Reviewing Ross Thomas – thrillers that stand the test of time

Reviewing Ross Thomas, including The Fools in Town Are on Our Side

Ross Thomas (1926-95) wrote twenty-five novels between 1966 and 1994, five of them under the pseudonym Oliver Bleeck. Thus, he turned to writing fiction only at the age of forty after a career in journalism, public relations, and politics both in the United States and overseas. He reportedly wrote his debut novel, The Cold War Swap, in just six weeks. The book won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1967, launching his three-decade career as a novelist. I’m grateful for all the man’s work, because reviewing Ross Thomas is a genuine pleasure.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

That first novel, like some of his later work, involves American spies. There are those who suspect that Thomas himself had had a relationship with a certain three-letter US intelligence agency.

Thomas’ writing is distinguished by clever, fast-moving dialogue; complex plotting that never fails to surprise; and a generous helping of sardonic humor. In 2002 he was honored with the inaugural Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mystery Writers of America, one of only two authors to earn the award posthumously.

I’ve read and reviewed only the sixteen novels he wrote under his own name that are available for the Kindle. (A six-book set that includes paperback editions of five of the others is going for $279 on Amazon as I write. Even if I wanted to revert to reading books on paper, which I don’t, I wouldn’t go that far.)

The sixteen books I’ve reviewed are listed below in chronological order. Following the year of publication of each book is the title of my review, linked to that post.