George V. Higgins, the poet laureate of Boston's criminal underworld, has written such classics of the genre as Cogan's Trade, At the End of the Day, and The Friends of Eddie Coyle-the inspiration for the classic Robert Mitchum film. His dystopic Boston is filled with low-down hoods, crooked fuzz, and ruthless crime bosses, all brought to life by Higgins's trademark dialogue: a pitch-perfect rendering of the criminal vernacular that hits as hard and cuts as deep as the brass knuckles and switchblades wielded by his creations. The Easiest Thing in the World is a riveting collection comprised of stories, film treatments, and two never-before-published novellas. It's the kind of stuff we've come to expect from Higgins: tales of corruption and revenge, wrapped in sizzling dialogue and a wicked sense of humor. The Easiest Thing in the World is an indispensable addition to not only the Higgins library but also the canon of American crime fiction.