The GetawayThe Getaway
Score Classic
What it's about
Doc McCoy wrote the book on pulling off the perfect bank job. But with a treacherous, insane partner and a wife who's still an amateur, he's forgotten something: when the crime is big and bloody enough, there's no clean getaway.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read.
You'll love it if you liked
Get Shorty
Strangers on a Train
Brighton RockGood to know
It's classic noir.
By the numbers
- Readers5 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller1 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #617 of the 623 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #917 of the 924 classics we rank
- #3029 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Gripping
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Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked
Classic booksTop 25 · 924 ranked
Books of the 1930sTop 25 · 59 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 333 rankedQuick answers
Is The Getaway worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #3,029 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 52.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Getaway about?
Doc McCoy wrote the book on pulling off the perfect bank job. But with a treacherous, insane partner and a wife who's still an amateur, he's forgotten something: when the crime is big and bloody enough, there's no clean getaway.
How long does it take to read The Getaway?
About 4 hours (169 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Getaway?
If you liked it, try Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard, Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith or Brighton Rock by Graham Greene.