The Big Get-Even

Set somewhere in the American west, this clever thriller from Di Filippo (A Palazzo in the Stars) boasts a sophisticated scam story line. Glen McClinton, who used to be a “young, high-flying legal eagle,” landed behind bars after bilking clients of millions. After his release, Glen is directionless until Stan Hasso, a fellow ex-con who might have died of a drug overdose shortly after leaving prison if Glen hadn’t been there to intervene, approaches him with a tempting proposition. Stan did time for arson after being betrayed by the man who paid him to torch buildings, real estate mogul Barnaby Nancarrow. Stan proposes a partnership with Glen to fleece Nancarrow out of $20 million by convincing Nancarrow that he should pay big bucks for a piece of land Glen owns, Bigelow Junction, because a Vegas developer is going to build a casino on it and raise its value. Complications arise when Glen’s parole officer insists that his stated intention to reopen the motor lodge on the Bigelow Junction land be backed up by actual progress. Di Filippo, best known for his science fiction, proves equally adept at crime fiction. Fans of Ocean’s Eleven will find plenty to like. [em]Agent: Richard Curtis, Richard Curtis Associates. (Mar.) [/em]