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mcf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I wasted too much of my life not reading Ross Thomas novels. I’ve been going through them the last two years and he’s become one of my all-time favorite writers. The “Elmore Leonard of politics” label is quite apt and The Fourth Durango, a tale packed with great characters and a fun premise, is one of the reasons why.
The book itself is part mystery, part thinking person’s “thriller” and part excuse to get a bunch of people in a small town, raise the stakes, and have ’em bullcrap and/or screw each other, which is what Thomas is so good at. This was written near his life, yet he still had what made him great. The dialogue is snappy without being cliche. The plot is layered without being too complex. The resolution is predictable yet fun. Everyone just wants to drink, have sex and a good time. What’s wrong with that?
And most importantly, these books don’t overstay their welcome. You don’t walk away thinking heavy thoughts or grappling with difficult fictional circumstances that the characters dealt with. In other words, it’s escapism but it’s quality escapism.
As I often do in reviews of Thomas novels, I will once again lament why no one writes smart political thrillers like this anymore. Is it really that hard? You don’t need to be partisan or didactic. You just need to be clever and witty. It’s probably gauche to do so in the age of Trump but in different circumstances, politics can be an entertaining subject if you keep it relatively low stakes.
The book itself is part mystery, part thinking person’s “thriller” and part excuse to get a bunch of people in a small town, raise the stakes, and have ’em bullcrap and/or screw each other, which is what Thomas is so good at. This was written near his life, yet he still had what made him great. The dialogue is snappy without being cliche. The plot is layered without being too complex. The resolution is predictable yet fun. Everyone just wants to drink, have sex and a good time. What’s wrong with that?
And most importantly, these books don’t overstay their welcome. You don’t walk away thinking heavy thoughts or grappling with difficult fictional circumstances that the characters dealt with. In other words, it’s escapism but it’s quality escapism.
As I often do in reviews of Thomas novels, I will once again lament why no one writes smart political thrillers like this anymore. Is it really that hard? You don’t need to be partisan or didactic. You just need to be clever and witty. It’s probably gauche to do so in the age of Trump but in different circumstances, politics can be an entertaining subject if you keep it relatively low stakes.
heyhawk's review against another edition
4.0
My first Ross Thomas novel. I picked it up because someone in my book group recommended it as in the same realm as Elmore Leonard. It's a similar style story, though it was more about political corruption than just crime, and as a result seems a little sleazier. The writing isn't as pared down as Leonard's, but Thomas has the same tendency to end a scene on a strong line from one of the characters. The humor is similar. If you like Leonard, I'd recommend trying Thomas out. I'll certainly be reading more of his work.
bdplume's review against another edition
4.0
While not quite as funny as the books featuring Wu and Durant (two of the most amusing and wily characters I know) this novel kept me turning pages. Every little aside is important to the plot that's eventually revealed, and yet I didn't feel lost when the final twists were introduced. As usual, Thomas allows readers to enjoy his work in a variety of ways...a close reading is excelletn but it seems it would work as light reading as well.
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