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Mr. Moto #5
Last Laugh, Mr. Moto
During World War II Bob Bolles becomes involved in international intrigue and comes into conflict with the Japanese spy Mr. Moto
269 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1942
25 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
John P. Marquand
92 books59 followersPulitzer Prize for Novel in 1938 for The Late George Apley
John Phillips Marquand (November 10, 1893 – July 16, 1960) was an American writer. Originally best known for his Mr. Moto spy stories, he achieved popular success and critical respect for his satirical novels, winning a Pulitzer Prize for The Late George Apley in 1938. One of his abiding themes was the confining nature of life in America's upper class and among those who aspired to join it. Marquand treated those whose lives were bound by these unwritten codes with a characteristic mix of respect and satire.
By the mid-1930s he was a prolific and successful writer of fiction for slick magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. Some of these short stories were of an historical nature as had been Marquand's first two novels (The Unspeakable Gentleman and The Black Cargo). These would later be characterized by Marquand as “costume fiction”, of which he stated that an author “can only approximate (his characters) provided he has been steeped in the (relevant) tradition”. Marquand had abandoned “costume fiction” by the mid-1930s.
In the late-1930s, Marquand began producing a series of novels on the dilemmas of class, most centered on New England. The first of these, The Late George Apley (1937), a satire of Boston's upper class, won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1938. Other Marquand novels exploring New England and class themes include Wickford Point (1939), H.M. Pulham, Esquire (1941), and Point of No Return (1949). The last is especially notable for its satirical portrayal of Harvard anthropologist W. Lloyd Warner, whose Yankee City study attempted (and in Marquand's view, dismally failed) to describe and analyze the manners and mores of Marquand's Newburyport
John Phillips Marquand (November 10, 1893 – July 16, 1960) was an American writer. Originally best known for his Mr. Moto spy stories, he achieved popular success and critical respect for his satirical novels, winning a Pulitzer Prize for The Late George Apley in 1938. One of his abiding themes was the confining nature of life in America's upper class and among those who aspired to join it. Marquand treated those whose lives were bound by these unwritten codes with a characteristic mix of respect and satire.
By the mid-1930s he was a prolific and successful writer of fiction for slick magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. Some of these short stories were of an historical nature as had been Marquand's first two novels (The Unspeakable Gentleman and The Black Cargo). These would later be characterized by Marquand as “costume fiction”, of which he stated that an author “can only approximate (his characters) provided he has been steeped in the (relevant) tradition”. Marquand had abandoned “costume fiction” by the mid-1930s.
In the late-1930s, Marquand began producing a series of novels on the dilemmas of class, most centered on New England. The first of these, The Late George Apley (1937), a satire of Boston's upper class, won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1938. Other Marquand novels exploring New England and class themes include Wickford Point (1939), H.M. Pulham, Esquire (1941), and Point of No Return (1949). The last is especially notable for its satirical portrayal of Harvard anthropologist W. Lloyd Warner, whose Yankee City study attempted (and in Marquand's view, dismally failed) to describe and analyze the manners and mores of Marquand's Newburyport
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 1, 2013
Haven't quite finished this John Marquand novel, but I'm so impressed with it, that I felt motivated to write a quick review. It's rare that I get that "can't put it down" feeling, but Marquand is so good at creating and interesting setting and wonderful character conflicts, that I am loving this espionage novel. It does, I must warn, have some of the racism which is so common to novels of that time, however, it's relatively mild. A cracking good story, and there's something so delightful in Moto and his quiet sense of humour and intelligence. I will definitely be reading more Marquand.
March 13, 2023
I’m much more familiar with the Mr Moto films and I was curious to see what Moto would be like on the eve of war. The serial was published before Pearl Harbor, but the hardcover didn’t come out until after. Oddly, it was pretty successful. The hero here is Bob Bolles, late of US Navy, who has quit when passed over for promotion. He’s hired, supposedly, to take a man and his wife for a cruise, but instead is forced to Mercator Island where a French plane with new night bombing technology has been hidden. The Americans want it, Moto wants it, and the Kingmans, Bob’s passengers, want it; Mr. Kingman to sell to the highest bidder and Mrs Kingman (although she’s not really) for the Vichy French. Several deaths later, the technology is destroyed by Bob, although Moto doesn’t know this and lets him go. Marquand said Moto was interned for the duration of the war, but returns in the 1950s in Stopover: Tokyo. Exciting parts, dull parts, and some racist language.
September 15, 2024
John P. Marquand is an awfully good writer. Right up there with the others of this period in mystery, espionage, and suspense writing. And it was a time of Asian (Japanese) colonization concerns. Rightly so, a troubled time. The "yellow menace" and what "these tricky people" were really doing. Written just before Pearl Harbor, it was quite timely. I enjoy the entire Mr. Moto series, this is the fifth one I've read so far.
May 10, 2020
Over sixty years ago, I discovered Mr. Moto, Charlie Chan, Boston Blackie, and others on 50’s TV on those Black & White television movies. The Mr. Moto movies include eight motion pictures starring Peter Lorre as Moto between 1937 and 1939. Mr. Moto is a fictional Japanese secret agent created by the American author John P. Marquand. He appeared in six novels by Marquand published between 1935 and 1957. Later in life, I discovered the delight found in the pages of Earl Derr Bigger’s Charlie Chan novels, also six novels. Now, I am also becoming quite a fan of John P. Marquand's adventures of Mr. Moto. In some ways, there was a greater delight found in the movies of my youth; perhaps because I was younger, but also because the story lines fit into the world as it was then. Now, it reads a bit dated, but in reality so does Fleming’s James Bond printed stories.
Published in 1941, “Last Laugh, Mr. Moto” is the fifth entry in the six book Mr. Moto series, and in some ways, one of the weakest. Although it is a somewhat better than average plot, it presents quite an unexpected plot item; Mr. Moto’s motives are unclear and uncertain as to where his loyalties lie ~ is he a good or a bad guy? In the story, a washed-up ex-US Navy officer Bob Bolles hires his boat out to a married couple. In a kind of Spy vs. Spy scenario, they are not really a married couple; they are actually Vichy agents sent to retrieve special newly invented item off of an airplane. Not only is the US Navy also after the item, Mr. Moto is after it as well. As with the Charlie Chan and the Fu Manchu stories, in order to enjoy the stories, the reader will have to ignore some 1930's racial stereotypes – a product of the times. For example, Moto often speaks with broken English, perhaps even a faintly comic English, with elaborate 'Oriental'-style politeness. Enjoyable reading, although Mr. Moto’s character is a bit confusing.
Published in 1941, “Last Laugh, Mr. Moto” is the fifth entry in the six book Mr. Moto series, and in some ways, one of the weakest. Although it is a somewhat better than average plot, it presents quite an unexpected plot item; Mr. Moto’s motives are unclear and uncertain as to where his loyalties lie ~ is he a good or a bad guy? In the story, a washed-up ex-US Navy officer Bob Bolles hires his boat out to a married couple. In a kind of Spy vs. Spy scenario, they are not really a married couple; they are actually Vichy agents sent to retrieve special newly invented item off of an airplane. Not only is the US Navy also after the item, Mr. Moto is after it as well. As with the Charlie Chan and the Fu Manchu stories, in order to enjoy the stories, the reader will have to ignore some 1930's racial stereotypes – a product of the times. For example, Moto often speaks with broken English, perhaps even a faintly comic English, with elaborate 'Oriental'-style politeness. Enjoyable reading, although Mr. Moto’s character is a bit confusing.
June 21, 2022
The penultimate novel in the Mr Moto series, though one might be forgiven for thinking (given the title) that it is the last. The whole time I was reading it, I was seeing it as a movie in my head, with Bogart as Bolles and Paul Muni as Kingman. Published in 1942, it contains a line strongly reminiscent of the movie "Casablanca": "I never realised before that there are some things more important than any two people and the way they feel." Casablanca also came out in 1942; how quickly was this novel rushed to press? Then you have the female spy who actually says out loud: "Women ought to be at home, looking after men." Obviously she didn't think that, or she would have been.
I was unsurprised to discover that Mercator Island is an invention, along with the group of islands it's supposedly part of.
Who IS Moto? What is he? A double agent? He always seems to resist killing the American Hero and The Girl, which is surprising if he's simply a spy for his country.
Much better than some of the series, though it's still evident that Marquand probably never left the States. And at last the Porky Pig cartoon I saw a good 50 years ago makes sense; it was a parody of this book.
I was unsurprised to discover that Mercator Island is an invention, along with the group of islands it's supposedly part of.
Who IS Moto? What is he? A double agent? He always seems to resist killing the American Hero and The Girl, which is surprising if he's simply a spy for his country.
Much better than some of the series, though it's still evident that Marquand probably never left the States. And at last the Porky Pig cartoon I saw a good 50 years ago makes sense; it was a parody of this book.
February 21, 2018
Written right before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Last Laugh, Mr. Moto demonstrated the author's changing attitude towards the Japanese agent, Mr. Moto. In this book, Moto is almost an afterthought. In fact, but to supply a slight twist at the ending, the story might well have proceeded without him. As is, Moto, only comes on scene in detail over half way through the book. This is in strong contrast to the way Moto had been developing in the previous three books, where he was becoming more and more central to the plot. Too, Moto is no longer the far reaching thinker who outsmarts everyone. The last laugh in Last Laugh, Mr. Moto is on Mr. Moto, who is thoroughly deceived by the once drunken American sailor and French Vichy agent. But that should not be a surprise, because Moto is being outwitted at almost every turn of the book. This is no longer the mastermind of espionage we were used to earlier in the series.
This fifth Mr. Moto book was the last before the United States entered World War II--although it was not published until after the attack on Pearl Harbor. And it effectively closed down the entire series. Mr. Moto was never to be seen again during World War II or immediately thereafter. Marquand did allow him to be resurrected briefly in 1956/1957. But only in a Cold War context.
Thus ended the real career of Moto. And it didn't take place in the Far East but on an all but deserted Caribbean island. Marquand did manage to retain the feel of an exotic landscape in this story, but the overall energy is missing. The story itself lags, teeters, and collapses at the end. Not a fitting finale (if you discount the sole Mr. Moto novel written in the mid 1950s as the finale) for the Mr. Moto we came to know in the four previous books.
This fifth Mr. Moto book was the last before the United States entered World War II--although it was not published until after the attack on Pearl Harbor. And it effectively closed down the entire series. Mr. Moto was never to be seen again during World War II or immediately thereafter. Marquand did allow him to be resurrected briefly in 1956/1957. But only in a Cold War context.
Thus ended the real career of Moto. And it didn't take place in the Far East but on an all but deserted Caribbean island. Marquand did manage to retain the feel of an exotic landscape in this story, but the overall energy is missing. The story itself lags, teeters, and collapses at the end. Not a fitting finale (if you discount the sole Mr. Moto novel written in the mid 1950s as the finale) for the Mr. Moto we came to know in the four previous books.
January 1, 2018
Savvy Spies Swoon, Shoot and Scoot
I have no idea if LAST LAUGH, MR. MOTO ever made it to the silver screen, but it should have. Marquand wrote a perfect script for a tropical sleaze B movie (make that C). Every detail is perfect for a Humphrey Bogart starring role. The American drinking himself away in seedy bars gets tapped to take some suspicious characters for a long sail in his yacht. The "wife" of the charterer, who himself has a funny accent, falls in love with this dilapidated Yank immediately, for what reason I could not tell. But whoa, he turns out to be an ex-navy officer and a pilot to boot; he can throw a mean punch, and outsmart every bad guy, even thought they are professional secret agents and he's been addling his brain with booze for a few years. A wily Oriental (oh, God, he even says "so sorry" a million times) weaves his way in and out of the pages, a murder or two, a pompous British colonial cop without a clue, a local Jamaican who is called `boy' and is bug-eyed in half the scenes, and of course, a pseudo-Swedish gorilla. Caribbean hi-jinx during the early years of World War II, deserted islands, secret weapons, they know that I know that they know that I know.....it's all here, folks. All you have to do is get hold of a copy, sink back into your (hopefully worn-out) sofa and take yourself back to another America, another world, when bad guys were bad, good guys were always strong, and French ladies were soooooooo elegant. The only thing is I never figured out why Mr. Moto got the last laugh. Oh, well, you can't have everything.
This book is part of a series by Marquand, so if you like it, there's a lot more. Go for it !
I have no idea if LAST LAUGH, MR. MOTO ever made it to the silver screen, but it should have. Marquand wrote a perfect script for a tropical sleaze B movie (make that C). Every detail is perfect for a Humphrey Bogart starring role. The American drinking himself away in seedy bars gets tapped to take some suspicious characters for a long sail in his yacht. The "wife" of the charterer, who himself has a funny accent, falls in love with this dilapidated Yank immediately, for what reason I could not tell. But whoa, he turns out to be an ex-navy officer and a pilot to boot; he can throw a mean punch, and outsmart every bad guy, even thought they are professional secret agents and he's been addling his brain with booze for a few years. A wily Oriental (oh, God, he even says "so sorry" a million times) weaves his way in and out of the pages, a murder or two, a pompous British colonial cop without a clue, a local Jamaican who is called `boy' and is bug-eyed in half the scenes, and of course, a pseudo-Swedish gorilla. Caribbean hi-jinx during the early years of World War II, deserted islands, secret weapons, they know that I know that they know that I know.....it's all here, folks. All you have to do is get hold of a copy, sink back into your (hopefully worn-out) sofa and take yourself back to another America, another world, when bad guys were bad, good guys were always strong, and French ladies were soooooooo elegant. The only thing is I never figured out why Mr. Moto got the last laugh. Oh, well, you can't have everything.
This book is part of a series by Marquand, so if you like it, there's a lot more. Go for it !
July 30, 2017
Perhaps not worth the 3 stars I give it, but such a fun read. Published in 1941, before we entered WWII, i's a neat easy reading bit of a thriller. The Moto stories were converted into a few movies, and the book is about as shallow (and fun!) as they are. It is of its time, and un-P.C. (n word) so be warned. With that, the plot is still fun with twists and interesting characters. Readers don't know for sure until almost the end who Mr. Moto is working for. I compare it with others of the era, like the Ellery Queen tales. Ellery was better written and plotted. Moto is more exotic.
December 26, 2020
World War 2 spy caper set initially in Kingston Jamaica then moves to an exotic, remote island in the Caribbean. Engaging characters and scene setting yet Marquand can't quite pull off the denouement without some gaping holes and general lack of credibility with his characters actions as his caper reaches the climax. Some mid-century racism jars as does his "women should be at home looking after their men". This from a seemingly very capable and ruthless female spy. Fairly well done, until his characters reach the island then he doesn't seem to quite know what to do with them.
October 31, 2017
If you like your mystery moody and atmospheric take a journey back to the 1930's where we find a rough hewn and failed navy pilot asked to take a young and rich couple to a remote island. All is not as it seems and something important is waiting there to be discovered. At the periphery of the story is a quiet Japanese man, fading into the background but never far away. This book is fun, quite well written by today's standards and I will be back to find Mr. Moto again.
June 6, 2018
Not surprisingly, the novel is quite racist (particularly in the retreatment of the black cabin boy), but it is historically interesting. It was written just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. So Mr. Moto, a Japanese intelligence agent, is treated as slightly preferable to the Nazi intelligence agent. Japanese vs. Germans vs. French, with a hapless but honest American stuck in their midst. Odd, but entertaining.
January 22, 2022
I didn't like this one as much as the other is because you can tell we are Marching closer and closer to a World War so why would you want to have someone Japanese be a hero? I do suspect but he was pushing hard to get something published before the war broke out. It is not as good as some of the other ones. But I'm glad I completed the series.
June 29, 2023
“What is so rare as a day in June? Then if ever come perfect days.”
Fun that this quote is in here, as I am reading this in said month!
It’s my first Mr. Moto book and if his name hadn’t been in the title, I wouldn’t have even noticed his few brief appearances early in the story!
From his reappearance to finding the plane the story bogs down. Way down. Lots and lots of talking. Pretty much from the point that everyone reaches the island, the story just falls flat. I'm not sure if I'll try another book in this series.
Fun that this quote is in here, as I am reading this in said month!
It’s my first Mr. Moto book and if his name hadn’t been in the title, I wouldn’t have even noticed his few brief appearances early in the story!
From his reappearance to finding the plane the story bogs down. Way down. Lots and lots of talking. Pretty much from the point that everyone reaches the island, the story just falls flat. I'm not sure if I'll try another book in this series.
September 20, 2020
Good story.
April 17, 2025
A short light spy adventure about a simple but brave man among some dangerous people on Caribbean islands.
April 25, 2025
Competing intelligence services seek a missing aircraft in the Caribbean during the leadup to WWII.
December 21, 2023
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Last Laugh is the fifth of six Mr. Moto books by author John P. Marquand. He created the Japanese detective in 1935, and Last Laugh was published in 1942. As popular as Charlie Chan - indeed one of the most popular fictions ever to be serialized in American magazines - several hits movies were made starring Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto, the quiet detective often disguised, watching from the background. Seemingly a harmless eccentric, he is underestimated by almost everyone until they gradually realize his formidable character. His way is not to burst in guns blazing, he waits until the whole story unfolds before firmly setting everyone straight and revealing the culprit.
Last Laugh had a rather unexpected tone, where it is unclear whose motives, including Moto's are for good.
Robert Bolles is a sailor running the Thistlewood out of Kingston Harbour, Jamaica. He is approached by a rich socialite couple from New York to rent a boat out to deserted Mercator Island. Although they say they are married, the wife is distinctly nervous as well as openly attracted to Bolles. Mr. Moto watches from his Japanese curio shop as they prepare for the journey. Along the way, Bob pieces together the local gossip, and information from his old friends in the navy that a plane has crashed on an island nearby which contains a test instrument, a new type of radar. It seems the French, the Japanese, the English, the Americans and assorted mercenaries are all after the prize, and Bolles must sort out who among his passengers is telling the truth. Once on the island it becomes clear that, although they are working together for the moment, there is will be only one victor and several dead bodies. Enter Mr. Moto, who has tracked them to the island along with the British police, with his own reasons for finding the mysterious instrument. It is a deadly serious business.
Last Laugh, Mr. Moto was much more complex than I had expected. A little less 'fun' as well. Like Charlie Chan, if you have only seen the movie versions with their airy quality, you will be surprised at the cutthroat tone of the novels. They mean business and when violence erupts it's with the calm inevitability of people just doing what the job requires. It's cold and calculating with only one winner. Along with mounting tension there is a dread over the passengers, as Bob realizes he is no longer useful and becoming a loose end. How he manages to work the situation, and how Mr. Moto fits in, makes for an interesting and intense read.
Recommended, especially for fans of spy fiction like Ian Fleming.
Last Laugh is the fifth of six Mr. Moto books by author John P. Marquand. He created the Japanese detective in 1935, and Last Laugh was published in 1942. As popular as Charlie Chan - indeed one of the most popular fictions ever to be serialized in American magazines - several hits movies were made starring Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto, the quiet detective often disguised, watching from the background. Seemingly a harmless eccentric, he is underestimated by almost everyone until they gradually realize his formidable character. His way is not to burst in guns blazing, he waits until the whole story unfolds before firmly setting everyone straight and revealing the culprit.
Last Laugh had a rather unexpected tone, where it is unclear whose motives, including Moto's are for good.
Robert Bolles is a sailor running the Thistlewood out of Kingston Harbour, Jamaica. He is approached by a rich socialite couple from New York to rent a boat out to deserted Mercator Island. Although they say they are married, the wife is distinctly nervous as well as openly attracted to Bolles. Mr. Moto watches from his Japanese curio shop as they prepare for the journey. Along the way, Bob pieces together the local gossip, and information from his old friends in the navy that a plane has crashed on an island nearby which contains a test instrument, a new type of radar. It seems the French, the Japanese, the English, the Americans and assorted mercenaries are all after the prize, and Bolles must sort out who among his passengers is telling the truth. Once on the island it becomes clear that, although they are working together for the moment, there is will be only one victor and several dead bodies. Enter Mr. Moto, who has tracked them to the island along with the British police, with his own reasons for finding the mysterious instrument. It is a deadly serious business.
Last Laugh, Mr. Moto was much more complex than I had expected. A little less 'fun' as well. Like Charlie Chan, if you have only seen the movie versions with their airy quality, you will be surprised at the cutthroat tone of the novels. They mean business and when violence erupts it's with the calm inevitability of people just doing what the job requires. It's cold and calculating with only one winner. Along with mounting tension there is a dread over the passengers, as Bob realizes he is no longer useful and becoming a loose end. How he manages to work the situation, and how Mr. Moto fits in, makes for an interesting and intense read.
Recommended, especially for fans of spy fiction like Ian Fleming.
March 15, 2016
This is the 5th book in the Mr. Moto series, and the one I have liked the least so far (one to go). It's not a bad story and moves along pretty well and keeps one's interest. But, something just feels "off". I'm not sure how else to say it. It seemed a bit stiff and awkward. In part, some of the characterizations are meant to be awkward, but the intended awkwardness doesn't ring true, so to speak.
The story takes place around 1940. Before the bombing of Pearl Harbor for sure. Bob Bolle, quit the Navy because he was passed over for promotion, in part because he had a bit of a difficult personality from the perspective of some folks. He buys a schooner, modifies it so it can be sailed by only two people—he and his "boy", Tom—and has pretty much turned into a drunken bum cruising the Caribbean. He is about to be tossed out of Kingston, Jamaica, when a bartender gets the idea of hooking him up with a "couple" who just want to sail around to lonely places, Mr. and Mrs Kingman. So he agrees to go off with them, along with Tom, and the Kingman's "Swedish vallet", Oscar. Before he goes off, he runs into Mr. Moto, who is pretending to be the proprietor of a clothing store. Then, while shopping for travel clothes, Mrs. Kingman has a run-in with some "boys" in the store and Mr. Moto appears to calm things down. Then, it's off to sea in Bolle's schooner.
The Kingman's are an odd couple. They claim to be from New York. At times Mrs. K. appears to be afraid of Mr. K. At times Mrs. K. comes on to Bolle. Mr. K. tries mightily to speak with idiomatic American expressions, but there is always a hesitancy in his speech, and an occasional slip. Well, anyway, the Kingman's induce Bob Bolle to sail to an abandoned island, Mercator Island, where they think a French plane has been secreted, a plane with some magical new invention that might change the course of the war. Needless to say, Mr. Moto shows up on the island, Bob is in danger for his life, Mrs. K. continues to hit on him occasionally and so forth.
As I said, it's decent enough escapist literature, but feels slightly artificial. I'll be interested to see if the 6th Mr. Moto book returns to the quality of the first four, or if Marquand had shot his wad, so to speak, after finishing the 4th in the series.
The story takes place around 1940. Before the bombing of Pearl Harbor for sure. Bob Bolle, quit the Navy because he was passed over for promotion, in part because he had a bit of a difficult personality from the perspective of some folks. He buys a schooner, modifies it so it can be sailed by only two people—he and his "boy", Tom—and has pretty much turned into a drunken bum cruising the Caribbean. He is about to be tossed out of Kingston, Jamaica, when a bartender gets the idea of hooking him up with a "couple" who just want to sail around to lonely places, Mr. and Mrs Kingman. So he agrees to go off with them, along with Tom, and the Kingman's "Swedish vallet", Oscar. Before he goes off, he runs into Mr. Moto, who is pretending to be the proprietor of a clothing store. Then, while shopping for travel clothes, Mrs. Kingman has a run-in with some "boys" in the store and Mr. Moto appears to calm things down. Then, it's off to sea in Bolle's schooner.
The Kingman's are an odd couple. They claim to be from New York. At times Mrs. K. appears to be afraid of Mr. K. At times Mrs. K. comes on to Bolle. Mr. K. tries mightily to speak with idiomatic American expressions, but there is always a hesitancy in his speech, and an occasional slip. Well, anyway, the Kingman's induce Bob Bolle to sail to an abandoned island, Mercator Island, where they think a French plane has been secreted, a plane with some magical new invention that might change the course of the war. Needless to say, Mr. Moto shows up on the island, Bob is in danger for his life, Mrs. K. continues to hit on him occasionally and so forth.
As I said, it's decent enough escapist literature, but feels slightly artificial. I'll be interested to see if the 6th Mr. Moto book returns to the quality of the first four, or if Marquand had shot his wad, so to speak, after finishing the 4th in the series.
January 26, 2016
I always have so much fun reading the Mr. Moto books. John P. Marquand’s series never fails to provide a brisk thrill-ride filled with hair’s-breath escapes, crisp dialogue, characters who are refreshingly free of the stereotypical boundaries, vivid narrative details, and a background that doesn’t ignore what is happening in the real world. I love this series.
As fate would have it, the book first appeared serialized in Collier’s magazine in 1941. Although it was still prior to Pearl Harbor, the Japanese were not in favor with much of the world’s reading public. Consequently, the magazine series was titled, “Mercator Island.” The book was released in 1942. Mr. Moto plays an ancillary role in the story, but it was apparent that his popularity had plummeted. The writer put him on hiatus … which he called “internment” … until his return in the 1950’s. This was quite understandable, but a shame, nonetheless. There was a consistently higher quality found in the Mr. Moto novels than in similar thrillers of the period.
The locale for this tale moves from Jamaica to an island nearby that once housed a sugar plantation before the slave worker uprising. Although usually abandoned, the island becomes a gathering place for intelligence operatives in search of a lost strategic device that could alter the course of the war. As in previous Mr. Moto books, the hero is a disillusioned man whose escape from responsibility is put to the test. We also meet the femme fatale whose allegiance is subject to question. And, of course, there is the return of Mr. Moto whose bruised ego is uncharacteristically in evidence, and who takes a moment to lament the strained relationship between his country and America.
It would be more than 10-years before Mr. Moto returned for one last tale in the Marquand series. Thankfully, I don’t need to wait that long to enjoy it!
As fate would have it, the book first appeared serialized in Collier’s magazine in 1941. Although it was still prior to Pearl Harbor, the Japanese were not in favor with much of the world’s reading public. Consequently, the magazine series was titled, “Mercator Island.” The book was released in 1942. Mr. Moto plays an ancillary role in the story, but it was apparent that his popularity had plummeted. The writer put him on hiatus … which he called “internment” … until his return in the 1950’s. This was quite understandable, but a shame, nonetheless. There was a consistently higher quality found in the Mr. Moto novels than in similar thrillers of the period.
The locale for this tale moves from Jamaica to an island nearby that once housed a sugar plantation before the slave worker uprising. Although usually abandoned, the island becomes a gathering place for intelligence operatives in search of a lost strategic device that could alter the course of the war. As in previous Mr. Moto books, the hero is a disillusioned man whose escape from responsibility is put to the test. We also meet the femme fatale whose allegiance is subject to question. And, of course, there is the return of Mr. Moto whose bruised ego is uncharacteristically in evidence, and who takes a moment to lament the strained relationship between his country and America.
It would be more than 10-years before Mr. Moto returned for one last tale in the Marquand series. Thankfully, I don’t need to wait that long to enjoy it!
September 2, 2017
Last Laugh, Mr. Moto is the fourth book in John P. Marquand's Mr. Moto spy / war series that I've enjoyed. This adventure finds Mr. Moto, some other spies an American, Bob Bolles in the Caribbean, searching for a US fighter with new technology on it. Bob, an ex-US Navy officer who had quit the Navy after being passed over for promotion, sails the Caribbean with Tom, a faithful hand, always out of money and sort of shiftless.
Bob has spent time in Jamaica and is asked to leave by the Jamaican police. He is hired by Mr. and Mrs. Kingman to sail them to the Winderly Isles, specifically Mercator, purportedly to just get away from things. Accompanying them is their assistant, Oscar, another suspicious character. Mr. Moto plays a minor role at this point, managing a clothing shop in Kingston.
Bob gets more suspicious when his old Navy boss asks him to help them search for the missing aircraft, but due to his anger at the promotion board, he refuses. The adventure moves along nicely with suspicions growing about the Kingmans and their motives.
Very much of the story is left unstated and for you to figure out. Mr. Moto makes another more important appearance as the tension builds. He is a very pragmatic spy, at one moment working with Kingman, then not. Who are the Kingmans? Who is Mrs. Kingman? What are they looking for from the plane? Can Bob interfere? Will Mr. Moto succeed in his mission? All excellent questions and they are played out nicely as the story progresses? An entertaining read as always and a good adventure. (3.5 stars)
Bob has spent time in Jamaica and is asked to leave by the Jamaican police. He is hired by Mr. and Mrs. Kingman to sail them to the Winderly Isles, specifically Mercator, purportedly to just get away from things. Accompanying them is their assistant, Oscar, another suspicious character. Mr. Moto plays a minor role at this point, managing a clothing shop in Kingston.
Bob gets more suspicious when his old Navy boss asks him to help them search for the missing aircraft, but due to his anger at the promotion board, he refuses. The adventure moves along nicely with suspicions growing about the Kingmans and their motives.
Very much of the story is left unstated and for you to figure out. Mr. Moto makes another more important appearance as the tension builds. He is a very pragmatic spy, at one moment working with Kingman, then not. Who are the Kingmans? Who is Mrs. Kingman? What are they looking for from the plane? Can Bob interfere? Will Mr. Moto succeed in his mission? All excellent questions and they are played out nicely as the story progresses? An entertaining read as always and a good adventure. (3.5 stars)
March 6, 2014
walk and work
Read by Jonathan Marosz
blurb - Disillusioned ex-Navy pilot Bob Bolles' carefree, alcohol soaked days of drifting from port to port in the Caribbean come to an abrupt halt when he takes on paying passengers on his sailboat. The rich American tourist and his beautiful wife may not be who they seem to be, and their "Swedish" servant seems more like a rough and ready sailor than a butler. Why are they headed for the uninteresting and remote Mercator Island? Mr. Moto steps in when the action gets going, but will he come out of it with what he wants?
I was so very happy to get to the end of this so very yawny Mr Moto story. So very, very pleased to hear the word 'conclusion'.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2014
Wasting away in Kingston, Bob Bolles is a washed up naval officer who lives on a cutter, and is asked to charter a married couple to one of the Windward Islands. Only they are not a married couple, they are Vichy agents sent to retrieve something off of an airplane that has been abandoned on the island. Of course Mr. Moto is after it as well.
The married couple are not really a couple, and the man wants to kill Bolles, and then sell the secret piece of equipment on the open market. The woman has fallen in love with Bolles and conspires with Moto to kill the turncoat agent she is working with.
Meanwhile Bolles destroys what they are all looking for, though Mr. Moto does not know it. He lets Bolles and the woman go, thinking he can go back and get the piece of equipment.
The married couple are not really a couple, and the man wants to kill Bolles, and then sell the secret piece of equipment on the open market. The woman has fallen in love with Bolles and conspires with Moto to kill the turncoat agent she is working with.
Meanwhile Bolles destroys what they are all looking for, though Mr. Moto does not know it. He lets Bolles and the woman go, thinking he can go back and get the piece of equipment.
November 9, 2022
I have read several books in this series and am intrigued and entertained by the enigmatic Mr. Moto. This book was no exception.
He is a major character, but not the principal in this novel and I found myself filled with trepidation as the suspense built throughout the book. These stories are distinctly “ period pieces” in plot and style, but are really fun for me as a fan of Golden Age mysteries.
He is a major character, but not the principal in this novel and I found myself filled with trepidation as the suspense built throughout the book. These stories are distinctly “ period pieces” in plot and style, but are really fun for me as a fan of Golden Age mysteries.
May 4, 2020
I thought this would be like the old movies but Mr.Moto in this book written in 1941- just before Pearl Harbour, is very different from what I remember of the movies. Mr. Moto does not even seem like the main character although he does eventually control the outcome of the story. Fun to read a story written right before WWII for US.
Want to read
October 19, 200710/18 -- library used book shelf sale
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