The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton

9/10

A rare during school-session post.

I read this book in the summer of '04. But not at the Five and Dime. Because that would be weird. But, this actually was the very first book that I read upon my return from the mish. And it was a wise choice. Probably because I was still so close to the Spirit and correct choices flowed forth during this glorious period.

It is based on an actual robbery that occurred in 1855 in England. Most of the book is this Pierce fellow planning this robbery and mastering the timing of all the elements of the robbery and ironing out all the intricate details to pull it off. It is very Ocean's 11. But instead of 11 guys there are only 5 members of the crew I think. So Pierce's 5 then.

There are several fantastic moments in the book. One of my favorites is when Pierce recruits "Clean Willy," yes, Clean Willy, and helps him escape from a very secure prison. It is epic. And then of course the happenings on the day of the robbery. Many unexpected occurrences lead to on-the-fly alterations and last-minute problem solving. I will not specify how it all goes down, but there is more than one plot twist, that much you can bank on.

Plus, this was written in 1975 and one of Crichton's earliest novels. So it was fun to read a book he wrote before he got all big time and all.

I place my stamp of approval accordingly.