GRIFTERS' HOPSCOTCH

In King’s 10th crime novel in his Travelers series, the heroes are always one step ahead of their often inept adversaries.

Randy and Jodi Sutton (whose names are both aliases) are professional grifters in Putney, Ohio, with plans to blackmail a vulnerable prosecuting attorney, Terry Brighton. For this, they reluctantly enlist Brighton’s regular escort, college student Chrissie Makarova, who’s involved in sex work only so she can afford special extras for her mother, who’s in a nursing home. Things quickly fall apart, which sets the tone for this fast-moving tale. Brighton fights back against the Suttons’ plan with the help of a compromised FBI agent named Joe Smith, who’s very good at what he does. The rest of the plot brings in additional bad guys, hair’s-breadth escapes, and technological wizardry. At one point, the action moves from Ohio to Chicago for a diamonds-and-cash heist, which turns out just as difficult as the blackmailing scheme. It’s no spoiler to say that Randy and Jodi eventually end up miles away from the scenes of their crimes, having survived yet again, luxuriating in a hot tub and planning their next caper; the novel’s appeal is in how they get away. King has been telling tales of these characters for a while and he knows how to deliver punchy, clipped dialogue: “She’s an escort. She’s already in the game—just not our game.” He’s also has created a classic husband-and-wife team whom readers will love to watch in action; they’re are vaguely Robin Hood–like figures in that they steal from the morally compromised, although the poor will have to wait until the Suttons get their cut. Some of the action strains credulity, but that’s part of the fun, as are the nailbiter escapes. Randi and Jodi’s job isn’t for the faint of heart, which is why this cool duo—who never, ever panic—is so good at it.

A notably entertaining caper that will keep readers hooked on King’s books.