Levison, author of the memoir A Working Stiff’s Manifesto
, delivers a ticklish novel about three hapless friends who turn to crime as a last desperate crack at prosperity in their rundown Pennsylvania coal town. Stoner roommates Mitch and Doug are trapped in dead-end jobs. They decide, along with dog-walker friend Kevin, to take something back from the world that’s been ripping them off for years, but as their hilariously inept bungling reveals, the trio is far from criminal masterminds. Levison plays the threesome’s antics for serious laughs as they argue and fall all over each other trying to pull off a caper that will land them enough money to buy a new car. Needless to say, things don’t look good for the three Dillinger-lites. With a nose for half-baked dreams and a keen ear for how man-children talk and “think,” Levison offers an honest and humorous romp through lower-middle class frustration. (Oct.)
