This one was a very fun and enjoyable read. From entire story flow, images and the way characters communicate it is obvious author is coming from the movie business.

Our protagonist, Mike Skellig, war veteran with a very hush-hush service record is owner of a private limousine company where he employs war veterans with very serious skills but also problems of physical and psychological nature that would deem them unemployable anywhere else. Through this company Skellig manages to help former servicemen to live normal life. Entire story is narrated by Skellig and we follow him and his ragtag team as they try to solve the case and save their lives.

Skellig also has some issues from the combat campaigns he participated. But being cynic and quick witted (I dont think he could keep quiet if his life depended on it :)) and surrounded with people he trusts (and trust him back) he manages to cope with it and look forward to tomorrow.

This is one of those crime novels that have all the ingredients of seriousness but make you feel good at the end. There is that message that not all is gloom and doom and world is not a bleak place. If one is true to oneself and does good and surrounds with people that trust and love him everything can be achieved.

While reading this book it was like I was watching episode of Magnum PI. There is humor here but also dark images of cruel underworld and in the middle of it our daring team fighting the evil.

I wont go into details of the story itself because that would be very hard to do because of spoilers and to spoil this book would be the shame.

Recommended. ( )

Fast paced, wise guy, amusing thriller. Limo owner Skellig collects a rag tag band of broken (literally and figuratively) Afghan vets. Considerable violence, just FYI. ( )

This book depicts completely unnecessary voyeuristic acts of torture against racial minorities/women/disabled characters. It is sickening to read both on an intellectual level (given the nature of white male perpetrators of sexually violent crimes on disabled people, racial minorities, and women) and in a gut emotional level. Although this “torture porn” occurred in only one scene (that I got to cause cards on the table I stopped reading at this scene), it soured the entire book for me. ( )

I kept putting off finishing The Driver. It sounded enjoyable when I put in for the arc but every time I tried read it I had to give up. It was soo very slow. I know an author has to paint a vivid picture of their scenes but this was bogged down with overdrawn details. Perhaps im too much of a minimalist for his writing. How many more times can he insert racial descriptions. I get it, you tried to be inclusive and I appreciate that but your average reader isn't your casting director. I don't need to know about a characters half-german, half-mexican gambler father who was killed and african-american stripper/escort mother who's a crackhead just so that character can walk in the room. Not even going to rant on his Spanglish speaking lawyer/fwb. Hart Hanson can develop a fair story with some tense action scenes, some jokes, some forced dialogue but that's better left to his shows. It didn't read well for me.

This one goes in my top 10 for the year. It's just plain fun. What other book has a California Senator's son with several masters degrees and the owner of a limo service as the main protagonist. His supporting cast is made up of a crew of vets with various ailments. The gist of the story centers around a skate rat celebrity who misappropriates some barrel full of a money from a decidedly not nice fella. What ensues will have you chuckling on the edge of your seat. ( )