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Unabridged Digital Audiobook
Runtime: 5 hours, 34 minutes
Read by Jeffrey Kafer
Big bank robberies seem to be a thing of the past—something that took place in the Wild West. Today, you’d think that it would take a criminal mastermind to steal from a bank. But the audio edition of author Jeff Diamant’s Heist! The Oddball Crew Behind the $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft shows that you don’t need to be a genius to pull off a robbery—though it helps to have some brains if you want to get away with it.
The story follows the true adventures of the team of bumbling criminals who pulled off one of the largest bank heists in U. S. history. Loomis Fargo security guard David Ghantt seemed like the last person who would be able to pull off a major heist. But, one night in 1997, he managed to drive away with $17 million in cash—with some help and prodding from a former coworker and a small-time crook. But while Ghantt raced off to Mexico to wait for his share, his accomplices back in North Carolina had their own plans for the money.
The stranger-than-fiction story of the Loomis Fargo heist is so outrageous that it’s been made into a movie—the upcoming crime comedy Masterminds. And, really, it’s a pretty unbelievable story—not just because this motley group managed to pull off the heist (which is actually a small part of the book) but also because of the way they handled themselves in the months following the heist.
The book follows each of the major players—Ghantt, Kelly Campbell, and Steve Chambers, along with a growing number of accomplices—as they do the most ridiculous things imaginable following the heist. They wander around with big bags of cash. They trade in their mobile homes for mansions. They plot murders. But it sometimes seems as though the FBI agents investigating the case are just as bumbling—because, despite the various characters’ multitude of missteps, they still manage to evade arrest. And that collective blundering makes this true story even more unbelievable.
Still, narrator Jeffrey Kafer’s dry delivery manages to downplay the insanity of it all. Instead of having some fun with the crooks’ hijinks, he narrates the book like an episode of a serious true crime show. In fact, it isn’t until he discusses the media’s response to the case that it becomes truly amusing. And, while taking in all of the details, listeners might find it hard to pay attention—and even harder to appreciate the humor of the situation.
If you enjoy fictional crime comedies, though, you might want to make the switch to non-fiction to check out the real-life caper in Heist! As long as you can get beyond the Just the facts, Ma’am narration, you’ll be amazed and entertained.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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