Confused by this week’s column title? That’s Deadhead shorthand for “Scarlet Begonias” segueing into “Fire on the Mountain.” I make no excuses that I listen to the Grateful Dead, since it’s probably the best music to read books by. I’m sorry, but you try reading something with your choice of punk rock or indie rock blaring out the stereo. But there’s more: Those two song titles are also part of book titles covered this week. (Also, Deadheads, did you really think I’d name the column “Drums > Space”? Even though I could have.)
THE SCARLET RUSE by John D. MacDonald — This 1973 novel could have been subtitled “what I learned about stamp collecting from John D. MacDonald,” since a good portion of the story is just that, as Travis McGee learns the fine art of stamps and how their value is determined. In other words: Zzzzzzz. Like most people, I tried collecting stamps as a child. I didn’t stick with it that long.
McGee is contacted by a mutual friend to see if he can help out a stamp dealer who has been screwed over by a former partner, with a set of priceless stamps gone missing in a robbery. It’s thought the former partner was behind it and now wants his investment or a cash equivalent. Travis thinks it’s a simple salvage job, but little does he know it will get him involved with some underworld types based out of Florida.
Throw in the obligatory girl that Travis falls for, then a dead body, of course. Put it all together and you have a fine — if not a little bit confusing — Travis McGee tale. The story at some points lost me with who was coming and going, since MacDonald piles on so much material, including a subplot that is brought up and then abandoned just as soon. But there are plenty of other things to keep the readers going, like the introduction of the idea that McGee’s boat, The Busted Flush, has lots of hidden little compartments holding weapons, which come in mighty handy at the climax.
For people who are piqued in the world of McGee, stick with the shorter and earlier stories. Leave THE SCARLET RUSE for later on when you have had enough of these stories under your belt.
ABLE TEAM #11: FIVE RINGS OF FIRE by Dick Stivers — I keep forgetting that I have stack of these Mack Bolan spin-off books. They personify “big and stupid” in a Michael Bay sort of way, for the simple you know exactly what you are going to get: guns and things that go boom a lot. What is truly bad is that I did not realize that the cover to this 1984 one had the Olympic rings on it, until I scanned it.
Yes, the book takes place a few days before the Summer Olympics of 1984 in L.A. , so I was really pissed off that it was not a collection of five stories about that one Johnny Cash song. The paper-thin plot to hang gun battles on is a plot to make black athletes defect to Russia. That is the whole plot of this book; I’m not joking.
It starts off with a young gymnast’s head being blown off in an attempt to kill her coach. The Zimbabwe contingent is kidnapped, and U.S. athletes are blackmailed into running off to Russia. This book is so packed with action, there is very little story to follow. It literally goes from one gun battle to another. That’s not to say the book is awful — oh, it’s a crapfest, but a glorious crapfest!
The shootout at a parking garage alone makes it worthwhile. The whole time, the men of the Able Team strut around like their shit don’t stink. Well, their shit might not, but this book has a hefty aroma coming off it. It’s incredibly dated and moronic, but fear not: It will only take you about an hour to read the whole thing. It was such a pleasure to just plow through, knowing full well that another hour later, I would have totally forgotten most of it. So, in other words, it’s perfect beach reading, since it’s about as taxing at the TV GUIDE crossword puzzle.
THE DESTROYER #41: FIRING LINE by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir — I know it feels like déjà vu to see Remo again so soon. Originally, I was going to feature Zane Grey’s THUNDER MOUNTAIN, until I discovered that the previous owner must have really loved that book, because at least 30 to 40 pages were missing. So this 1980 effort ended up being the pitch hitter.
Remo is bent on avenging the death of Ruby Jackson Gonzales, one of the most annoying characters in the DESTROYER canon. Ruby wanted to quit CURE, but Dr. Smith can’t let anyone quit CURE, especially someone with a big mouth like Ruby. Now, Ruby is dead, and Smith wants Remo to clear up the matter the only way he knows how. Remo won’t and quits the job himself, until there’s a fire in Newark, with one of the bodies wearing a necklace with the Sinanju emblem.
Remo becomes livid and goes on a one-man revenge mission to track down the culprits. In this case, it’s a teenage boy who seems to be a real-life Human Torch who just like things to burn. This kid, nicknamed Sparks, has teamed up with a man named Solly, who sees dollar signs in this kid with insurance fire scams. Remo follows their path until he finally meets the freak firebug, with Remo almost getting the shit kicked out of him.
Thankfully, this book only features Ruby in a small role. Sapir and Murphy have some fun putting Remo in the middle of this arsonist tale. Like the previous books, it flows by so easily, you’ll want to grab another one immediately, especially with the clever way Remo deals with Sparks, even after Chiun explains that Remo can’t kill a child.
It goes without saying that the series was firing on all cylinders by this time, surely blowing away all competition of its fellow compatriots in the genre. Hopefully, Murphy can find a new publisher to continue the series.
Next time: Selections from our editor’s iPod include ABBA, Kenny Rogers and Fleetwood Mac. —Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THE DESTROYER SERIES:
• THE BEST OF THE DESTROYER by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir
• THE DESTROYER #5: DR. QUAKE by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #6: DEATH THERAPY by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #9: MURDER’S SHIELD by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #10: TERROR SQUAD by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #11: KILL OR CURE by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #13: ACID ROCK by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #14: JUDGMENT DAY by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #15: MURDER WARD by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #17: LAST WAR DANCE by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #18: FUNNY MONEY by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #19: HOLY TERROR by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #22: BRAIN DRAIN by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #23: CHILD’S PLAY by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #24: KING’S CURSE by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #26: IN ENEMY HANDS by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #30: MUGGER BLOOD by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #32: KILLER CHROMOSOMES by Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #38: BAY CITY BLAST by Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #39: MISSING LINK by Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #45: SPOILS OF WAR by Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #46: NEXT OF KIN by Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #48: PROFIT MOTIVE by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #49: SKIN DEEP by Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #52: FOOL’S GOLD by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #55: MASTER’S CHALLENGE by Will Murray
• THE DESTROYER #67: LOOK INTO MY EYES by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
• THE DESTROYER #78: BLUE SMOKE AND MIRRORS by Will Murray
• THE DESTROYER #89: DARK HORSE by Will Murray
• THE DESTROYER #104: ANGRY WHITE MAILMEN by Will Murray
• THE DESTROYER #145: DRAGON BONES by Tim Somheil
• THE NEW DESTROYER: CHOKE HOLD by Warren Murphy and James Mullaney
• THE NEW DESTROYER: DEAD RECKONING by Warren Murphy and James Mullaney
• THE NEW DESTROYER: GUARDIAN ANGEL by Warren Murphy and James Mullaney
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF JOHN D. MACDONALD:
• A DEADLY SHADE OF GOLD by John D. MacDonald
• THE DEEP BLUE GOOD-BY by John D. MacDonald
• THE GIRL, THE GOLD WATCH & EVERYTHING by John D. MacDonald
• NIGHTMARE IN PINK by John D. MacDonald
• A PURPLE PLACE FOR DYING by John D. MacDonald
• THE QUICK RED FOX by John D. MacDonald
• SOFT TOUCH by John D. MacDonald
• A TAN AND SANDY SILENCE by John D. MacDonald
• WHERE IS JANICE GANTRY? by John D. MacDonald
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF WARREN MURPHY:
• GRANDMASTER by Warren Murphy
• TRACE: GETTING UP WITH FLEAS by Warren Murphy
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF DICK STIVERS:
• ABLE TEAM #1: TOWER OF TERROR by Don Pendleton and Dick Stivers
Related posts:
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> I Can Read for Miles
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> What’s Up, Doc?
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Hail to the King
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Reading Rainbow
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Comfort Reading
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hippy.
But I’ll agree, the Dead is some of the best music to read to.
Ha, I don’t know how many hippies would pull into the lot scene with Black Flag (Greg Ginn big Jerry Garcia fan) coming out of their stereos. Much to the chagrin of the people I was with.
I don’t know how many times I’ve tried to read Able Team (or it’s cousin Phoenix Force) only to give up 4 or 5 books into the series. I think I keep buying them only because they’re forever stuck in the bargain bin at the bookstore. There seems to be a slight improvement when they consolidate the groups into the Stony Man series.
If you’re reading the McGees in order of publication, Scarlet Ruse comes in just at the right time. As you suggest, you’ve read all of the short works and about 3 or 4 of the longer ones before you get into the complications of Ruse. By the time you get to it, you’re ready.
Larry – I deal with the Bolan series output like this. Read one or two then don’t read another till about a month or two later. Since by then you will forget how truly ridiculous they are. I mean there is a massive shoot out in a parking garage before the Olympics and not one cop turns up till a day later. Still they are like a colonics for the brain since it just flushes everything away once its all said and done.
Yeah, I gotta get over that AR habit I have of starting all over again from number 1 when I try to read them. I’ve read the Stony Man books randomly and they do work better that way.