I realize I'm coming to this party a little late. It took me
a while to track down a copy of BLACK MONEY, and when I did
get one I wasn't able to get to it right away. But I've read
the book, and it's still January, so I'm putting my two cents
in.
I liked it.
The plot took a while to develop, but I stayed with it
because of MacDonald's prose and his attitude. Archer's take
on the other characters and their milieu walked a fine line
between amusement and contempt. (I can certainly see, though,
how some readers would feel that he veered too far into the
latter.) I thought MacDonald shaded Archer's reaction nicely:
an initial defensive dislike of his client and the others in
his circle that gradually dissipated as he came to know
them.
The material on academics was the book's strongest suit. I
particularly liked the sketch of Bosch, the younger
professor, and MacDonald's palpable relief that a new
generation with new attitudes was taking over. The women
characters tended to blur together, all of them saddled with
men who don't recognize or appreciate their mates' strength.
As others have pointed out, Ginny never came into her own
despite being at the crux of the story.
For what it's worth, it was a refreshing change of pace to
read about a P.I. who has, in this novel at least, a
professional relationship with the police.
I have to shamefacedly admit that this is my first experience
with MacDonald aside from some short fiction in various
collections. BLACK MONEY may not have been the ideal place to
start, but I certainly intend to read more of his work. I'm
glad the list gave me the opportunity to start filling a gap
in my reading.
Vince Keenan
www.vincekeenan.com Pop culture, high and low, past and
present. One day at a time.
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