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Fletch #2
Confess, Fletch
Confess, Fletch
The flight from Rome had been pleasant enough, even if the business he was on wasn’t exactly. His Italian fiancée’s father had been kidnapped and presumably murdered, and Fletch is on the trail of a stolen art collection that is her only patrimony. But when he arrives in his apartment to find a dead body, things start to get complicated.
Confess, Fletch
Inspector Flynn found him a little glib for someone who seemed to be the only likely suspect in a pretty clear case of homicide. He wasn’t exactly uncooperative, but it wasn’t like he was entirely forthcoming either. And Flynn wasn’t entirely convinced that the nineteenth-century Western artist Edgar Arthur Tharp really occupied most of Fletch’s thoughts.
Confess, Fletch
With the police on his tail and a few other things to do beside prove his own innocence, Fletch makes himself at home in Boston, renting a van, painting it black, and breaking into a private art gallery. That is when he’s not “entertaining” his future mother-in-law and visiting with the good Inspector Flynn and his family.
The flight from Rome had been pleasant enough, even if the business he was on wasn’t exactly. His Italian fiancée’s father had been kidnapped and presumably murdered, and Fletch is on the trail of a stolen art collection that is her only patrimony. But when he arrives in his apartment to find a dead body, things start to get complicated.
Confess, Fletch
Inspector Flynn found him a little glib for someone who seemed to be the only likely suspect in a pretty clear case of homicide. He wasn’t exactly uncooperative, but it wasn’t like he was entirely forthcoming either. And Flynn wasn’t entirely convinced that the nineteenth-century Western artist Edgar Arthur Tharp really occupied most of Fletch’s thoughts.
Confess, Fletch
With the police on his tail and a few other things to do beside prove his own innocence, Fletch makes himself at home in Boston, renting a van, painting it black, and breaking into a private art gallery. That is when he’s not “entertaining” his future mother-in-law and visiting with the good Inspector Flynn and his family.
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 1976
177 people are currently reading
1210 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
October 9, 2019
Chevy Chase, with that smug, smirking frat boy face, almost ruined this book for me.
It’s hard to read a Fletch book without conjuring up this twit; he played the character twice back in the eighties and now he’s linked forever in my mind with McDonald’s character. Early into the book, anytime Fletch was front and center - and he’s on every page - the image of a leering Chevy Chase would pop into my skull and color what the character did and said. But I got over it. Eventually.
Fletch finds the dead body of a girl in an apartment he swapped with someone else. The police believe Fletch did it. Fletch uses the investigative reporter skills he picked up in book one of this series to prove his innocence.
The police detective, Flynn, sort of hounds him throughout the book, in a laid back pseudo Javertian way. Flynn’s a terrific character with an interesting history and method of solving crimes. Plus, he doesn’t have the same Chevy Chase/smarmy baggage that Fletch has. I liked him so much, McDonald wrote a few books about him.
There’s also a running side plot about a stolen collection of paintings, Fletch’s engagement and an Italian countess with a ginormous set of…
Anyway, as continued reading helped Fletch gradually shed an association with Chevy Chase that he never asked for, the character revealed some wit, intelligence and, whoa, compassion.
The Fletch series offers some mild chills, thrills and laughs; this book is representative of that.
November 24, 2022
Fun stuff although the character of Fletch on the page always seems to be more asshole than hero to me. Also thoroughly enjoyed the recent film based on with Jon Hamm.
June 18, 2023
In my review for Fletch I mentioned that I had watched the Chevy Chase movie several times prior to reading the book. For this one the story was completely new for me. Overall I didn't find it nearly as interesting as the first installment, but it was a worthy follow up.
I really enjoyed the character of Flynn. The snarky back and forth between him and Fletch was very entertaining. I noticed in reviewing McDonald's books that he wrote a series based on Flynn. Probably a good call. His character was interesting.
Also in my Fletch review I mentioned that I kind of wanted to read this prior to watching the streaming version of the story featuring Jon Hamm. Usually when I read a book with the intention of watching the show or movie... I poke around on IMDB to see who they cast in various parts. I was a little confused on this one since there were so many characters listed in the movie that I didn't recall being in the book at all. The de Grassi's were there - and Horan. There was no Flynn listed (I'm guessing that character morphed into Inspector Monroe?). There were lots of side characters that I didn't see listed at all. In any case I suspect there were quite a few liberties taken in interpreting the original story.
Although I didn't find this story as entertaining as the first one - I still enjoyed it and plan to continue with the series. There were enough little twists that kept it fun and entertaining... and Fletch's snarky humor is right up my alley. For me this was a 3.5 and being gracious I rounded up to a 4.
I really enjoyed the character of Flynn. The snarky back and forth between him and Fletch was very entertaining. I noticed in reviewing McDonald's books that he wrote a series based on Flynn. Probably a good call. His character was interesting.
Also in my Fletch review I mentioned that I kind of wanted to read this prior to watching the streaming version of the story featuring Jon Hamm. Usually when I read a book with the intention of watching the show or movie... I poke around on IMDB to see who they cast in various parts. I was a little confused on this one since there were so many characters listed in the movie that I didn't recall being in the book at all. The de Grassi's were there - and Horan. There was no Flynn listed (I'm guessing that character morphed into Inspector Monroe?). There were lots of side characters that I didn't see listed at all. In any case I suspect there were quite a few liberties taken in interpreting the original story.
Although I didn't find this story as entertaining as the first one - I still enjoyed it and plan to continue with the series. There were enough little twists that kept it fun and entertaining... and Fletch's snarky humor is right up my alley. For me this was a 3.5 and being gracious I rounded up to a 4.
June 15, 2017
In Confess, Fletch, the second book of the series, McDonald offers us another taste of a reworking of a classic pulp theme. As many pulp novels begin, this book begins with the main character discovering a beautiful naked woman in his rental, dead. Normally, in a pulp, you'd have the main character hiding the corpse and furiously covering his tracks and fleeing into the night because he knows that all the evidence points to him. The story has femme fatales, murder, kidnapping, lushes, seductions, international intrigue, and all kinds of fascinating characters.
What turns that classic set-up on its head, however, is that Fletch isn't too concerned. with being charged with murder. He has other things on his mind like stolen paintings, a countess who wants to seduce him, his fiancé in Italy, and other things. So we have his calm conversations with Inspector Flynn and the cat and mouse game they play with each other as Fletch calmly goes about his business. This is not an action-packed story. There aren't car chases and gunfights. It's a much more subtle story. But it's really good and a real satisfying read.
What turns that classic set-up on its head, however, is that Fletch isn't too concerned. with being charged with murder. He has other things on his mind like stolen paintings, a countess who wants to seduce him, his fiancé in Italy, and other things. So we have his calm conversations with Inspector Flynn and the cat and mouse game they play with each other as Fletch calmly goes about his business. This is not an action-packed story. There aren't car chases and gunfights. It's a much more subtle story. But it's really good and a real satisfying read.
June 14, 2013
What a fun ride this was.
Confess, Fletch is number two in the Fletch series and he's getting married. Again. Even after all the alimony problems he had in Fletch. Duh, it's Fletch, he won't learn.
He's been living in Italy but flew to Boston to try to locate his fiancee's stolen inheritance, priceless pieces of art including a Picasso and Degas sculpture.
Apparently he's no longer a working stiff, investigative reporter for the Chicago Times. But it's Fletch and he just can't give it up, investigating especially when he's the number one suspect. But he can't find the priceless art if he's in jail, so trying to find the real murderer and the art work at the same time...and then women, his downfall.
Chevy Chase played Fletch in the movie and here are some lines from the movie I thought you would like...the lines are much like lines in the book, too.
Fletch: It was something your wife said while we were in bed together. She said we had the same build. From the waist up I imagine.
Gail You ordered lunch to my room.
Fletch: Well, I knew that's where my mouth would be.
Chevy Chase as Fletch is the Movie with the same title
This series is such a fun ride...easy reading; fun characters, well-drawn, too; sharply developed storyline which unfolds like the pages of the book; and quick and witty lines.
When I got towards the end, I laughed out loud. Last time I remember doing that was an early Elvis Cole. This was just a fun ride from the first page to the last page.
Thanks to my Goodreads friend and author Harv Griffin who shared with me his TwitterArt and how I looked when I laughed at final resolution. It was just a lot of fun to read, like the first book.
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My happy face!
I'm not even counting the number of times I used 'fun' in this short review, but dammit, it was...fun, that is
Confess, Fletch is number two in the Fletch series and he's getting married. Again. Even after all the alimony problems he had in Fletch. Duh, it's Fletch, he won't learn.
He's been living in Italy but flew to Boston to try to locate his fiancee's stolen inheritance, priceless pieces of art including a Picasso and Degas sculpture.
Apparently he's no longer a working stiff, investigative reporter for the Chicago Times. But it's Fletch and he just can't give it up, investigating especially when he's the number one suspect. But he can't find the priceless art if he's in jail, so trying to find the real murderer and the art work at the same time...and then women, his downfall.
Chevy Chase played Fletch in the movie and here are some lines from the movie I thought you would like...the lines are much like lines in the book, too.
Fletch: It was something your wife said while we were in bed together. She said we had the same build. From the waist up I imagine.
Gail You ordered lunch to my room.
Fletch: Well, I knew that's where my mouth would be.
Chevy Chase as Fletch is the Movie with the same title
This series is such a fun ride...easy reading; fun characters, well-drawn, too; sharply developed storyline which unfolds like the pages of the book; and quick and witty lines.
When I got towards the end, I laughed out loud. Last time I remember doing that was an early Elvis Cole. This was just a fun ride from the first page to the last page.
Thanks to my Goodreads friend and author Harv Griffin who shared with me his TwitterArt and how I looked when I laughed at final resolution. It was just a lot of fun to read, like the first book.
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▉ ▉
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▉▉▉▉▉▉▉
My happy face!
I'm not even counting the number of times I used 'fun' in this short review, but dammit, it was...fun, that is
August 20, 2020
An unabashed, light, fun and funny read. Unassuming and well written.
January 8, 2023
The only thing Fletch should confess to is having a rollicking good time!
February 6, 2019
This was a lot of fun, with ample helpings of Fletch's trademark dry wit, smooth talking and numerous fake aliases. Fletch tries to clear himself of being framed for murder in a set of convoluted circumstances while simultaneously tracking down some pricey stolen art. This is not the over-the-top bumbling Fletch of the movies, but there are glimpses of that character in what is generally a serious, although lighthearted, mystery.
May 12, 2025
It’s funny. But, honestly, this is one of the few times the move (with John Hamm) is better. The movie updates the plot, in a way that underscores why the first Fletch book never will be rebooted (though it remains a fabulous read).
May 23, 2022
When Fletch finds a naked and beautiful corpse in his newly-rented apartment in Boston, "all the evidence points to only one person who could have committed the crime, and Fletch doesn't think he did it”. The police think differently.
This is the first Fletch novel I’ve read (I had a few on my TBR, mostly due to fond memories of the first Chevy Chase film) and I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was a pleasant surprise. Hardboiled, with only touches of comedy (that worked very well), this tells a convoluted tale well and even if some of the sexual politics are a bit difficult to deal with (it was originally published in 1976), it stands up. Most of the piece is conveyed in dialogue, which was a nice touch and the actions are dealt with in a brisk style that reminded me of the work of Robert B. Parker (who’d have been a contemporary of McDonald). I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more.
This is the first Fletch novel I’ve read (I had a few on my TBR, mostly due to fond memories of the first Chevy Chase film) and I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was a pleasant surprise. Hardboiled, with only touches of comedy (that worked very well), this tells a convoluted tale well and even if some of the sexual politics are a bit difficult to deal with (it was originally published in 1976), it stands up. Most of the piece is conveyed in dialogue, which was a nice touch and the actions are dealt with in a brisk style that reminded me of the work of Robert B. Parker (who’d have been a contemporary of McDonald). I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more.
August 24, 2021
This is the 2nd Fletch book, the one they’re using to reboot the movies with Jon Hamm. It’s super fun and Hamm is way closer to the Fletch character than Chase, but it’s very much a bookish whodunnit set in the art world. They must be hoping Knives Out has whet peoples’ appetite for more mysteries. Inspector Flynn makes his debut in this book, so you get great bouncy dialogue between he and Fletch.
March 2, 2016
This second title in the Fletch series is entertaining, but missing a bit of the sly, clever, and morally ambiguous Fletch of book one. Fletch himself really makes these books, and I felt a little less in his head in this installment. Ah well, on to book three!
November 9, 2022
Confess, Fletch is a fun read. I hate to admit that I didn’t previously know it was a book series; my only point of reference to Fletch is the 1980’s Chevy Chase movies. Reading Confess, Fletch felt a bit more sophisticated and polished than the characterization in the movies.
The book is well written, and the characters are nicely developed. The crisp storyline makes the book easy to read. While the Fletch character felt a little more refined, there was still plenty of witty retorts and laughs in the book. I truly enjoyed Inspector Flynn who is not only an interesting character but added greatly to the fun dialogue.
I was hooked by the seriousness juxtapose to the dry humor in the opening scene. From there, it was easy to keep reading about Fletch trying to prove himself innocent of murder while tracking down some stolen art and dealing with a few interesting personal matters. Confess, Fletch is a very entertaining, lighthearted mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at
www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
The book is well written, and the characters are nicely developed. The crisp storyline makes the book easy to read. While the Fletch character felt a little more refined, there was still plenty of witty retorts and laughs in the book. I truly enjoyed Inspector Flynn who is not only an interesting character but added greatly to the fun dialogue.
I was hooked by the seriousness juxtapose to the dry humor in the opening scene. From there, it was easy to keep reading about Fletch trying to prove himself innocent of murder while tracking down some stolen art and dealing with a few interesting personal matters. Confess, Fletch is a very entertaining, lighthearted mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at
www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
October 26, 2017
#2 in the Fletch mystery series
I remember reading these books years ago and finding them entertaining and funny. But so far this time around, I'm not finding the humor. Fletch is an investigative reporter, so he's good at solving mysteries. In this case he's engaged to a young Italian woman, and he's come to Boston to search for the missing art collection that was stolen from her after her father's kidnapping and supposed-death (although there's some question about that, which is why the police aren't really looking for the paintings or allowing the will to be read). Soon after Fletch arrives in Boston, he finds a woman's dead body in the apartment he's staying at, which puts him under suspicion. The cop who's investigating the murder is new to the force and works in an unconventional way. He's Irish, has a very gentle and convivial manner, but he quietly gets the job done. So while Fletch is trying to search for the paintings, Inspector Flynn is keeping an eye on Fletch. I was actually confused through much of the book since I didn't really understand Fletch's motivation. Since it wasn't clear what he was doing, it didn't make sense (to me) why he was using such a complicated cloak-and-dagger routine. All became clear at the end and was actually quite interesting, but I was clueless until that point. Flynn was actually the star of the book with his amusing comments and off-hand remarks. All that being said, the book was a quick read and kept me turning the pages. I'll probably continue with the series, but not right away.
I remember reading these books years ago and finding them entertaining and funny. But so far this time around, I'm not finding the humor. Fletch is an investigative reporter, so he's good at solving mysteries. In this case he's engaged to a young Italian woman, and he's come to Boston to search for the missing art collection that was stolen from her after her father's kidnapping and supposed-death (although there's some question about that, which is why the police aren't really looking for the paintings or allowing the will to be read). Soon after Fletch arrives in Boston, he finds a woman's dead body in the apartment he's staying at, which puts him under suspicion. The cop who's investigating the murder is new to the force and works in an unconventional way. He's Irish, has a very gentle and convivial manner, but he quietly gets the job done. So while Fletch is trying to search for the paintings, Inspector Flynn is keeping an eye on Fletch. I was actually confused through much of the book since I didn't really understand Fletch's motivation. Since it wasn't clear what he was doing, it didn't make sense (to me) why he was using such a complicated cloak-and-dagger routine. All became clear at the end and was actually quite interesting, but I was clueless until that point. Flynn was actually the star of the book with his amusing comments and off-hand remarks. All that being said, the book was a quick read and kept me turning the pages. I'll probably continue with the series, but not right away.
August 26, 2021
Yes yes, we blijven Fletch fans. Ook ditmaal kregen we een moordmysterie voorgeschoteld dat ontrafeld wordt in flitsende dialogen, vol droge humor en speelse, doordachte plotwendingen. Altijd de glimlach op de lippen tijdens het lezen en geboeid tot op het einde. De übercoole Fletch is onze favoriete reporter allertijden.
September 21, 2025
Feels totally in league with the school of terse, dialogue-driven 70s revisionist crime fiction of George V. Higgins and Elmore Leonard, while also giving me a sense of a kind of post-pulp updating of Dashiell Hammett. I tasted a lot of Black Mask-era flavouring with its tight, verbose narrative and focus on the immediacy of each scene over the (kind of confusing) plot.
But need I point out that it's funnier — a lot funnier — than any of them? And even better than that, it's funny in a way that never feels forced or contrived: it's dry, laconic, sardonic, sarcastic, all without overbalancing or overpowering the overall story.
Because I'm young (relatively...), I know of Fletch as played by Jon Hamm, not Chevy Chase, and this book gives me more appreciation for that movie and its good-in-hindsight adaptation of McDonald's droll, cocky tone. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there'll be any more Jon Hamm Fletch movies, and I don't really have a particular interest in watching the Chevy Chase ones. But, thankfully, there are more books!
But need I point out that it's funnier — a lot funnier — than any of them? And even better than that, it's funny in a way that never feels forced or contrived: it's dry, laconic, sardonic, sarcastic, all without overbalancing or overpowering the overall story.
Because I'm young (relatively...), I know of Fletch as played by Jon Hamm, not Chevy Chase, and this book gives me more appreciation for that movie and its good-in-hindsight adaptation of McDonald's droll, cocky tone. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there'll be any more Jon Hamm Fletch movies, and I don't really have a particular interest in watching the Chevy Chase ones. But, thankfully, there are more books!
Want to read
October 23, 2019Synopsis: Inspector Flynn found Fletch a little glib for someone who was a suspect in a homicide. Was the body his Italian fiancé's father?
November 1, 2020
Another tale well told - this time with a worthy foil in Inspector Flynn to boot - and mining the same vein of mystery and humor without being a derivative clone of the original.
January 29, 2021
Honestly a little bit of a mess. Tight, quick, and fun with witty dialogue. It was okay, but I didn’t enjoy it like the first one.
October 2, 2021
A great page turned with a more likable Fletch and the introduction of Flynn.
February 13, 2022
3 - 3.5
Better than the first one; definitely has me interested in continuing the series, as well as checking out the Flynn series.
Better than the first one; definitely has me interested in continuing the series, as well as checking out the Flynn series.
October 5, 2022
Confess, Fletch is equally as good as the first book in the series. Loved it!
November 8, 2022
Definitely enjoyed this one more than the first. I thought it was cleverer and also Fletch seemed mean in the first one, whereas this one, he's just kind of flippant and more fun. Really liked the inspector character.
September 10, 2017
"Confess, Fletch" is the 2nd 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 “Confess, Fletch” just demonstrates how brilliantly it is done. It features a naked corpse right on our protagonist, a strange list of morally challenged suspects and an eccentric police detective, an enormous Irish cop with the fondness for chamomile tea and Bach. The way all these are delicately balanced within the framework of the Fletch world truly shows what a master of the craft Mr. McDonald was.
“Confess, Fletch” was published in 1974 and it went on to win the Edgar Award again (the first book “Fletch” had also won an Edgar award). It’s interesting to note that this is the only time that a book and its sequel have achieved this feat. This is probably because the sequel “Confess, Fletch” didn’t just replicate the qualities of its predecessor but altered the terrain vastly. 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 this time 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.
Also, in this book we get introduced to Inspector Flynn who is notorious in his reluctance to make an arrest until he is sure of the guilt of the suspect. You may want to keep in mind that while introducing Inspector Flynn, the author had a spin-off in his mind. Inspector Flynn is also a non-conformist and has tremendous wit. However, unlike Fletch, Inspector Flynn is a happily married man with four children. He was also a spy during the World War II times. Now this is what makes the book superb – a battle of wits between two very strong and similar characters. Inspector Flynn went on to star in his own series of books.
The reader will devour this book because they are brisk, tightly written plots, well positioned narrative which, at times, are outrageously funny. The main pillar of this book is a murder mystery that gets initiated with a corpse in Fletch’s room. Now add the threads of missing paintings, Fletch’s upcoming marriage, a random arsonist in action and a unique equation between Fletch and Flynn. In the end, the author pulls all this together into one fantastic precision to a very satisfying climax.
The setup in “Confess, Fletch” is as odd as in the first book. 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.
P.S - Please avoid the movie. It's complete garbage compared to the wonder of the reading experience. Chevy Chase is an absolute disaster of casting and the film maker had no idea of what Fletch stories are how they are supposed to be told.
“Confess, Fletch” was published in 1974 and it went on to win the Edgar Award again (the first book “Fletch” had also won an Edgar award). It’s interesting to note that this is the only time that a book and its sequel have achieved this feat. This is probably because the sequel “Confess, Fletch” didn’t just replicate the qualities of its predecessor but altered the terrain vastly. 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 this time 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.
Also, in this book we get introduced to Inspector Flynn who is notorious in his reluctance to make an arrest until he is sure of the guilt of the suspect. You may want to keep in mind that while introducing Inspector Flynn, the author had a spin-off in his mind. Inspector Flynn is also a non-conformist and has tremendous wit. However, unlike Fletch, Inspector Flynn is a happily married man with four children. He was also a spy during the World War II times. Now this is what makes the book superb – a battle of wits between two very strong and similar characters. Inspector Flynn went on to star in his own series of books.
The reader will devour this book because they are brisk, tightly written plots, well positioned narrative which, at times, are outrageously funny. The main pillar of this book is a murder mystery that gets initiated with a corpse in Fletch’s room. Now add the threads of missing paintings, Fletch’s upcoming marriage, a random arsonist in action and a unique equation between Fletch and Flynn. In the end, the author pulls all this together into one fantastic precision to a very satisfying climax.
The setup in “Confess, Fletch” is as odd as in the first book. 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.
P.S - Please avoid the movie. It's complete garbage compared to the wonder of the reading experience. Chevy Chase is an absolute disaster of casting and the film maker had no idea of what Fletch stories are how they are supposed to be told.
November 9, 2015
I didn't even realize this book was part of a series so I have nothing to compare it to but I very much enjoyed it.
The mystery had me hooked, I had to keep reading to find out who done it and the dialogue was brilliantly written. It's a witty, laugh out loud kind of mystery that I would definitely recommend.
The mystery had me hooked, I had to keep reading to find out who done it and the dialogue was brilliantly written. It's a witty, laugh out loud kind of mystery that I would definitely recommend.
February 12, 2018
Very Good storyline, I really enjoy McDonald's character development. Very different storyline from the first Fletch. Great ending
August 16, 2019
Can't get enough Fletch!
September 26, 2022
I'm not sure how to feel about this one. I loved the original 2 movies, and I just saw CONFESS, FLETCH w/ John Hamm, so I figured I would start with this one. I recall reading part of the first of the series years ago but stopped for some reason I don't recall.
This one is hard to review, as the movies stand out in my mind, especially the Fletch as Chevy Chase portrayed him. First off- THAT Fletch is entirely Chase...nothing of that character even remotely exists in this book, and I suspect nothing even gets close in any book of the series. In fact, John Hamm's 2022 movie portrayal of Fletch is around 10, 000 times tamer than that of Chevy Chase's 80's Fletch, but this book doesn't even really have Hamm's Fletch. Hamm's is much closer, surely, but the book Fletch is only mildly funny every now and again with long periods of no humor at all really. It's an odd one. Why are the adaptations so wildly different from the actual character?
The plot here matches pretty closely the 2022 film with some striking differences- the main cop is a white Irishman who was once a spy for the British against the Nazis...in the movie he's a black man who has no solid history to speak of, so far as I remember. I loved Flynn, the cop, in the book. He's wise, patient, precise, and he's quite funny. He is, in fact, funnier and more interesting than Fletch is. He's almost the main character in this one if we are going by who is the most interesting of the bunch. I wanted to spend more time with him than I really wanted to spend time with Fletch, and the subplot with the arrival to America Fletch's Italian fiancee and her over-the-top primadonna countess stepmother didn't help much.
I was quite surprised, hearing all my life how hilarious the Fletch books were, how funny McDonald was as an author. This didn't ring true at all. Like I said, only sparingly is Fletch humorous in this book, and when he is, he's hardly laugh-out-loud funny...no real hijinks take place. It's more his witty repartee, especially when battling minds w/ Flynn. He is clever more than he's ever actually that funny. Which was disappointing, only because I had this vision all of my life of a man not very much like Chevy Chase's version, but still...funny enough.
The plot here seems outdated, especially the lesbian aspect to it, which was totally removed for the movie adaptation, for good reason. It was 1) kind of silly, and 2) probably quite offensive to some in 2022. It's basically Fletch trying to find some paintings that were stolen. He visits an art dealer in Boston to find who might have stolen them, and a dead body turns up when he checks into the apartment he's renting out for his stay. The murder investigation ensues, Flynn the cop is in charge of the case, he keeps showing up, pleading for Fletch to confess his guilt (hence the book's title), and that's what it's all centered on. Some minor characters enter, but in the end it's not all that complicated. The plot for the 2022 film actually made the plot quite a bit more exciting and complex.
So, in the end, I liked it enough. I wouldn't go out and tell people, "you have to read this!" But, it's moderately entertaining. I am not sure I find Fletch, as a character, all that interesting. Is his fame due almost exclusively to the 80's films? I suspect so. I will probably read the rest of the series, go back to book one at some point, but I'm in no hurry. That alone tells me this didn't reach the level of greatness I was expecting. Oh well. I still have 2 brilliant...sorry make that 3 brilliant movies now.
This one is hard to review, as the movies stand out in my mind, especially the Fletch as Chevy Chase portrayed him. First off- THAT Fletch is entirely Chase...nothing of that character even remotely exists in this book, and I suspect nothing even gets close in any book of the series. In fact, John Hamm's 2022 movie portrayal of Fletch is around 10, 000 times tamer than that of Chevy Chase's 80's Fletch, but this book doesn't even really have Hamm's Fletch. Hamm's is much closer, surely, but the book Fletch is only mildly funny every now and again with long periods of no humor at all really. It's an odd one. Why are the adaptations so wildly different from the actual character?
The plot here matches pretty closely the 2022 film with some striking differences- the main cop is a white Irishman who was once a spy for the British against the Nazis...in the movie he's a black man who has no solid history to speak of, so far as I remember. I loved Flynn, the cop, in the book. He's wise, patient, precise, and he's quite funny. He is, in fact, funnier and more interesting than Fletch is. He's almost the main character in this one if we are going by who is the most interesting of the bunch. I wanted to spend more time with him than I really wanted to spend time with Fletch, and the subplot with the arrival to America Fletch's Italian fiancee and her over-the-top primadonna countess stepmother didn't help much.
I was quite surprised, hearing all my life how hilarious the Fletch books were, how funny McDonald was as an author. This didn't ring true at all. Like I said, only sparingly is Fletch humorous in this book, and when he is, he's hardly laugh-out-loud funny...no real hijinks take place. It's more his witty repartee, especially when battling minds w/ Flynn. He is clever more than he's ever actually that funny. Which was disappointing, only because I had this vision all of my life of a man not very much like Chevy Chase's version, but still...funny enough.
The plot here seems outdated, especially the lesbian aspect to it, which was totally removed for the movie adaptation, for good reason. It was 1) kind of silly, and 2) probably quite offensive to some in 2022. It's basically Fletch trying to find some paintings that were stolen. He visits an art dealer in Boston to find who might have stolen them, and a dead body turns up when he checks into the apartment he's renting out for his stay. The murder investigation ensues, Flynn the cop is in charge of the case, he keeps showing up, pleading for Fletch to confess his guilt (hence the book's title), and that's what it's all centered on. Some minor characters enter, but in the end it's not all that complicated. The plot for the 2022 film actually made the plot quite a bit more exciting and complex.
So, in the end, I liked it enough. I wouldn't go out and tell people, "you have to read this!" But, it's moderately entertaining. I am not sure I find Fletch, as a character, all that interesting. Is his fame due almost exclusively to the 80's films? I suspect so. I will probably read the rest of the series, go back to book one at some point, but I'm in no hurry. That alone tells me this didn't reach the level of greatness I was expecting. Oh well. I still have 2 brilliant...sorry make that 3 brilliant movies now.
April 19, 2022
Written as an agglomeration of journal entries, letters, captain's logs, newspaper articles, and telegrams, the travails of Jonathan Harker, as penned by the Irish novelist Bram Stoker in his 1897 gothic horror novel DRACULA, was a game of cat and mouse between the fictional Transylvanian count and English barrister. The nocturnal count, of course, spent a lot of time sneaking out and being observed by obtuse and proliferously writing Harker. Reimagined by Francis Ford Coppola for modern audiences, 1992's DRACULA states that Nosferatu is unlike any man. Though personified by the bumbling every-man Chevy Chase in 1985, FLETCH is unlike any (normal) man, and CONFESS, FLETCH is a novel the likes of which you haven't seen: eighty percent told through dialogue and quite crafty, too.
Irwin Maurice Fletcher, nouveau riche and no longer a working stiff investigative reporter out of Chi-town, finds himself on business in Beantown. In the intervening years he's apparently been bumming off an inheritance and rediscovering love in Italy. While he ditched the previous wife, smooth talking and numerous fake aliases are still part of Fletch's repertoire. The hullabaloo gets rolling with a Ford Madox Brown painting and a naked woman. The painting is a reproduction--the lady is quite dead. But Fletch isn't worried. He's in a borrowed apartment and believes in himself and his sleuthing powers. Though the pesky police certainly do not. There's even a sideline hinting that the inept and often less than aggressive police inspector has ulterior motives given his background and experience. The title of the book is derived from said Inspector pressing the protagonist throughout the story, over and over to CONFESS, FLETCH. In between verbal squabbles with the Dublin Detective, Fletch tends to sneak out with a dark cape of his own, a repainted black truck, fresh on the scent of a set of purloined paintings.
Adding up to quite a weighty market value, the collection of 18 paintings including a Picasso plus a Degas statue hold Fletch's interest much more than clearing his name. Owning a professionally jaundiced view of the police, the latter is nonetheless of concern, as the 1970s, at least for Fletch, presented an abstract view of the sliding scale between spiritual consolation and material attainment. Delving into the less theoretical, CONFESS, FLETCH proffers that it's always easier to put money into a bank than to take it out (even one's own), that where there's a hat rack, there's a hat, and an avant garde attitude, for the times, towards sexual freedom and (gender) roles. All in all, CONFESS, FLETCH is a fetching crime read, where LES MISERABLES meet the THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR but with hilarious and crisp dialogue. The experienced mystery reader may end up guessing the outcome of this story, but it won't be due to the pushy detective who keeps haranguing the protagonist to CONFESS, FLETCH. Though neither detective or Fletch have an overt aggressive strategy to effect an outcome, their perpetual game of cat-and-mouse may end up taking a bite out of crime. It'll just be a matter of who's who and who'll end up cat-nip.
January 30, 2023
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5
I'm quite certain I read one or more Fletch books, probably in the mid-1980's when the Chevy Chase films were coming out and I was managing a book store, but I don't remember much about the books, so I was quite interested in looking at this, Confess, Fletch, being reissued to coincide with the new film.
I. M. "Fletch" Fletcher is back in the United States (from Italy), Boston specifically, and staying in an upscale townhouse that he's renting. The rental comes complete with all the usual amenities plus a few frills - including the naked, dead body of a young woman in the living room.
Inspector Flynn, investigating the murder, has Fletch as his prime suspect and he makes no bones about it, constantly encouraging Fletch to make it easy on all of them and just confess. Fletch is exactly uncooperative, but he's steady and steadfast in maintaining his innocence. Flynn is equally resolute in believing Fletch is guilty, but he feels there just enough lack of evidence to make the arrest.
While Fletch works to prove his innocence (by finding the actual killer) he's also hard at work trying to track down some stolen artwork and using some less-than-legal means to do so. Having a police tail complicates things, but Fletch is always cool under pressure.
This feels like a nice cross between the classic pulp detective novels (and I mean that in the best of ways) and the more 'modern' mystery fiction. Of course Fletch is not an actual detective, and the true detective here is the foil (however, a trustworthy one), and our protagonist operates on the border of the law.
This is most definitely a character-driven book (the entire series features Fletch's name in the title) and we have here a very interesting character in Fletch. As a journalist, he's got some investigating chops, and as a former Marine he can handle himself in some tricky situations. He's calm and cool and often quite aloof which is a big part of his charm. It's hard to imagine Chevy Chase playing him (back in the 1980's) but I'm really curious to see the film version of this particular book with Jon Hamm in the title role.
It's really nice to have new films if for no other reason that to see book reissues of a series that deserves to find new readership.
Looking for a good book? Confess, Fletch, by Gregory McDonald, might best be described as a 'modern pulp' mystery and is worthy of your reading time.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I'm quite certain I read one or more Fletch books, probably in the mid-1980's when the Chevy Chase films were coming out and I was managing a book store, but I don't remember much about the books, so I was quite interested in looking at this, Confess, Fletch, being reissued to coincide with the new film.
I. M. "Fletch" Fletcher is back in the United States (from Italy), Boston specifically, and staying in an upscale townhouse that he's renting. The rental comes complete with all the usual amenities plus a few frills - including the naked, dead body of a young woman in the living room.
Inspector Flynn, investigating the murder, has Fletch as his prime suspect and he makes no bones about it, constantly encouraging Fletch to make it easy on all of them and just confess. Fletch is exactly uncooperative, but he's steady and steadfast in maintaining his innocence. Flynn is equally resolute in believing Fletch is guilty, but he feels there just enough lack of evidence to make the arrest.
While Fletch works to prove his innocence (by finding the actual killer) he's also hard at work trying to track down some stolen artwork and using some less-than-legal means to do so. Having a police tail complicates things, but Fletch is always cool under pressure.
This feels like a nice cross between the classic pulp detective novels (and I mean that in the best of ways) and the more 'modern' mystery fiction. Of course Fletch is not an actual detective, and the true detective here is the foil (however, a trustworthy one), and our protagonist operates on the border of the law.
This is most definitely a character-driven book (the entire series features Fletch's name in the title) and we have here a very interesting character in Fletch. As a journalist, he's got some investigating chops, and as a former Marine he can handle himself in some tricky situations. He's calm and cool and often quite aloof which is a big part of his charm. It's hard to imagine Chevy Chase playing him (back in the 1980's) but I'm really curious to see the film version of this particular book with Jon Hamm in the title role.
It's really nice to have new films if for no other reason that to see book reissues of a series that deserves to find new readership.
Looking for a good book? Confess, Fletch, by Gregory McDonald, might best be described as a 'modern pulp' mystery and is worthy of your reading time.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
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