Fletch
by Gregory Mcdonald
Fletch Mysteries: Publication order (Book 1), Fletch Mysteries: Chronological Order (Book 4)
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Description
Fletch, investigative reporter extraordinaire, can't be bothered with deadlines or expense-account budgets when it comes to getting his story. Working undercover at the beach to dig up a drug-trafficking scheme for his next blockbuster piece, Fletch is invited into a much deeper narrative. Alan Stanwyk, CEO of Collins Aviation and all-around family man, mistakes the reporter for a strung-out vagabond and asks him for a favor: kill him and escape to Brazil with $50,000. Intrigued, Fletch show more can't help but dig into this suspicious deal he's being offered. Dodging the shady beach police as his case begins to break open, and with his temperamental editor Clara pushing for his article, he soon discovers that Stanwyk has a lot to hide and this plan is anything but what it seems. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
1 / 5
(2.5/5 for plot, 0/5 for the MC)
The novel Fletch is like the illegitimate child of your vaguely creepy, misogynistic uncle and a 1950s standup comedy routine that wasn't considered all that funny then, and is now considered grossly unfunny. Fletch is a "man's man" in the 1950s sense. Meaning, he's snarky without being funny, but is effortlessly attractive to woman despite having zero actually attractive qualities. He brazenly breaks the law and moral codes with impunity. Oh, and if this isn't enough, he's also a disgusting sexual predator.
I saw the Fletch movie, with Chevy Chase, some time back and remembered enjoying it. So I figured I'd give the book a read. Chevy Chase and the screenwriters chose the best parts of the novel show more and filed off and discarded all the repulsive bits.
My advice? Save yourself some time. Skip the forgettable novel and watch the old school movie that, through Chevy Chase's talents and some decent screenwriting, is a worthwhile, funny, light comedy with a memorable score. show less
(2.5/5 for plot, 0/5 for the MC)
The novel Fletch is like the illegitimate child of your vaguely creepy, misogynistic uncle and a 1950s standup comedy routine that wasn't considered all that funny then, and is now considered grossly unfunny. Fletch is a "man's man" in the 1950s sense. Meaning, he's snarky without being funny, but is effortlessly attractive to woman despite having zero actually attractive qualities. He brazenly breaks the law and moral codes with impunity. Oh, and if this isn't enough, he's also a disgusting sexual predator.
I saw the Fletch movie, with Chevy Chase, some time back and remembered enjoying it. So I figured I'd give the book a read. Chevy Chase and the screenwriters chose the best parts of the novel show more and filed off and discarded all the repulsive bits.
My advice? Save yourself some time. Skip the forgettable novel and watch the old school movie that, through Chevy Chase's talents and some decent screenwriting, is a worthwhile, funny, light comedy with a memorable score. show less
The case was very good and the dialogue very entertaining. Quite an entertaining listen.
There is something about journalistic investigations that makes them better than the average detective fiction. Maybe it's because they don't rely on analyzing footprints and soils samples. Or maybe because there has to be a story behind it, not just a whodunnit.
It's that kind of a situation here as well: main character is a journalist who stumbles upon a strange case - a rich guy asking to be murdered by him. As you would expect, this kind of investigation relies mostly on the human aspects - who is the guy, who are the people around him and what's going on. Most of the story is a game of finding the contradictions and spotting the lies. It's very show more satisfying having all the pieces of the puzzle in front of you, trying to see how they might fit together.
The dialogue is quippy and flows well. While not very realistic, it is entertaining to read. It reminded me of something Tarantino might write.
All in all a good experience. I will continue with the others in the series and look for the movies as well. show less
There is something about journalistic investigations that makes them better than the average detective fiction. Maybe it's because they don't rely on analyzing footprints and soils samples. Or maybe because there has to be a story behind it, not just a whodunnit.
It's that kind of a situation here as well: main character is a journalist who stumbles upon a strange case - a rich guy asking to be murdered by him. As you would expect, this kind of investigation relies mostly on the human aspects - who is the guy, who are the people around him and what's going on. Most of the story is a game of finding the contradictions and spotting the lies. It's very show more satisfying having all the pieces of the puzzle in front of you, trying to see how they might fit together.
The dialogue is quippy and flows well. While not very realistic, it is entertaining to read. It reminded me of something Tarantino might write.
All in all a good experience. I will continue with the others in the series and look for the movies as well. show less
A guy hanging on the beach is approached by another guy who wants the first guy to kill him. The first guy agrees, but the first guy isn't the wasted junkie the second guy thinks he is. The first guy is an asshole. A complete and utter asshole. He's also a journalist named Fletch investigating drugs on the beach and plagued by editors and lawyers and ex-wives, but the puzzle of the guy hiring his own murderer is a puzzle he can't resist and he sets out to discover what the hell is going on.
It's funny and it's clever and it's even angry and serious at the heart of it. I'm not sure I've anything else to say about this. Nope. That's it.
It's funny and it's clever and it's even angry and serious at the heart of it. I'm not sure I've anything else to say about this. Nope. That's it.
So I saw this book in the library and decided to reread it. I haven’t read it in over 30 years but it was one of the books that hooked me on mysteries as a young man.
Let me start by saying that the writing is still top notch. I found myself laughing frequently. I can see why the young me liked this book. It feels a little dated and Fletch is a bigger asshole than I remember but it was a fun trip down memory lane.
I originally rated this book a 5 based on memory when I added it to Goodreads. It was an important book from my childhood. If I was rating it now it would be about 3.5 to 4.
Let me start by saying that the writing is still top notch. I found myself laughing frequently. I can see why the young me liked this book. It feels a little dated and Fletch is a bigger asshole than I remember but it was a fun trip down memory lane.
I originally rated this book a 5 based on memory when I added it to Goodreads. It was an important book from my childhood. If I was rating it now it would be about 3.5 to 4.
The snide noir rejoinders were the only part that I enjoyed. The plot itself is okay, but none of the twists are that surprising, and a few are too obvious. Almost all the clues are gained by conversations with characters who are way too willing to share the needed details. Fletch himself is an abusive creeper. Not gonna bother with the rest of the series.
Quick read, the majority of which is dialog. One can't help but add Chevy Chase's voice when reading - one of his few roles that can be described as superb. Even if you've seen the movie and ruined the mystery of who is distributing the drugs, Fletch's snarkiness, some details cut from the movie, and a very large deviation keep the story fresh.
Only one real major issue: There is a lot of retread. Fletch will sum up the entire affair in his tape recorder. Some of which are snarky comments, but mostly just a recap for those with short-term memory issues.
Minor issue: Since this book is mostly dialog, Fletch may very well switch locations or conversations without notice.
Only one real major issue: There is a lot of retread. Fletch will sum up the entire affair in his tape recorder. Some of which are snarky comments, but mostly just a recap for those with short-term memory issues.
Minor issue: Since this book is mostly dialog, Fletch may very well switch locations or conversations without notice.
Fletch was a great mystery. A cocky clever investigative reporter following two mysteries. It's very dialogue driven, and shows how much character and plot can be revealed just in conversation.
The whole thing had me guessing. I had to read it to the end.
I can see why boom fans don't like the movies. It's much more interesting than Chevy chase goofing around.
The whole thing had me guessing. I had to read it to the end.
I can see why boom fans don't like the movies. It's much more interesting than Chevy chase goofing around.
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Author Information
45+ Works 7,378 Members
Gregory Mcdonald was educated at Harvard University and, at the same time, started up an international yacht trouble-shooting business to help pay his way through college. In 1964, Mcdonald was hired at the Boston Globe. In his seven years with them, he worked as a writer for the Sunday Magazine, a critic, the Arts and Humanities Editor, a show more critic-at-large columnist and a member of the Editorial Board. He was hired by publisher Davis Taylor to make the Globe more competitive. With Mcdonald, the readership soared but advertisers pulled out, in part because he wrote openly against the Vietnam War, one of the first journalists ever to do so, and for arguing for Civil, Women's and Gay Rights. It was said that a group of fellow employees beat him up in the Globe parking lot for the stance he took in a controversial time period. Mcdonald has written many mysteries including the Fletch, Flynn, Son of Fletch and Skylar series. Some of the titles included in those series are Exits and Entrances, A World Too Wide, and Safekeeping. His novel The Brave was elected Trophees 813 Best Foreign Novel 1997 in France. Mcdonald has twice been the winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, a recipient of humanitarian and peoples rights awards and is the past president of the Mystery Writers of America. He was suffering from cancer when he died on September 7, 2008 at the age of 71. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Awards
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Fletch
- Original publication date
- 1974
- People/Characters
- Irwin Maurice Fletcher; Alan Stanwyk; John Collins; Joan Collins Stanwyk; Fat Sam; Clara Snow (show all 8); Gummy; Frank Jaffe
- Important places
- Nonheagan, Pennsylvania, USA
- Related movies
- Fletch (1985 | IMDb)
- Dedication
- To Susie, Judy and Lew Clapp
- First words
- "What's your name?"
- Quotations
- "What's your name?"
"Fletch."
"What's your full name?"
"Irwin. Irwin Fletcher. People call me Fletch."
"Irwin Fletcher, I have a proposition to make to you. I will give you a thousand dollars for just listening to... (show all) it. If you decide to reject the proposition, you take the thousand dollars, go away, and never tell anyone we talked. Fair enough?"
"Is it criminal? I mean, what you want me to do?"
"Of course."
"Fair enough. For a thousand bucks I can listen. What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to murder me."...
Fletch said, "Sure." - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"We'd better start sometime. We're only going as far as Rio."
- Original language
- English
Classifications
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- 20,645
- Reviews
- 27
- Rating
- (3.75)
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- 9 — Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 40
- ASINs
- 16