Review - Sutton by J R Moehringer

Published 25 September Hyperion

The opening of the story in 1969 as Sutton is unexpectedly released from jail is a good starting point, as throughout the story, Moehringer’s intelligent commentary blends together and with a certain amount of gravitas explains not just the reason d'être  but also the personality of the man behind the myth. Sutton was born in the slums of Brooklyn in the first year of the twentieth century, and over three decades became the most prolific bank robber, and on the FBI’s most wanted list. With no prior knowledge of the history of Willie Sutton, I viewed this book completely open minded and was surprised to find not just a good crime novel, but also a social observation about the first part of the twentieth century. J R Moehringer has combined fact with fiction to sustain a fast paced and fascinating look into a life of unadulterated crime, and explains how Sutton was motivated not specifically by greed but more by a determination to win the girl of his dreams.

4****

My thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion books for a review copy.