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Soft Touch
Jerry Jamison wants out: out of a sloppy marriage, a dull job and the empty suburban rat race. Once Jerry had a beautiful bride and a good salary at her old man's successful business - that was before his wife turned into a lush. Before the business started to go to pieces. And before the lazy afternoon when Vince Biskay, an old army buddy, rings his doorbell and makes an intriguing proposition. Vince promises to bring excitement into Jerry's life - and money - but this is a plan that leaves only death and destruction in its wake.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
105 people are currently reading
1177 people want to read
About the author
John D. MacDonald
561 books1,361 followersJohn D. MacDonald was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and educated at the Universities of Pennsylvania, Syracuse and Harvard, where he took an MBA in 1939. During WW2, he rose to the rank of Colonel, and while serving in the Army and in the Far East, sent a short story to his wife for sale, successfully. He served in the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. After the war, he decided to try writing for a year, to see if he could make a living. Over 500 short stories and 70 novels resulted, including 21 Travis McGee novels.
Following complications of an earlier heart bypass operation, MacDonald slipped into a coma on December 10 and died at age 70, on December 28, 1986, in St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was survived by his wife Dorothy (1911-1989) and a son, Maynard.
In the years since his death MacDonald has been praised by authors as diverse as Stephen King, Spider Robinson, Jimmy Buffett, Kingsley Amis and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.. Thirty-three years after his passing the Travis McGee novels are still in print.
Following complications of an earlier heart bypass operation, MacDonald slipped into a coma on December 10 and died at age 70, on December 28, 1986, in St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was survived by his wife Dorothy (1911-1989) and a son, Maynard.
In the years since his death MacDonald has been praised by authors as diverse as Stephen King, Spider Robinson, Jimmy Buffett, Kingsley Amis and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.. Thirty-three years after his passing the Travis McGee novels are still in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 31, 2022
Soft Touch, like so much classic crime fiction, is all about a suitcase full of money. Jerry Jamison wants out from his humdrum life. His marriage is empty. His wife a lush. His job working for her father stifling. But, unlike others who plot and plan for years, fortune smiles on Jamison in the appearance of an old army buddy, noe a soldier of fortune intent on ripping off millions from a South American arms deal. The caper goes off quickly, the only nasty surprise the two gunshots Vincente took.
Naturally, Jamison drives his buddy back to his home where his buddy takes advantage of his generosity and his lush wife. Jamison is no professional. He’s a rank amateur and it shows once Vincente turns on him and Jamison has to make it up as he goes along, disposing of bodies and hiding the millions. Of course, his guilt overwhelms him and leads him on a downward spiral.
Surprisingly, MacDonald downplays the international aspects of the caper and the possibility Vincente is a CIA counterpart. You wonder though by the end of the tale whether Jamison himself is a reliable narrator and how much of it is his rationalizing for what he did and whether you can believe anything he spins.
Naturally, Jamison drives his buddy back to his home where his buddy takes advantage of his generosity and his lush wife. Jamison is no professional. He’s a rank amateur and it shows once Vincente turns on him and Jamison has to make it up as he goes along, disposing of bodies and hiding the millions. Of course, his guilt overwhelms him and leads him on a downward spiral.
Surprisingly, MacDonald downplays the international aspects of the caper and the possibility Vincente is a CIA counterpart. You wonder though by the end of the tale whether Jamison himself is a reliable narrator and how much of it is his rationalizing for what he did and whether you can believe anything he spins.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2011
This is an ancient (1958) stand-alone from John D. MacDonald. That said, the book has held up a lot better than most of MacDonald's more famous Travis McGee novels. Soft Touch is not nearly as preachy as the McGee books and, although it is clearly a book of the 1950s, it is not nearly as objectionable in its treatment of women.
Jerry Jamison is trapped in a job he hates, working for his father-in-law who is behind the times and who doesn't have sense enough to let Jerry bring more modern ideas into the company. Worse, Jerry's wife, Lorraine, is a lush who is spreading her sexual favors around their suburban neighborhood. Jerry is sick of it all, but has few if any options on either front.
Then, from out of nowhere, Jerry's old wartime buddy, Vince Biskay, shows up at the door. Vince and Jerry were in the OSS during the war, often operating behind the lines, and Vince has really never left the life of intrigue. Vince wants to recruit Jerry for an easy score--a soft touch. Vince has been in Latin America and he has a plan to steal several million dollars from an easy mark who will be bringing the money from Latin America into the U.S. Jerry initially resists the idea, but his life is a load of crap and this is a pulp novel, and so of course, he will ultimately agree to go along with Vince's plan.
Since this IS a pulp novel, the plan will go to hell; bad things will happen right and left; there will be no honor among thieves or wives, and poor Jerry will be left scrambling to save himself as his world collapses around him. This is a fun ride right up to the end which disappoints a bit, but those who enjoy this sort of classic pulp fiction could spend a couple of rewarding hours with it.
Jerry Jamison is trapped in a job he hates, working for his father-in-law who is behind the times and who doesn't have sense enough to let Jerry bring more modern ideas into the company. Worse, Jerry's wife, Lorraine, is a lush who is spreading her sexual favors around their suburban neighborhood. Jerry is sick of it all, but has few if any options on either front.
Then, from out of nowhere, Jerry's old wartime buddy, Vince Biskay, shows up at the door. Vince and Jerry were in the OSS during the war, often operating behind the lines, and Vince has really never left the life of intrigue. Vince wants to recruit Jerry for an easy score--a soft touch. Vince has been in Latin America and he has a plan to steal several million dollars from an easy mark who will be bringing the money from Latin America into the U.S. Jerry initially resists the idea, but his life is a load of crap and this is a pulp novel, and so of course, he will ultimately agree to go along with Vince's plan.
Since this IS a pulp novel, the plan will go to hell; bad things will happen right and left; there will be no honor among thieves or wives, and poor Jerry will be left scrambling to save himself as his world collapses around him. This is a fun ride right up to the end which disappoints a bit, but those who enjoy this sort of classic pulp fiction could spend a couple of rewarding hours with it.
October 22, 2016
Haven't finished re-reading all of MacDonald's books yet, but safe to say this one will be ranked near the top. First you have the opening scene of the crumbling marriage and life. Then the stranger - the old army buddy - comes to town. The deft back story so we know what our boy is capable of. Then the caper and all the stunning complications as our everyman protagonist descends the slippery slope of noir fate.
Have read some reviews not liking the ending, but I think it's perfect really. I didn't remember it from previous reads and as the end approached I was wondering how the heck MacDonald would get us out of the story. I think the solution he found fits perfectly on so many levels. Totally 1950s noir. Not an ending a contemporary writer would think of, but definitely an ending of its time. An ending Hitchcock would have loved.
Have read some reviews not liking the ending, but I think it's perfect really. I didn't remember it from previous reads and as the end approached I was wondering how the heck MacDonald would get us out of the story. I think the solution he found fits perfectly on so many levels. Totally 1950s noir. Not an ending a contemporary writer would think of, but definitely an ending of its time. An ending Hitchcock would have loved.
August 24, 2011
Sometimes with noir novels, I find myself asking: Can this really happen this way? Are people really this stupid? But not in this case. MacDonald hooked me from the beginning, and never let me realize that this plot, even as outlandish as it is, was anything but plausible. Greed. Murder. Sex. War buddies. And, in the end, psychological drama that made everything tie neatly up together for a very satisfying conclusion. A great stand alone novel by the creator of Travis McGee.
(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
January 3, 2022
I read MacDonald's Travis McGee series many years ago but had not read any of his stand-alone fiction before I chanced upon a couple of novels recently.
This grim little tale, written in 1958, reads like an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Jerry Jamison works as a home builder for his Father in law's construction company and is locked in a loveless marriage to an alcoholic wife.
When he is approached by an old war buddy with a scheme to heist millions of dollars from a South American tycoon, Jerry sees a chance to start fresh.
Of course, what promises to be a simple robbery of a courier goes downhill fast and the bad luck continues to compound.
Because it was written in the 1950s, the story does have a dated feel with Jerry and his accomplice, Vince Biskay both veterans of World War II. Still, you can see why John D. MacDonald was such a popular writer in this "Crime Never Pays" parable.
This grim little tale, written in 1958, reads like an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Jerry Jamison works as a home builder for his Father in law's construction company and is locked in a loveless marriage to an alcoholic wife.
When he is approached by an old war buddy with a scheme to heist millions of dollars from a South American tycoon, Jerry sees a chance to start fresh.
Of course, what promises to be a simple robbery of a courier goes downhill fast and the bad luck continues to compound.
Because it was written in the 1950s, the story does have a dated feel with Jerry and his accomplice, Vince Biskay both veterans of World War II. Still, you can see why John D. MacDonald was such a popular writer in this "Crime Never Pays" parable.
February 27, 2009
When you read piles of noir PBOs (or piles of any fictional genre), many of them do, of course, start to seem the same, but this only heightens your appreciation of the ones that are really good. When the formula has worked its way into your DNA, you can see which writers are innovating and pushing boundaries and which ones are just going through the motions. In the early chapters of any genre novel, it is generally difficult to tell which kind of book you are reading. Is it one whose every move you will be able to predict, or is it one that will surprise you? Suffice it to say, this one surprised me.
August 22, 2020
"A one-dollar bill has a humble and homely look. A five-dollar bill has a few meek pretentions. A ten is vigorous and forthright and honest, like a scout leader. A twenty, held to the ear like a seashell, emits the far-off sound of night club music. A fifty wears the faint sneer of race track. It has a portly look, needs a shave, wears a yellow diamond on the little finger. And a hundred is very haughty indeed."
A man stuck in a dead end suburb, in a dead end relationship and a dead end job, gets a knock on the door and a crazy offer. A quick, easy crime thriller. I'm starting to think John D MacDonald is one of the most overlooked crime writers of all time.
A man stuck in a dead end suburb, in a dead end relationship and a dead end job, gets a knock on the door and a crazy offer. A quick, easy crime thriller. I'm starting to think John D MacDonald is one of the most overlooked crime writers of all time.
October 24, 2019
This one reads like a long novella in an Alfred Hitchcock anthology. Jerry gets a visit from an old army buddy. He talks Jerry into a simple hijacking. Of course nothing ever goes exactly as planned and gradually Jerry is forced to take larger and larger steps to cover up his involvement.
A fine Stand alone piece that is not only readable, but has that ironic twist at the end that is very satisfying.
A fine Stand alone piece that is not only readable, but has that ironic twist at the end that is very satisfying.
April 16, 2025
Review #2
Maybe This Will Refresh Your Memory ...
Pros
1. I like harridan, termagant, shrew, virago, fish-wife stories
Cons
1. International Intrigue is unacceptable. Maybe in the days before those idiotic James Bond movies and their congeners they were a novelty. As usual, the Hollywood "types" did it to death.
2. Amnesia. Nope! You do not get to put amnesia in a book. You can't put it in a letter either. You can't put it in print anywhere. Maybe you can claim "amnesia" in a bar while speaking to strangers who you will never see again, but that's only a "maybe". Amnesia is right up there with Fibromyalgia, ADHD, Gluten Allergies, Autism, Covid, and I'm-allergic-to-smoke-(cough-cough). If you have ever claimed "amnesia" you should be locked up. Forever. You are way too full of shit to be on the loose.
In fact, I am demoting this to 1 star because of the amnesia bullshit.
Review #1
When the Hens Gets Pecking, the Pecked Get Heisting
A lot of lessons in here:
1. Women have no sense of money (but the ones who do are even worse).
2. Your in-laws are not your friends.
3. Old friends from your OSS days who suddenly appear after 10 years or more are not your friends.
4. Never hit your wife in the bathroom, do it in a room full of soft cushions.
5. Don't get drunk and pork your neighbor.
6. Make sure you don't hide your loot behind a Chrome-suggested password.
7.
I really expected some more inspired hen-pecking from Lorraine. She was just a drunk, really. I've read a lot of much more realistic hen-pecking. There's a lot more to hen-pecking than just getting loaded and screwing your buddies -- that's bush league, no woman would muff that.
Jerry didn't really deserve the pecks, but he was sort of a no-account too, so I didn't really feel sorry for him either. Besides, back then, ex-OSSers were probably as thick on the barstools as ex-Navy Seals are now.
Maybe This Will Refresh Your Memory ...
Pros
1. I like harridan, termagant, shrew, virago, fish-wife stories
Cons
1. International Intrigue is unacceptable. Maybe in the days before those idiotic James Bond movies and their congeners they were a novelty. As usual, the Hollywood "types" did it to death.
2. Amnesia. Nope! You do not get to put amnesia in a book. You can't put it in a letter either. You can't put it in print anywhere. Maybe you can claim "amnesia" in a bar while speaking to strangers who you will never see again, but that's only a "maybe". Amnesia is right up there with Fibromyalgia, ADHD, Gluten Allergies, Autism, Covid, and I'm-allergic-to-smoke-(cough-cough). If you have ever claimed "amnesia" you should be locked up. Forever. You are way too full of shit to be on the loose.
In fact, I am demoting this to 1 star because of the amnesia bullshit.
Review #1
When the Hens Gets Pecking, the Pecked Get Heisting
A lot of lessons in here:
1. Women have no sense of money (but the ones who do are even worse).
2. Your in-laws are not your friends.
3. Old friends from your OSS days who suddenly appear after 10 years or more are not your friends.
4. Never hit your wife in the bathroom, do it in a room full of soft cushions.
5. Don't get drunk and pork your neighbor.
6. Make sure you don't hide your loot behind a Chrome-suggested password.
7.
I really expected some more inspired hen-pecking from Lorraine. She was just a drunk, really. I've read a lot of much more realistic hen-pecking. There's a lot more to hen-pecking than just getting loaded and screwing your buddies -- that's bush league, no woman would muff that.
Jerry didn't really deserve the pecks, but he was sort of a no-account too, so I didn't really feel sorry for him either. Besides, back then, ex-OSSers were probably as thick on the barstools as ex-Navy Seals are now.
January 23, 2009
This has to be one of the darkest, most streamlined noir rides to hell MacDonald wrote. It is certainly the darkest John MacDonald novel I've read in recent memory and it reminded me of Jim Thompson's stories. Highly recommended if you can handle an absolute nightmare.
January 2, 2015
30 dec 14, tuesday evening, 7:52 p.m. e.s.t.
#19 from macdonald for me. i just finished a great story from macdonald, On the Make...or A Bullet for Cinderella...as it is also titled.
(1958) soft touch...a shorter version of this work appeared in cosmopolitan magazine under the title "taint of the tiger"
this one starts:
when i got home at six o'clock on an april friday, the first hot day of the year, lorraine's copper-colored porsche was parked crooked in the driveway, keys in the ignition. after i put the station wagon in the garage, i ran hers in.
okee dokee then! as the good doctor said (the anderson method, 2006) onward and upward
a note on the narration
first off...first-person! yay. verily. the last story i read was first-person, and several other early stories were first-person...this is first person...what can go wrong? an aside
what is it with the round heels? heh! round-heeled lush. after seeing the phrase...round heels...round heeled variations on same a number of times now...it is comical to read it. i'm trying to figure out the logistics of it...without going to a search-engine...or someone's grandpa. or gramma...maybe she knows?
time place scene settings
*the time is 1965
*jerry and lorrie were married eight years ago
*118 tyler drive...the wedding present of lorrain's parents to jerry & lorraine upon their marriage
*calcutta, india...1945...reno, nevada...
*vernon: the name of the city where jerry lives. later, the reader learns that vernon is near kansas city...1600 miles from tampa. macdonald never reveals the state...with this, he holds true to form...as the story about the wolfpack...that one i looked for...wanted a state to place the story, never revealed. why? concerned about the whackos? whud? lawyers?
*benning...where jerry/vince received some training (fort benning)
*valencia: macdonald's coy term for what must be venezuela
*e.j. malton's office
*helena forest road...jerry drives vince here to talk away from lorraine
*tampa international airport...tampa terrace hotel...stark, florida, a hotel there...pass through ocala on the way up route 301
*viadiad...carmela flies a small plane to this place...fictitious place? maybe si maybe no
*a drive-in for lunch...birmingham, a motel on 78 to memphis...springfield...preston...kansas city
*112 tyler drive...home of lorraine's parents
*velbiss home...where our hero and the mrs not his wife diddle
*the brownwell home...on van dorn road...accessed through carl gowan's property out the back door of the jamison home
*the park terrace job site...e.j. malton construction company
*camp...at morning lake, 40 miles from vernon...the camp called sootsus. the camp owned by the maltons
*brindell...two miles from morning lake...morning lake road...route 167
*the hotel vernon...8th floor...where the boys take jerry
*wheeler...18 miles south of vernon, just over the state line...the greenwood strip...circus casino atmosphere
*a big green tractor trailer combo
*archie brill's office...a storage wharehouse...the city dump
characters major minor real/imagined peripheral name only famous/real/well-known
*jerry jamison: our hero, jerome duward jamison, 1st-person narrator. he is 43, married to lorri...8 years married...no children, they tried to adopt, but lorrie is a lush, got in an accident, etc...adoption people turned them down. he is a builder. he works for/with his father-in-law...had a business before he got married...that business was absorbed by his in-law after marriage. he is a veteran of the world war. he had two years of college. jerry & vince were part of o.s.s. detachment 404 during the world war.
*lorraine/lorrie malton jerry's wife...beautiful, of course, a lush...she likes to drink. jerry and she met, july, 1957...8 years ago...married. "miss campus roundheels"
*small group of deadly chums/jerry...before he was married...considering knocking off a casino
*the unattached men at the picnic...who were gathered around lorraine
*e.j. malton: lorraine's father...of e.j. malton construction company.
*irene: the jamisons' cook & housekeeper
*mandy: friend of lorraine
*eddie: lorraine's brother...this character, honestly, is a farce...he is on stage so little, so inconsequential...why is he in the story?
*vince biskay: war-time friend of jerry...he shows up unannounced, unexpected, at jerry's door. they served in calcutta. the last they saw each other, jerry on a plane taking off, vince on the ground, august, 1945 calcutta. he is likened to mitchum in the movies.
he visits jerry and presents him with a deal that could net him over a million dollars...between 3.25 and 3.75 million total, split unevenly three ways...intercepting payment for arms from a venezuelan strong-man...although macdonald is coy and uses "valencia" as the name of the country.
*red olin: jerry's foreman...his work crew...this is described as before he married, was absorbed by the father-in-law
*two white russian girls...with whom jerry/vince spent two weeks in calcutta
*japs...native agents/ceylon...lord louis, a kind of commander, sent jerry/vince behind the lines
*liz addams: the other woman...widow of a naval aviator, put herself through secretarial training with the insurance money, was hired by e.j. malton. lorraine accused jerry of being tight with liz though they have not...but after vince's visit, jerry is rethinking that scenario.
*senor raoul melendez: vince's boss in "valencia"...vince has been working for him eight years as a pilot, many other functions. he is possibly the 2nd most powerful man in valencia behind the semi-benevolent dictator. he has his eyes on the throne, more so, since the tin-pot thinks he is getting too big for his britches...and to that end has been accumulating/buying weapons. vince has been tight with his mistress, carmela.
*carmela de la vega: mistress of senor raoul melendez, his tootsie
*general peral: semi-benevolent dictator of "valencia"...which hasta mean venezuela, south america
*young & ambitious army officers...uprising of the people...a man will go in as boss man, tamed by melendez
*the greek, kyodos, who lives in the states, has been buying surplus arms from the middle east and melendez has been buying them from him
*the willing peons
*a courier...little men with the briefcases...armstrong and all the saints
*dan dentry: jerry goes to him for financial advice
*cal warder, merchants midland bank...more financial moves...loan?
*regular diplomatic courier...uniformed chaffeur...one other passenger
*senor alvaro zaragosa: the courier...from another country...that melendez uses to transfer money from "valencia" to tampa...he is married, has two kids
*"robert martin"...the alias used by jerry at the tampa terrace hotel
*a patrol...our people...seven japs on the stakes...four still alive
*don juans
*a bellhop...at tampa terrace
*a pack of lorraine's special friends, husbands and wives
*george farr: another builder who offered jerry a job when he heard jerry had quit for e.j. malton
*a guard came over (airport)...another guard...the first one is harry
*two men coming rapidly...a fat man leaped...a guard jumped out...a small boy stood on the sidewalk...a newscaster...self-nominated oracles (on the radio)...a reporter...a younger sounding man
*a round & pleasant woman...a boy (stark motel)
*cute little girls visit the mint
*$3,650,000.00...take THAT! john grisham fans! and that is the amount jerry and vince grab
*the carrier (newspaper)...minister of interior (valencia)
*daniel harland: rented the black limo used by jerry/vince at the airport...daniel is a commercial fisherman and received $50 for his time
*ambassador from (a line)
*edith "edie" malton: lorraine's mother, wife of e.j., mother of junior/eddie
*dave & nancy brownwell: throw a party attended by the jamisons
*carl gowan...owns property adjoining the jamisons'
*forty adults & seventy-five children...at the party
*mandy pierson & tinker "tink" velbiss...feed vince steak...tinker and jerry diddle
*charlie velbiss...tinker's husband
*some clown had filled (jerry's) pockets with potato chips
*the sitter for the velbiss family
*the roofers...at the park terrace job site...work crews...a couple of good men had quit
*conchita riley writes a column for the vernon examiner, "all over town"...is a withered little ferret of a woman
*the lord/god
*some of the neighbors...4 or 5 couples...timmy, the bartender at the motel vernon bar...night watchman...kids...a stunted wiry little man at the big wheel...one of her (mandy pierson) college pals
*paul heissen: lieutenant detective, vernon police, went to school with jerry...a year or two difference, played center football
*captain...vernon police
*elizabeth taylor...lorraine is compared to the famous actress
*the bookkeeper...at the e.j. malton construction company offices
*archie brill...lawyer...jerry visits him seeking advice
*he put a carpenter on it (red did...a crate)
*kirk douglas...burt lancaster...bugs bunny...arrogant all...the yankees...(new york yankees)..dick tracy
*two men carried it out...little monsters with charlie's mother (tink's kids)...
*two men with a washington agency
*mrs hinkley...lady across the street from the jamison place
*barnstock & ed quellan: from a washington agency jerry never head of
*"miguel brockman: the name vince used to first enter the u.s.a. illegally..."from paraguay"
*those friends who felt they had to cheer me up...
*a uniformed man to park your car...croupiers dresses as mississippi gamblers...the party at my left stood when a waiter....etc
*roy macksie: guy jerry talks to in a bar...and there's an interesting wager on a drowned fly
*two men coming swiftly...young husbands...babies asleep...young hips under cotton skirts
*a girl, bobbie...to jerry's "joe"...she retrieves jerry's car
*a group of men...andy one of them
*charlie & carol ann...people w/the carnival...two women with hacksaw voices...two men...
*misty the cat...jerry's father
*sergeant ascher...answers the phone, police headquarters...
*a woman naked struggling with a robe
a list of some things gone but not forgotten, not all of them in this story...some from other stories i've read
*liz typing...banged the carriage back
*aqualung...this from the last story i read, link above
*bean wagon...ditto
*drive-in...as in diner...you drive up in your car, but macdonald never describes the little ladies who take your order...okay. so. but! in the story i am reading now...link below...he does use the word carhop...and our hero flashes his lights, indication that she can come and get the tray attached to your side window.
*phone booths
*jerry is offered a job...$350/week...a really good wage. heh!
*macdonald never, never, uses foul language. in the last story i read, link above...toni drops the f-bomb...but that is designated as a line. we're so much better now when everyone lets it all hang loose. correction...in two stories now...this and the last, a character used the word...bassar...in this one, under the influence of liquor...in the other'n, i think dialect...update, later the same day: but! macdonald does tread the edge of the third commandment and it is not a stretch to say that he violates the law. curious, that he puts the word "god" or "jesus" in the mouths of his characters, the words spoken not as praise, but often as exclamation...not really a violation...and i'd have to think if they damn...yes, they do. they do use the damn coupled with the god...but they don't say shit...and they don't say kaka-poopie and they don't say venezuela....and they don't say the initials of a government agency. would they speak the name of she whose name cannot be mentioned?
*in this story, there's that coy use of "valencia" for a south american country...and another place, he describes the ambassador of...with that same line. maybe it was the f-bomb?
*cigarettes...not gone completely...but people are lighting up in macdonald's stories in all the wrong places...hospital once...as i recall.
*the story i'm on now...The Deceivers...our hero, carl garrett "pried holes in a can of beer"...though macdonald in this instance didn't use the words "church-key"...the device used to poke two triangular-shaped holes, one to drink, one to vent...in the old cans...that would rust and rust if tossed on the ground.
update, finished, 31 dec 14 wednesday afternoon, 2:03 p.m. e.s.t.
great story! better than 4-stars...not a 5-star. there's this business to-do with time at the end...can't get my head around the time angle. a month? dat right? the willing suspension does not go along with that one. but it is still a great story. i like especially many of the happenings toward the end. there is nothing predictable about that...for the most...the carnival...slip-sliding away-ay. the characters. they shake...they rattle...they roll. heh! they are revealed with the words they speak.
#19 from macdonald for me. i just finished a great story from macdonald, On the Make...or A Bullet for Cinderella...as it is also titled.
(1958) soft touch...a shorter version of this work appeared in cosmopolitan magazine under the title "taint of the tiger"
this one starts:
when i got home at six o'clock on an april friday, the first hot day of the year, lorraine's copper-colored porsche was parked crooked in the driveway, keys in the ignition. after i put the station wagon in the garage, i ran hers in.
okee dokee then! as the good doctor said (the anderson method, 2006) onward and upward
a note on the narration
first off...first-person! yay. verily. the last story i read was first-person, and several other early stories were first-person...this is first person...what can go wrong? an aside
what is it with the round heels? heh! round-heeled lush. after seeing the phrase...round heels...round heeled variations on same a number of times now...it is comical to read it. i'm trying to figure out the logistics of it...without going to a search-engine...or someone's grandpa. or gramma...maybe she knows?
time place scene settings
*the time is 1965
*jerry and lorrie were married eight years ago
*118 tyler drive...the wedding present of lorrain's parents to jerry & lorraine upon their marriage
*calcutta, india...1945...reno, nevada...
*vernon: the name of the city where jerry lives. later, the reader learns that vernon is near kansas city...1600 miles from tampa. macdonald never reveals the state...with this, he holds true to form...as the story about the wolfpack...that one i looked for...wanted a state to place the story, never revealed. why? concerned about the whackos? whud? lawyers?
*benning...where jerry/vince received some training (fort benning)
*valencia: macdonald's coy term for what must be venezuela
*e.j. malton's office
*helena forest road...jerry drives vince here to talk away from lorraine
*tampa international airport...tampa terrace hotel...stark, florida, a hotel there...pass through ocala on the way up route 301
*viadiad...carmela flies a small plane to this place...fictitious place? maybe si maybe no
*a drive-in for lunch...birmingham, a motel on 78 to memphis...springfield...preston...kansas city
*112 tyler drive...home of lorraine's parents
*velbiss home...where our hero and the mrs not his wife diddle
*the brownwell home...on van dorn road...accessed through carl gowan's property out the back door of the jamison home
*the park terrace job site...e.j. malton construction company
*camp...at morning lake, 40 miles from vernon...the camp called sootsus. the camp owned by the maltons
*brindell...two miles from morning lake...morning lake road...route 167
*the hotel vernon...8th floor...where the boys take jerry
*wheeler...18 miles south of vernon, just over the state line...the greenwood strip...circus casino atmosphere
*a big green tractor trailer combo
*archie brill's office...a storage wharehouse...the city dump
characters major minor real/imagined peripheral name only famous/real/well-known
*jerry jamison: our hero, jerome duward jamison, 1st-person narrator. he is 43, married to lorri...8 years married...no children, they tried to adopt, but lorrie is a lush, got in an accident, etc...adoption people turned them down. he is a builder. he works for/with his father-in-law...had a business before he got married...that business was absorbed by his in-law after marriage. he is a veteran of the world war. he had two years of college. jerry & vince were part of o.s.s. detachment 404 during the world war.
*lorraine/lorrie malton jerry's wife...beautiful, of course, a lush...she likes to drink. jerry and she met, july, 1957...8 years ago...married. "miss campus roundheels"
*small group of deadly chums/jerry...before he was married...considering knocking off a casino
*the unattached men at the picnic...who were gathered around lorraine
*e.j. malton: lorraine's father...of e.j. malton construction company.
*irene: the jamisons' cook & housekeeper
*mandy: friend of lorraine
*eddie: lorraine's brother...this character, honestly, is a farce...he is on stage so little, so inconsequential...why is he in the story?
*vince biskay: war-time friend of jerry...he shows up unannounced, unexpected, at jerry's door. they served in calcutta. the last they saw each other, jerry on a plane taking off, vince on the ground, august, 1945 calcutta. he is likened to mitchum in the movies.
he visits jerry and presents him with a deal that could net him over a million dollars...between 3.25 and 3.75 million total, split unevenly three ways...intercepting payment for arms from a venezuelan strong-man...although macdonald is coy and uses "valencia" as the name of the country.
*red olin: jerry's foreman...his work crew...this is described as before he married, was absorbed by the father-in-law
*two white russian girls...with whom jerry/vince spent two weeks in calcutta
*japs...native agents/ceylon...lord louis, a kind of commander, sent jerry/vince behind the lines
*liz addams: the other woman...widow of a naval aviator, put herself through secretarial training with the insurance money, was hired by e.j. malton. lorraine accused jerry of being tight with liz though they have not...but after vince's visit, jerry is rethinking that scenario.
*senor raoul melendez: vince's boss in "valencia"...vince has been working for him eight years as a pilot, many other functions. he is possibly the 2nd most powerful man in valencia behind the semi-benevolent dictator. he has his eyes on the throne, more so, since the tin-pot thinks he is getting too big for his britches...and to that end has been accumulating/buying weapons. vince has been tight with his mistress, carmela.
*carmela de la vega: mistress of senor raoul melendez, his tootsie
*general peral: semi-benevolent dictator of "valencia"...which hasta mean venezuela, south america
*young & ambitious army officers...uprising of the people...a man will go in as boss man, tamed by melendez
*the greek, kyodos, who lives in the states, has been buying surplus arms from the middle east and melendez has been buying them from him
*the willing peons
*a courier...little men with the briefcases...armstrong and all the saints
*dan dentry: jerry goes to him for financial advice
*cal warder, merchants midland bank...more financial moves...loan?
*regular diplomatic courier...uniformed chaffeur...one other passenger
*senor alvaro zaragosa: the courier...from another country...that melendez uses to transfer money from "valencia" to tampa...he is married, has two kids
*"robert martin"...the alias used by jerry at the tampa terrace hotel
*a patrol...our people...seven japs on the stakes...four still alive
*don juans
*a bellhop...at tampa terrace
*a pack of lorraine's special friends, husbands and wives
*george farr: another builder who offered jerry a job when he heard jerry had quit for e.j. malton
*a guard came over (airport)...another guard...the first one is harry
*two men coming rapidly...a fat man leaped...a guard jumped out...a small boy stood on the sidewalk...a newscaster...self-nominated oracles (on the radio)...a reporter...a younger sounding man
*a round & pleasant woman...a boy (stark motel)
*cute little girls visit the mint
*$3,650,000.00...take THAT! john grisham fans! and that is the amount jerry and vince grab
*the carrier (newspaper)...minister of interior (valencia)
*daniel harland: rented the black limo used by jerry/vince at the airport...daniel is a commercial fisherman and received $50 for his time
*ambassador from (a line)
*edith "edie" malton: lorraine's mother, wife of e.j., mother of junior/eddie
*dave & nancy brownwell: throw a party attended by the jamisons
*carl gowan...owns property adjoining the jamisons'
*forty adults & seventy-five children...at the party
*mandy pierson & tinker "tink" velbiss...feed vince steak...tinker and jerry diddle
*charlie velbiss...tinker's husband
*some clown had filled (jerry's) pockets with potato chips
*the sitter for the velbiss family
*the roofers...at the park terrace job site...work crews...a couple of good men had quit
*conchita riley writes a column for the vernon examiner, "all over town"...is a withered little ferret of a woman
*the lord/god
*some of the neighbors...4 or 5 couples...timmy, the bartender at the motel vernon bar...night watchman...kids...a stunted wiry little man at the big wheel...one of her (mandy pierson) college pals
*paul heissen: lieutenant detective, vernon police, went to school with jerry...a year or two difference, played center football
*captain...vernon police
*elizabeth taylor...lorraine is compared to the famous actress
*the bookkeeper...at the e.j. malton construction company offices
*archie brill...lawyer...jerry visits him seeking advice
*he put a carpenter on it (red did...a crate)
*kirk douglas...burt lancaster...bugs bunny...arrogant all...the yankees...(new york yankees)..dick tracy
*two men carried it out...little monsters with charlie's mother (tink's kids)...
*two men with a washington agency
*mrs hinkley...lady across the street from the jamison place
*barnstock & ed quellan: from a washington agency jerry never head of
*"miguel brockman: the name vince used to first enter the u.s.a. illegally..."from paraguay"
*those friends who felt they had to cheer me up...
*a uniformed man to park your car...croupiers dresses as mississippi gamblers...the party at my left stood when a waiter....etc
*roy macksie: guy jerry talks to in a bar...and there's an interesting wager on a drowned fly
*two men coming swiftly...young husbands...babies asleep...young hips under cotton skirts
*a girl, bobbie...to jerry's "joe"...she retrieves jerry's car
*a group of men...andy one of them
*charlie & carol ann...people w/the carnival...two women with hacksaw voices...two men...
*misty the cat...jerry's father
*sergeant ascher...answers the phone, police headquarters...
*a woman naked struggling with a robe
a list of some things gone but not forgotten, not all of them in this story...some from other stories i've read
*liz typing...banged the carriage back
*aqualung...this from the last story i read, link above
*bean wagon...ditto
*drive-in...as in diner...you drive up in your car, but macdonald never describes the little ladies who take your order...okay. so. but! in the story i am reading now...link below...he does use the word carhop...and our hero flashes his lights, indication that she can come and get the tray attached to your side window.
*phone booths
*jerry is offered a job...$350/week...a really good wage. heh!
*macdonald never, never, uses foul language. in the last story i read, link above...toni drops the f-bomb...but that is designated as a line. we're so much better now when everyone lets it all hang loose. correction...in two stories now...this and the last, a character used the word...bassar...in this one, under the influence of liquor...in the other'n, i think dialect...update, later the same day: but! macdonald does tread the edge of the third commandment and it is not a stretch to say that he violates the law. curious, that he puts the word "god" or "jesus" in the mouths of his characters, the words spoken not as praise, but often as exclamation...not really a violation...and i'd have to think if they damn...yes, they do. they do use the damn coupled with the god...but they don't say shit...and they don't say kaka-poopie and they don't say venezuela....and they don't say the initials of a government agency. would they speak the name of she whose name cannot be mentioned?
*in this story, there's that coy use of "valencia" for a south american country...and another place, he describes the ambassador of...with that same line. maybe it was the f-bomb?
*cigarettes...not gone completely...but people are lighting up in macdonald's stories in all the wrong places...hospital once...as i recall.
*the story i'm on now...The Deceivers...our hero, carl garrett "pried holes in a can of beer"...though macdonald in this instance didn't use the words "church-key"...the device used to poke two triangular-shaped holes, one to drink, one to vent...in the old cans...that would rust and rust if tossed on the ground.
update, finished, 31 dec 14 wednesday afternoon, 2:03 p.m. e.s.t.
great story! better than 4-stars...not a 5-star. there's this business to-do with time at the end...can't get my head around the time angle. a month? dat right? the willing suspension does not go along with that one. but it is still a great story. i like especially many of the happenings toward the end. there is nothing predictable about that...for the most...the carnival...slip-sliding away-ay. the characters. they shake...they rattle...they roll. heh! they are revealed with the words they speak.
April 25, 2025
The Soft Touch by John D. Macdonakd (1953) is a pretty good, quick read, and a very dark noir...probably the darkest noir by Macdonald next to The End of the Night (1960). The basic plot: A guy is married to a flirty lush, he hates working for his father-in-law, and his old military buddy shows up with a grand-plan! And it only goes downhill from there...Well written, the only minus is there is a slight twist at the end that feels like the conclusion of an Alfred Hitchcock Presents half-hour TV show...but I'll give Macdonald his due, he wrote this book before the TV show was on...4.0 outta 5.0....
April 24, 2020
The JDM that I love, fast moving, lots of action and a great conclusion.
December 29, 2024
Short books are so hard to get perfect
August 5, 2025
Weird — not his most persuasive. Maybe 3.5
May 30, 2020
Jerome Jamieson, the protagonist of Soft Touch, is no Travis McGee. He isn’t even investigating a murder or any other mystery. Of course, Soft Touch isn’t pitched as a mystery. This novel from 1958 is pure noir in the classic sense of going from low to lower while the bar for one’s morality drops in parallel with one’s situation. To be sure, there is a certain amount of poetic justice that comes to everyone in this novel (with the possible exception of Liz Addams (I can’t find the last name just flipping back through the pages, as she was mostly just “Liz”) who ends up as collateral damage (at least, emotionally).
Jerome’s in-laws are paid back for snobbery and oppression. His buddy Vince is injured in pulling off the “can’t miss” operation. Jerome is, apparently, cuckolded more than once by his lush of a wife. More than one agency and/or crime family ends up chasing Vince and Jerome to limited degrees of success. And while one may have started out with empathy for Jamieson (unhappily married to an adulteress lush, trapped in a business and being taken advantage of by in-laws, and put on the spot by an old buddy), it is certainly missing by the time Soft Touch reaches its clever (at least, I wasn’t expecting it) conclusion. The idea of being “hoist by one’s own petard” doesn’t really begin to describe what MacDonald does in the latter part of the novel.
If the entire novel had offered as many fresh ideas as the last part of the story, I would have rated this noir adventure higher. I enjoyed it, but except for the ending, it did not seem to be MacDonald at his best.
Jerome’s in-laws are paid back for snobbery and oppression. His buddy Vince is injured in pulling off the “can’t miss” operation. Jerome is, apparently, cuckolded more than once by his lush of a wife. More than one agency and/or crime family ends up chasing Vince and Jerome to limited degrees of success. And while one may have started out with empathy for Jamieson (unhappily married to an adulteress lush, trapped in a business and being taken advantage of by in-laws, and put on the spot by an old buddy), it is certainly missing by the time Soft Touch reaches its clever (at least, I wasn’t expecting it) conclusion. The idea of being “hoist by one’s own petard” doesn’t really begin to describe what MacDonald does in the latter part of the novel.
If the entire novel had offered as many fresh ideas as the last part of the story, I would have rated this noir adventure higher. I enjoyed it, but except for the ending, it did not seem to be MacDonald at his best.
September 4, 2019
While cleaning my father-in-laws house I came across a pile of old John D. MacDonald paperbacks from the 50's through the 70's. I read a lot of crime novels, but had never read a MacDonald and choose this one based entirely on the cover art. The copy I have now is that one with a curb side view, victim on the ground, black sedan speeding off. Awesome cover, too bad it's not credited!
I'm not sure why I've never read anything by MacDonald, maybe I just assumed that since his books were such a big best sellers that they wouldn't actually be any good. This turned out to be a fun crime novel that shows a debt to 'Crime and Punishment'. I was wondering how the first person narrative was going to work out, and was surprised by the ending, very unexpected. It's a tightly plotted story, some fast paced action, interesting characters, and some John Cheever type 1950's suburban high-jinx thrown in too. In lots of these crime novels, the hero, or in this case anti-hero, is often infallible, knowing what to do all the time, always ready with a quick sarcastic quip too. This guy though makes lots of mistakes, says stupid things, and in general is something of an unreliable narrator, which makes for a compelling story. Not a classic, but a fun read for a couple of days. I'll definitely check out more from MacDonald.
I'm not sure why I've never read anything by MacDonald, maybe I just assumed that since his books were such a big best sellers that they wouldn't actually be any good. This turned out to be a fun crime novel that shows a debt to 'Crime and Punishment'. I was wondering how the first person narrative was going to work out, and was surprised by the ending, very unexpected. It's a tightly plotted story, some fast paced action, interesting characters, and some John Cheever type 1950's suburban high-jinx thrown in too. In lots of these crime novels, the hero, or in this case anti-hero, is often infallible, knowing what to do all the time, always ready with a quick sarcastic quip too. This guy though makes lots of mistakes, says stupid things, and in general is something of an unreliable narrator, which makes for a compelling story. Not a classic, but a fun read for a couple of days. I'll definitely check out more from MacDonald.
December 17, 2015
Interesting early book by John D. MacDonald. Falls into the subgenre of a guy living a normal, if not happy, existence when one day there's a knock on the door and from then on, his life starts spinning out of control.
May 15, 2022
Good MacDonald thriller!
June 20, 2023
Esta novela según algunos expertos pasa por ser una de las mejores de MacDonald. Digo por algunos, que no un “consenso”. Entiendo que David Rachels, no solamente experto en Gil Brewer sino en novela negra en general, la pusiera en su particular “panteón de la gloria” de las 30 mejores novelas negras de todos los tiempos. Viendo sus gustos, son más que evidente las afinidades de esta pieza de MacDonald con otras obras coetáneas de escritores como, Brewer aparte, Thompson o Williams…Casi diríase una “corriente”, alentada probablemente por la propia Gold metal y la línea marcada por la misma (recordemos, insigne editorial que acogió a los más destacados escritores noir de la época) y donde una prosa enfebrecida, salvaje, pesimista, casi nihilista, traslucía un fatalismo que conectaba de alguna manera con el universo configurado por James Cain tres lustros antes.De esta manera, MacDonald nos traslada a una historia de dinero, crimen, y ambición, a través de la narración en off de nuestro prota (Jerry Jamison) excombatiente en el frente del pacífico durante la segunda guerra y ahora trabajador en una importante empresa local propiedad de los padres de su esposa, Lorraine, una rubia algo alocada y frívola, más preocupada en darle al frasco todo el día que por pasar la aspiradora por la alfombra (perdón de antemano por el velado comentario machista, pero estamos en los 50’s). La descripción de toda esa farsa de matrimonio que viven Jerry y Lorraine está muy bien descrita…uno casi puede respirar ese clima tan de Mad Men, esas barbacoas de Domingo en el jardín como en No down on payment (Martin Ritt, 1957). Poco después hará acto de aparición una antiguo amigo de Jerry y compañero de gestas bélicas pretéritas, Vince Biskay, quien se instalará unos días en casa del matrimonio y le confesará el plan que lleva en mente. Ni más ni menos que interceptar la valija con el dinero que financiará el golpe de estado en un país sudamericano por parte de un general para el que trabaja Vince y que va acontecer en Tampa, Florida. Toda esta parte del robo, personalmente, es la que más me ha chirriado y menos me ha gustado, por cómo está escrita y narrada (o traducida; una traducción, digamos de paso, que contenía algunos errores importantes gramaticales/o estructura ciertamente para hacérselos mirar). Aquí es evidente que MacDonald no se mueve con la destreza de un Westlake o Burnett. Tras ese interludio, y en el que creo que MacDonald se complica un poco la vida por la pobreza o simplicidad de la premisa argumental, la narración vuelve al vecindario de la ciudad donde vive nuestro prota.
Vamos a decirlo ya, esta novela es algo extraña, descompensada, no tan elaborada…no creo que pueda decirse de las mejores de MacDonald. Pero he de decir que remonta el vuelo, hacia la mitad, una vez surge el problema con el dinero robado y Vince que ha sido herido de bala durante el robo debe permanecer guarecido en casa de Jerry, generándose cierto creciente recelo entre ambos hombres (complicado aún más, cuando su mujer, por la que siente indiferencia y engaña con alguna otra, empieza a tontear con Vince… ). Ahí MacDonald recupera el pulso, mostrándonos a un Jerry solo, con un matrimonio que es una pantomima y que es cegado lentamente por la ambición…Todo ello conducirá al crimen, a las sospechas de la policía que sigue los pasos de Jerry, y a un memorable final una vez los rufianes que intentan dar con la pista del dinero robado apresan a Jerry, lo conducen a una casa, lo dejan maniatado, e intentan sacarle la verdad… Creo que por estas páginas finales, donde la violencia descarnada del mejor Goodis aunada al delirio de algunos protagonistas de las novelas de Jim Thompson, hace acto de aparición, ya está justificada y bien empleada su lectura. A pesar de cierto trazo grueso a veces, su habilidad narrativa es incuestionable. Y en la descripción de la violencia, es casi un maestro. Aquí yo creo que su forma (su punch para la descripción de la violencia) y su fondo (el hombre arrastrado al crimen) aunado a cierto nihilismo sin posibilidad redentora (a diferencia de otros personajes de sus historias) hacen pensar que MacDonald, más que en ninguna otra obra, casi inconscientemente hizo un compendio de las novelas de esa corriente antes comentada. De ahí que, aunque tal vez no esté tan conseguida como otras suyas, podamos decir que Soft touch probablemente sea una pieza única en su carrera.
Nota final: la novela fue publicada por vez primera por Dell y reeditada después por Gold medal, editorial que había acogido al inicio de los 50's a Macdonald y a la que el escritor volvería tras ciertas "rencillas"/discrepancias. La novela que volvería a inaugurar su ciclo de colaboraciones fue Cape Fear (El cabo del miedo/ Los verdugos, 1958). Gracias a Steve Scott por sus valiosas informaciones en el excelente blog sobre el escritor, The Trap of Solid Gold
https://thetrapofsolidgold.blogspot.com ... soft+touch
Vamos a decirlo ya, esta novela es algo extraña, descompensada, no tan elaborada…no creo que pueda decirse de las mejores de MacDonald. Pero he de decir que remonta el vuelo, hacia la mitad, una vez surge el problema con el dinero robado y Vince que ha sido herido de bala durante el robo debe permanecer guarecido en casa de Jerry, generándose cierto creciente recelo entre ambos hombres (complicado aún más, cuando su mujer, por la que siente indiferencia y engaña con alguna otra, empieza a tontear con Vince… ). Ahí MacDonald recupera el pulso, mostrándonos a un Jerry solo, con un matrimonio que es una pantomima y que es cegado lentamente por la ambición…Todo ello conducirá al crimen, a las sospechas de la policía que sigue los pasos de Jerry, y a un memorable final una vez los rufianes que intentan dar con la pista del dinero robado apresan a Jerry, lo conducen a una casa, lo dejan maniatado, e intentan sacarle la verdad… Creo que por estas páginas finales, donde la violencia descarnada del mejor Goodis aunada al delirio de algunos protagonistas de las novelas de Jim Thompson, hace acto de aparición, ya está justificada y bien empleada su lectura. A pesar de cierto trazo grueso a veces, su habilidad narrativa es incuestionable. Y en la descripción de la violencia, es casi un maestro. Aquí yo creo que su forma (su punch para la descripción de la violencia) y su fondo (el hombre arrastrado al crimen) aunado a cierto nihilismo sin posibilidad redentora (a diferencia de otros personajes de sus historias) hacen pensar que MacDonald, más que en ninguna otra obra, casi inconscientemente hizo un compendio de las novelas de esa corriente antes comentada. De ahí que, aunque tal vez no esté tan conseguida como otras suyas, podamos decir que Soft touch probablemente sea una pieza única en su carrera.
Nota final: la novela fue publicada por vez primera por Dell y reeditada después por Gold medal, editorial que había acogido al inicio de los 50's a Macdonald y a la que el escritor volvería tras ciertas "rencillas"/discrepancias. La novela que volvería a inaugurar su ciclo de colaboraciones fue Cape Fear (El cabo del miedo/ Los verdugos, 1958). Gracias a Steve Scott por sus valiosas informaciones en el excelente blog sobre el escritor, The Trap of Solid Gold
https://thetrapofsolidgold.blogspot.com ... soft+touch
September 11, 2024
Wanted to go through a quick and direct work of fiction, and this did it. No time is wasted in this obscure work of John. I really loved the interplay between Vince and Jerry. Our protagonist keeps crumbling little by little, and his mental unraveling is fascinating to witness.
You are initially surprised, then impressed and then shocked by the actions of Jerry. John peppers this journey with some brilliant writing.
There were times when I found it difficult to put down the book; the tension was gripping and addictive. John's writing style is clutter-free, which was refreshing. The story could have gone in different directions, but it doesn't wander from its core—the capitulation of Jerry. However, I did find the ending a bit abrupt, but for a quick read, it was well worth it.
You are initially surprised, then impressed and then shocked by the actions of Jerry. John peppers this journey with some brilliant writing.
There were times when I found it difficult to put down the book; the tension was gripping and addictive. John's writing style is clutter-free, which was refreshing. The story could have gone in different directions, but it doesn't wander from its core—the capitulation of Jerry. However, I did find the ending a bit abrupt, but for a quick read, it was well worth it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2019
Clever depection of a failing, perhaps inadequate personality. Examines the question of how deep you need to go into someone to find evil. Also exemplifies the old saw:”money is the root of all evil.”
Certainly it displays the mores of a different era. MacDonald was in the OSS in the same area during the war as the protagonist had been. He certainly must have seen how the amorality of war can undermine an individuals sense of values. His discussion of the breakdown of the protagonists marriage was partly a thing of the time and partly eternal.
Can unhappiness alone explain emotional breakdown?
Read as part of my projected goal of reading all or MacDonald’s work.
Certainly it displays the mores of a different era. MacDonald was in the OSS in the same area during the war as the protagonist had been. He certainly must have seen how the amorality of war can undermine an individuals sense of values. His discussion of the breakdown of the protagonists marriage was partly a thing of the time and partly eternal.
Can unhappiness alone explain emotional breakdown?
Read as part of my projected goal of reading all or MacDonald’s work.
May 19, 2021
Good pulpy fun. I've tried a ton of Macdonald books and something always hits me wrong within the first five pages, but this one I liked. There was an echo of harder Donald Westlake/Richard Stark stuff that I enjoyed, particularly in the end where the action gets brutal (albeit in a pretty riveting way). A decent entrant in the "one big score" canon....
January 6, 2025
A solid pulp novel. It doesn’t dawdle.
Yes, it’s dated. Yes, women are objectified left and right. Yes, there’s blatant machismo.
But there are moments of pure bliss when the writing shines through in powerful ways. Does it forgive the aforementioned sins? No. But it ultimately gives this novel an edge above others.
Yes, it’s dated. Yes, women are objectified left and right. Yes, there’s blatant machismo.
But there are moments of pure bliss when the writing shines through in powerful ways. Does it forgive the aforementioned sins? No. But it ultimately gives this novel an edge above others.
July 7, 2020
Cool JDM read. The setup was interesting, the action good, and the ending, while a bit contrived (especially reading it more than 60 years after publishing), was satisfying. Quick read and enjoyable. For an early standalone, this one is a good one.
August 3, 2020
2nd MacDonald book I've read and I loved it! Not one character in this book is likeable, including our main character but I found myself really rooting for him. The ending was so perfect and satisfying. 😀
March 2, 2023
Being a diehard fan of John D. MacDonald I can safely say that this book is in top 3 for me.
Could not really sympathize with any of the characters but the story was grippingly interesting. The ending alone is worth reading the book. Put a huge smile on my face, no doubt.
Could not really sympathize with any of the characters but the story was grippingly interesting. The ending alone is worth reading the book. Put a huge smile on my face, no doubt.
May 30, 2025
John D. MacDonald as usual perfectly describes 1960's suburbia in America as the main backdrop for the story. The ending felt a little flat, it left me with a feeling of "well, then what happened?" A fine choice for an afternoon read.
September 10, 2021
Hi, I'm Clare and I'm addicted to John D. MacDonald books.
October 11, 2021
This one was fast-moving and gripping. A wartime Army buddy showed up n protagonist's life, with a proposition to make some big easy money.
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