Ross Thomas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ross Thomas (born February 19, 1926, in Oklahoma City – December 18, 1995, in Santa Monica, California) was an American writer of crime fiction. He is best known for his witty thrillers that expose the mechanisms of professional politics. A series of novels was published under the pseudonym Oliver Bleeck.
Thomas served in the Philippines during World War II. He worked as a public relations specialist, reporter, union spokesman, and political strategist in the USA, Bonn (Germany), and Nigeria before becoming a writer. His debut novel, The Cold War Swap, won a 1967 Edgar Award, for Best First Novel, and Briarpatch earned the 1985 Edgar for Best Novel.
Contents |
[edit] Novels
- The Cold War Swap (1966)
- Cast a Yellow Shadow (1967)
- The Seersucker Whipsaw (1967)
- Singapore Wink (1969)
- The Fools in Town are on Our Side (1970)
- The Backup Men (1971)
- The Porkchoppers (1972)
- If You Can't Be Good (1973)
- The Money Harvest (1975)
- Yellow Dog Contract (1976)
- Chinaman's Chance (1978)
- The Eighth Dwarf (1979)
- The Mordida Man (1981)
- Missionary Stew (1983)
- Briarpatch (1984)
- Out On The Rim (1987)
- The Fourth Durango (1989)
- Twilight at Mac's Place (1990)
- Voodoo, Ltd (1992)
- Ah, Treachery! (1994)
[edit] As Oliver Bleeck
Novels about professional go-between Philip St. Ives.
- The Brass Go-Between (1969)
- Protocol for a Kidnapping (1971)
- The Procane Chronicle (1971)
- The Highbinders (1973)
- No Questions Asked (1976)
The Procane Chronicle was the basis for the 1976 Charles Bronson movie St. Ives.
[edit] Recurring characters
Aside from Philip St. Ives, the following characters appear in more than one novel:
- Mac McCorkle, pub owner in Bonn and Washington, DC, and his friend Michael Padillo, spy, are in The Cold War Swap, Cast a Yellow Shadow, The Backup Men, and Twilight at Mac's Place.
- Artie Wu and Quincy Durant, adventurers, and their associate Otherguy Overby are in Chinaman's Chance, Out on the Rim, Voodoo, Ltd. Booth Stallings, expert on terrorism, and Georgia Blue, cashiered Secret Service agent, join them in the latter two.
