Son Of Fletch

Fletch #10

by Gregory McDonald

Encountering Jack, a young escaped convict who claims to be his son, wisecracking reporter Fletch faces the greatest challenge of his career, and when he meets Jack's shady friends, he wonders if he will live long enough to master fatherhood. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Humor, Crime, Detective, Thriller

253 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one even more than the last few Fletch books I've read. Breezy read, humorous, lots of action, and a good multiple mystery going on.

[Bread winner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fletch books are generally 100% hijinks, spoofs, goofs, mystery, “witty” banter and Fletch making and eating truly disgusting-sounding 70s and 80s cuisine. But now it’s the 90s baby and this is unexpectedly violent and action-packed and topical. But it’s still lots of fun - maybe as fun as ever, and Fletch has finally matured from a smug asshole into a pretty cool guy and a surprisingly good dad. His very relaxed approach to solving urgent mysteries is insane and maybe infuriating if you’re expecting a normal guy doing normal things, but his zen worldview has a philosophical purity. Pity about his boring son!

Fletch’s new girlfriend is great. He’s still whipping up gross food (tuna puffs? Get real). For all the shock value of the villainous MAGA cult - and it is shocking how little their talking points have changed since 1994 - the most truly shocking part is the weird subplot in which Fletch seems to suggest that people are fat by choice? Was I reading that right? Yikes.

[Dave W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice closure on the Fletch saga (though there is another). Enjoyed the tie ins to previous novels and wove everything together nicely.

[Paul Lyons · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having run his Fletch series shamefully to the ground, author Gregory McDonald figured he could start a whole new series based on the lame idea that Irwin Maurice Fletcher has a never-before-revealed son named Jack, who was conceived out of wedlock from sex Fletch had with a heavyset reporter during one of McDonald's previous novels. Normally, that would be fine, I guess, yet by the time the author wrote "Son of Fletch," he was so very done with the whole Fletch everything.

"Son of Fletch" has everything a reader could want: escaped convicts, birth-fathers reuniting with children they never knew existed, Southern charm, a condemnation of domestic and international, white supremacist groups and ethnic cleansing, starving children, mentally disturbed and violent men shat on and abused by a cow, projectile vomiting, mass vomiting, homosexual come-ons, a misreading of the Bible, the sickness of obesity, concussions, a condemnation of fraudulent fat farms, the serious casualties of hate...all in one fun Fletch book for all to enjoy!!

Let me guess what your favorite part of "Son of Fletch" was. It was the vomiting, wasn't it. Who does not want to read about men, women and children being induced to vomiting due to some weirdo sound-something coming out of large speakers???? Great stuff, especially since it happened not once, but twice in the book...caused by, oh my!...the Son of Fletch himself, for no reasonable reason! Hahahahahaha! Such great writing! What a fantastic new character to continue the Fletch legacy.

NO...just no, okay? "Son of Fletch" sucks. It's not "Carioca Fletch" suck, but suck just the same. I did not enjoy reading the book, at all. The story was poorly conceived, and did not make sense. And what was with the whole....Fletch was once married to a Princess who was assassinated while pregnant???? Which previous Fletch book was that??? Whatever.

[Erik Prime · Rating 2 out of 5]

The tenth book in the long-running series, and the first one published after a layoff of seven years.

Fletch is living on a farm in Tennessee with his girlfriend Carrie when he meets his son John Fletcher “Jack” Faoni for the first time. Jack’s mother is journalist Crystal Faoni (with whom Fletch had a one-night stand in book 3). Jack has just escaped from a federal penitentiary and needs his father’s help to take down a white supremacist militia hiding in the forests of Alabama. This reboot of the popular series is convoluted and boring.

Fletch mentions a third marriage to Annie Maggie, a princess from an unnamed Eastern European country who was assassinated while pregnant with his child. When it comes to matrimony, Fletch is very unlucky.

MARITAL STATUS: dating girlfriend Carrie.
SEXUAL LIAISONS: One.
NUMBER OF ALIASES: Zero.
NUMBER OF MURDERS: Three, plus 38 neo-Nazis.
BEST RUNNING GAG: Fletch finally finished writing the book Pinto: The Biography of Edgar Arthur Tharp, Junior (he had been working on the life story of the American western artist since book 2). There is also a callback to the running gag of the bronze star that Fletch refuses to accept from the Army.
RATING (OUT OF TEN): 4

[Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fletch has always been a very good planner and manipulator, but in this book it gets a little ridiculous as he's become nearly superhuman in his ability to coordinate events surrounding a prison break, the surprise appearance of his adult son, and a whole lot of white supremacists.

Eventually his luck runs out, but by the time that happens it hardly matters.

For some reason Gregory McDonald decided to have a concussed Fletch flashback to the worlds of his two worst Fletch novels, Carioca Fletch and Fletch, Too, thus I give this book two-and-a-half stars, rounded down.

[Edward Champion · Rating 3 out of 5]

After writing far too many books in the 1980s, Gregory Mcdonald returns to the Fletch series ten years later. But this is only a slight return to form. The deft plotting of the early books is gone, as is the reliable wit (did we really need more fat jokes?). But this tenth book in the series is not without its moments: namely, the introduction of Fletch's son and a followup to the events of FLETCH'S FORTUNE. But it's clear that Mcdonald is well past his prime at this stage in his career and has allowed the world to pass him by. Which is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to the Fletch character. The villains are too predictable and not as well-defined as the early books.

[Andy Rausch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ten-year break between this one and the previous Fletch book did McDonald (and Fletch) good. This was a much better installment. Some unbelievable stuff going on, but it was more fun and interesting than the previous couple of books. Unfortunately, this was just an introduction to what was supposed to be a series featuring Fletch's son. Thankfully, he was relegated to (less than) sidekick status here. Going into the next one, Fletch Reflected, starring Fletch Jr., I am skeptical how McDonald can/did pull that off. But this one was solid. But boy, these Fletch books were hit and miss.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books in the Fletch series. In this series, McDonald found a way to put Fletch in an entirely new world with each book, while still allowing the reader to feel at home with Fletch. In this outing, Fletch is presented with news of a son (not a spoiler) - and goes from that point on an adventure in the southern US. I was trying to read the Fletch books in order, but have thrown that over as impossible, so there is a new character - Carrie - in this book. I look forward to finding out who she is as I read the others in the series.

[Hobart · Rating 4 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
So I was never going to get this (and 31 others) properly written up, so I posted quick, tweet-length thoughts about some things that have needed reviewed for far too long:
Oh, I wanted to love this. But I just liked it. I’ll probably hear Miller in my head anytime I read Fletch in print.

[John Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

(This Jove 1994 mass market paperback edition edition 253 pages, not "one page" as is indicated.) "Son of Fletch" is entertaining and a decent introduction to the son of Fletch character. A good enough story although I was pretty sure where it was heading fairly early on (and I was mostly right.) It was really heavy on the social commentary. Good writing as usual. An easy and quick read.

[Danny Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of the more character-based Fletch books rather than mystery-centric, this one has a lot of nice writing even if you see McDonald straining with 1990s 'both-sides'-ism in regards to racism and the sheer cartoonishness of the villains.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fletch encounters a group of escaped convicts one of which is his son Jack. He helps them evade the law and transports them to a compound of militia men. On the compound Fletch discovers an anti-government plot and shenanigans ensue.

[Bob Bracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Fletch worth a read

Always quirky, always engrossing, always darkness with the lighthearted. Great plot, great repartee. Entertaining, Curiously Inspiring. I recommend it.
Bob B, Tsawwassen

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

ahh yeah

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and the addition of Jack to the storyline resolves the issue of how to keep youthful shenanigans occurring now that the titular hero has gotten older and more sedentary.

[Toni Rieder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eerily relevant

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 1994. Fletch discovers a son from a one night stand and finds himself involve with a cult/fanatic military unit.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great relaunch of the Fletch franchise though the end is a little anticlimactic!

[Kent Winward · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun and Fletchy.

[Trevor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Less enjoyable than previous

[Shawn Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book. They are all fun. I ripped through this entire series. Read the last five books in 10 days. Page turners all of them.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy these in audio version. The reader keeps you entertained.

[Andy]

DNF. Is this at all related to the funny Fletch in the movies?

[Patrick Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

A taut, compact, and compelling story to bring in the next generation. Very entertaining!

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess it runs in the family

[D F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun Fletch book.

[Nathan Hartman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a Fletch book so it's got a slew of good quips, but it's hardly a mystery. It's hardly anything, at least for Fletch, who has little to actually do. Still...it's Fletch.

[Jeff Mayo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Fletch series had run out of steam by this time. Introducing a new Fletch from a one night stand eight books earlier is the schtick here. It is no longer witty.