A Philly crackhead finds a million. What to do? What to do? Mark Bowden once again writes a tight story. Good job. ( )

This is an extremely fast read. I probably read this book in around two hours (spread over a few days). It is an engaging non-fiction story that reads like a novel. It is a well-organized and straightforward account of a true story.

A lot of other reviewers have complained about the main character, Joey Coyle, who finds 1.2 million dollars lying on the street, because he behaves like a real idiot. I will grant that he is probably the worst possible person to have encountered a giant pile of cash in the street. A drug addict with really poor decision-making skills, he bumbled around South Philly and made a series of decisions so stupid as to be almost comical. So in that regard, it is frustrating, and I found myself thinking, "Well, if *I* had found that money..." etc. All that being said, I still think the book is very enjoyable, and the author does an excellent job setting us up for Joey Coyle's ridiculous decisions. Additionally, I found myself feeling sorry for him because of his crippling addiction. The author is honest, albeit slightly sympathetic, in his portrayal of Coyle.

I definitely recommend this book. Just be forewarned that you will spend the whole book wishing you had been the person to find that $1.2 million ( )

REVIEWED: Finders Keepers: The Story of a Man Who Found $1 Million
WRITTEN BY: Mark Bowden
PUBLISHED: October, 2002

This is a journalistic account of the true story of Joey Coyle, an out-of-work and drug-addicted 28 year old man, who finds $1.2 million which had fallen from an armored truck. It’s a riveting drama which at turns takes twists into humor and suspense but ends, unfortunately, as a tragedy. Coyle is portrayed as an amiable man who essentially blows through much of the money in two weeks, simply by giving it away to homeless, using it on drugs, “forgetting” where he put it, and sharing it with shady businessmen and friends who find out about his fortune and begin to confront him for a piece of the loot. Add to all this, Joey increasingly uses methamphetamine (speed) which causes him paranoid delusions and crippling anxiety. Finders Keepers is sharp and well-written; a fascinating tale of an ordinary man faced with a moral dilemma, and the ensuing reactions of family, friends, neighbors, and police who become a part of his misadventures.

Five out of Five stars ( )