Big Fish

by Thomas Perry

First published in 1985 and long out-of-print, Big Fish, one of Thomas Perry’s most sought-after titles, is now available to readers in an e-book format. Powerfully-plotted and funny, Big Fish follows dangerous and mysterious Los Angeles entrepreneur Altmeyer, and his wife Rachel whose quiet lives in the Hollywood hills are disrupted when a multi-million dollar gunrunning deal goes bad. Under most circumstances, Altmeyer might be mildly amused by the audacity of the double-cross. But whoever cheated Altmeyer may also be planning to destroy the world. With so much at stake, Altmeyer and Rachel and their friend, super-agent to the stars Bucky Carmichael, set off on a perilous adventure in search of the identity of the Big Fish. What they find is shocking and horrifying and all too “A fast-reading, big-time, silky thriller.” - People“A new contender for top tough guy… We wanted to sell our house and buy the film rights, we were that impressed. Big Fish features a dashing, upscale couple… the Nick and Nora Charles of gunrunning… Altmeyer and Rachel have a chemistry that reaches critical mass on the opening page.” – Playboy“Written with the same expertise as Mr. Perry’s previous successes… and that should keep his fans happy. All men will want to be Altmeyer and all women his Rachel.” – New York Times Book Review

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Novels

248 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Thomas Perry was the author of 25 novels. He was born in Tonawanda, New York in 1947. He received a B.A. from Cornell University in 1969 and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Rochester in 1974. He had worked as a park maintenance man, factory laborer, commercial fisherman, university administrator and teacher, and as a writer and producer of prime time network television shows.

Thomas Perry lived in Southern California.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very amusing. I had to reflect back to acknowledging the year it was written as a guide to understanding the idealism of the story. Doing so made this a great read. This is a fast , fast read. It will crack you up!

I could not get Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, in It Happened One Night & Claudette and Cary Grant in Topper, out of my mind while reading the banter of the two main characters in Big Fish. I really enjoyed the read but I would really like to warn those to realize the era in which this book was written.

[Peter Meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

High humor

I'm catching up on my Thomas Perry after a few decades off. Lucky me, my first one was pretty good. Repartee worthy of a Thin Man movie and international action like a Bond film. Recommend.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Perry's earlier works. It deals with a well off smuggler and his wife who live in Hollywood. When a gunrunning deal goes south and the customers are looking to kill them the pair and a Hollywood agent are on the run while also trying to find who's behind it.
A fast moving, fun romp through several countries

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

this one was a loser for me. This happens when an author does well and the lit. agent says let us throw everything that you have and we will make $$$$$$$$$$$

[David Spencer · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[Connor Mellas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not Perry’s best

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook. Right from the start this did not read like a book written almost 40 years ago. Altmeyer is a sophisticated arms dealer who lives a mysterious and apparently wealthy life in the Hollywood Hills. He is married to Rachel, who is his match in love and capers. He makes a deal for guns in Canada and is double crossed. Along with neighbor and super Hollywood agent Bucky, they go off to get their guns or money owed. What they find is shocking. A Japanese electronics company might be developing plans to make small nuclear bombs that they could sell on the open Black Market. What ensues is chase around the world to uncover what is going on. Altmeyer has the smarts and the experience. Rachel has the guts and bravery. Bucky has the nerve. It is a fast paced book with lots of danger. Very fun.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Thomas Perry's earliest books. It has all the classic sly, one-step ahead characters and subtle humor that you find in the later ones, as well as the well executed plot twist...in short an excellent, if short, read.

It involves a couple who are in the "gun-import/export business" and a caper with which they get involved along with their next door neighbor who happens to be a big player as an agent in the Hollywood scene and his best client, a producer and "big man in the industry." This quartet get involved in an international terrorist/financial adventure that ends up being a real fine read.

Good read and I highly recommend Thomas Perry if you like thrillers with a sly twist.

[Darshika · Rating 3 out of 5]

It reads really laid-back for a novel about nuclear weapons. I guess this is one way of thinking about it. What do a bunch of criminals do when they find out about a corporation dealing in tons of uranium. I took a long time convincing myself that yes this is not a weird reaction on the part of the protagonist. Once I was convinced, I did enjoy the book. The book is mostly dry humour and series of lucky escapes for the characters. The antagonist don't seem to be trying too hard to kill the leads and appear laid-back to me. All in all, Bucky and paston are characters I will remember but everything other than that I think will not stand the test of time.

[Terry Steinborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather involved thriller that wanders to various parts of the world and somehow doesn't too lost along the way. The main character is a fairly unscrupulous gun importer/dealer who is double-crossed in a fairly large transaction. The plot strays to a possible clandestine nuclear weapons maker and goes on from there. To me the ending was a bit of an anti-climax. Also involved were a couple of Hollywood-types who seemed to have a large resource base and a lot of time on their hands. Over-all, a rather mundane and uninspired book.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Thomas Perry books, and have read most of them!

For some reason, this one just didn't grab me. I actually had a hard time sticking with it. It tried to be too cutesy and missed the mark for me. Altmeyer & Rachel are wheeler/dealers who get burned in a gun deal. Then it turns out the people are really building bombs, so Altmeyer & company must die to protect the plot. And the global chase goes on.

[Donna Woodard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this in “A Little Library” at a playground. Slow to start…took almost 100 pages and included dozens of annoying nicknames for one of the characters. After the character introductions of those first 100 pages the plot became interesting, and generally entertaining. I didn’t find it particularly humorous.

[Juli Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is a quick read but lacks the depth of plot I’ve come to expect from Perry. It was good but not great. Perry added some humor which made the story seem not as dangerous or suspenseful. I’m glad I read it. It’s good to know the extent of Perry’s talent. I will continue to read more of his books

[David Rosner · Rating 3 out of 5]

He Got Better

I didn't like the book, which was written years ago, before Perry really started to write well. The characters make no sense to me, the story was boring.

But don't worry, Perry got past this and is now writing coherent and incisive stories, he's one of my favorite authors.

Pass on this one, unless you want to subject yourself to Perry's growing pains...

[Loy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took a long trip and listened to this book on the road. I am a Thomas Perry fan and love the read Joe Barrett. you could tell this was an older book. It had all the elements of a Thomas Perry book. Worth listening to for sure. Glad they have reissued his older books.

[June Crawford · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me

I did not care for this book at all. Very strange and disjointed. I loved many of his series books but this one was not good at all in my opinion. I would give it zero star, but had to put a star to write a review.

[BrkrDave · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was highly recommended. I have no idea why. I thought the first half was excellent and the 2nd half was horrible. I was bored through it all of it. I am not a fan of the modern day superman who is better than all villains in everything.

[Nate Hendrix · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am officially giving up on Thomas Perry. I have struck all of his novels from my reading list. I am looking forward to season 2 of Fox's The Old Man, a Perry novel, but I won't try to read anything of his again. Sorry Tom.

[Penrod · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8 stars rounded up

If you read my reviews at all, you know that I have a big ol' soft spot for TP. I've read all his books, though this may be my first time for this one. It's his third novel and it must be admitted that it's not one of his best. The two main characters are less interesting versions of the protagonists of METZGER'S DOG. As in that novel, this is full of TP's sly humor.

Still, a really fun read.

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Early work from Perry that has been rereleased based on his fame. This is about an importer (smuggler) who is hired and duped into bringing in a more dangerous component. Nice set up. Great main character. Tone and pacing are way off and the action is very light.

[Stephen Selbst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vintage Thomas Perry, featuring wise-cracking criminals with a thirst for revenge

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An early Perry; much like his recent works, a little humor mixed in with suspense and action from gun smuggling. A little bit of Block & Westlake shine throughout.

[Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really disappointed in this book, as I have given 5 Stars to some of Thomas Perry’s later efforts.

[KIM R. MCGUIRE · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Thomas Perry but was not his best effort.
No charecter development just a series of one liners from all the characters
The plot is so thin that it almost non- exitent
Give this pass.

[Cheri Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love Perry’s later works but this one is definitely dated. So much do that it seems trite and cutesy. Didn’t finish it.

[Paul Close · Rating 3 out of 5]

More light-hearted quips, but a better story and execution. Good.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this guy

Westlake has a humorous and intelligent style. As Richard Stark he wrote the Parker series, my favorite. Wish there were more.

[CJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good shorter book, was fun quick read… plot easy to follow, enjoyed the characters. Almost seemed too short, could have continued a couple more chapters.

[Joel Barnhill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is fun. Theres action and suspense, and it’s shockingly clean. It’s not going to bring the house down but it’s a fun short read.

[Michael Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Perry’s third novel and it’s a bit of a disappointment after his first two. Altmeyer is a Los Angeles “businessman” -- if supplying mostly illegal weapons to almost any government, corporation, or individual with the money is a business -- and his lovely wife, Rachel, helps out wherever she can. Their friend, Bucky, is a big-deal Hollywood agent whom they help to escape from a dangerous drug deal by killing off the other side. The early parts of the narrative are rather disjointed and episodic; they don’t seem to have much to do with each other, other than to introduce the characters. Then a shipment of 9-millimeter automatics to Japan goes wrong and it doesn’t look like Altmeyer is going to get paid, but that’s not the half of it. The Really Bad Guys were interested not in Altmeyer’s guns but in his international shipping methods, which they adopt for their own use. And what they’re shipping from one country to another appear to be terrorist-sized nuclear devices. Here the story gets more interesting, the three main characters being joined by a legendary film producer with all the right contacts. The plot is still a bit fuzzy, though, and Perry should have spent more time tidying it up. Not up to his previous work.