from Word of Mouth Book Review Newsletter
REVIEW BY: David McKinlay

WHAT IS STORY ABOUT (PLOT):
     This is set in the mid 1930’s with Orson Welles coming to Harlem to do Macbeth. But again the Scottish play casts its pall over proceedings. Not only do the Communists object but things are not dinky dory with the cast. Death threats and disappearing bodies cause Sassafras Winters to be employed as the great man’s bodyguard (and unraveller of mysteries). Enter stage left, too, is Chinaman, self-appointed man’s man to aforementioned private investigator. He is the fount of all knowledge but his almost omniscience does not reveal the murderer or the intricate plot. That is left, as is only right, to Sassafras himself. Butlers should butle not solve mysteries.

WHAT I FOUND COMPELLING ABOUT IT:
      To some extent the book is based on The Thin Man series by Dashiell Hammett, and others of the genre. And it is cleverly done. I had a great deal of fun cutting and pasting bits and pieces of the characters to various people of the books and films of the era. Sadly, there was no gorgeous Myrna Loy as Nora Charles but you can’t have everything.

The humour and wisecracks are here as well as the super convoluted plots which were the hallmark of that era. Wonderful.

HOW IT MADE ME FEEL:
     I loved this book. That may have been enhanced by my love of authors of the 20’s and 30’s, e.g. Edgar Wallace, Dorothy Sayers, Sax Rohmer and the American gang led by Dashiell Hammett. If you enjoy those books then you will feel at home as I did almost from the start.

CAUTIONS:  None

WHAT KIND OF READER MIGHT LIKE THIS BOOK:
     Fans of the above mentioned classic thriller writers – and there are hordes more that I haven’t mentioned – ought to give a try. I think they will love it. As a thriller in its own right it can stand proud but its antecedents give it added stature. Therefore, I recommend it to all lovers of thrillers.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD: Hope there are some sequels!

OVERALL RATING: 2

Book Review Rating Key
3 excellent
2 very good
1 good; worth keeping
0 not memorable
-1 has problems
-2 forgettable
-3 terrible

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