Trent Zelazny's father is the renowned science fiction writer, Roger Zelazny. They are both great writers, but their subject matters are entirely different.

To Sleep Gently is a perfect example of the kind of noir fiction that was published in the late fifties and early sixties. Indeed, if you take the cellular telephones and the security cameras out of the story (and they are not a major part of the story), there is no way to know that the story was crafted in modern times, not fifty years ago.

It's a story of a man who has stepped out of prison after five years and, immediately, he is asked to drive out to Santa Fe for a job, but a real sweet job with a target of a very exclusive hotel in high season. It's all arranged and the others working the job have all been hired as well as the fence. All Jack has to do is show up and lend his professional experience to the task.

Although it is perhaps not the brightest idea to immediately turn to criminal behavior, it all seems to be professionally arranged, that is, until Jack meets his partners in the enterprise.

Much of the book concerns Jack's drive cross-country from Ohio to Santa Fe, the people he meets along the way, and the several days he spends in Santa Fe prior to actually executing the job. Not much of what occurs is dull, including the women he meets along the way, the barroom brawls he engages in, or the aftermath of the crime. The story also includes reminisces of Jack's "idyllic" childhood and the job that put him behind bars.

It is a perfectly executed story from beginning to end with great pacing throughout. The actual robbery and the getaway are high-octane intensity that puts in mind the idea of turning this into a major motion picture. I highly recommend this book. ( )