Heat

by William Goldman

Las Vegas security officer Nick Escalante, an ex-Marine, chances on to a bizarre kidnapping threat and is plunged into a nightmare world of false identities, vicious grievances, and gruesome encounters

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Action, Crime

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Goldman grew up in a Jewish family in Highland Park, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, and obtained a BA degree at Oberlin College in 1952 and an MA degree at Columbia University in 1956.His brother was the late James Goldman, author and playwright.

William Goldman had published five novels and had three plays produced on Broadway before he began to write screenplays. Several of his novels he later used as the foundation for his screenplays.

In the 1980s he wrote a series of memoirs looking at his professional life on Broadway and in Hollywood (in one of these he famously remarked that "Nobody knows anything"). He then returned to writing novels. He then adapted his novel The Princess Bride to the screen, which marked his re-entry into screenwriting.

Goldman won two Academy Awards: an Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay for All the President's Men. He also won two Edgar Awards, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Best Motion Picture Screenplay: for Harper in 1967, and for Magic (adapted from his own 1976 novel) in 1979.

Goldman died in New York City on November 16, 2018, due to complications from colon cancer and pneumonia. He was eighty-seven years old.

Reviews

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent fast paced exciting read. The story played out like a Quentin Tarantino movie. In my head it did anyways. Why the 3.34 rating? A very enjoyable Goodread.

[Justin Gerber · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Chapter 2: Eighteen Seconds” 💎

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced story that is enjoyable. Plenty of action and strong characters.

[Daniel Polansky]

The greatest killer in the world at under 20 feet tries to survive his 5000th day in the hellish wasteland that is Las Vegas. One of Goldman’s less remembered novels, although a personal favorite of mine. There’s a shit-ton wrong with this book; the plot is a pointless mish mash, characters are introduced and disappear without rhyme or reason. But it’s just so much goddamned fun. An epic action scene midway through the book, the nested revelation of the hero’s madness, the sheer brio and verve Goldman gets out of the concept. It frankly should have gone through a few more drafts, but it holds a spot in my heart all the same.

[Judy · Rating 1 out of 5]

One word. WEIRD

[Brett Littman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did the mysteries all add up? Maybe not. Did matter? Nope. This was the gritty, grimy, reluctant anti-hero, hookers with hearts of platinum, edged weapon killing, Vegas caper that I hoped for.

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Heat” by William Goldman (1985)

I’m on a Goldman kick. I read “Magic” (Excellent), “Marathon Man” (Loved it), “Brothers” (The sequel to Marathon Man, Super!), and just finished “Heat” which was also excellent!

I love the surprises. This story is crafted so well. I would have loved to read more with Mex. What a great character. There was a chapter where he is gambling that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! There was an action part that was so perfect Lee Child may of read this in 1985 and taken notes.

There is one segment where a kidnapper sends a body part and the reaction of those receiving it seems to have inspired a scene in the movie The Big Lebowski. I’m thinking Goldman was giving ideas to lots of writers as his books always have ingenious plot, twists and turns.

Next I’m reading his “The Princess Bride” and “Tinsel”. Then his books about screenwriting!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 out of 5 stars

See all my book reviews on Instagram @allenreviewsbooks

[Bob Box · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in 1985. Nick Escalante, an ex Marine, chances on a bizarre kidnapping threat and so begins this excellent suspense thriller. One of my favorites that year.

[viggo · Rating 3 out of 5]

unexpected transmasc representation but that doesn't change the fact that william goldman thought a first draft would be good publishing 💀

[Risto Pakarinen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a William Goldman fan, and I've read almost every novel he wrote, and some of them - yes. The Marathon Man and The Princess Bride - several times. I find passages that I really like, ideas that I enjoy, and phrases that I envy in every single novel but mostly I enjoy them because I find humor in every single one. Heat is not an exception. It's not his greatest story, but there are several gems inside it which made me enjoy this one, too.

[Shawn Wickersheim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this rather dark book and loved the ending. So fitting...

[Aaron Martz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as William Goldman's other thrillers, and I'll tell you why. The book is built around a character who is stuck in Vegas and feels the weight of his captivity on his shoulders. It's all he talks about - making enough money to get out, to go on a permanent vacation. He sweats over it, he drinks over it, he can't stand the place anymore. In the novel's strongest section, he feels luck on his shoulders and he starts to gamble with the intent of making a certain amount of money so that he'll never have to work another day in his life, and you feel for the guy, you feel all the pressure on his shoulders and all the misery he's been through, and you want him to make it, you want him to get out of Vegas and never see the place again. And then in the second half of the novel, he flies to Los Angeles and helps someone solve a crime. WHAT? It completely deflates the suspense built over the first half of the book. If the guy can just leave Vegas whenever he wants, go help these other friends of his he has in L.A. then what's his major malfunction? Just go to L.A. for a couple weeks and decompress if Vegas is getting to be too much for you. The novel loses all its narrative steam in the second half and doesn't recover. But the first half of the book is very strong and displays Goldman's characteristic strengths of narrative trickery, suspense, perceptive humor, and heaping helpings of action.

[Zach Koenig · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as a Christmas gift having never read a William Goldman novel. Let's just say that I'm not too keen on reading another.

I would give a quick plot synopsis of this book, but that is one of the main problems...it just seems to wander from plot point to plot point with little coherence. Each "chapter" seems like its own contained little story with much too little overall context.

Also, the main character--Nick Escalante--is supposed to be an interesting character portrait of a Las Vegas lifer, but instead he is just a guy who sort of goes from one job to the next...nothing too interesting.

Once I finished reading Heat, I had absolutely no emotional connection to either the plot or the main characters whatsoever...it was pretty much a waste of the time I spent reading it. Unless you are a hard-core fan of gangster films/books, I can pretty much guarantee that you won't find this book compelling whatsoever.

[Azeem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nobody has pointed it out here, and I wouldn't have known it either if I hadn't caught the movie 'wild card' on HBO... It is the same book that was published under the title: "Edged Weapons". As for my opinion, I think it is an excellent novel... those complaining about the 'loose' structure of the novel should remember that a skillfully built 'loose-structured' novel is much more entertaining because it has the potential to tickle your imagination endlessly... Perhaps I think like this because I am a 'writer-reader' and I like to fill the empty spaces with my own colors and images. It is a very enjoyable read nonetheless and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of light-but-not-so-light fiction.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining. The main character drew me in and kept me wanting to read more. The plot was weak as far as thrillers go but the character was interesting enough that I'd have read about just an ordinary day in his life. Goldman writes action sequences well and I wish there had been more of them. The book spends way more time telling us how lethal "The Mex" is then showing us but the telling was quite enjoyable in its own right. I read this book during the down times at work but I kept wanting to bring it home with me to stay immersed in its world.

[Erika Gill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all my genre, and the characters made me a bit more sad for humanity than I already was. I think if I'd read this book without the genre being so veryvery exhausted I would have appreciated it more.

The writing wasn't bad, but it wasn't nearly up to the standard of the only other Goldman I've read, which was The Princess Bride and probably a really unfair comparison.

[Roz Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever and the characters are complex, but I felt sometimes there were a few too many twists for their own sake. But good to read if you want to be reminded to keep a reader on their toes. And some very slick writing - Goldman is admirably in charge of his text.

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect dime novel elevated by the one and only William Goldman. Few literary characters cooler and somehow still more relatable than Nick “The Mex” Escalante.

It’s fucked this did not get a reprint when the Jason Statham movie came out, but my beat to shit second hand copy feels appropriate.

[Lorna Brown]

Old Fashioned thriller set in Las Vegas. See movie starring Burt Reynolds

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible, terrible ending. Terrible idea for a book.

[Deb Breitman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous novel by one of my absolute favorite authors.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vastly entertaining - that's the thing w/ William Goldman - he knows how to keep you entertained.

[Lysergius · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chaotic plot, unbelievable characters, and a crap location.

[Mike Wigal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basis for the basically straight to video flick "Wild Card." Nothing to get excited about.

[Eric Bauman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was beautiful, the story was meh.

[Lenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought the movie with Burt Reynolds was better then the book!

[Cristiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grande Mex

[Van Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Goldman classic!!!

[Larena · Rating 5 out of 5]

14+:AGES 14+:Violence could be a dominant element of the storyline. Could contain strong or frequent use of profanity and nudity or sexual activity.

E:Easy: 3rd grade Vocabulary

[Linda Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you watch a Jason Statham movie on a streaming service, the bots find all Jason Statham movies and inform that "people who watched this, also watched..." and there you are in your own Jason Statham Film Festival. Started watching Wild Card. Stopped watching Wild Card because Statham smiled. Yes, smiled. And joked and was helpful to friends. Just a brief fight scene with classic moves - fingers to the throat, spinning side kick to the kneecap. So I looked up the movie, and found myself in a Hunt for Heat that began with this William Goldman novel from 1985. With this outstanding cover art.

No, not that Heat. This Heat. Jason Statham's dream project.

There is a movie starring Burt Reynolds (at the bottom rung of his career), directed somewhat by a guy named Richards, who Reynolds punched during filming. Not a first for Richards - Robert Mitchum had knocked him out out. It was the last film Richards sort of directed.

An article by someone who had dived as deeply is out there to find. How it isn't really an action story. How it is really a character study. And how hard it was/is to sort that for a director who doesn't do character, actors trying to do character, and why The Rock is not a romcom star without a comedy chamise. Or ballet tights and a tutu. Maybe why the movie universe teamed Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in the fast/furious arena. Johnson could do the smiling and quipping required. And why I squinted at Statham smiling and turned off the movie.

It's a weird book - but Goldman. He is a crazy good writer.

Nick {The Mex} Escalante is a person who does things for people. A "companion" with many good somethings done for others in his CV. He has been in Las Vegas for 5000 days and something grim will happen to his psyche if he is in Las Vegas for 5001 days. He is also a compulsive gambler who - like all compulsive anybodies - does not think he's a compulsive gambler.

There's a gang boss named Baby. The Frog Prince. A Nick wannabe trust fund kid. A toupee-wearing casino boss "I paid a lot of money for that!" Former sort of romantic interests, but not really.

Table no. 75.

The dialogue is a master class because William Goldman.

Now I want to remake this movie.

ps There is no such thing as an ex-Marine. It is always former Marine.