The author Ross Thomas was apparently very popular in the 70's and 80's, winning Edgar and other prizes, but his 25 books, except for one, went out of print from 1995 (when he passed away) to 2002. St. Martin's Minotaur press recently republished them, with Stuart Kaminsky writing the Introduction to the first book Thomas published, The Cold War Swap. This is a wonderful Cold War thriller, with excitement, humor and satire balanced perfectly; the characters are not familiar retreads but new and unique. I enjoyed it a great deal (courtesy of my brother). On The Rim, another Ross Thomas book, applies a similar approach to international crime, fraud and con men in the volatile and dangerous Philippines, after Marcos. Donald E. Westlake contributed the introduction. This book has plenty of suspense and intrigue, and the tone is never inappropriate when things become hilarious.
Anybody else out there reading Thomas these days?
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mystery
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Qiu Xiaolong
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I've actually never read Thomas. I know he's known for the great detail he puts into his novels. If he carries a seal of approval from Donald Westlake, that's a sign that someone who knows may approve of his hilarious side as well.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the comment. Ross Thomas is extremely funny, at appropriate times. I've just read a couple of his books, but the level of detail wasn't so great that it obscured the story.
ReplyDeleteLast I remember of Ross Thomas was his cameo role in the movie Hammett. Not a bad role, but not as good as Elish Cook Jr.'s wonderful turn.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
I'll have to check that out!
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