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Crime 101: A Novella
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".
Audible Audio
Published July 13, 2021
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303 people want to read
About the author
Don Winslow
114 books7,556 followersDon Winslow is the author of twenty-one acclaimed, award-winning international bestsellers, including the New York Times bestsellers The Force and The Border, the #1 international bestseller The Cartel, The Power of the Dog, Savages, and The Winter of Frankie Machine. Savages was made into a feature film by three-time Oscar-winning writer-director Oliver Stone. The Power of the Dog, The Cartel and The Border sold to FX in a major multimillion-dollar deal to air as a weekly television series beginning in 2020.
A former investigator, antiterrorist trainer and trial consultant, Winslow lives in California and Rhode Island.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
A former investigator, antiterrorist trainer and trial consultant, Winslow lives in California and Rhode Island.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
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December 18, 2023lmfao call it a star is born bc this bitch is SHALLOW. serves me right for seeking out any source material with even vaguely interesting adaptation prospects (pedro pascal and chris hemsworth movie). i truly thot this way of writing women was dead but no!
February 3, 2026
02.02.26- Revisiting this novella because the film I was bemoaning actually comes out in a little over two weeks, and since my plea for Chris and Mark to drop out fell on deaf ears, I'm still invested in this novella and its upcoming adaptation. I've increased my rating from 2 stars to 3 on a second read for a few reasons. One, the novella's dramatic ending makes a lot more sense when I'm not zoned out and tired after a long drive and also being subjected to The Fall Guy in between audiobook chapters. I actually liked the ending this go round. Two, I had a clearer picture in my head of what Chris will look like, and I was now picturing Halle Berry in Sharon's place, and it improved the reading experience. Not a fair note and actually pretty antithetical to my reading philosophy in general, but whatever.
However, a lot of the same problems that I identified in my original read are still here, including some new ones. I'll keep it spoiler-free, but if you know you know—The interaction between Sharon and Lou and Sharon's characterization is just completely, utterly misogynistic. (I'm paraphrasing but, "Maybe it's because she's naked that she seems so much more scared." In what world is a woman in her situation not getting dressed before she tells that story?) It's the kind of writing for women that would be more at home in those 60s detective movies these characters are obsessed with, and it makes this pretty modern and slick novella feel dated. I can't shake the masculine energy that permeates every syllable of this novel. The women within it are flat, bitches, and brutalized or shunned by the male characters. There's only 3 of them, mind you. Still, Winslow (who follows me on Twitter, sorry Don) seems to be aware that his main characters are misogynistic and shallow, but decides against mitigating this by neglecting to give any of the female characters any interiority. (Halle Berry's Sharon seems to have gained some in the film, at least judging by the trailers and press material, so here's hoping.)
Back to the ending—although I was much less confused by the ending this time, I was struck by how rushed it seems. We spend more time learning about Lou's infatuation with breakfast burritos than with the progression of the key events leading up to the final heist. Lou and Sharon's encounter is brief and comes across like a quick way to progress the plot rather than a natural crossover of plot lines.
Davis' lack of backstory and lack of personality and lack of motivations is still very frustrating. We know so much about Lou and the way he ticks that Davis, by comparison, comes across as very one-dimensional. There's nothing in that head of his. Why is he so moralistic? How did he get into thievery? I'm not a pre-teen Stranger Things fan, so I'm not going as far as to say these are plot holes, and I'm aware that there's likely an intentional reason why Davis feels so flat, but I'm not getting "mysterious thief" from his character, I'm getting cardboard cutout. Winslow (again, sorry Don) seems way more interested in the life of Lou than Davis, even though Davis should be the far more interesting one. Where did he learn to make a dark chocolate raspberry mousse?
There's probably more that I have to say here, but I'll save it for Letterboxd in a week when I see the movie at a pre-screening. Should I watch The Thomas Crown Affair?
——————————————————
05.21.24- what an absolutely empty shell of a narrative. complete with misogynistic bullshit, cardboard cutout protagonists, and a few homophobic slurs included to top it all off. chris hemsworth and pedro pascal please run while you still can 🙏
**literally an hour after I posted this review the news that pedro pascal had been replaced by mark ruffalo in the upcoming adaptation dropped so now i beg you mark, please run while you still can
However, a lot of the same problems that I identified in my original read are still here, including some new ones. I'll keep it spoiler-free, but if you know you know—The interaction between Sharon and Lou and Sharon's characterization is just completely, utterly misogynistic. (I'm paraphrasing but, "Maybe it's because she's naked that she seems so much more scared." In what world is a woman in her situation not getting dressed before she tells that story?) It's the kind of writing for women that would be more at home in those 60s detective movies these characters are obsessed with, and it makes this pretty modern and slick novella feel dated. I can't shake the masculine energy that permeates every syllable of this novel. The women within it are flat, bitches, and brutalized or shunned by the male characters. There's only 3 of them, mind you. Still, Winslow (who follows me on Twitter, sorry Don) seems to be aware that his main characters are misogynistic and shallow, but decides against mitigating this by neglecting to give any of the female characters any interiority. (Halle Berry's Sharon seems to have gained some in the film, at least judging by the trailers and press material, so here's hoping.)
Back to the ending—although I was much less confused by the ending this time, I was struck by how rushed it seems. We spend more time learning about Lou's infatuation with breakfast burritos than with the progression of the key events leading up to the final heist. Lou and Sharon's encounter is brief and comes across like a quick way to progress the plot rather than a natural crossover of plot lines.
Davis' lack of backstory and lack of personality and lack of motivations is still very frustrating. We know so much about Lou and the way he ticks that Davis, by comparison, comes across as very one-dimensional. There's nothing in that head of his. Why is he so moralistic? How did he get into thievery? I'm not a pre-teen Stranger Things fan, so I'm not going as far as to say these are plot holes, and I'm aware that there's likely an intentional reason why Davis feels so flat, but I'm not getting "mysterious thief" from his character, I'm getting cardboard cutout. Winslow (again, sorry Don) seems way more interested in the life of Lou than Davis, even though Davis should be the far more interesting one. Where did he learn to make a dark chocolate raspberry mousse?
There's probably more that I have to say here, but I'll save it for Letterboxd in a week when I see the movie at a pre-screening. Should I watch The Thomas Crown Affair?
——————————————————
05.21.24- what an absolutely empty shell of a narrative. complete with misogynistic bullshit, cardboard cutout protagonists, and a few homophobic slurs included to top it all off. chris hemsworth and pedro pascal please run while you still can 🙏
**literally an hour after I posted this review the news that pedro pascal had been replaced by mark ruffalo in the upcoming adaptation dropped so now i beg you mark, please run while you still can
December 19, 2022
CRIME 101 is the first thing I've read by Don Winslow, and it made me an instant fan. I'm a sucker for a cat-and-mouse story, and this one hits all the marks.
A thief who's looking to do one last score? Check.
A detective who's alone in his belief on how the thief operates? Check.
Twists and turns? Check and check.
The relationship between the detective and the thief has a HEAT vibe. You can almost see Al Pacino and Robert Deniro in these roles (albeit much younger).
The book is complemented by Ray Porter's absolutely fantastic read.
Just a solid purchase through and through.
A thief who's looking to do one last score? Check.
A detective who's alone in his belief on how the thief operates? Check.
Twists and turns? Check and check.
The relationship between the detective and the thief has a HEAT vibe. You can almost see Al Pacino and Robert Deniro in these roles (albeit much younger).
The book is complemented by Ray Porter's absolutely fantastic read.
Just a solid purchase through and through.
August 16, 2022
Winslow is a Master of Noir.
One of the best crime writers today, Don Winslow spins a tale that checks all the boxes of a great story. All the stock characters are there yet none of them are flat two dimensional stick figures. The sidekick, the Mistress, the Dimwit Brass, all there but real and believable, perfectly woven into a great story that the Reader sees and doesn’t see coming.
Very enjoyable brief Four Star Read. ****
One of the best crime writers today, Don Winslow spins a tale that checks all the boxes of a great story. All the stock characters are there yet none of them are flat two dimensional stick figures. The sidekick, the Mistress, the Dimwit Brass, all there but real and believable, perfectly woven into a great story that the Reader sees and doesn’t see coming.
Very enjoyable brief Four Star Read. ****
November 4, 2023
Not just a heist story, not just a police investigation, a story about choices and the open road. Lovely.
August 30, 2023
Decent story for a novella. Enjoyed the Steve McQueen thoughts and comparisons.
May 8, 2025
Good short story with phenomenal narration by Ray Porter.
My Slightly Sarcastic But Ultimately Honest Book Rating System:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 Stars): This book achieved legendary status in my personal library. I will likely reread it until the pages fall out (or my e-reader spontaneously combusts). Consider this my enthusiastic endorsement – you should probably read it unless you actively dislike joy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 Stars): A truly excellent read! I enjoyed it immensely and would heartily recommend it to fellow bookworms. You might even catch me subtly pushing it into their hands.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 Stars): Yep, it was a book I read. I turned the pages, absorbed the words, and emerged...unchanged. It was a pleasant enough journey, like a scenic detour that you wouldn't necessarily take again, but didn't regret.
⭐️⭐️ (2 Stars): This book existed. I finished it. That's about the highest praise I can offer. If you're looking for something truly captivating, maybe keep scrolling. This one's more of a "it filled the silence" kind of experience.
⭐️ (1 Star): Oh dear. This book and I did not get along. It was a literary tumbleweed in the vast desert of good books. Consider this a strong "do not recommend," unless you're conducting research on what not to do in storytelling.
Disclaimer: My enjoyment of the narrator is based on my listening speed. I only leave 5 stars for books I've read/listened to or will read/listen to multiple times.
My Slightly Sarcastic But Ultimately Honest Book Rating System:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 Stars): This book achieved legendary status in my personal library. I will likely reread it until the pages fall out (or my e-reader spontaneously combusts). Consider this my enthusiastic endorsement – you should probably read it unless you actively dislike joy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 Stars): A truly excellent read! I enjoyed it immensely and would heartily recommend it to fellow bookworms. You might even catch me subtly pushing it into their hands.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 Stars): Yep, it was a book I read. I turned the pages, absorbed the words, and emerged...unchanged. It was a pleasant enough journey, like a scenic detour that you wouldn't necessarily take again, but didn't regret.
⭐️⭐️ (2 Stars): This book existed. I finished it. That's about the highest praise I can offer. If you're looking for something truly captivating, maybe keep scrolling. This one's more of a "it filled the silence" kind of experience.
⭐️ (1 Star): Oh dear. This book and I did not get along. It was a literary tumbleweed in the vast desert of good books. Consider this a strong "do not recommend," unless you're conducting research on what not to do in storytelling.
Disclaimer: My enjoyment of the narrator is based on my listening speed. I only leave 5 stars for books I've read/listened to or will read/listen to multiple times.
July 15, 2022
Excellent novella set on the 101 in Southern California. Fast paced and great twists!
July 29, 2025
Great novella, riveting, fast paced, and twisty. Looking forward to reading (listening) to more in the series.
August 6, 2025
Diverting enough but painfully derivative.
August 21, 2022
This is a pro writing about a pro.
As far as I’m concerned, Don Winslow is the heir to Elmore Leonard – at least in the sense that he sits comfortably at the intersection of good noir and accessibility. He knows what he is doing as a writer, and he knows how to build a career. That latter part isn’t as simple as just writing good novel after good novel, which Winslow does. Instead, it’s about jumping back and forth between books with a literary bent and books that just slam the gas pedal and go.
In this one, a tightly plotted novella that a lesser writer would have turned into a book about three times as long, Winslow gives us Davis, a career bandit who hits jewelry stores once every year or two and then flees onto Highway 101.
Davis isn’t just good at burglary. He understands that successful heists have rules to them. He’s boiled them down – as Leonard characters sometimes do – and he shares them with us in our access to his thoughts. As he shares them, he underscores the point. Do it his way, the smart way. It’s “Crime 101.”
At the same time, he’s pursued by Lou Lubesnik, a Jewish LAPD detective who’s dealing with a mid-life crisis. Lou also knows Crime 101, and that gives him the insight into the otherwise hidded “spree” that Davis is committing in slow motion.
The bottom line here is that Winslow writes like Davis sets out to commit crimes. He knows how to avoid the traps that others fall into – mostly traps of over-explanation or going soft in favor of the characters they’ve invented.
Crime is a dirty business, so Davis knows to keep as much distraction out of the way as possible. Winslow couldn’t have said it any better…except that he’s the one saying it here on Davis’s behalf.
As far as I’m concerned, Don Winslow is the heir to Elmore Leonard – at least in the sense that he sits comfortably at the intersection of good noir and accessibility. He knows what he is doing as a writer, and he knows how to build a career. That latter part isn’t as simple as just writing good novel after good novel, which Winslow does. Instead, it’s about jumping back and forth between books with a literary bent and books that just slam the gas pedal and go.
In this one, a tightly plotted novella that a lesser writer would have turned into a book about three times as long, Winslow gives us Davis, a career bandit who hits jewelry stores once every year or two and then flees onto Highway 101.
Davis isn’t just good at burglary. He understands that successful heists have rules to them. He’s boiled them down – as Leonard characters sometimes do – and he shares them with us in our access to his thoughts. As he shares them, he underscores the point. Do it his way, the smart way. It’s “Crime 101.”
At the same time, he’s pursued by Lou Lubesnik, a Jewish LAPD detective who’s dealing with a mid-life crisis. Lou also knows Crime 101, and that gives him the insight into the otherwise hidded “spree” that Davis is committing in slow motion.
The bottom line here is that Winslow writes like Davis sets out to commit crimes. He knows how to avoid the traps that others fall into – mostly traps of over-explanation or going soft in favor of the characters they’ve invented.
Crime is a dirty business, so Davis knows to keep as much distraction out of the way as possible. Winslow couldn’t have said it any better…except that he’s the one saying it here on Davis’s behalf.
May 2, 2024
4.5
This is an excellent novella by Don Winslow. Published in 2021, it is available only from Audible.com. I'm sure I read it before, but did not rate or review it, so will do so now.
We have a smart crook and a smart detective. The crook has rules for when he will commit a crime and he religiously follows them, until he doesn't. He's a thief who does not use force and has never hurt anyone. He's also never been seen. For 10 years he's been stealing jewelry and gems up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, the 101. He likes nice cars and has a lot of them. He just about has all the money he needs to live comfortably for the rest of his life - just a few more jobs to go. Then he is given info that would allow him to do one last job and be set for life. There are issues though. It doesn't fit the Crime 101 rules he's followed but he just can't resist.
The detective, contrary to most everyone else, believes one guy has been doing the 10 years of unsolved jewelry heists. He sees a pattern because there is no pattern other than they are unsolved robberies up and down the 101. There are never two in the same jurisdiction in a row and no one ever sees anything. The pattern is Crime 101.
Neither believes in coincidences.
Lots to like in this one. Plenty of twists and turns on both sides. And the narration of the audiobook is also excellent.
This is an excellent novella by Don Winslow. Published in 2021, it is available only from Audible.com. I'm sure I read it before, but did not rate or review it, so will do so now.
We have a smart crook and a smart detective. The crook has rules for when he will commit a crime and he religiously follows them, until he doesn't. He's a thief who does not use force and has never hurt anyone. He's also never been seen. For 10 years he's been stealing jewelry and gems up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, the 101. He likes nice cars and has a lot of them. He just about has all the money he needs to live comfortably for the rest of his life - just a few more jobs to go. Then he is given info that would allow him to do one last job and be set for life. There are issues though. It doesn't fit the Crime 101 rules he's followed but he just can't resist.
The detective, contrary to most everyone else, believes one guy has been doing the 10 years of unsolved jewelry heists. He sees a pattern because there is no pattern other than they are unsolved robberies up and down the 101. There are never two in the same jurisdiction in a row and no one ever sees anything. The pattern is Crime 101.
Neither believes in coincidences.
Lots to like in this one. Plenty of twists and turns on both sides. And the narration of the audiobook is also excellent.
February 4, 2026
[NOTE: I did not listen to this audiobook. But I did reread this story in anticipation of the film, and have decided to count novellas and select novelettes this year, and this was the only way I could log this story on its own.]
Crime 101: Never be predictable.
Don Winslow's Crime 101 —now a film starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo & Halle Berry—is a slow-burn about a jewel thief and the cop hunting him that relies very heavily on vibes. Whether it's the calculated calm of our outlaw main character, the intoxicating appeal of life along the 101, or the unpredictably explosive end to which the events throughout are leading us, Winslow captures the vibes of his inspirations with the exact level of contagious cool you'd hope for from a story dedicated to Steve McQueen.
Always do what Steve McQueen would do.
7.5/10
Crime 101: Never be predictable.
Don Winslow's Crime 101 —now a film starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo & Halle Berry—is a slow-burn about a jewel thief and the cop hunting him that relies very heavily on vibes. Whether it's the calculated calm of our outlaw main character, the intoxicating appeal of life along the 101, or the unpredictably explosive end to which the events throughout are leading us, Winslow captures the vibes of his inspirations with the exact level of contagious cool you'd hope for from a story dedicated to Steve McQueen.
Always do what Steve McQueen would do.
7.5/10
January 29, 2026
After seeing trailers for Crime 101, I looked the movie up and saw it was based on a short story by Don Winslow, an author Stephen King praises consistently. I got my hands on a used paperback right away.
This is reminiscent of the types of crime stories that I’ve grown up reading and watching and almost always love (when done well). Both the career criminal and the lead detective are really dual protagonists, whom we learn just the right amount of backstory about, there’s one last job / one last score, and a lawman who’s conflicted between cuffing his man and taking the score for himself.
Crime 101 is fast paced, fun, and can be read in a sitting or two. To the reviewers saying this is “shallow,” or “cops, robbers, voluptuous women defined by the male gaze,” you’re right. Not everything needs to be that deep. Sometimes you can fire up a joint and sit down to watch “Heat” or “The Town” or you can read this in less time than either of those movies.
4 stars. Excited to check out more stories and books by Winslow.
This is reminiscent of the types of crime stories that I’ve grown up reading and watching and almost always love (when done well). Both the career criminal and the lead detective are really dual protagonists, whom we learn just the right amount of backstory about, there’s one last job / one last score, and a lawman who’s conflicted between cuffing his man and taking the score for himself.
Crime 101 is fast paced, fun, and can be read in a sitting or two. To the reviewers saying this is “shallow,” or “cops, robbers, voluptuous women defined by the male gaze,” you’re right. Not everything needs to be that deep. Sometimes you can fire up a joint and sit down to watch “Heat” or “The Town” or you can read this in less time than either of those movies.
4 stars. Excited to check out more stories and books by Winslow.
February 9, 2026
This is my first Don Winslow read and it won’t be my last. The author has been recommended to me before and is I decided to pick this up prior to the upcoming movie. As the title suggests, the genre is crime fiction. The jewel thief operates on the 101 in California and lives by a set of rules that has kept him hidden from the law. Until now. In search of his final score he breaks his own rules but the story ends with an unexpected twist. Wonder if the movie will stay true to this ending.
On to the movie coming out this week.
On to the movie coming out this week.
December 18, 2023
I’m a big fan of Winslow. He’s a very good writer. I have read most of his novels and picked this ‘novella’ only because I could find anything else at the time. It’s a short read – but it’s complex. … I just thought that some of the crime details didn’t seem as if they would pass a thorough police examination.
October 9, 2024
An interesting short story from the master of crime fiction. Even though this is a short story, the characters are very well-drawn. Winslow does a great job of providing details that the story didn't necessarily need but is so much better because they are there.
August 11, 2022
Quick read
October 31, 2022
Quick and a good little story, though I didn't love it as much as the other shorts by Winslow I've read.
December 20, 2022
A very clever mystery with wordplay on all things 101. I wish for this kind of cleverness. It deserves more stars--among clever but not overwhelmingly important books, it gets more stars
September 19, 2023
This was excellent. Novella length. I just read it is also being made into a movie.
February 26, 2024
Typically good Winslow crime novella that fortunately lacks the obvious ending in favor of a satisfying twist. This author almost never disappoints me.
May 21, 2024
4.5 Don Winslow’s the man. Short, fun, great characters. Master of the crime noir—him Lehane, Leonard, can’t go wrong.
July 10, 2024
Not as memorable as other works by Winslow
February 7, 2025
Great short story about a criminal planning a final jewel heist and the rules that he follows by
December 18, 2025
Hell yeah
December 31, 2025
This novella reads like a film noir from the 1940s/1950s. I loved it! A solid 5/5 read.
January 10, 2026
Quick cop and robber story for book girls guide book to screen 2026 bingo challenge
January 29, 2026
It was okay. Too much male gaze for the time period and too short to really flesh out everything.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews