The Final Score
Published on 29. January 2026
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-0-00-876219-3 (ISBN)
Description
'The best crime fiction I've read in twenty years. You'd think Winslow was mobbed up - it's that good' Stephen King
'Don Winslow is my favorite crime fiction writer and THE FINAL SCORE is his best yet' James Patterson
#1 internationally bestselling author Don Winslow - America's King of Crime Fiction - is back and he's better than ever in this intense, deeply felt, gripping collection of six all-new, never-before-published short novels.
In six all-new short novels written with the trademark literary style, trenchant wit, and incisive characterization that have made Don Winslow "America's greatest living crime writer" (Providence Journal), this repeat New York Times bestselling author serves up a collection of tales sure to delight Winslow's most devoted fans and first-time readers.
The multi-million-dollar casino heist is impossible-it can't be done. That's what makes it irresistible to a legendary robber facing the rest of his life in prison for his "Final Score." An ambitious, hard-working college-bound teenager has a side job delivering illegal booze to "The Sunday List" until a crooked cop, a seductive customer, and a fake guru threaten to end his dreams. Two wise guys tell each other a "True Story" over breakfast at a diner. It's all bullshit and laughs until someone else has to pick up the check. An otherwise honest patrolman has to make an excruciating choice between his loyalty to the job and his love for a ne'er-do-well cousin in "The North Wing." The entitled, substance-addicted movie star that surfer/PI Boone Daniels and his crew are hired to babysit in "The Lunch Break" is a problem. She also has a problem-someone wants her dead. Finally, the one terrible, momentary mistake that a devoted family man makes sends him to prison and on a "Collision" course between the man he wants to be and the killer he's forced to become to survive.
With a foreword written by award-winning crime author Reed Farrel Coleman, The Final Score is a propulsive, perceptive, and deeply immersive collection of crime writing - the ultimate testament to Don Winslow's prowess as a living legend of the genre.
'Don Winslow is my favorite crime fiction writer and THE FINAL SCORE is his best yet' James Patterson
#1 internationally bestselling author Don Winslow - America's King of Crime Fiction - is back and he's better than ever in this intense, deeply felt, gripping collection of six all-new, never-before-published short novels.
In six all-new short novels written with the trademark literary style, trenchant wit, and incisive characterization that have made Don Winslow "America's greatest living crime writer" (Providence Journal), this repeat New York Times bestselling author serves up a collection of tales sure to delight Winslow's most devoted fans and first-time readers.
The multi-million-dollar casino heist is impossible-it can't be done. That's what makes it irresistible to a legendary robber facing the rest of his life in prison for his "Final Score." An ambitious, hard-working college-bound teenager has a side job delivering illegal booze to "The Sunday List" until a crooked cop, a seductive customer, and a fake guru threaten to end his dreams. Two wise guys tell each other a "True Story" over breakfast at a diner. It's all bullshit and laughs until someone else has to pick up the check. An otherwise honest patrolman has to make an excruciating choice between his loyalty to the job and his love for a ne'er-do-well cousin in "The North Wing." The entitled, substance-addicted movie star that surfer/PI Boone Daniels and his crew are hired to babysit in "The Lunch Break" is a problem. She also has a problem-someone wants her dead. Finally, the one terrible, momentary mistake that a devoted family man makes sends him to prison and on a "Collision" course between the man he wants to be and the killer he's forced to become to survive.
With a foreword written by award-winning crime author Reed Farrel Coleman, The Final Score is a propulsive, perceptive, and deeply immersive collection of crime writing - the ultimate testament to Don Winslow's prowess as a living legend of the genre.
Reviews / Votes
'A masterpiece. One way to look at Don Winslow's latest masterpiece is that it's like experiencing six very cool movies and you won't forget any of them. Unforgettable, unputdownable and just a fantastic read. Don Winslow remains one of my all time favorite writers' JAMES PATTERSON'Winslow is one of the great painters of American criminality and this is a masterclass' THE TIMES
'No one portrays the criminal classes and the hard, morally damaged men who try to catch them better than Don Winslow and the six novellas in The Final Score are a masterclass in character, dialogue and plot. The tension never lets up and the only thing higher than the body count will be your pulse!... Absolutely gripping' EXPRESS and MIRROR
'a collection of novellas which lands with ultimate impact, each story economical, compelling and hitting the target with engineering precision, not a word wasted, little gems demonstrating his mastery of the form, storytelling and emotions... An absolute joy' CRIME TIME
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
502 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-876219-3 (9780008762193)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
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Person
Don Winslow is the author of twenty-six acclaimed, award-winning international bestsellers, including eight New York Times bestsellers (Savages, The Kings of Cool, The Cartel, The Force, The Border, City on Fire, City of Dreams and City in Ruins). Savages was made into a feature film by three-time Oscar-winning writer-director Oliver Stone from a screenplay by Shane Salerno, Winslow and Stone. Crime 101, based on Winslow's short novel, will be released as a theatrical film from Amazon. He has also written a series of award-winning short stories for Audible narrated by four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris. A former investigator, anti-terrorist trainer and trial consultant, Winslow lives in California and Rhode Island.