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Fletch #3
Fletch's Fortune
Fletch, as unbridled as ever and still living the good life in Italy on his ill-gotten fortune, gets a surprising visit from two surly FBI agents. The pair offers him a deal: either he attend the American Journalism Alliance convention and work as an undercover spy for them, or be shipped back to headquarters and face jail time for tax evasion.
Reluctantly agreeing to the scheme, he catches a red-eye flight back to the States. But just as rubber hits tarmac in Virginia, news breaks on a murder at the convention. The victim -- a newspaper tycoon and former employer of I. M. Fletch -- was no stranger to enemies. And at a hotel full of reporters who'd all had their dealings with the tyrannical leader, everyone's a suspect.
Reluctantly agreeing to the scheme, he catches a red-eye flight back to the States. But just as rubber hits tarmac in Virginia, news breaks on a murder at the convention. The victim -- a newspaper tycoon and former employer of I. M. Fletch -- was no stranger to enemies. And at a hotel full of reporters who'd all had their dealings with the tyrannical leader, everyone's a suspect.
253 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1978
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801 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
November 24, 2022
Fletch gets blackmailed by the government to secretly bug and record journalists at a conference, but when an asshole media mogul gets murdered, Fletch ends up investigating that too. This is OK, but a little too cute for it's own good. Plus, it's really hard to believe that a supposedly smart guy like Fletch would be too dumb to ever pay his taxes. That's how they got Capone, ya know....
July 12, 2014
"C.I.A., Mister Fletcher."
"Um. Would you mind spelling that?"
And so starts the story of thirdly written Fletch novel in which I.M. Fletch is once again let loose on a world that does deserve his kind of craziness, but in a wholesome way I mean!
When the story starts Fletch returns from a beach in Italy were he did enjoy some morning exersizes with the wife of his neighbor, which is the cost of his neighbor sleeping in late.
Fletch finds himself blackmailed into doing a job for the US secret organisation which involves him planting listening devices on other journalists at a weekend conference of the big names of journalism. (this being 1978 means way before Bush Jr. they were already at it)
As he has no choice, unless paying back taxation he travels back to the good ole US of A to serve his country. And the first person he meets is his favorite alias only she is far better looking and has clean knees.
However before Fletch arrives the festivities have already started with the death of Walter March, former employer of I.M. Fletch and newspaper tycoon. So the game is afoot....
The convention is filled with self absorbed people who think that Fletch is either crazy of or not worth their time. Which is not the case with the CIA, the widow March, Freddie, the guy from the IRS, the Navy and his former editor who wants his scoop.
McDonald lets Fletch bring his unconventional game of detecting for the third time and he does so quite well. He creates once again a situation that is truly bizarre and when it is finished everything has been solved to satisfaction. Fletch is a rebel against anything or anybody with authority, and he gets away with it again. It is always nice to read about smart and witty people, and Mr. McDonald does have a gift for dialogue he makes you smile or laugh out loud.
I have read most of the series and find them upon revisiting as fun as before.
"Um. Would you mind spelling that?"
And so starts the story of thirdly written Fletch novel in which I.M. Fletch is once again let loose on a world that does deserve his kind of craziness, but in a wholesome way I mean!
When the story starts Fletch returns from a beach in Italy were he did enjoy some morning exersizes with the wife of his neighbor, which is the cost of his neighbor sleeping in late.
Fletch finds himself blackmailed into doing a job for the US secret organisation which involves him planting listening devices on other journalists at a weekend conference of the big names of journalism. (this being 1978 means way before Bush Jr. they were already at it)
As he has no choice, unless paying back taxation he travels back to the good ole US of A to serve his country. And the first person he meets is his favorite alias only she is far better looking and has clean knees.
However before Fletch arrives the festivities have already started with the death of Walter March, former employer of I.M. Fletch and newspaper tycoon. So the game is afoot....
The convention is filled with self absorbed people who think that Fletch is either crazy of or not worth their time. Which is not the case with the CIA, the widow March, Freddie, the guy from the IRS, the Navy and his former editor who wants his scoop.
McDonald lets Fletch bring his unconventional game of detecting for the third time and he does so quite well. He creates once again a situation that is truly bizarre and when it is finished everything has been solved to satisfaction. Fletch is a rebel against anything or anybody with authority, and he gets away with it again. It is always nice to read about smart and witty people, and Mr. McDonald does have a gift for dialogue he makes you smile or laugh out loud.
I have read most of the series and find them upon revisiting as fun as before.
August 18, 2013
All of us at one time or another have gone through the stress of a broken modem, router, computer tower, laptop and/or a million other things that can occur to prevent access to the internet.
Internet access has become in some respects, imperative for many of us. So when lightening hit and destroyed my modem/router, and I spent five hours just on the phone trying to resolve the problem, I needed a book that would lighten my mood and lower my blood pressure and stress level.
For me, something nonsensical or funny or light was the ticket. So who do I reach for? Fletch is my man...Irwin R. Fletcher, the smart ass newspaper journalist who is now a man of leisure due to the fortune he acquired in book #2. Fletch now lives in Italy (mostly) and writes for European artsy/fartsy magazines.
A movie was made called Fletch Macdonald's first book and starred Chevy Chase. In my opinion it was perfect casting so I read the entire book thinking about Chevy pulling all these stunts.
Chevy Chase is Fletch
As an aside from IMDB "Gregory McDonald, the author of the Fletch novels, had casting approval over the film. He rejected both Mick Jagger and Burt Reynolds before he decided on Chevy Chase for the lead." Great going Mr. Mcdonald. (Mcdonald does not cap the "d" in his name.) And Mick Jagger? OMG, glad that didn't happen.
Fletch was just what the doctor ordered...light, breezy, easy and at times laugh out loud funny.
Under normal circumstances, I would probably give this a three star rating but due to my frame of mind (which was NOT good) it's a solid three and a half and I round up, so four stars it is. Yes, it served its purpose lifting my spirits and my attitude and lowering my stress level.
And yes, as you can guess, my computer is working just fine. It took much thought to identify and confirm the problem and this book did not distract me from that, which was my number one priority.
Internet access has become in some respects, imperative for many of us. So when lightening hit and destroyed my modem/router, and I spent five hours just on the phone trying to resolve the problem, I needed a book that would lighten my mood and lower my blood pressure and stress level.
For me, something nonsensical or funny or light was the ticket. So who do I reach for? Fletch is my man...Irwin R. Fletcher, the smart ass newspaper journalist who is now a man of leisure due to the fortune he acquired in book #2. Fletch now lives in Italy (mostly) and writes for European artsy/fartsy magazines.
A movie was made called Fletch Macdonald's first book and starred Chevy Chase. In my opinion it was perfect casting so I read the entire book thinking about Chevy pulling all these stunts.
Chevy Chase is Fletch
As an aside from IMDB "Gregory McDonald, the author of the Fletch novels, had casting approval over the film. He rejected both Mick Jagger and Burt Reynolds before he decided on Chevy Chase for the lead." Great going Mr. Mcdonald. (Mcdonald does not cap the "d" in his name.) And Mick Jagger? OMG, glad that didn't happen.
Fletch was just what the doctor ordered...light, breezy, easy and at times laugh out loud funny.
Under normal circumstances, I would probably give this a three star rating but due to my frame of mind (which was NOT good) it's a solid three and a half and I round up, so four stars it is. Yes, it served its purpose lifting my spirits and my attitude and lowering my stress level.
And yes, as you can guess, my computer is working just fine. It took much thought to identify and confirm the problem and this book did not distract me from that, which was my number one priority.
July 26, 2021
I love this character. The books are always so witty and charming. And in between there is a solid mystery solved.
March 21, 2022
Another great Fletch mystery. This time, Fletch is being blackmailed by the CIA to spy on his journalistic colleagues at a convention. But not all is at it appears to be and the final conclusion includes a host of surprising plot twists.
One of the recurring patterns of the series is both the brilliance of Fletch (Irwin Maurice Fletcher) as an investigator and his willingness to not only break rules, but laws in pursuit of his investigation. Inevitably, in every book he also misses an important fact that ends up losing him the girl or obscuring an important aspect of the investigation. Even so, Fletch always gets his man (or woman).
Fletch is like no other character in the mystery genre and it's worth reaching Fletch's Fortune even if you haven't the rest of the series. As always, however, I recommend starting with the first book in the series so that you can get the full back story on our anti-hero.
One of the recurring patterns of the series is both the brilliance of Fletch (Irwin Maurice Fletcher) as an investigator and his willingness to not only break rules, but laws in pursuit of his investigation. Inevitably, in every book he also misses an important fact that ends up losing him the girl or obscuring an important aspect of the investigation. Even so, Fletch always gets his man (or woman).
Fletch is like no other character in the mystery genre and it's worth reaching Fletch's Fortune even if you haven't the rest of the series. As always, however, I recommend starting with the first book in the series so that you can get the full back story on our anti-hero.
January 11, 2023
This is my fourth Fletch book, which I’ve grabbed as like a palate cleanser or when I’m not sure what I want to read next. This one wasn’t as good as the other three I’ve read but I do like the character a lot. I think there are like 10 in the series and I’m not in any rush to get there, but I think I’ll get through most all of them at some point, so that’s probably an endorsement.
June 4, 2025
It's silly pulp fiction but it moves at a crisp pace with snappy dialogue that's easy to imagine from the movies. It ended up being a decent yarn, too. (fwiw, my retro book cover was cooler than this one).
August 12, 2020
Fletch is incorrigible as always in this adventure set mostly at a journalist’s convention. He solves two murders, bests the IRS and CIA, and is convinced that every woman who pays attention to him desires him. Typical Fletch. I really like the titles of the convention talks at the beginning of each chapter, although few seem to benefit from those talks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2021
Took much longer to get into than the first two installments, and came across as overly contrived. Still amusing, and real, but a clear bronze in a race with the first two volumes.
December 28, 2022
Vey funny, amazing dialogue. McDonald at this point has full mastery over writing this character.
October 4, 2016
Three books in and I feel like I could read the entire Fletch series in one stretch. Fletch's Fortune is probably my least favorite so far, but it's so funny and entertaining the ranking is mostly splitting hairs. This time Fletch is approached by two men from the CIA who use his non-payment of taxes to coerce him into attending a convention for the American Journalism Alliance and spying on his former colleagues. To make matters worse, the head of the AJA -- a powerful media magnate -- is murdered, and of course Fletch takes it upon himself to find the killer.
Spoilers...
In Fletch's Fortune, Fletch is surrounded by all the usual trappings: law enforcement breathing down his neck, journalism bigwigs who despise him, personal trouble tying a noose around his neck and two women who want to sleep with him. And Fletch handles it all with his typical irreverent humor. Parts of the book had me laughing out loud, and again it's easy to hear Chevy Chase shooting out Fletch's sarcastic zingers. His softer side is shown too, though, as he does all he can to comfort his friend Crystal, including having sex with her despite not being attracted to her (one suspects Fletch just wants to see what it'll be like), and ultimately landing her a job for the Boston Star newspaper. The way he gets out of his tax troubles while sticking it to the government goons trying to blackmail him is great, and he manages to keep his integrity by securing the privacy of his fellow journalists. As with the other two (and, I suspect, all subsequent entries in the series), the best part of the book is Fletch himself.
The murder mystery is a good one, and I didn't figure out who did it this time. It makes perfect sense, though, and doesn't feel like a cheat. The framing of the novel is interesting, with several chapters being Fletch's listening in on the conversations of various suspects through the bugs he's planted in their rooms; it's a way of getting pertinent information while not leaving Fletch by the wayside. I also liked Fredericka "Freddie" Arbuthnot and her flirtations with Fletch; she seems to want him, but Fletch can't be sure if she's on the level or working for the CIA. The only downside to the book is that Fletch doesn't sleep with her, but I hope she'll be back so he can rectify that. (Maybe she'll even be his next ex-wife.)
Fletch's Fortune is more great work from Gregory McDonald and another terrific book in this series. I almost regret my usual October switch to horror because I want to get started on Fletch and the Widow Bradley.
Spoilers...
In Fletch's Fortune, Fletch is surrounded by all the usual trappings: law enforcement breathing down his neck, journalism bigwigs who despise him, personal trouble tying a noose around his neck and two women who want to sleep with him. And Fletch handles it all with his typical irreverent humor. Parts of the book had me laughing out loud, and again it's easy to hear Chevy Chase shooting out Fletch's sarcastic zingers. His softer side is shown too, though, as he does all he can to comfort his friend Crystal, including having sex with her despite not being attracted to her (one suspects Fletch just wants to see what it'll be like), and ultimately landing her a job for the Boston Star newspaper. The way he gets out of his tax troubles while sticking it to the government goons trying to blackmail him is great, and he manages to keep his integrity by securing the privacy of his fellow journalists. As with the other two (and, I suspect, all subsequent entries in the series), the best part of the book is Fletch himself.
The murder mystery is a good one, and I didn't figure out who did it this time. It makes perfect sense, though, and doesn't feel like a cheat. The framing of the novel is interesting, with several chapters being Fletch's listening in on the conversations of various suspects through the bugs he's planted in their rooms; it's a way of getting pertinent information while not leaving Fletch by the wayside. I also liked Fredericka "Freddie" Arbuthnot and her flirtations with Fletch; she seems to want him, but Fletch can't be sure if she's on the level or working for the CIA. The only downside to the book is that Fletch doesn't sleep with her, but I hope she'll be back so he can rectify that. (Maybe she'll even be his next ex-wife.)
Fletch's Fortune is more great work from Gregory McDonald and another terrific book in this series. I almost regret my usual October switch to horror because I want to get started on Fletch and the Widow Bradley.
June 18, 2017
Fletch' Fortune is MacDonald's tribute to the age-old tradition of hotel murder mystery weekends where a bunch of people at an out-of the-way hotel usually in the Catskills get together, one is murdered, and everyone has a motive and is a suspect. Throw in the CIA, a little blackmail, and a bunch of piranhas known as journalists, and you have a story. Or do you? It is filled with clever, snarky dialogue, but way too much meaningless banter. It's a snoozefest and rather boring.
July 5, 2021
Reread. Dated as heck and I’m not sure that it aged well, but this is the first Fletch book I read and it’s still my favourite.
May 2, 2019
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
It's conversations like this that make this possibly the most entertaining Fletch novel. My memory suggests there's a one or two challenges to that coming up, but at least one of them gets too preachy and disqualifies itself (I'll try to mention that when we get there). Fletch, shed of his fiancé from the previous book, is enjoying life in his home on the Riviera and puttering along on his biography of Edgar Arthur Thorp, Jr. One day, he's accosted by a pair of CIA agents who blackmail him (using the above referenced lack of tax filing) into bugging the rooms of the most influential journalists in the US at a journalism convention.
He's not crazy about this assignment, but at the very least he figures there's a good story in there somewhere. So he heads back to the States and plants his bugs and starts to tape many of the most illustrious members of the press. The catch (of course there's a catch) is that the president of the American Journalism Association and owner of many, many major newspapers is murdered the morning as conventioneers start to arrive.
So, not only does Fletch have to put up with attending a convention, and--under duress--to listen in on his colleagues -- but he also has to compete with some of the most story-hungry people in the US to be the first to break the story unveiling the murderer.
We also meet for the first time Fredericka "Freddy" Arbuthnot -- one of my chief complaints about this series is that we don't get more time with her. She's fun here, and her fans should rest assured that we see her again soon -- used in a better way, too (not a complaint about her appearance in Fletch's Fortune, I rush to say). She's just one of the incredibly colorful characters assembled at this convention -- which allows McDonald to skewer all the foibles and weaknesses of the contemporary media (at least for the late 70's, which just sets the stage for now). I couldn't guess how many times I've read this book, and I still find them all wonderfully fun to watch.
There's a blink and you missed it moment that's incredibly important for the future of the series, and it can't have been planned. But decades later, McDonald is able to use to open up whole new avenues for telling his sores.
It's so easy to get distracted by the fun conversations, the satirizing of the press and the general Fletch antics, to the point that you miss just how clever McDonald is to pull off one of his most clever whodunits. I'd rank this among the best mysteries that McDonald penned, too.
Once again, Miller delivers this one just right. I don't know what else to say -- he was the perfect choice for this series and I'm so glad I gave them a chance.
I'm just repeating myself now, so I'll stop. Between entertainment value, construction of the mystery, social/media satire, and audiobook narration I can't say enough good things about this audiobook. McDonald is at the height of his powers here and it's a sheer pleasure to pick up again (no matter the format).
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
"I.R.S.," the man said.
Fletch slid the door open. "How do you spell that?"
"Internal Revenue Service."
. . .
"As a matter of personal curiosity, may I ask why you have not filed returns?"
"April's always a busy month for me. You know. In the spring a young man's fancy really shouldn't have to turn to the Internal Revenue Service."
"You could always apply for extensions."
"Who has the time to do that?"
"Is there any political thinking behind your not paying taxes?"
"Oh no. My motives are purely aesthetic, if you want to know the truth."
"Aesthetic?"
"Yes. I've seen your tax forms. Visually, they're ugly. In fact very offensive. And their use of the English language is highly objectionable. Perverted."
"Our tax forms are perverted?"
"Ugly and perverted. Just seeing them makes my stomach turn."
It's conversations like this that make this possibly the most entertaining Fletch novel. My memory suggests there's a one or two challenges to that coming up, but at least one of them gets too preachy and disqualifies itself (I'll try to mention that when we get there). Fletch, shed of his fiancé from the previous book, is enjoying life in his home on the Riviera and puttering along on his biography of Edgar Arthur Thorp, Jr. One day, he's accosted by a pair of CIA agents who blackmail him (using the above referenced lack of tax filing) into bugging the rooms of the most influential journalists in the US at a journalism convention.
He's not crazy about this assignment, but at the very least he figures there's a good story in there somewhere. So he heads back to the States and plants his bugs and starts to tape many of the most illustrious members of the press. The catch (of course there's a catch) is that the president of the American Journalism Association and owner of many, many major newspapers is murdered the morning as conventioneers start to arrive.
So, not only does Fletch have to put up with attending a convention, and--under duress--to listen in on his colleagues -- but he also has to compete with some of the most story-hungry people in the US to be the first to break the story unveiling the murderer.
We also meet for the first time Fredericka "Freddy" Arbuthnot -- one of my chief complaints about this series is that we don't get more time with her. She's fun here, and her fans should rest assured that we see her again soon -- used in a better way, too (not a complaint about her appearance in Fletch's Fortune, I rush to say). She's just one of the incredibly colorful characters assembled at this convention -- which allows McDonald to skewer all the foibles and weaknesses of the contemporary media (at least for the late 70's, which just sets the stage for now). I couldn't guess how many times I've read this book, and I still find them all wonderfully fun to watch.
There's a blink and you missed it moment that's incredibly important for the future of the series, and it can't have been planned. But decades later, McDonald is able to use to open up whole new avenues for telling his sores.
It's so easy to get distracted by the fun conversations, the satirizing of the press and the general Fletch antics, to the point that you miss just how clever McDonald is to pull off one of his most clever whodunits. I'd rank this among the best mysteries that McDonald penned, too.
Once again, Miller delivers this one just right. I don't know what else to say -- he was the perfect choice for this series and I'm so glad I gave them a chance.
I'm just repeating myself now, so I'll stop. Between entertainment value, construction of the mystery, social/media satire, and audiobook narration I can't say enough good things about this audiobook. McDonald is at the height of his powers here and it's a sheer pleasure to pick up again (no matter the format).
October 11, 2022
I am very glad that I am re-reading this series because I feel like I was pretty young when I read it the first time, and I had no idea whether my older self would find the same pleasure in it. Not because I have become more discerning - just because I have become older. In any case the verdict is yay for re-reading and yay for my tastes remaining rock solid on the Fletch front. This one was not a favorite but as everybody knows, you can't win 'em all.
March 23, 2017
I've enjoyed both the first two Fletch books, having been originally inspired to read them by the Chevy Chase film from 1985. The Fletch in the first two books is quite different but the cynical humour is there and the books are equally enjoyable.
I did have to check the publication date of this one because, to me at least, it seemed much closer to the Chevy Chase portrayal than the previous books in the series. Coincidental obviously, but this was a little more farcical and darkly humourous.
Frankly the whole book is just entertaining, over the top characters, a murder victim who everyone wants dead and Fletch enmeshed in a CIA plot to blackmail the American press (actually, or possibly, a Russian plot - who could believe that ever happening?)
Excelllent!
I did have to check the publication date of this one because, to me at least, it seemed much closer to the Chevy Chase portrayal than the previous books in the series. Coincidental obviously, but this was a little more farcical and darkly humourous.
Frankly the whole book is just entertaining, over the top characters, a murder victim who everyone wants dead and Fletch enmeshed in a CIA plot to blackmail the American press (actually, or possibly, a Russian plot - who could believe that ever happening?)
Excelllent!
January 9, 2024
FORTUNatEly, Fletch is as endearing and clever as ever. But the “closed hotel” mystery was mostly meh.
July 20, 2024
Forgot to log this one — got halfway through before realizing it was a series
October 24, 2022
Fletch, you ignorant slut
August 23, 2019
Another fun and solid Fletch story. 3 1/2!
Read
June 9, 2024I discovered the Fletch series back in high school. (I rarely read "age-appropriate books back then. It took till college to introduce me to YA lit.) I stumbled across the first book and chuckled and laughed all the way through. As I've aged and learned to see more in the stories, they've just gotten funnier.
Here, Fletch is enjoying time at his Italian villa (bought with the money he got at the end of Fletch), when two men from the CIA pay him a visit. It seems Fletch has never paid taxes, never filed a tax return, on the money he's earned over the years. To say nothing of the money he used to buy his villa. They tell him they'll get the IRS to drop all the charges connected to taxes if he'll spy on his fellow journalists at an upcoming journalist convention in Virginia. They provide him with the bugging devices, the tape recorder, everything. And so, our intrepid, crack investigative reporter is off to the convention. As he's arriving, Walter March, the president of the organization and owner a huge chain of newspapers, is murdered. Found by his wife of almost 50 years, with a large pair of scissors in his back.
Fletch is now nosing into the murder as well as spying on his fellow journalists. In addition to CIA and tax problems there is that issue of the Bronze Star he was awarded in the Marine Corps and never bothered to pick up. In fact, he actively dodges it.
Gregory McDonald excelled at humor and satire. What follows is a satirical look the the world of journalism. McDonald always said he was never sure if he was writing humorous stories with mysteries in them, or mysteries with humor in them.
As always, I found myself laughing through the entire book.
This is a great mystery, with a couple very unexpected twists and surprises near the end. I'm enjoying re-reading this entire series.
Here, Fletch is enjoying time at his Italian villa (bought with the money he got at the end of Fletch), when two men from the CIA pay him a visit. It seems Fletch has never paid taxes, never filed a tax return, on the money he's earned over the years. To say nothing of the money he used to buy his villa. They tell him they'll get the IRS to drop all the charges connected to taxes if he'll spy on his fellow journalists at an upcoming journalist convention in Virginia. They provide him with the bugging devices, the tape recorder, everything. And so, our intrepid, crack investigative reporter is off to the convention. As he's arriving, Walter March, the president of the organization and owner a huge chain of newspapers, is murdered. Found by his wife of almost 50 years, with a large pair of scissors in his back.
Fletch is now nosing into the murder as well as spying on his fellow journalists. In addition to CIA and tax problems there is that issue of the Bronze Star he was awarded in the Marine Corps and never bothered to pick up. In fact, he actively dodges it.
Gregory McDonald excelled at humor and satire. What follows is a satirical look the the world of journalism. McDonald always said he was never sure if he was writing humorous stories with mysteries in them, or mysteries with humor in them.
As always, I found myself laughing through the entire book.
This is a great mystery, with a couple very unexpected twists and surprises near the end. I'm enjoying re-reading this entire series.
May 22, 2022
Good, but felt a bit smaller than the first two. Also, though I know numerous characters are put in to make it more difficult to spot the guilty, this often makes me just care less about each one exponentially.
Still, good, and I plan to read more as I await Mr. Hamm’s new film.
Still, good, and I plan to read more as I await Mr. Hamm’s new film.
August 10, 2025
" Fletch’s Fortune" is the 3nd appearance of Fletch, an investigative reporter who happens to be intelligent, cocky, obnoxious, witty and always a step ahead. Breaking rules and flying in the face of convention does have its rewards and “Fletch’s Fortune” just demonstrates how brilliantly it is done. Fletch's Fortune has a great high concept plot, which is really saying something for Fletch novels which all seem to have a high concept start from a sprinting position. It also allows for a fairly closed setting and lots of satire. The fact that Fletch is somehow both journalist and not journalist allows for some interesting dynamics.
For a parlour-type mystery, there were almost too many characters/suspects, but given the potential size of the conference, Mr. Mcdonald did an excellent job fleshing out each of the characters to make them unique enough to stand on their own without giving up too much. One of the best constructs in this book that sets it apart from others in the series were the conference session titles being used deliciously as chapter openers. Many of them provide some hilarious counterpoint to the plot and certainly add to the humour of the overall piece. Another interesting turn was the romantic portion of the plot in which one of Fletch's unfortunate choices of pseudonym finally gets him into trouble, though not in the way in which one might otherwise suppose. The sub-plot with Freddie was hilarious and tense without actually coming to a final head. The humour at Crystal's expense was all great if perhaps maybe even too much, though it was done with enough warmth that it's obvious that Fletch is doing his part in the nicest way.
This book read very quickly and was well plotted though the ending was perhaps all too quick. At least in this one, we get the payoff in the end of seeing some of Fletch's machinations coming to a head all at once, something we didn't get to see in Fletch when he set both of his ex-wives up to unwittingly move in together with each other while thinking that they were getting back together with him. This is definitely the better one than the last two appearances of Fletch. The way all the angles of the plot are delicately balanced within the framework of the Fletch world truly shows what a master of the craft Mr. McDonald was.
The Fletch of the first novel was an underpaid reporter, hounded by editors, dodging divorce lawyers and generally dressed in jeans and T-Shirts. Due to the incidents in the first book, he shows up once again as a man of fine tastes, impeccably groomed in tweeds and expensive lifestyle choices. However, he is still an incorrigible non-conformist who is consistently one step ahead of his adversaries and a melting pot of cockiest one-liners.
The reader will devour this book because they are brisk, tightly written plots, well positioned narrative which, at times, are outrageously funny.
Fletch’s usual attitude oozes out from the very beginning. There is plenty brains, plenty cockiness and the women are ravishing. Fletch continues to border between naughty and wicked. He is still a master of entrapment.
You can't miss this series. So looking forward to the next Fletch Run.
For a parlour-type mystery, there were almost too many characters/suspects, but given the potential size of the conference, Mr. Mcdonald did an excellent job fleshing out each of the characters to make them unique enough to stand on their own without giving up too much. One of the best constructs in this book that sets it apart from others in the series were the conference session titles being used deliciously as chapter openers. Many of them provide some hilarious counterpoint to the plot and certainly add to the humour of the overall piece. Another interesting turn was the romantic portion of the plot in which one of Fletch's unfortunate choices of pseudonym finally gets him into trouble, though not in the way in which one might otherwise suppose. The sub-plot with Freddie was hilarious and tense without actually coming to a final head. The humour at Crystal's expense was all great if perhaps maybe even too much, though it was done with enough warmth that it's obvious that Fletch is doing his part in the nicest way.
This book read very quickly and was well plotted though the ending was perhaps all too quick. At least in this one, we get the payoff in the end of seeing some of Fletch's machinations coming to a head all at once, something we didn't get to see in Fletch when he set both of his ex-wives up to unwittingly move in together with each other while thinking that they were getting back together with him. This is definitely the better one than the last two appearances of Fletch. The way all the angles of the plot are delicately balanced within the framework of the Fletch world truly shows what a master of the craft Mr. McDonald was.
The Fletch of the first novel was an underpaid reporter, hounded by editors, dodging divorce lawyers and generally dressed in jeans and T-Shirts. Due to the incidents in the first book, he shows up once again as a man of fine tastes, impeccably groomed in tweeds and expensive lifestyle choices. However, he is still an incorrigible non-conformist who is consistently one step ahead of his adversaries and a melting pot of cockiest one-liners.
The reader will devour this book because they are brisk, tightly written plots, well positioned narrative which, at times, are outrageously funny.
Fletch’s usual attitude oozes out from the very beginning. There is plenty brains, plenty cockiness and the women are ravishing. Fletch continues to border between naughty and wicked. He is still a master of entrapment.
You can't miss this series. So looking forward to the next Fletch Run.
December 16, 2021
Tough call on this one, as this third Gregory McDonald "Fletch" novel was mostly enjoyable. The problem was: I just did not get it. The ending of the book just didn't pay off, nor did it make much sense. Even the novel's title, "Fletch's Fortune," doesn't make sense, as it makes no specific reference to the story at hand (or feet).
The plot of "Fletch's Fortune" concerns one Irwin Maurice Fletcher (aka "Fletch) being blackmailed by the CIA (via Fletch's tax evasion) to bug the hotel rooms of all the journalists attending a journalism conference in Virginia. Despite his expatriate status, Fletch seems to know everyone there and they, him. Yet when tyrant newspaper tycoon Walter March is murdered, Fletch's attention turns to all of the suspects who wanted Walter March dead...which is pretty much everyone. As Fletch digs deeper into the murder case, resentments are revealed, and people begin to die.
...but WHAT HAPPENED? The key problem with "Fletch's Fortune" is that Gregory McDonald throws so many unexplained left-turns in the story that it ultimately undermines the integrity of his book. For example, the author has made it fairly clear what kind of person Fletch is through the first two Fletch novels, as well as most of "Fletch's Fortune." That being said, it came as a very strange shock to see Fletch impulsively strip down and get naked in the shower with his (as described in the book) repulsively fat friend Crystal Faoni. When did Fletch find Crystal attractive? I know he appreciated her skin, but... And for that matter, why did Crystal Faoni suddenly become a too-proud-to-help feminist??? There was zero indication before that feminism was part of Crystal's character.
AND...WHAT HAPPENED? So...Walter March's wife of fifty years murdered him in order to protect her son Walter March Jr? Protect from....what, Walter March never dying and handing over the keys to the kingdom? Protect from...being disinherited because Walter March was not Junior's biological father? HUH? Then Lydia March kills herself...because Fletch found her out?? Then Junior is gunned down by Joseph Molinaro, Walter March's illegitimate son?! Why? And was Eleanor Earles involved? Was her kidnapping-and-rescue story true? And what about the Freddie Arbuthnot of it all? She was legit all along, with THAT last name...or no?
Again, I do not get "Fletch's Fortune." I mean, it was enjoyable reading because the author's dialogue-driven style runs fast, and can be very engaging and entertaining. Yet the end diminished the means that lead the reader there, leaving the impression that perhaps the book itself is null and void.
The plot of "Fletch's Fortune" concerns one Irwin Maurice Fletcher (aka "Fletch) being blackmailed by the CIA (via Fletch's tax evasion) to bug the hotel rooms of all the journalists attending a journalism conference in Virginia. Despite his expatriate status, Fletch seems to know everyone there and they, him. Yet when tyrant newspaper tycoon Walter March is murdered, Fletch's attention turns to all of the suspects who wanted Walter March dead...which is pretty much everyone. As Fletch digs deeper into the murder case, resentments are revealed, and people begin to die.
...but WHAT HAPPENED? The key problem with "Fletch's Fortune" is that Gregory McDonald throws so many unexplained left-turns in the story that it ultimately undermines the integrity of his book. For example, the author has made it fairly clear what kind of person Fletch is through the first two Fletch novels, as well as most of "Fletch's Fortune." That being said, it came as a very strange shock to see Fletch impulsively strip down and get naked in the shower with his (as described in the book) repulsively fat friend Crystal Faoni. When did Fletch find Crystal attractive? I know he appreciated her skin, but... And for that matter, why did Crystal Faoni suddenly become a too-proud-to-help feminist??? There was zero indication before that feminism was part of Crystal's character.
AND...WHAT HAPPENED? So...Walter March's wife of fifty years murdered him in order to protect her son Walter March Jr? Protect from....what, Walter March never dying and handing over the keys to the kingdom? Protect from...being disinherited because Walter March was not Junior's biological father? HUH? Then Lydia March kills herself...because Fletch found her out?? Then Junior is gunned down by Joseph Molinaro, Walter March's illegitimate son?! Why? And was Eleanor Earles involved? Was her kidnapping-and-rescue story true? And what about the Freddie Arbuthnot of it all? She was legit all along, with THAT last name...or no?
Again, I do not get "Fletch's Fortune." I mean, it was enjoyable reading because the author's dialogue-driven style runs fast, and can be very engaging and entertaining. Yet the end diminished the means that lead the reader there, leaving the impression that perhaps the book itself is null and void.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2023
2023 reads, #49. Like many Generation X males, I was an obsessive fan when it first came out of the 1985 Chevy Chase crime dramedy Fletch, in which a smartass investigative reporter charms, lies and buffoons his way through a slow reveal of corrupt cops in Los Angeles reaching all the way up to the commissioner; and after enjoying even more a new Fletch movie in 2021 starring the absolutely perfect Jon Hamm (sadly lost in the swirl of the pandemic and therefore barely seen), I finally decided to sit down and start reading the eleven novels crime novelist Gregory Mcdonald wrote about this engaging, hilarious, yet world-weary character, starting with the third novel in the series since the first two are the source material for the two films.
But alas, what feels like devastatingly witty and sophisticated dialogue in the movies comes across as more twee and annoying in book form, kind of like if Joss Whedon ever decided to write a crime novel, and I am absolutely not a fan of Joss Whedon's writing whatsoever. But then again, this is also a strange Fletch novel that perhaps shouldn't be compared to the first two; set entirely at a journalism convention at a former Southern plantation turned convention hall, none of our characters ever actually leave this hotel resort estate for the entire length of the book, and so lacks the zany side characters and thrilling action that helps break up the clever dialogue of the films. I admit, if you simply stuck Fletch in a hotel room for 90 minutes and had him talk nonstop in the movie versions, they would be severely lacking, which is exactly what Mcdonald does here; so before I pass judgment over the entire series, I'm going to take on at least one more of them, which chronologically means 1981's Fletch and the Widow Bradley, which Wikipedia assures me is a return to the globetrotting, adventure-embracing Fletch of the first two books. I'll see you here again later this summer for that!
But alas, what feels like devastatingly witty and sophisticated dialogue in the movies comes across as more twee and annoying in book form, kind of like if Joss Whedon ever decided to write a crime novel, and I am absolutely not a fan of Joss Whedon's writing whatsoever. But then again, this is also a strange Fletch novel that perhaps shouldn't be compared to the first two; set entirely at a journalism convention at a former Southern plantation turned convention hall, none of our characters ever actually leave this hotel resort estate for the entire length of the book, and so lacks the zany side characters and thrilling action that helps break up the clever dialogue of the films. I admit, if you simply stuck Fletch in a hotel room for 90 minutes and had him talk nonstop in the movie versions, they would be severely lacking, which is exactly what Mcdonald does here; so before I pass judgment over the entire series, I'm going to take on at least one more of them, which chronologically means 1981's Fletch and the Widow Bradley, which Wikipedia assures me is a return to the globetrotting, adventure-embracing Fletch of the first two books. I'll see you here again later this summer for that!
September 4, 2024
The third book in the Fletch series. As the novel opens, Fletch is living in Cagna, Italy and having an affair with his neighbor’s wife. Using his unpaid back taxes as blackmail, the CIA orders him to attend a conference for journalists in Hendricks, Virginia and plant listening devices in the hotel rooms of his colleagues.
A preponderance of the book takes place in a single day, with Fletch listening in on the various bugs he has planted throughout the hotel suites. It’s fun to read about the quaint 1970’s technology: Teletype machines, faxes, rotary telephones and switchboard operators, etc. However, it feels as if the author is struggling with the heavy-handed narrative. Most of the jokes fall flat, especially the fat-shaming jibes directed towards a plus-size colleague.
In the first book, the author used Arabic numbers for chapter titles. In the second book, Roman numerals. For this third outing, he spells out the numbers for chapter titles. Mcdonald is consistent in his inconsistency.
MARITAL STATUS: having an affair with neighbor’s wife in Italy.
SEXUAL LIAISONS: Two (Italian neighbor, journalist Crystal Faoni).
NUMBER OF ALIASES: One.
NUMBER OF MURDERS: Two.
BEST RUNNING GAG: Bronze Star medal that he refuses to accept from the Army.
RATING (OUT OF TEN): 6
A preponderance of the book takes place in a single day, with Fletch listening in on the various bugs he has planted throughout the hotel suites. It’s fun to read about the quaint 1970’s technology: Teletype machines, faxes, rotary telephones and switchboard operators, etc. However, it feels as if the author is struggling with the heavy-handed narrative. Most of the jokes fall flat, especially the fat-shaming jibes directed towards a plus-size colleague.
In the first book, the author used Arabic numbers for chapter titles. In the second book, Roman numerals. For this third outing, he spells out the numbers for chapter titles. Mcdonald is consistent in his inconsistency.
MARITAL STATUS: having an affair with neighbor’s wife in Italy.
SEXUAL LIAISONS: Two (Italian neighbor, journalist Crystal Faoni).
NUMBER OF ALIASES: One.
NUMBER OF MURDERS: Two.
BEST RUNNING GAG: Bronze Star medal that he refuses to accept from the Army.
RATING (OUT OF TEN): 6
March 18, 2025
My husband and I had LOVED the Fletch movies with Chevy Chase that were adaptations of some of these books, so when I found this audiobook it was an obvious choice for listening during our roadtrip.
If you are old enough to remember those Fletch movies, you will almost certainly like this book. It had the same snarky, outlandish humor captured in the movie. In fact, we marveled at how well Chevy Chase had captured the character in the novel.
There were two reasons I gave the book only 3 stars. One is that it felt like it could have used a good editor. While we did enjoy it very much, it was wordy and dragged on at times. Nothing a good editor couldn't have fixed. Second, the books are so old now that even though the period isn't mentioned, sometimes something jumps off the page as so anachronistic for today that it takes one out of the story for a moment. Like using a phone booth. Or not thinking of the internet.
Still, if you can overlookt hese little things, this book in particular and all of the series, I think, make a fun read or listen!
If you are old enough to remember those Fletch movies, you will almost certainly like this book. It had the same snarky, outlandish humor captured in the movie. In fact, we marveled at how well Chevy Chase had captured the character in the novel.
There were two reasons I gave the book only 3 stars. One is that it felt like it could have used a good editor. While we did enjoy it very much, it was wordy and dragged on at times. Nothing a good editor couldn't have fixed. Second, the books are so old now that even though the period isn't mentioned, sometimes something jumps off the page as so anachronistic for today that it takes one out of the story for a moment. Like using a phone booth. Or not thinking of the internet.
Still, if you can overlookt hese little things, this book in particular and all of the series, I think, make a fun read or listen!
December 21, 2022
Another wonderful Fletch book that may be among my favorites in the series. The premise is perfect: Fletch, who hasn't paid any federal income taxes, is blackmailed to bug all the journalists at a media convention. The president of the journalistic association has been murdered. And what follows is a motley cast of characters and plot twists. I know a lot of people have kvetched about the apparent "fatphobia" directed towards Crystal, but it's not Fletch who is fat shaming her. In fact, at one point, he tells her to stop insulting herself. And he also does her a huge solid. It is certainly a curious character choice from Mcdonald. On the other hand, this is the same guy who made Flynn part of the Hitler Youth when he was a kid. If you are so easily offended by such eye-popping character choices, then the Fletch books are not for you and you'd probably be better off listening to Donny and Marie Osmond or something.
August 11, 2022
Gregory Mcdonald's "Fletch" is a classic. The first sequel, "Confess, Fletch," is very, very, very good. This, the second sequel, comes close to good (with no verys) thanks to an interesting twist: Mcdonald doubles down on his usual emphasis on dialogue to propel plot by having much of the narrative presented as bugged conversations in multiple hotel rooms. Unfortunately, he also doubles down on his fondness for cutesy banter by including a hundred million bajillion fat jokes aimed at one of the female characters. I think he tries to get himself off the hook for this by having her make half the jokes herself, but nah. It's just painful. The resolution to the murder mystery also feels perfunctory and half baked. Mcdonald bounced back a bit with some of the subsequent entries in the series but, IMHO, nothing ever came close to matching the first two "Fletch" outings.
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