Crumbtown Book

Some might say that Crumbtown isn’t a place. It’s a state of mind. And for the residents of this sinking, stinking, carcinogenic, potholed neighborhood, “There’s bad luck in the world, and then there’s crumbluck.” But for Don Reedy, a true victim of this phenomenon, his crumbluck is about to change.

Sentenced to 15 years in prison after a botched armed robbery, Don is paroled early when a television producer decides to turn Don’s tragic story into a television show. Back in Crumbtown and working as a special consultant on the shoot, Don wrestles with delusional actors, pines for a beautiful Russian bartender, and reunites with cops and accomplices alike. But when the opportunity presents itself, Don decides to do something really daring: He robs the re-enactment of his legendary robbery. With the cameras rolling and the line between television and reality blurring, the hunt for Don—and a ratings coup—is on.

Megan O'Grady

A dark screwball comedy, Crumbtown ambitiously serves up pratfalls and coincidence as emblems of the claustrophobic inevitability of life for those who can't afford to believe in the benevolence of fortune. Alas, Connelly's cultural critique starts to blur as the novel progresses. After the scathing social commentary that fuels the book's early sections, Connelly preoccupies himself with making Don's reality as weirdly artificial as the television show about him. — The New York Times