Going for the Gold

John Putnam Thatcher #18

by Emma Lathen

John Putnam, a detective-minded bank executive, suspects a conspiracy when the favored ski jumper at the Winter Olympics is shot during a trial run and an unusual amount of counterfeit traveler's checks turns up at Sloan Guaranty

Genres: Mystery

251 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1980

About the author

Aka R.B. Dominic

Emma Lathen is the pen name of two American businesswomen: an attorney Mary Jane Latsis (July 12, 1927 -October 29, 1997) and an economic analyst Martha Henissart (b. 1929),who received her B.A. in physics from Mount Holyoke College in 1950.

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/31/boo...

Reviews

[Teri-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite entries in a very good mystery series. Perhaps it's because I was a girl during the Lake Placid Olympics and remember the "Miracle on Ice" very well. Or the fact that I grew in rural Colorado and enjoy books where people are snowed in. But even without those elements this is a solid mystery where actions continue spiraling outward and the reader can't be sure if they are all connected or not. Plus, there's a likable group of possible suspects and a genuinely surprising and action-packed ending. All-in-all, this is a mystery that deserves to be read and enjoyed more often.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Thatcher is watching the practice run of an Olympic skier when the skier is shot in midair. Thatcher is once again caught up in a murder mystery as re races to prevent another murder.

[Emmanuel Gustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing murder mystery set during the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, which were held there in 1980. Judging from the dedication to "Bob Priestley, who generously opened the right doors", the writers attended it and had fun plotting this story. Hence the traffic chaos, the Olympic Village that was built to be a prison, the ticket sales scandal, and the miraculous US victory in the hockey competition are all authentic. One can only hope that the portrayal of the IOC as a bunch of hapless buffoons is not - but I for one would be inclined to believe it!

It is well plotted, though some of the clues are perhaps so obvious that you wonder how a professional banker could overlook the possibility. The generous insertion of red herrings keeps the reader suitably confused. Unfortunately, the cast of characters is rather numerous, and under-development leaves many of them rather wooden and one-dimensional, so that the happy end that is granted to most of them fails to give much pleasure. Overall, an entertaining period piece.

[Carol Mello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner for Emma Lathen

Brad Winters, president of the Sloan Guaranty Trust Bank, arranged for the Sloan to be the official bank for the Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games. When a half a million dollars of counterfeit Eurochecks are discovered at the Lake Placid Sloan Bank and a French ski jumper is shot dead during his jump by a sniper, John Thatcher and Everett Gabler are up at the Lake Placid Olympic village trying to find the counterfeiters and a murderer. Didn't guess this one because I was having fun reading as fast as I could. The clues are all there for readers who are more astute than me.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

As part of my 2022 book challenges to read a cozy mystery book set in a city or country that hosted the Olympics, I chose this book. Taking place at the 1980 Winter Olympics held in Lake Placid, New York, John Putnam Thatcher witnesses a French ski jumper fall to the ground from his jump after being shot. Thatcher is a banker and an IOC committee member, so his presence is part of his committee responsibilities but he gets involved in the investigation because the murdered ski jumper was part of a plot to pass phony travelers checks that dinned Thatcher’s bank of a half million dollars. The investigators pinpoint several Olympic participants who spent time right before the ski jumper was killed as possible suspects. Several seem likely suspects but I was surprised when the murderer was revealed (didn’t see they coming). This was first read in the John Putnam Thatcher series but this was book #18. I think if I had had read an earlier book I may have enjoyed the book more. Nonetheless, the book is well written and the murder plot timed well. The main character isn’t flashy or quirky as in some cozy mysteries either. It was an interesting read.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lake Placid Olympics are flooded with counterfeit travelers checks. John Thatcher is there with Brad Withers, dilatant President of the Sloan and a member of the Olympic Committee. The Sloan has set up a temporary branch bank to serve the massive influx of foreign currency, so they are on the spot when the report comes in. But a superb ski jumper from France has been shot mid-jump, and the resulting complications - plus a blizzard - are making it difficult for accountants to pinpoint the source of the fake checks. Thatcher keeps getting distracted by the funny antics of Brad Withers. I loved the setting and the characters, especially all the young athletes.

Read 2 times

[Mark Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This enjoyable murder mystery is set in Lake Placid during the 1980 Olympics. The hero of this series, John Putnam Thatcher, is not attending as a sports enthusiast, but rather as an investigator trying to figure out a counterfeit travelers' check scheme that has cost his bank a half a million dollars. Shortly after his arrival, Thatcher witnesses a very public murder that may or may not be linked to the counterfeit scheme. There are plenty of plot twists and red herrings in this engaging tale that comes to a satisfying conclusion just at the Games do the same.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forty years old and another Olympic year. I'm staying home and reading more than ever and wanted to revisit favorite authors from different eras. I remember this series as well written and informative as well as amusing and full of useful details about banking and finance. It's also fun to read books where there are no cell phones or online news. Credit cards were not used as much and people bought travelers checks. I thought about how different it was to have to fork out the cash in advance for the checks
I loved John teacher purchasing salt and pepper shakers for Miss Corsca.

[Jean Bonilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

How appropriate that on these blustery cold days I am reading a book about the Winter Olympics! Although the story here includes a horrific snowstorm, which never took place, the real horror is the murder and the twisted set of circumstances that surround it. As usual, I enjoyed Thatcher’s analysis and clever deductions about the perpetrator.

[Rog Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The edition I read was simply titled "Going for gold".

[Vicki Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sloan is sponsoring the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York. The first murder happens almost immediately when a French ski jumper is shot as he flies toward the finish line. The motive is quite complicated, involving counterfeit travelers checks. A pretty good mystery.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thatcher is called in when the Sloan is robbed of half a million dollars at the Lake Placid Olympics. Good setting, intriguing mystery.

CMB

[Kathryn McCary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Possibly the correct edition, but mine is a book club edition with no ISBN #; it's the right cover image, but they might have used the same image for both first edition and book club edition

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder mystery set during the winter Olympics

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun mystery, though to be honest I'm surprised Thatcher didn't suspect the criminal until the end. I certainly would have. But the descriptions of the Olympics etc... were wonderful.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Torn between 3 and 4 stars, but I'm giving it 3 because it doesn't have the classic dry wit of the early Emma Lathens. It was, however, enjoyable to see Thatcher and Gabler as men of action.

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lake Placid Olympics, lots of red herrings