick's cardplaying adventure - are top-notch. I am happy to have found Marlowe and will surely be reading a lot more of his books.
Four convicts come together in jail with a plan to pull off a big heist that would set them all up for life, as soon as all of them are out of the can. The group consists of Blackie, the self-appointed leader who originally thought up the idea; Jim ‘Slick’ Quick, a smooth-talking card mechanic and conman; Smitty, an immensely strong safecracker; and Tommy, drafted to ensure his silence. Slick is the first to be out, and his job is to get settled in Desert City - a casino town that lies between Vegas and Reno in multiple senses - and await the release of the others.
Desert City has the distinction of never having had a successful heist, where the police keep watch for men who seem like trouble and put them in their place one way or the other. Slick is in the sights of the law at once and is given the choice of finding legitimate work or leaving the town. Simultaneously, he also meets a girl that he likes, whom he feels is a keeper. Forced by more than one reason to live on the right side of the law, Slick gets a job and, in the process, gains a few useful allies and a good amount of knowledge that will help him in the future, in addition to a few dangerous enemies.
As the entire gang comes together to prepare for the big job, tensions within the group rise, mainly because of Blackie who has a volatile temper and does not bear anyone questioning his plans. Though Slick is unsure of their chances of succeeding, running away is not an option, and he tries his best to keep the group together and get the job done as soon as possible. As is to be expected, serious complications arise that threaten to take away everything Slick has, including his life.
Four for the Money is a terrific entertainer with a superfast plot, sharp dialogues, and crisply rendered central characters that the reader will remember for a long time. Marlowe's prose is lean to the point of being skeletal, and his descriptions of people and places, and the action sequences - including Slick's cardplaying adventure - are top-notch. I am happy to have found Marlowe and will surely be reading a lot more of his books.
June 20, 2019
An excellent, unusual, almost subversive caper novel. The blood & guts crowd may be put off by the slow build and minimal violence right up to the end--there's only one fistfight in the first 100 pages!--but to my mind Marlowe fills those pages with interesting characters, excellent storytelling and good old fashioned (non-contact) conflict that make the understated climax as surprising and satisfying as it is logical.
November 27, 2022
Published in 1966, this is another very good traditional pulp novel from Dan J. Marlowe. While serving time in prison, four men hatch a plan to meet up in Desert City, Nevada as they are gradually released from the prison. Desert City is about halfway between Reno and Las Vegas and allegedly enjoys the distinction of never having been the target of a major heist.
The four convicts are "Slick," who narrates the tale; Tommy, who is just a kid along for the ride; "Smitty", a super-strong professional burglar who's an expert at picking locks and cracking safes; and "Blackie," the leader of the gang who has a nasty mean streak and a very short temper, which may jeopardize the entire operation.
Slick is the first of the four to be released. His assignment is to get to Desert City, find a house where the gang can gradually gather, and then begin to scope out the situation. He discovers that the town may be a tougher nut to crack than Blackie anticipated. He's also forced to get a "straight" job while he waits for all the others to arrive. With all that time on his hands, he also manages to begin a relationship with a very attractive young woman, and almost immediately he attracts the attention of the local police who are keeping a sharp eye on Slick and on any other apparent grifters who find their way to Desert City.
Over time, the other three members of the gang join Slick and, inevitably, complications ensue, in part because of the difficulty of the job at hand and also because of bad chemistry among the four criminals. All in all, it's a great read, tightly written with great characters and a perfect sense of timing. Sadly, the book can be hard to find, but it is available as an e-book and is well worth checking out.
I'm indebted to my GR friend Aravind, who alerted me to this one. Look for his excellent review of the book here on GR.
The four convicts are "Slick," who narrates the tale; Tommy, who is just a kid along for the ride; "Smitty", a super-strong professional burglar who's an expert at picking locks and cracking safes; and "Blackie," the leader of the gang who has a nasty mean streak and a very short temper, which may jeopardize the entire operation.
Slick is the first of the four to be released. His assignment is to get to Desert City, find a house where the gang can gradually gather, and then begin to scope out the situation. He discovers that the town may be a tougher nut to crack than Blackie anticipated. He's also forced to get a "straight" job while he waits for all the others to arrive. With all that time on his hands, he also manages to begin a relationship with a very attractive young woman, and almost immediately he attracts the attention of the local police who are keeping a sharp eye on Slick and on any other apparent grifters who find their way to Desert City.
Over time, the other three members of the gang join Slick and, inevitably, complications ensue, in part because of the difficulty of the job at hand and also because of bad chemistry among the four criminals. All in all, it's a great read, tightly written with great characters and a perfect sense of timing. Sadly, the book can be hard to find, but it is available as an e-book and is well worth checking out.
I'm indebted to my GR friend Aravind, who alerted me to this one. Look for his excellent review of the book here on GR.
March 15, 2015
My first Dan J. Marlowe. Well, i can't say that i read something really special in crime fiction, but it was good enough to search more of his books. And i know that this guy wrote some pulp masterpieces!
Ελληνικά:
"Ληστεία για τέσσερις", εκδόσεις Άγκυρα.
Τις τελευταίες μέρες αγόρασα κάμποσα βιβλία του Νταν Τζ. Μάρλοου και έφτασα τα δέκα στη συλλογή μου, αλλά αυτό είναι μόλις το πρώτο που διαβάζω. Ο συγγραφέας είναι γνωστός μόνο στους φαν της παλπ αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας και αριστούργημά του θεωρείται το Το όνομα του παιχνιδιού είναι θάνατος (The Name Of The Game Is Death), πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς Ερλ Ντρέικ που έχει σούπερ βαθμολογία στο goodreads.
Το Ληστεία για τέσσερις είναι ένα αυτοτελές παλπ μυθιστόρημα με αφηγητή τον Τζέιμς "Σλικ" Κουίκ, που μόλις αποφυλακίστηκε και ακολουθεί το σχέδιο που οργανώθηκε από αυτόν και άλλους τρεις συγκρατούμενούς του στη φυλακή, σύμφωνα με το οποίο πρέπει να βρει σπίτι να εγκατασταθεί στην πόλη Ντέζερτ Σίτι, μια πόλη κάτι ανάμεσα στο Ρένο και το Λας Βέγκας, και να περιμένει τους τρεις μέχρι να βγουν από την φυλακή, να συγκεντρωθούν όλοι μαζί και να κάνουν μια ληστεία που θα τους κάνει πλούσιους. Όμως μέχρι να αποφυλακιστούν, ο Σλικ δένεται με την πόλη, ερωτεύεται με μια κοπέλα, κερδίζει κάμποσα λεφτά από χαρτοπαιξίες και αγοράζει ένα μοτέλ ενός κομπιναδόρου ψυχιάτρου που νόμιζε ότι βρήκε κορόιδο. Όλα είναι ήσυχα, μέχρι που αποφυλακίζονται σιγά-σιγά οι πρώην συγκρατούμενοί του και ο Μπλάκι, ο "αρχηγός" της συμμορίας και ο πιο θερμόαιμος απ'όλους, ανυπομονεί να χρησιμοποιήσει το μάουζερ του και να γίνει πλούσιος. Όμως το σχέδιο έχει τρύπες, δεν υπάρχει κάποιος σίγουρος και συγκεκριμένος στόχος, η θέληση των περισσοτέρων της συμμορίας για κομπίνα όλο και μειώνεται και η νευρικότητα αυξάνεται...
Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι ενθουσιάστηκα από αυτά που διάβασα, μιας και είδα σε σχόλια ότι οι ιστορίες του Μάρλοου με κομπίνες και τα ρέστα είναι ίδιας ποιότητας με αυτές του Πάρκερ του Ρίτσαρντ Σταρκ (aka Ντόναλντ Γουεστλέικ), μαιτρ του είδους, οπότε οι απαιτήσεις μου ήταν αρκετά υψηλές.
Βέβαια τα σχόλια αφορούσαν περισσότερο τα δυο-τρία πρώτα βιβλία της σειράς Ερλ Ντρέικ, οπότε πάω πάσο. Όμως επίσης δεν μπορώ να πω ότι πέρασα άσχημα, η ιστορία μου φάνηκε αρκετά καλή (αν και ήθελα περισσότερη δράση), η γραφή παλπ όπως μ'αρέσει και η ατμόσφαιρα σούπερ. Όπως και να'χει νομίζω ότι πέτυχα φλέβα χρυσού με τον Μάρλοου, όσον αφορά την δίψα μου για καλό παλπ.
Ελληνικά:
"Ληστεία για τέσσερις", εκδόσεις Άγκυρα.
Τις τελευταίες μέρες αγόρασα κάμποσα βιβλία του Νταν Τζ. Μάρλοου και έφτασα τα δέκα στη συλλογή μου, αλλά αυτό είναι μόλις το πρώτο που διαβάζω. Ο συγγραφέας είναι γνωστός μόνο στους φαν της παλπ αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας και αριστούργημά του θεωρείται το Το όνομα του παιχνιδιού είναι θάνατος (The Name Of The Game Is Death), πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς Ερλ Ντρέικ που έχει σούπερ βαθμολογία στο goodreads.
Το Ληστεία για τέσσερις είναι ένα αυτοτελές παλπ μυθιστόρημα με αφηγητή τον Τζέιμς "Σλικ" Κουίκ, που μόλις αποφυλακίστηκε και ακολουθεί το σχέδιο που οργανώθηκε από αυτόν και άλλους τρεις συγκρατούμενούς του στη φυλακή, σύμφωνα με το οποίο πρέπει να βρει σπίτι να εγκατασταθεί στην πόλη Ντέζερτ Σίτι, μια πόλη κάτι ανάμεσα στο Ρένο και το Λας Βέγκας, και να περιμένει τους τρεις μέχρι να βγουν από την φυλακή, να συγκεντρωθούν όλοι μαζί και να κάνουν μια ληστεία που θα τους κάνει πλούσιους. Όμως μέχρι να αποφυλακιστούν, ο Σλικ δένεται με την πόλη, ερωτεύεται με μια κοπέλα, κερδίζει κάμποσα λεφτά από χαρτοπαιξίες και αγοράζει ένα μοτέλ ενός κομπιναδόρου ψυχιάτρου που νόμιζε ότι βρήκε κορόιδο. Όλα είναι ήσυχα, μέχρι που αποφυλακίζονται σιγά-σιγά οι πρώην συγκρατούμενοί του και ο Μπλάκι, ο "αρχηγός" της συμμορίας και ο πιο θερμόαιμος απ'όλους, ανυπομονεί να χρησιμοποιήσει το μάουζερ του και να γίνει πλούσιος. Όμως το σχέδιο έχει τρύπες, δεν υπάρχει κάποιος σίγουρος και συγκεκριμένος στόχος, η θέληση των περισσοτέρων της συμμορίας για κομπίνα όλο και μειώνεται και η νευρικότητα αυξάνεται...
Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι ενθουσιάστηκα από αυτά που διάβασα, μιας και είδα σε σχόλια ότι οι ιστορίες του Μάρλοου με κομπίνες και τα ρέστα είναι ίδιας ποιότητας με αυτές του Πάρκερ του Ρίτσαρντ Σταρκ (aka Ντόναλντ Γουεστλέικ), μαιτρ του είδους, οπότε οι απαιτήσεις μου ήταν αρκετά υψηλές.
Βέβαια τα σχόλια αφορούσαν περισσότερο τα δυο-τρία πρώτα βιβλία της σειράς Ερλ Ντρέικ, οπότε πάω πάσο. Όμως επίσης δεν μπορώ να πω ότι πέρασα άσχημα, η ιστορία μου φάνηκε αρκετά καλή (αν και ήθελα περισσότερη δράση), η γραφή παλπ όπως μ'αρέσει και η ατμόσφαιρα σούπερ. Όπως και να'χει νομίζω ότι πέτυχα φλέβα χρυσού με τον Μάρλοου, όσον αφορά την δίψα μου για καλό παλπ.
March 11, 2026
Klunky novel by Marlowe that seems to have been a struggle for him to write. This is another example of Marlowe re-using and first using plot points used in other of his books. Maybe that's why this book reads as a patch work of ideas pieced together.
To me, I didn't buy the man-woman relationship. The shady officers seemed to fall in when needed to move the story. Even the dog read as inserted, especially considering what happens to a dog hard to tame. Wonder if Marlowe had a number of books in the process, as I understand he did, and just strung a few together to make deadline.
The intended plot is good, but poorly handled.
Bottom Line: I don't recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.
To me, I didn't buy the man-woman relationship. The shady officers seemed to fall in when needed to move the story. Even the dog read as inserted, especially considering what happens to a dog hard to tame. Wonder if Marlowe had a number of books in the process, as I understand he did, and just strung a few together to make deadline.
The intended plot is good, but poorly handled.
Bottom Line: I don't recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.
December 25, 2022
Do I classify this as comic crime? I don't know as I have never read a book quite like this, detailing criminal intent, planning and plotting with others who may or may not be trusted to stick to plan. There were some pretty funny descriptions and I feel like I was rewarded for the read with a few chuckles at outlandish criminal plans. It was ok for reading in the middle of a sleepless night, but I have no plans to continue with others.
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February 19, 2025
A misfit band of ragtags, called out from a mission for one last retirement.
Good one. I liked it a lot.
Good one. I liked it a lot.
August 4, 2023
Overwritten and dry pulp crime novel. Really makes you appreciate Richard Stark's Parker.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews