The Big Kiss-Off of 1944

Jack LeVine is a detective in wartime New York, who gets sucked into a dangerous case that revolves around blackmail and stag films--at least at first. The plot gets a lot more involved than that, and the next thing he knows LeVine is in a room full of military brass, then gets to meet Republican Presidential nominee Thomas Dewey. If all this sounds a bit far-fetched, it is, but Bergman pulls it off. There is a point about midway through when it isn't clear that he is going to succeed, but then (as Mac Davis would have said) it gets weird. Bergman does a good job of portraying the feel of wartime New York, although it isn't ever explained why his 38 year old hero isn't in the Army somewhere. He also does a nice job of breaking show more stereotypes. The people who help and hinder Jack in his determined quest for the truth (even while being shot at) don't play to type, and this is a real strength. One unlikely ally, a very rich banker, is especially amusing. LeVine himself is Jewish, and a couple of characters remark on the fact, but other than that it doesn't play a role in the novel.

And "amusing" is a key word here. Despite one cover blurb from Jack Higgins (who must have been drunk or high or just never read the book at all) that this book "is the nearest thing to genuine Chandler I've ever come across", Bergman's book bears very little resemblance to Chandler (or Hammett for that matter). Unlike Philip Marlowe, Jack Levine can't go two sentences without a wisecrack or a one-liner. And while Bergman is a good writer, he never gives us the incredible sentences and paragraphs that spring out of Chandler's work. In fact, Bergman is better known as a screenwriter, although I didn't know it until I looked it up on the Internet. (He wrote the original story Blazing Saddles was based on and collaborated on the screenplay with Mel Brooks. He also wrote the original In-Laws, one of the all-time great movies.) The pithy dialogue in this novel would fit very well into a screenplay. And the book, while not exactly R rated, is certainly a bit more explicit in its language than Chandler.

But Bergman really doesn't need to be compared to someone else for you to have an excuse to read him. I'm not sure if the other two books in the series are as enjoyable, but this one, especially the opening part and the last one-third or so, will have you turning pages as fast as you can. Very well done. show less

Great book written in Raymond Chandler style. Lots of 1940s history also included in the story. Witty snappy dialogue and a coherent plot. 1st book in a 3 book series. This is the third time I've read this book and have enjoyed it each time.

I had read this book years ago and was cleaning out my collection when I thought I would give it another read. I remembered enjoying it the first time around and I certainly enjoyed it on this second read.

While some of the quotes refer to this as a parody, I found it to be hard-boiled detective fiction, albeit, with a great sense of humor

An interesting side note, at least to me, Harry's office view point from his window is echoed in Parker's Spenser books.

Loved it! Bergman's character, Jack LeVine, reminds me of Richard Prather's character, Shell Scott. I'm already reading another Bergman mystery, Hollywood and LeVine.