FORGOTTEN BOOKS #7: THE MORDIDA MAN By Ross Thomas

Ross Thomas is better known for his classic Chinaman’s Chance and The Eighth Dwarf, but in 1981 he published The Mordida Man where he takes the political caper to a new level. The President’s brother, Bingo McKay, has been kidnapped. The President receives Bingo’s ear wrapped in a Gucci box. Clearly, this is job for “The Mordida Man,” Chubb Dunjee. “Mordida” means bribery in Spanish and Dunjee has to spread the money around to mount a rescue of the President’s brother. However, like most Ross Thomas novels, nothing is exactly what it seems. There’s plenty of suspense and intricate plotting in The Mordida Man. It’s astonishing that an author who won the Edgar for Best First Novel in 1967 for The Cold War Swap and another Edgar for Best Novel in 1985 for Briarpatch is out-of-print and nearly forgotten.

8 thoughts on “FORGOTTEN BOOKS #7: THE MORDIDA MAN By Ross Thomas

    1. george Post author

      Thank you for coming up with the concept of FORGOTTEN BOOKS on Fridays so other mystery readers can discover great books. It’s distressing to think that wonderful writers like Stanley Ellin and Ross Thomas are out-of-print and nearly forgotten.

      Reply
    1. george Post author

      The Mordida Man is a terrific book that is rarely mentioned when Ross Thomas is discussed. I just wanted more people to know about it and, hopefully, find a copy and read it.

      Reply
  1. T.D.

    I’ve been working my way through Thomas’s novels since discovering the fantastic The Fools in Town are On Our Side. Agree with the above comment that Thomas “couldn’t write a bad book.” Thanks for the recommendation.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *