Don Winslow has produced some of the grittiest literary crime fiction of the past two decades. With his latest release, THE FINAL SCORE, he shows that he also can create magic in the form of short fiction.

The collection opens with a foreword from another respected crime writer, Reed Farrel Coleman. He writes that Winslow is “a chameleon in the best possible sense,” alluding to his ability to pen successful stories in multiple genres. Coleman also refers to the Bruce Springsteen song “For You,” which features this lyric: “You could laugh and cry in a single sound.” He compares this to Winslow’s writing, which he feels is capable of containing so much with each sentence.

THE FINAL SCORE indeed lives up to the words that Coleman so eloquently used to describe Winslow’s work, with six stories ranging from high-octane crime to literary fiction that leaves you feeling good. Here I will highlight four that especially stood out for me.

"Don Winslow has written some of the grittiest literary crime fiction of the past two decades. With his latest release, THE FINAL SCORE, he shows that he also can create magic in the form of short fiction.... Winslow is at the top of his game here..."

“The Final Score”: John Highland has been found guilty of armed robbery and understands that he is going to die in prison. Before he is put away, he needs to ensure that his family is taken care of. He and a small group of colleagues plan a final score involving a casino that will require intricate planning to succeed. Highland does not know who he can trust, and not everything goes according to plan, which makes for an intense read.

“The Sunday List”: In 1970 Rhode Island, high schooler Nick McKenna works for a liquor store. With a state that is legally dry on Sundays, it is his job to deliver the liquor to private clients who pay in cash for the service of having their booze on that forbidden day. However, Nick’s personal life is a mess as his mother runs away with her guru after wiping out his college fund, and his dreams of escaping to a different life seem to have disappeared with it. This is a complex and ultimately uplifting tale.

“The North Wing”: Rhode Island police officer Doug Pritchett was the first on the scene the night that his young cousin, Chrissy, killed Sarah Gaines in a drunk-driving accident. Chrissy gets the maximum sentence, and Doug knows she will not survive on the inside. He has heard of a special part of the prison where inmates can live out their term fully protected, which is known as The North Wing. However, the price of admission may be too high for Doug.

“Collision”: Winslow switches to the West Coast for a tragic tale involving Brad McAllister, who has it all and loses it in a moment of violence. He is an executive for a local hotel chain and is happily married with a young son. When he gets into a verbal road-rage altercation with a driver who nearly struck his vehicle with his family inside, it escalates to a physical confrontation. Brad throws the first punch, and the man falls, striking his head on the curb and dying from his injuries a few days later.

Convicted of manslaughter and receiving the maximum sentence, Brad must find ways to survive as a privileged white man within the hell that is prison life if he ever wants to see his family again. He will learn that certain collisions in life have high price tags attached to them that will follow him for the rest of his life.

I have enjoyed everything that Don Winslow has written and consider him to be on equal footing with the three crime writers I recommend to readers the most: Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos. Winslow is at the top of his game here as he looks forward to the upcoming film adaptation of his novella, CRIME 101. At the same time, I know he will be celebrating the reception he gets for THE FINAL SCORE.