Preview of The Friends of Eddie Coyle Summary:

When The Friends of Eddie Coyle was published in 1972, its originality was registered both through Higgins's control of literary technique and by its seeming to stand apart from various popular notions of the reality of crime in America. In addition to the broadcasting of the revelations of Joe Valachi, recent works of fiction and nonfiction had made common the concept of "organized crime" — the Mafia. Sociological theories were being offered as explanations of criminal behavior among racial minorities. The radical left was responsible for crimes which exceeded the definition of the political as it was understood by the nation's majority. Obviously aware of this criminal topography, George V. Higgins reminded his readers of the persistence of another sort of criminal activity — the mundane reality of criminal life and society which has always shadowed "normal" capitalistic society.

In part, this reality was established...