Seersucker Whipsaw (Ross Thomas) 5

An early novel from a pretty good crime writer, and one of his best efforts. Many of Thomas' books have strong political overtones, which is hardly surprising, given his other career as a political strategist.

The narrative follows the first democratic election in an emergent West African state, sometime in the late 1960s. A pair of American political consultants have been sent in to help one of the candidates, one of whom narrates the story, and the other a wily Southern ward heeler called Clinton Shartrelle.

The narrative is sharp and witty, and the dialogue pungent and crisp. The story is fascinatingly multi-layered, and the characters eminently believable, particularly Shartrelle. Thomas is a damn good writer when he chooses to be, and he is at the top of his game here.