Why is the sky blue? How come when buttered bread falls, it always lands face down? Can someone please explain the appeal of GREY’S ANATOMY? These are questions that boggle the mind, so I leave those answers to the experts. Our books this week all post some intriguing questions, all dealing centrally with the plot, with answers slowly revealing themselves.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED by Brett Halliday — Another in the long line of Mike Shaynes I own, this 1952 entry was done by the original writer, so you know it’s going to be good. Here’s the rundown: Before Shayne can even be hired, he receives threatening calls about a woman named Wanda Weatherby — not just one call, but several, saying he better mind his own business.
Who is this Wanda to whom all these goons don’t want him to speak? One day, he finally gets a call from the mystery lady, who explains has sent a letter explaining her case. But when Shayne turns up to finally meet her, she’s dead, with a bullet through her head.
Who could have killed her? Is it the local mob toughie, who was behind the calls? Or is it the never-ending parade of people who all come in trying to hire Shayne to discredit her? Everyone has their own reason for her to be wiped off the earth, from blackmail to some past history of making a quick buck.
Then, as Shayne digs a little deeper, another dead woman turns up. How is it connected? It makes sense at the climax, after getting all of the suspects together in one room. This is Shayne in high-octane mode, never letting up and just flying through to the conclusion. It’s just a fantastic mystery with technology of the time breaking the case. Can’t say enough good things about this one. Plus, how could you turn down that cover girl? Hubba hubba!
WHERE IS JANICE GANTRY? by John D. MacDonald — Another from the paperback king of yore. I mean, when an author not only has a long-running series, but tons of non-series paperbacks on top of that, what else could describe MacDonald?
This 1961 novel is one of his top-notch non-series books. Sam Brice is dealing with a childhood friend who turns up after escaping prison. But when his pal runs off, he takes a girl from Sam’s past with him, named Janice Gentry. Sam is concerned since they just disappear. Where did may have gone provides grist for the rumor mill.
As he investigates the situation, Sam has a run-in with a local sheriff, with clues pointing to a mysterious couple who live in a remote home. They have a very odd lifestyle, never leaving their house and having very infrequent visitors. Sam figures a way to get an in by accidentally running into the wife, but it does not go as planned, since it’s actually the sister of the wife that Sam meets. Of course, this being from the 1960s, it’s love at first sight. But Sam makes a discovery later on that will explain it all and how it’s all connected.
This is MacDonald at his leanest. His writing is not overstuffed with too many threads that drag down some others. It’s definitely one of the better non-Travis McGee novels out there, but I’m guessing most people who read MacDonald already knew this.
WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN? by Donald E. Westlake — Well, there is a real simple answer to the question posed in this 1996 title, but I’ll leave that until the end. Having recently rewatched THE HOT ROCK, I felt it was time to revisit the comic crime capers of one John Dortmunder, the anti-Parker.
Dortmunder was all set to do a simple little robbery of an empty house … until owner Max Fairbanks was actually there, having a little fling with Miss September. Sure, it was bad enough that Dortmunder got caught by the owner, but once the cops show up, Fairbanks rubs it in Dortmunder’s face by claiming the ring that Dortmunder was given by his lady friend was also stolen.
If there is one thing you should learn from all of Westlake’s books, it’s that you don’t steal or cross a thief — no good will come of it. So Dortmunder makes it his mission to get his ring back, no matter what. So if it happens that Fairbanks has a few homes and is incredibly wealthy, that’s just a cherry on top. It all builds up to the biggest scheme of all in Las Vegas, with Dortmunder getting help from all his friends who have heard the tale of the stolen ring.
It’s a total blast of a read from Westlake but that is easy enough to say. It’s not the first of this series I would tell folks to grab, since some readers might be a bit lost. For the record, the movie of the same name with Martin Lawrence and Danny DeVito uses only character names and just one little plot point.
Next time: Little Jimmy. —Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF BRETT HALLIDAY:
• ARMED … DANGEROUS … by Brett Halliday
• BODIES ARE WHERE YOU FIND THEM by Brett Halliday
• COUNT BACKWARDS TO ZERO by Brett Halliday
• COUNTERFEIT WIFE by Brett Halliday
• FOURTH DOWN TO DEATH by Brett Halliday
• GUILTY AS HELL by Brett Halliday
• MERMAID ON THE ROCKS by Brett Halliday
• NEVER KILL A CLIENT by Brett Halliday
• TARGET: MIKE SHAYNE by Brett Halliday
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF JOHN D. MACDONALD:
• THE GIRL, THE GOLD WATCH & EVERYTHING by John D. MacDonald
• A PURPLE PLACE FOR DYING by John D. MacDonald
• SOFT TOUCH by John D. MacDonald
• A TAN AND SANDY SILENCE by John D. MacDonald
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF DONALD E. WESTLAKE:
• ASK THE PARROT by Richard Stark
• THE AX by Donald E. Westlake
• COPS AND ROBBERS by Donald E. Westlake
• DIRTY MONEY by Richard Stark
• KILLTOWN by Richard Stark
• LEMONS NEVER LIE by Richard Stark
• THE MAN WITH THE GETAWAY FACE by Richard Stark
• PITY HIM AFTERWARDS by Donald E. Westlake
• POINT BLANK by Richard Stark
• THE SOUR LEMON SCORE by Richard Stark
• 361 by Donald E. Westlake
• WHAT’S SO FUNNY? by Donald E. Westlake
Related posts:
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Summertime … and the Reading’s Easy
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Lee Marvin’s Bookshelf
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> The Gorton’s Fisherman Came in from the Cold
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> The Girl Can’t Help It
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Watching the Detectives
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
When I first saw the trailer for the god-awful-looking WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?, I said, “It’s the movie that answer its own question.”
The cover of the Shayne book would sell me on it even if the boo itself was crap.
The Martin Lawrence movie was terrible. The book’s terrific. Happens a lot to Westlake.