When wounded bank robber Phil Dixon flees a botched holdup in New Jersey at the start of this entertaining crime novel from Levison (Working Stiff’s Manifesto
), he winds up at the Tiburn, N.H., home of Elias White, a history professor whose academic aspirations far outmatch his abilities. Dixon intimidates White into sheltering him until he’s ready to escape to Canada, where he plans to start a new life as a farmer. White, meanwhile, sees opportunities to further his career in the situation. Later, FBI agent Denise Lupo, eager for an excuse to leave her dead-end New York City job for a couple of days, follows a slim clue that points to Dixon’s presence in New Hampshire. The prison-schooled Dixon, the pretentious White and Lupo with her shattered idealism give the author ample scope to nail a lot of targets. Not only does Levison score high on the satirical scale, he manages some ingenious plot shifts that should provoke both appreciative smiles and laughter. (Oct.)
