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A review by archergal
Shadow of a Broken Man by George C. Chesbro
3.0
I just looked up the date this book was first published. It looks like it originally came out in 1977. That makes a lot of sense to me, because it has the same feel as a bunch of mysteries I read back in the 80's. There are references to payphones that cost a dime, the Russians were still the bad guys, and the Cold War was still very much a thing.
Into all this steps steps Dr. Robert Frederickson, aka "Mongo the Magnificent." Frederickson is a criminology professor; a genius; a former circus acrobat; a private investigator; a black belt in karate; and, a dwarf. And he's also an irresistible character.
Mongo gets called on to investigate whether a famous architect that was presumed dead 5 years ago is actually, indeed, dead. The kicker, as we slowly discover, is that maybe the architect has some abilities that MIGHT make it easier for him to "disappear" -- and which would also make him an invaluable asset in intelligence-gathering in a Cold War scenario.
Machinations happen. The plot is a little convoluted. It's a good ride. And if Mongo seems a little too good to be true, who cares? Because you come to like him a lot.
Into all this steps steps Dr. Robert Frederickson, aka "Mongo the Magnificent." Frederickson is a criminology professor; a genius; a former circus acrobat; a private investigator; a black belt in karate; and, a dwarf. And he's also an irresistible character.
Mongo gets called on to investigate whether a famous architect that was presumed dead 5 years ago is actually, indeed, dead. The kicker, as we slowly discover, is that maybe the architect has some abilities that MIGHT make it easier for him to "disappear" -- and which would also make him an invaluable asset in intelligence-gathering in a Cold War scenario.
Machinations happen. The plot is a little convoluted. It's a good ride. And if Mongo seems a little too good to be true, who cares? Because you come to like him a lot.