D.B.

by Elwood Reid

In 1971, a man calling himself D.B. Cooper hijacked a flight, claimed his ransom without harming a soul, and vanished. Elwood Reid uses this true story as a starting point, imagining Cooper as Phil Fitch, a Vietnam vet with a failed marriage who decides the time has come to do something that will save him from a life of punching timecards and wondering what could have been. Fitch ends up in Mexico, where he drifts until a bad turn of luck forces him to return home.

Meanwhile, newly retired FBI agent Frank Marshall is struggling with his new life of leisure–fishing, spending time with family, and drinking too much. Unable to let go of a few old cases, Marshall decides to help a young agent determined to solve the mystery of D. B. Cooper. As they close in and events bring Fitch back home, these two stories head for a moving climax in a smart, gripping, and frequently hilarious tale of one of America’s modern folk heroes.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published July 13, 2004

Reviews

[Keith Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure wish Elwood Reid was still writing novels! This was probably my least favorite of his books, but I still liked it. He found a powerful story and told it well. Here's a little review I wrote about it back in the day:

https://annarborobserver.com/articles...

[Michael Kuehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"D.B." by author Elwood Reid, is a fictional "imagining" of the wanderings of the infamous skyjacker D.B. Cooper. The actual hijacking is only a brief part of the book. Reid focuses his imagination on what happened to Cooper after he jumped out of the plane, what he did, where he went, what his life was like. There is a second thread to Reid's novel, that of FBI man Frank Marshall, now on the verge of retirement and reflecting back on those days over ten years prior when he found himself traipsing through the woods along the Columbia River with other agents looking for Cooper

Reid weaves these two threads together in interesting ways, all leading to a surprise ending. An entertaining, fun, read.

[Bookmarks Magazine]

Reid's previous novels earned him comparisons to Joseph Conrad and Raymond Carver. With powerful prose, he invites readers to witness the exploits of two men struggling to come to terms with their place in the world. Most critics agree that Reid pulls off that major task successfully, but The Oregonian remains unimpressed with the secondary story of D.B.'s nemesis. Still, D.B., more of a psychological drama than a dramatic thriller, is an effective cautionary tale for anyone who's ever daydreamed of opting out of the rat race.

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.

[Matt]

I so wanted to like this book. I even started reading it twice, and just couldn't get past the first chapter the first time. I FORCED myself the second time and frankly, it wasn't any better. Convoluted story line, too many elements. I mean the FBI agent with an alcohol problem and the undercover agent that was "too undercover" that turned into nothing. Almost like the author just wanted to be mad at the FBI. Or DB Cooper. Or something. Basically, it didn't even deserve the 1.5 stars except the concept was good. He just needed to stop trying to write really long conversations and really dull naratives. The Numb3rs version of the DB Cooper story was better.

[Chris O'Riley · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story that had so much potential ended up being an unnecessarily convoluted plot. If you took the introductions of the characters at the start of the book and skipped to the last 30 pages it would make no difference than reading it cover to cover. What makes this a 2 star review and not a 1 star is the ending. For me it was a satisfying unravelling of events. BUT not worth a read if you're considering it.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picks up where DB Cooper jumped off the plane in the 70s. Actually flashbacks before as well. Adventurous, suggests DB was military trained, estranged from wife, needed money and headed off to Mexico till he lost the rest of his stash and had to return for emergency funds. Also about an FBI agent about to retire whose story intertwines a bit with DB's. Sort of a fun read, but nothing more.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read a couple of reviews here and am still wondering what's not to like about this one. First Reid novel for me. Liked it thoroughly. At one point began to think maybe characters merged for Reid but dismissed and kept on. Know nothing about the legend and that was fun to discover.

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute ending to the story of D.B. Cooper. Wasn't a page turner, but it was ok.

[Patrick O'Connell · Rating 2 out of 5]

A potentially interesting topic that failed to hold my interest.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good try. I love the premise.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable. A little disappointed with the ending, but kind of fun in a way too.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated it! convoluted, not well-written.