{"id":32063,"date":"2026-02-25T09:33:59","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T13:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=32063"},"modified":"2026-02-25T09:34:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T13:34:00","slug":"review-the-final-score-by-don-winslow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/25\/review-the-final-score-by-don-winslow\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \ud83d\udd0d The Final Score by Don Winslow"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-32063\" data-postid=\"32063\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-32063 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_43ra365 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner col_align_top gutter-narrow tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_vhix365 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_spof365 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"983\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/the-final-score-don-winslow.jpg?resize=640%2C983&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-32064\" title=\"the-final-score-don-winslow\" alt=\"the-final-score-don-winslow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/the-final-score-don-winslow.jpg?w=977&amp;ssl=1 977w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/the-final-score-don-winslow.jpg?resize=195%2C300&amp;ssl=1 195w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/the-final-score-don-winslow.jpg?resize=667%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 667w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/the-final-score-don-winslow.jpg?resize=768%2C1179&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_s5gw365 customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">The multi-million-dollar casino heist is impossible\u2014it can\u2019t be done. That\u2019s what makes it irresistible to a legendary robber facing the rest of his life in prison for his \u201c<span class=\"a-text-bold\">Final Score.<\/span>\u201d <\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">An ambitious, hard-working college-bound teenager has a side job delivering illegal booze to \u201c<span class=\"a-text-bold\">The Sunday List<\/span>\u201d until a crooked cop, a seductive customer, and a fake guru threaten to end his dreams. <\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Two wise guys tell each other a \u201c<span class=\"a-text-bold\">True Story\u201d<\/span>\u00a0over breakfast at a diner. It\u2019s all bullshit and laughs until someone else has to pick up the check. <\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">An otherwise honest patrolman has to make an excruciating choice between his loyalty to the job and his love for a ne\u2019er-do-well cousin in\u00a0<span class=\"a-text-bold\">\u201cThe North Wing.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">The entitled, substance-addicted movie star that surfer\/PI Boone Daniels and his crew are hired to babysit in \u201c<span class=\"a-text-bold\">The Lunch Break\u201d<\/span>\u00a0is a\u00a0<span class=\"a-text-italic\">problem<\/span>. She also\u00a0<span class=\"a-text-italic\">has\u00a0<\/span>a problem\u2014someone wants her dead. <\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Finally, the one terrible, momentary mistake that a devoted family man makes sends him to prison and on a \u201c<span class=\"a-text-bold\">Collision\u201d<\/span>\u00a0course between the man he wants to be and the killer he\u2019s forced to become to survive.<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_j8u7365 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_jvzc365  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-25879 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-top-pick-banner-1-2.png?resize=296%2C72&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Jan 27, 2026<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong> HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong> William Morrow<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $14.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Final Score <\/strong>is the first book by<em><strong> Don WInslow<\/strong><\/em> that I\u2019ve read. I think people who are already fans of Winslow will love it and it\u2019s also a perfect introduction to the author for new readers. This crime fiction book consists of six short stories\/novellas with different characters and settings. They are all different, but all are very good. They range from serious, funny, touching, and bittersweet with vivid, memorable characters.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Final Score <\/strong>is also the name of the first story in the book. It\u2019s a heist story about John Highland, an older robber wanting to do one last job. This hard-boiled story was suspenseful, twisty, and surprisingly heartwarming.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I found the<strong> North Wing<\/strong> to be sad and a little depressing. Doug Pritchett is a kind-hearted, honest cop who has to decide between remaining loyal to his job or crossing a line to help a cousin who also seems to be in trouble. The title comes from a certain area of a prison in which certain prisoners are \u201cprotected\u201d.<\/p><p>Another story, <strong>Collision<\/strong>, looks like it will be another depressing story, but ends on a hopeful note. Brad McAlister has everything going for him, but one drunken mistake upends his life and could cost him his wife and child. It\u2019s a complex, well-written story.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">My favorite three stories also contain crimes, but are lighter in tone and\/or more upbeat. <strong>The Sunday List i<\/strong>s about a high school student who has an unusual way of earning money to save for college &#8211; he delivers alcohol on Sunday (which was illegal) to special customers of the local Rhode Island liquor store. The story has a surprising twist that I really enjoyed.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I found <strong>True Story<\/strong> to be really entertaining. It\u2019s a conversation at a diner between two mobsters. They go off on tangents as they\u2019re talking, but their conversation eventually comes full circle to finish the rest of the \u201ctrue story.\u201d<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Lunch Break<\/strong> is my overall favorite of the collection. It features surfer\/PI Boone Daniels (who has his own series) called in on a case to watch over a difficult actress who is being threatened. The mystery is interesting, the story is entertaining, and a couple of the characters show welcome and surprising growth by the end. Although I\u2019ve given this book a rating of 4.5 stars as a whole,<strong> The Lunch Break <\/strong>is a five-star story for me.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Christine<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_nad0365 customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4s8X58A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/4tZXjAU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/the-final-score-don-winslow\/1147047543?ean=9780063450455\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/the-final-score-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Don_Winslow_The_Final_Score?id=WypIEQAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The multi-million-dollar casino heist is impossible\u2014it can\u2019t be done. That\u2019s what makes it irresistible to a legendary robber facing the rest of his life in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32064,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,106,72],"tags":[153,369,404,405,482,483],"class_list":["post-32063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christine","category-harpercollins","category-william-morrow","tag-4-5-stars","tag-mystery-suspense","tag-recommend","tag-recommended-reads","tag-thrillersuspense","tag-top-pick"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Review \ud83d\udd0d The Final Score by Don Winslow - Smitten by Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/25\/review-the-final-score-by-don-winslow\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review \ud83d\udd0d The Final Score by Don Winslow - Smitten by Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The multi-million-dollar casino heist is impossible\u2014it can\u2019t be done. 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That\u2019s what makes it irresistible to a legendary robber facing the rest of his life in prison for his \u201cFinal Score.\u201d <\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">An ambitious, hard-working college-bound teenager has a side job delivering illegal booze to \u201cThe Sunday List\u201d until a crooked cop, a seductive customer, and a fake guru threaten to end his dreams. <\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two wise guys tell each other a \u201cTrue Story\u201d\u00a0over breakfast at a diner. It\u2019s all bullshit and laughs until someone else has to pick up the check. <\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">An otherwise honest patrolman has to make an excruciating choice between his loyalty to the job and his love for a ne\u2019er-do-well cousin in\u00a0\u201cThe North Wing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The entitled, substance-addicted movie star that surfer\/PI Boone Daniels and his crew are hired to babysit in \u201cThe Lunch Break\u201d\u00a0is a\u00a0problem. She also\u00a0has\u00a0a problem\u2014someone wants her dead. <\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finally, the one terrible, momentary mistake that a devoted family man makes sends him to prison and on a \u201cCollision\u201d\u00a0course between the man he wants to be and the killer he\u2019s forced to become to survive.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-top-pick-banner-1-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Jan 27, 2026<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong> HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong> William Morrow<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $14.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Final Score <\/strong>is the first book by<em><strong> Don WInslow<\/strong><\/em> that I\u2019ve read. I think people who are already fans of Winslow will love it and it\u2019s also a perfect introduction to the author for new readers. This crime fiction book consists of six short stories\/novellas with different characters and settings. They are all different, but all are very good. They range from serious, funny, touching, and bittersweet with vivid, memorable characters.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Final Score <\/strong>is also the name of the first story in the book. It\u2019s a heist story about John Highland, an older robber wanting to do one last job. This hard-boiled story was suspenseful, twisty, and surprisingly heartwarming.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I found the<strong> North Wing<\/strong> to be sad and a little depressing. Doug Pritchett is a kind-hearted, honest cop who has to decide between remaining loyal to his job or crossing a line to help a cousin who also seems to be in trouble. The title comes from a certain area of a prison in which certain prisoners are \u201cprotected\u201d.<\/p><p>Another story, <strong>Collision<\/strong>, looks like it will be another depressing story, but ends on a hopeful note. Brad McAlister has everything going for him, but one drunken mistake upends his life and could cost him his wife and child. It\u2019s a complex, well-written story.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">My favorite three stories also contain crimes, but are lighter in tone and\/or more upbeat. <strong>The Sunday List i<\/strong>s about a high school student who has an unusual way of earning money to save for college - he delivers alcohol on Sunday (which was illegal) to special customers of the local Rhode Island liquor store. The story has a surprising twist that I really enjoyed.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I found <strong>True Story<\/strong> to be really entertaining. It\u2019s a conversation at a diner between two mobsters. They go off on tangents as they\u2019re talking, but their conversation eventually comes full circle to finish the rest of the \u201ctrue story.\u201d<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Lunch Break<\/strong> is my overall favorite of the collection. It features surfer\/PI Boone Daniels (who has his own series) called in on a case to watch over a difficult actress who is being threatened. The mystery is interesting, the story is entertaining, and a couple of the characters show welcome and surprising growth by the end. Although I\u2019ve given this book a rating of 4.5 stars as a whole,<strong> The Lunch Break <\/strong>is a five-star story for me.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Christine<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4s8X58A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/4tZXjAU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/the-final-score-don-winslow\/1147047543?ean=9780063450455\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/the-final-score-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Don_Winslow_The_Final_Score?id=WypIEQAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32063"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32071,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32063\/revisions\/32071"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}