Until The Dualist is published why not read ... #1: The Friends of Eddie Coyle

Almost totally dialogue-led, this is a tale of the day-to-day skulduggery of small-time Boston crook and gun runner, Eddie Coyle, and his 'friends' (the irony being in that term) . A classic from the early 1970s, TFOEC will have you rolling in the aisles or at least wondering how one writer, constraining himself to solely to dialogue, can drive a plot forward with so much fluency, humour and excitement. This was writer, George Higgins', first novel and many argue that it is his best, although several others in his canon of 28 books, most notably (to me at least) Cogan's Trade, The Digger's Game, The Rat on Fire and The Patriot Game will, to varying degrees, give it a run for its money.

Don't make 'em like they used to!