HOP SCOTCH by Brian Garfield

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

HOP SCOTCH by Brian Garfield.

Garfield wrote DEATH WISH and plenty of other novels, many of them Westerns. I think Walter Matthau starred in the movie version of this book.

I almost threw the book in the trash, the first chapter is lame and viscous to the point of being turgid. But it got better and better and great.

Its the story of a 50ish man who worked for the CIA many years until he took a bullet in his noodle and was retired. He's bored and pissed at the CIA for retiring him. I mean, they treated him right but he misses the thrills. So he dreamed up a game to play with his old employer...the CIA believes he's writing a tell-all scandal book and theyre unhappy about it. So they go after him and he leads them on a wild chase. Its like the Dukes of Hazzard or Smokey And The Bandit.

So far as anyone knows the guy has done nothing illegal but the CIA is obsessed with capturing him, and he foils them every time....legally. He's clever and fulla surprises that slowly captures the enthusiasm of everyone except the head CIA guy. They know each other well as former CIA partners. But about the halfway point you start to understand that the guy is wasting lotsa peoples time and government resources. Go play shuffleboard or bingo. Get a girlfriend.

Buts he's a stress junkie.

I give it 5 stars for clever, excitement, and its moral.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

I've said it before. I think you are psychic.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I've said it before. I think you are psychic.

I ordered LINE OF SUCCESSION. What happens when terrorists murder all but the chief political leader all citizens hate? That is, they meant to kill the chief but got everyone but him. Like the Hitler fiasco.

 

[49greg]

I read Hopscotch many years ago, but the details escape me. I do remember the movie and loved it when I first saw it, but when I saw it years later I wasn't as impressed. It was clever. I think it would have been better with another leading man.

I thought the movie was very similar in character to "Charley Varrick" where Matthau played a character pulling devious stunts to escape an organized crime group - after he stole money from their bank.

Both movies were taken from books and I was surprised that they were written by different authors. But then I never read the Charlie Varrick book, it might have been completely from the movie. Hollywood does that.