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Why it matters
Walter joins crime plotting to a wry political story about reinvention, responsibility, and participation in public life.
A celebrated work
Citizen Vince
Jess Walter2006 selection · Mystery & crime
Citizen Vince
In the days before the 1980 presidential election, small-time criminal Vince Camden sells stolen credit cards while living under witness protection in Spokane. A contract killer's arrival forces him to reckon with the crime that brought him west and decide what citizenship might demand of him.
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Read this if…
You like character-driven noir with humor, period detail, and a chance at redemption.
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Ideas inside
ReinventionCitizenshipCrimeRedemption
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Edgar Award for Best Novel — official winner recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)