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by: Stephen Dobyns
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780140280128
ISBN: 014028012X
Label: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 224
Publication Date: July 01, 1999
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Sales Rank: 1412978
Studio: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Editorial Review:
Book Description:
Another winner from the fast-paced racetrack mystery series that gives the reader a run for his money.
The latest, and most entertaining installment yet, in this popular series features the return of Charlie Bradshaw's scheming alter ego Victor Plotz, 'without whom the world would be a much stuffier place' (The New York Times Book Review). Victor is as crooked as Charlie is straight, and he'll do anything to make a quick buck, including running up to Montreal to collect a suspicious suitcase for a miserly old man. But when he decides to farm the job out to a bumbling black belt accomplice, all hell breaks loose--and the fun begins. In a slapstick, sinister farce with an unforgettable cast that includes Vic's main squeeze, Rosemary, an Amazon stripper named Sheila, and two kneecapping thugs called Steel and Clover, Victor and Charlie embark on the trail of every deadly sin from dirty money to outright murder. Once again Charlie Bradshaw and his hapless henchmen provide what the Boston Sunday Globe calls 'jaunty and colorful, good tongue-in-cheek fun'--and what fans of the series have come to expect.
Amazon.com:
Stephen Dobyns is nothing if not prolific: Saratoga Strongbox is his 13th novel in 12 years, and the 10th in his acclaimed Charlie Bradshaw series. His new novel sets Charlie and his sidekick, Victor Plotz, on the trail of dirty money when Victor agrees to collect a suspicious suitcase in Montreal for old man Weber. Unfortunately, when Victor decides to farm the job out to Eddie Gillespie, a bumbling black belt with an overactive conscience, he's quickly embroiled in a fiasco involving kneecapping thugs, an Amazonian snake-wielding stripper, and an overly greedy heir to a money-laundering fortune. Even more anxiety-provoking are Victor's fears that his girlfriend Rosemary, 'the Queen of Softness,' has been stepping out with a mysterious Dodge-driving Lothario. Make no mistake, Victor and his reactions are the stars of this novel; plot comes a distant--but still enjoyable--second. Victor might best be thought of as Thoreau meets Groucho Marx meets just about any character you can think of from a Samuel Beckett play. An inveterate student of the human condition with a penchant for observing and participating in the myriad absurdities of life, Victor feels his wallet throb whenever anyone mentions a quick buck.
The New York Times Book Review has noted that 'Dobyns is every bit as good a writer as Dick Francis.' Wrong. When it comes to dialogue and characterization, Dobyns is by far Francis's superior. Dobyns's sardonic humor is ever-present, percolating just under the surface or erupting into dead-on descriptions of the motley characters who populate his novels. Saratoga Strongbox gives the reader a thoroughly rousing ride to the wire. --Kelly Flynn
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Vintage Dobyns, but Bring back Charlie Bradshaw!
For a transplanted Easterner, this book is again like a family reunion.
But please Stephen, bring back the narrative from Charlies point of view. Victor gets a little boring after a while.
Rating:  - What happened to Charlie?
I have read all the "Charlie Bradshaw" mysteries. I feel that the later books are entirely too frivolous with Victor as the main character and narrator. They have a very different feel and it's not one that I like. When Charlie was the star of his own books and Victor his side-kick, the amount of humor was just right. Now the books are just too goofy!
Rating:  - I thoroghly enjoyed it;consumed it in a stretch!
The latest offering is as consuming as the previous entries. Using Victor(Vic) is always welcome as a narrative. Having visited Saratoga on several occasions adds to the excitement: I can envision Charlie, Vic, Eddie and Steel and Clover, tearing up the streets!
Rating:  - I'm sitting on the edge of the seat of the guy next to me!
You are only 1 click away from ordering the latest offering from Stephen Dobyns. Charlie and Victor are at their usual best; a page turner that I read in two sittings; a must for those who've read the previous "Saratoga" series!
Rating: - Another caper, Another winner
Being a Saratoga resident, I must say Mr. Dobyns continues to capture the spirit of this upstate New York City. He also weaves a wonderful story filled with colorful, baffling, irritating, endearing and just plain fun characters. Victor (call me Vic) narrates with a zest for not only storytelling, but a sharp cynicism that sparkles. A great job. Can't wait til the next!
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