Summary: Jerry Jamison, near his breaking point, is about ready to quit working for his father-in-law & leave his drunk, lay-about wife Lorraine when, out of the blue, his old Army pal Vince turns up with an offer of some easy money. After 1st saying no, Jerry changes his mind after figuring Vince must know a sure thing, unaware that this plan involves taking money from a corrupt So American industrialist. Though the job is supposed to be super-simple just go down to Tampa, wait for the target to arrive, jump him & make off with the cash since this is pulp fiction, you know from the start that things will go from bad to worse real quick. Vince gets shot & must hide out with Jerry (trying to decide how to unload his wife & get out of his current mess once everything cools down). Then, one fateful day, Jerry makes a sudden discovery that kicks the tale into full gear which comes only at the ½way mark & readers really see him go into a desperate tailspin when key information is made known to him.
Review: I agree that this is among MacDOnald's great books (with Bookgasm and Spinetingler -- and I am not usually a fan of him) and that its creative plot with its surprises (that actually surprise) were among its pleasures (with NoirBoiled).
Review: I agree that this is among MacDOnald's great books (with Bookgasm and Spinetingler -- and I am not usually a fan of him) and that its creative plot with its surprises (that actually surprise) were among its pleasures (with NoirBoiled).
