Scan barcode
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
After a close call with an angry man he swindled, photographer and con man Walter Harsh is approached by people in the employ of the ruler of an unnamed South American country. It seems Walter bears an uncanny resemblance to El Presidente, which fits nicely into their schemes to get access to the sixty-five million dollars El Presidente is known to possess...
I'll be real honest with you. Lester Dent's writing in the Doc Savage tales never really floated my boat. Maybe it's because he was writing for a penny per word. That being said, I liked Honey in his Mouth a lot. The writing was lightyears ahead of what Dent did in the early Doc Savages.
The plot moved along at a fast pace. Walter's a scumbag but still likeable. The people plotting against El Presidente are a diverse crew, including El Presidente's psychotic castrado brother, Brother. The subplot involving Harsh trying to break into a safe at Brother's estate keeps the story moving while everyone's trying to determine El Presidente's whereabouts. The ending surprised me and pretty much everyone got what they had coming to them.
In short, Lester Dent proved me wrong. This is a worthy addition to any Hard Case Crime fan's collection.
I'll be real honest with you. Lester Dent's writing in the Doc Savage tales never really floated my boat. Maybe it's because he was writing for a penny per word. That being said, I liked Honey in his Mouth a lot. The writing was lightyears ahead of what Dent did in the early Doc Savages.
The plot moved along at a fast pace. Walter's a scumbag but still likeable. The people plotting against El Presidente are a diverse crew, including El Presidente's psychotic castrado brother, Brother. The subplot involving Harsh trying to break into a safe at Brother's estate keeps the story moving while everyone's trying to determine El Presidente's whereabouts. The ending surprised me and pretty much everyone got what they had coming to them.
In short, Lester Dent proved me wrong. This is a worthy addition to any Hard Case Crime fan's collection.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Kinda surprised by the low ratings. This is standard HCC fare so if you're expecting slime balls, hot women and morally compromising situations, you'll get what you pay for. This is on the better half of books I've read in the genre due to it's dialogue and unique situation. Nothing spectacular but a fun read if you know what you're getting.
ramsfan1963's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Walter Harsh is hired to impersonate the dictator of a South American country, to help steal 65 million dollars he has embezzled from his countrymen. This is darkly humorous, with Harsh way over his head, but always scheming his way toward the money. In the end, he gets his just rewards.
More...