Books: Fletch, Too By Gregory McDonald (1986)

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"After a few delays and without the benefit of a rehearsal, it looks like Fletch is finally getting hitched. It’s a small affair, just a few friends, the bride’s parents, the groom’s mother, and, just maybe, his father. Except Fletch’s father is supposed to be dead. But somebody delivered the letter, signed Fletch (senior) and containing an invitation (and a pair of plane tickets) to visit the old man in Nairobi for the honeymoon. Never mind Fletch and his bride were planning a ski trip to Colorado.No sooner does the couple land in Africa (togged out for skiing!), then the search for Fletch’s father begins. There’s a murder at the airport, reports of the old man’s incarceration, and the hospitality (and evasiveness) offered by pop’s best friend, who flies them across the continent, just a step or two behind (or maybe ahead of) the old rascal."

Picking up a few days after Fletch Won, this ninth and final volume in the Fletch series (two spin-off novels would follow, but McDonald himself felt these were not part of the original series), but third in chronological order.  Quirky, often funny, but not superficial, the book reads more like a travelogue than a true mystery. It also, seemly, has Fletch at a crossroads, but considering this book was published twelve years after the original, though taking place chronologically before it, I’ll be curious to see if McDonald references these “early” adventures when I come to those books released first.  Other words, how consistent will the books released in the 1980’s jibe with the ones in the 1970s? Will it be like Westlake, who just ignored the passage of time? Anyways, Fletch, Too is a more leisurely paced novel, focusing more on Fletch’s relationship with Carr (and the plight of Nairobi and its people) than his dad –who they always seemly just miss. It does end strong but for those looking for excitement, you’re not going to get it here.