Friday's Forgotten Books: Ross Thomas' "Chinaman's Chance"

Patricia Abbott asked me to write a contribution to her series, "Friday's Forgotten Books." If you're a regular reader of this blog, then my selection should come as no surprise.

When Ross Thomas died in 1995, twenty-four of his twenty-five books were out-of-print – the only one that was still available in a current edition was perhaps his best. (A few years back, St. Martin's Press undertook a program to return Thomas' novels to print. Sadly, it was discontinued after only a handful of titles were published.)

Chinaman's Chance (1978) introduced readers to Artie Woo and Quincy Durant, two of the best, most memorable characters ever to appear in fiction. Lifelong pals since they hooked up in a San Francisco orphanage, Woo and Durant were lovable grifters, con men with hearts of gold ever searching for their next big score.

The bent duo usually plied their trade somewhere on the Pacific Rim, and Chinaman's Chance finds them in Pelican Bay, a small, down-at-the-heels (fictional) town south of Los Angeles. You wouldn't know it at first glance, but Pelican Bay is the most corrupt American city outside of Washington, DC. Crooked politicians, bent cops, shadowy Company rejects and the Mob are all up for a piece of the action. In other words, the perfect setting for Woo and Durant to work their magic.

With his commitment to sharp and precise prose, Thomas raised the stakes for thriller writers, showing a generation of readers and writers that suspenseful writing could be lean, but still meaty. His keen eye for political chicanery and insight into the devious side of human nature helped him create stories that are as delightful to enjoy on the fifth reading as they are on the first. (That quality makes him among the rarest of genre writers.)

Thomas had a remarkable ability of making cynical characters likable and complex plots believable. His novels are "page-turners," but they're also insightful and poignant sketches of the human condition. He was truly an uncommon talent, and Chinaman's Chance ranks among his best. If you haven't read it...Well, now you know what you're missing.

Comments

[Patti Abbott]

Thanks, David. So happy to have you represented.

[Libby]

Hey, David. Ross Thomas's BRIARPATCH is one of my all-time favorite novels... I wrote about it for Patti's blog as well... I'm sure you know Ross Thomas lived in DC for a long time.. do you know where?

[David J. Montgomery]

Libby-

I saw your pick of BRIARPATCH a few weeks back -- another great Ross Thomas book.

I wasn't aware that he lived in DC. I don't really know too much about his life.

[Crippleagent@AOL.COM]

"When Dill turned he saw how nicely the voice fitted the owner, who looked as though he needed the bass to go with his size, which was as tall and wide as a garage door. He was also extremely ugly. Christ, Dill thought, he's uglier than I am. But then the big man smiled and he was no longer ugly. That's not true either. He's still ugly, but that smile is so glorious it blinds you."

"I bet you smile a lot" Dill said.

One of my favorite Ross Thomas passages

[Barrie Summy]

I have read nothing by Ross Thomas. Obviously this needs to be rectified.

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