Cops and Robbers

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Ahlberg wrote his first book when he was thirty-seven, after a decade of teaching - a profession that he maintains is "much harder" than being a writer. He says that if he hadn't become a writer, he would have loved to be a soccer player. He was married for many years to fellow children's author Janet Ahlberg, with whom he often worked. Their daughter, Jessica Ahlberg, is also a children's author. This was my first Donald Westlake and after looking him up, I found he’s written quite a few books and many more under under several pseudonyms. About a dozen of them fall into this “comic crime novels” category which, by modern standards is not comedy; just two real guys behaving in real ways while going through their normal day (and night) shifts. I expected a better read because this story had a strange atmosphere,it wasn't hard-boiled or humorous. Donald Westlake was a national treasure. He wrote more than one hundred novels and I doubt if there is a dud among them. This one is a stand-alone and while not funny, I suspect you'll have a grin on your face at the end, as did I. It might not be one of Westlake's strongest works, but I enjoyed it. As a long-time police officer I can appreciate some of the sentiment and even relate to the two officers, Joe and Tom. I've felt that frustration and cynicism at times my self.The job can be both boring and terrifying and there times when I really don't like the public. No I've never decided to pull of an armed robbery, but I can relate. Also I've never had an affair and I actually like my life, both the valleys and mountains.

The robbers of London town plan a desperate crime on Christmas Eve - to steal all the toys they can lay their hands on! Fortunately, the robbers meet their match in brave Officer Pugh who leaps into action and arrests the villains - all except Grandma Swagg who manages to get away. One of the scripts that he worked on in the early seventies was The New Centurions. I suspect that it might have influenced him in writing this story. That and the fact that by the early seventies the N.Y.P.D. was undergoing the trauma of the Knapp Commission/Frank Serpico and people were starting to look at cops in a different light - both good and bad. This book has a Wambaugh flavor to it. There is humor, but it's sardonic and incidental. The story is a heist caper, but this time it's being pulled of by a couple cops who have had enough of their job and the city and just want to get out. The seventies had begun and even though the decade was only a couple of years old one can already see the beginning of the so-called "Me Generation" beginning to take form. Nash Hall's dad is a criminal who just can't seem to go straight. He wants Nash to help him commit a robbery. A big one. The trouble is, Nash's mum is a cop. And the robbery is at Nash's school. But Dad owes a lot of money to some very dangerous people and if Nash doesn't help him do the job, it could cost both their lives. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - A high stakes adventure that will keep you guessing and breathless until the very end.' Michael Gerard Bauer, author of Don't Call Me Ishmael

This is a fabulous favourite – and a brilliantly clever theme for Christmas too, I never would have thought of it.

Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth Okay I'm going to open with an apology again. This book was recommended by a friend, a friend who obviously liked it, very much. I just could not like it, get into it or enjoy the subject matter. For me...that's for me, it barely escapes a 1 star rating. Sorry. My first Westlake novel. I've been told by readers who are fans that this isn't one of his better works. Evidently it began life as a script (I've seen the movie and it isn't too bad) and Westlake novelized it. However being new to his novels this isn't that bad of a read. I see from looking at his entry over on the Internet Movie Database (imdb) Mr. Westlake did a lot of (uncredited) work on scripts. I guess he would polish a script and give it that certain something that made him so popular. A new nailbiter from the bestselling author of Two Wolves, The Fall and Detention. "Make sure you start this well before bedtime because you wont want to stop." Morris Gleitzman Donald Westlake paints a satirical picture of two ordinary men, frustrated with their ordinary lives. As they are ordinary men they are easy to like. When they start to take on the might of both Wall Street and the Mafia you will find yourself rooting for them, the underdogs.From the heart-racing opening scene at the petrol station to the explosive conclusion, Cop and Robber is a gripping middle-grade novel that delivers powerful action scenes and complex questions about family and loyalty . . . If you loved the Alex Rider or Conspiracy 365 series, this is right up your alley. With electrifying action and brilliant characters, Cop and Robber is a stellar middle-grade novel for ages 10+. Look at the police officers’ street map and plan routes from one street to another. What roads do you need to use to get from one place to another? Which direction will you need to turn? Then i read it was written written expressly to be made into a movie and understood why it didnt have the usual Donald E.Westlake quality to it. Long before Steven Paige and Ed Robertson mused about what they would do if they had a million dollars, Tom and Joe decided it was a game worth playing; a risk worth taking. This is one of D. Westlake's "comic caper" reads. There's meant to be a certain amount of humor or lightheartedness. I won't give any spoilers in the open here so all I mention can be found in the synopsis or I'll hide it. So, the aforementioned subject matter...a couple of crooked cops. Yeah I know it's somewhat played for laughs even though the story is told straight. But it still doesn't sit well with me and I really can't identify with our "protagonists" or their point of view.

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This is beautifully written and catchy children’s book. The verse flows well and this traditional cops and robbers story is entertaining. Will this gang of robbers who are terrorising London ruin Christmas or can the upstanding Officer Pugh save the day? As well as the fun story and the lyrical verse, the numerous illustrations are excellent and an integral part of the story, make sure to keep your eye on them towards the end!

When the two disillusioned policemen start their well-planned heist their scheme starts to unravel. The suspense is unbearable. My nerves couldn’t take it. I had to put the book down and make a cup of tea. Choose one of the robbers shown in the book (e.g. Grabber Dan, Grandma Swagg) and write a story about a crime they might have committed. If your mum was a cop and your dad was a crim who needed your help to commit a crime, would you do it to save him? At what cost? The book, the story, and the characters are all quite believable for the early 1970s. This wouldn’t (and couldn’t) have worked today. But that’s what’s so great: it’s a point in time when the genius of it all was entirely possible. London succumbs to a crime wave on Christmas Eve. Officer Pugh uses excessive force to apprehend the conspirators leaving one, identified as Grabber Dan, unconscious after a blow to the head.

LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. Tom and Joe are New York City policemen. They are also planning a grand heist that should net them two million dollars. But they have to outwit the Mob to keep the money and their lives. The robbers of London town plan a desperate crime on Christmas Eve - to steal all the toys they can lay their hands on! Fortunately, the robbers meet their match in brave Officer Pugh who leaps into action and arrests the villains - all except Grandma Swagg who manages to get away. About This Edition ISBN: This is a new Puffin edition of Allan Ahlberg's best-selling Cops and Robbers classic picture book, with a brand new cover! The robbers of London town plan a desperate crime one Christmas Eve - to steal all the toys they can lay their hands on! Fortunately, the robbers meet their match in brave office Pugh who leaps into action and arrests the villains - all except Grandma Swagg who manages to get away. The London cops are described as being ‘hardworking, brave and true’. Think of other words that describe the qualities of a good police officer.