I was excited to find this because The Book of Renfield displayed brilliance and kept me captivated even during the grimmest parts of it.
Unfortunately, this one wasn't a fit for me. It's clearly a labor of love.
It's clever, there's humor, but it never sparked for me. I wasn't invested in the characters.
I think I'm simply not in the target audience who will appreciate this book.
Lucas has an interesting mind. I recommend The Master Criminal for readers who enjoy idea-driven books.
Thank you for the eARC for consideration. These are my unbiased opinions.

This was a very slow book, with a very interesting premise. I struggled to get into it, due to the pacing, but I don’t think that makes it bad. Just not right for me. It was well-written, and I think if the pacing had been different I would have devoured it.

The Only Criminal by Tim Lucas
Actual Rating: 3.75/5

———MILD SPOILERS AHEAD———
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In The Only Criminal, Tim Lucas creates an absurdly charming alternate reality that shines with clever wit, wry humor, and social satire. This fictional world imagines a society that has constructed its entire cultural fabric around “The Only Criminal,” a mysterious figure whose mere existence seems to prop up the entire economy and the population’s sense of order. From the altered title of “The Sound of Sirens” to the detail that every jail has only one cell reserved for this elusive criminal, Lucas skillfully embeds quirky and almost-believable distortions of reality that keep readers engaged and smiling.

The protagonist, Dr. Paul Vaguely, is as flawed as he is amusing—a character who, like the story itself, wanders through a series of bizarre but intriguing societal norms and customs. Lucas’s subtle digs at the entertainment industry (such as Vaguely’s observation that “audiences would not stand for it if movie theaters fed them a steady diet of remakes, would they?”) add a delightfully meta aspect to the narrative, and readers who appreciate dry humor and fourth-wall-breaking quips will find plenty to enjoy here.

While the humor and imaginative world-building are highlights, the story’s pacing may be a little slow for some readers. The economy’s gradual collapse after The Only Criminal’s disappearance is an amusing sequence, but it occasionally feels drawn out. It’s clear that Lucas is building to something—a revelation or twist—but at 59% in, the narrative can feel like it’s waiting for a spark that hasn’t quite arrived. Yet, even in these quieter moments, there’s a thought-provoking undercurrent: What are we willing to trade for stability? Does a near perfect society (aside from the constant but background threat of TOC striking) conceal more flaws than it appears? Through this cynicism and the sense of collective ennui that grows in the absence of The Only Criminal, Lucas raises questions about the sacrifices that underlie an idyllic setting.

In sum, The Only Criminal is an inventive and offbeat read that’s laced with humor, insight, and charm. It may not deliver big revelations as quickly as some readers might hope, but its unique setting and witty observations more than make up for its slower pace. This copy was provided as an ARC, for which I am so grateful—I am eager to see what thoughts others have after enjoying this book.

In a world where no one commits crimes, there is a person who commits all if them; he is known as The Only Criminal. Capable of crossing continents in a matter of seconds and impossible to catch, he is the only source of entertainment in the world: all news, movies, books and even music are about him. It seems like an interesting concept doesn't it? And at the beginning it is. The world building is good, the puns are funny. But, as the book goes on, it starts to lose itself, untill reaching an unsatisfying end that left me with the impression that the author didn't really know how to end the book and just wanted it to be done. I thought it was going to recover itself in the last chapter by having Vaguely became the only criminal ("the main character is consumed by his obsession and becames exactly what he swore to fight" is not a very original trope but at least it would have made sense), but the gloves episode is swept under the rug and left there. Also, who really was Peevey and what happened to him?
My other grievance has to do with the female characters. I am incapable of liking a book that does not have well developed female characters, and unfortunately this books suffers from a case of "women written by a man". There are only two female characters that play a significant role in this book and they are the Slut™ and the Love Interest™. If you read thr book you will definitely know who I'm referring to because those are their only character traits. I am once again begging men to see women as more that sexual objects.
So, yea, cool concept, poor execution.

The Only Criminal reads like a classic and I'd be rioting (in my grave — ghost origin story?) if a century from now, it's not being dissected in schools as part of English literature curriculums. If I had to compare it with one piece of classic fiction, it'd be The Picture of Dorian Gay. It doesn't have a lot of aspects in common with the book (definitely not the queerness), but it plays with the theme of obsession and superstitious beliefs so elegantly ✨🫀

Definitely something that makes it to the reread pile because of the delectable metaphor-ridden prose.

I’m on record as being a big fan of writer and former Video Watchdog editor/publisher Tim Lucas. Full disclosure, I have known Tim personally for more than three decades, although not well, and we don’t speak often. I recently reviewed a couple of Tim’s non-fiction collections of film criticism and had a great time going through them. I quote liked his relatively recent novel, The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes as well, and I’m a big fan of his first published novel, Throat Sprockets. In fact, my bookstore did his first autographing for that one.

All of which leads me to say I’m sorry I really couldn’t get into Tim Lucas’s new book, The Only Criminal. The long text section accompanying the story details the book’s evolution and how important it was/is to him. For Tim, The Only Criminal is that book that everyone has inside of them just kicking, screaming, and clawing to get out. For most of us, it never makes it out but, in his case, here we are.

The premise of The Only Criminal is certainly unique. The story takes place in a world where there is only one bad guy and he’s responsible for not only all crime, but all music as well. He’s never named and only one person, The Only Witness, is known to have seen him and lived, and yet all the books, magazines, newspapers, and television shows are about him as well. Here begin my problems. How did the world get to such a point for one, but more importantly, how is it logical to anyone in that world in any way, shape, or form?

Okay, suspension of disbelief. It just is, somehow. Our protagonist, Dr. Paul Vaguely, is obsessed with the Only Criminal. Outside of work, his life is built around his obsession. Then one day, his work and his obsession converge as the one person to have seen the Only Criminal alive becomes Dr. Vaguely’s patient, and the world wants details.

Soon, the world Vaguely knew changes in ways he can’t seem to understand, and he begins to realize that he has a higher calling…sort of, in a sense.

I like the premise. As untenable as it is, it’s original and intriguing. The back matter tells the reader how much effort went into the story over decades, which makes me feel bad about not being able to really connect with it in any real way. The author’s non-fiction is always learned and informative, understandable without talking down to the reader. His prose, here, feels overwritten and for the longest time we simply have the premise reiterated as we go through several sections of what feels like set-up, without even a hint of the book’s overall plot.

Tim writes that the book was largely inspired by the works of the great French director Georges Franju, including Judex, starring Channing Pollock, and Shadowman, which, surprisingly, Tim saw double featured with The Stranger’s Gundownat Cincinnati’s International ’70 theater—the same time and place I saw it. Like Tim, it was only later that I discovered Judex but it became a real favorite of mine, too.

The Only Criminal distills basic concepts from these influences without lifting them whole and mixes them up into a literary, literate stew of (pardon the expression) vaguely philosophical, satirical metaphorical, and metaphysical ruminations on life, love, and responsibility. While I admit there were points where it certainly did make me think, in the end I realized I wasn’t sure exactly WHAT I was expected to be thinking about. As I said above, we all have that ONE book inside of us that needs to get out. That doesn’t mean that said book will resonate with everyone who reads it.

I think this one is just not for me.
I simply can't get into this book and after putting it down again and again I've decided to give up 40% in.
It's not a particularly long book, but it feels too much like a stylistic exercise, more about finding out what the obviously very smart author can pull off, than for the story itself.
It's clever, it's got a very interesting premise to explore philosophical questions... but I expected the tone to be different for some reason.
I would recommend to people who liked the movies "The Invention of Lying" and "Cold Souls"

The Only Criminal provides a delicious read for the tongue-in-cheek existentialist. Engaging, well-written, and lyrical, Tim Lucas creates an enjoyable fantasy where, if you're quick enough, you'll find philosophical thought lurking in your shadow (perhaps like TOC himself)...

Enjoyable completely as a simple pleasure, The Only Criminal exhibits even more layers to enjoy the more you mull about it.

Best recommended as an annotated read, a book club follow-up after the mention of the word "metaphysics," or a bedtime story for your particularly difficult nephew.

This surreal comic-like tale in an alternate universe makes a statement about society's obsessive fascination with crime. Reads like an allegory rather than a novel, which will likely appeal to science fiction readers.

I loved the psychological element to this book, it had that element that I was looking for. The plot has everything that I wanted and enjoyed the journey of this book. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and were realistic for the setting. I thought the love story worked well overall and glad I got to read this. Tim Lucas has a strong writing style and can’t wait for more.