Citizen Vince by Jess Walter

Many times, when deciding which book I’ll read next, I turn to award winners or runners up voted on by various writer’s guilds or literary societies. I’ll check the web to see who won the latest PEN award (Western U.S. fiction), or Nebula (Science Fiction), or Bram Stoker (Horror), visit the online library catalog, see where it’s sitting on the shelf, and go pick it up after work the following day. (I don’t buy too many books these days). After reading the award winner, or runner up, or honorably mentioned book, I usually go back and read much of the author’s other work, and am usually greatly satisfied.

So that’s how I came to read Citizen Vince in the past couple of days. Loved it. Swam right through it. Winner of the 2006 Edgar Award for best novel (Mystery Writers of America), the book concerns one Vince Camden, an enormously sympathetic main character, who happens to be a fairly small time crook, donut maker, and first time voter. Set in 1980, with the Carter / Reagan presidential election serving as a strangely poignant backdrop, the book’s got hard boiled cops and crooks and mob stuff, moves back and forth from Spokane to New York City, with great descriptions of each, and ends up making me think hard about political choices. Highly recommended.