RARA-AVIS: Soft Touch

From: Al Guthrie ( allanguthrie@ukonline.co.uk)
Date: 10 Aug 2002


----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Evankovich" < brianevankovich@hotmail.com>

> SOFT TOUCH and ONE MONDAY WE KILLED THEM ALL should be the big classics of
> John D.'s non-McGee work. If you're not gasping at the end of TOUCH and
> sweating at the end of ONE MONDAY you missed something. --Brian

Having just finished SOFT TOUCH I have to add my voice to the rara-avian chamber choir currently singing this book's praises. It's undoubtedly the best of the (dozen or so?) non-McGees I've read and without doubt one of the best Gold Medals. John D MacDonald's novel opens with Vince Biskay, an old army buddy, arriving unexpectedly at Jerry Jamison's house. He has a foolproof plan to steal over three million dollars and needs an accomplice he can trust. Jerry's life isn't too good. He hates his job, doesn't like his sluttish ("...the white wobble of her traitorous buttocks") lush of a wife overmuch, and owes Vince a favour for saving his life all those years ago. So he agrees. The result, of course, is that it all proves a lot more dangerous than either of them could have guessed. The plot takes a couple of totally unexpected turns, each one digging Jerry deeper into the mire. The final twist is especially satisfying. As Brian predicted, I was gasping at the end. Some of the writing in this book was outstanding. It's definitely one I'll read again.

I haven't read ONE MONDAY yet, but it's on my shopping list.

Al

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