Product Description

Would you be wary if someone gave you the assignment of delivering five million dollars to a Philippine terrorist—never mind from whom or why? Booth Stallings, a terrorism expert just fired from his job at a bashful organization that never admitted its mount in the Washington merry-go-round, is wary. So wary that he cuts in con man “Otherguy” Overby, who in turn involves Artie Wu, pretender to the throne of China, and his partner, Quincy Durant. Obviously, good patriots don’t want to hand over all that money to bad guys. Better they keep it for themselves. Which inevitably raises the question: Who among them will end up with the money?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #555780 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

From Library Journal
Booth Stallings, a 60-year-old Washington expert on terrorism, is suddenly fired from his job and then offered half a million dollars to act as liaison between a Philippines guerilla leader and a shadowy group who want that leader retired to Hong Kong with a $5-million payoff. Not knowing whether he is working for private interests or the intelligence community, Stallings decides to enlist specialized help before leaving for Manila. His chosen allies are a group of con men who spend most of their time attempting to swindle the guerillas, the CIA, and each other in order to get their hands on the 5 million. This is a complex, and often confusing, novel with a lot of loose ends. Not up to Thomas's usual standard. John North, L.R.C., Ryerson Polytechnical Inst., Toronto
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
The first of a planned series of reprints of the novels of the late Ross Thomas.

Review

Customer Reviews

The Ability To Survive
OUT ON THE RIM features two senior citizens. One is in the process of recovering from a stroke while carrying on a revolution and the other is re-entering the world of work after being between jobs less than twelve hours.

Thomas comes up with an entertaining plot full of double and triple crosses set in the early years of the Aquino government while the Marcos forces still loom as a large threat. The story centers around an attempt by the Marcos gang to destabilize the Aquino government by funding a rebel group led by Alejandro Espiritu. Enter Booth Stallings, Espiritu's World war II buddy and presently a down-and-out sixty-year-old academic just fired from his job with a foundation as an expert on terrorism. He is hired indirectly by the Marcos regime as an intermediary.

On his way to the Philippines, Stallings joins forces with a collection of experienced international con men. Artie Wu is a forty-four year old giant who is a pretender to the emperor's throne in China. He is accompanied by his long-time business partner, Quincy Durant. In a cast full of desperadoes and other untrustworthy people, Otherguy Overby manages to stand out. His nickname speaks for itself. It's always the other guy's fault. Georgia Blue is a statuesque beauty who doubles as both a body guard and a strong-willed, brilliant and independent operative. As a team, their most remarkable quality may be their ability to survive.

As the plot unfolds we begin to appreciate the latent talents of Stallings. He also starts to believe in his own abilities and realizes at the end he has found a new career for his dotage in company with Overby, Wu, Durant and Georgia Blue.

Ross Thomas characters at their very best
A spellbinding book that I could not drop until it was finished. The characters (Artie Wu, Durant, Otherguy Overby, ... ) are so alive - I expect them to step right out of the pages. The plot is marvelous and the story is written beautifully.

Good Feel for "The Rim"
I just re-read this book after first reading it when it came out. It has always had a special spot with me and it didn't let me down the second time around. I worked in Manila 1981-84 and remembered the book as capturing the feel of the place. Indeed it does capure the post-Marcos era and the poor, terminally corrupt Philippines. The main characters are great. Who wouldn't want to run a caper with this crew. Wish Thomas was still with us and we could look forward to more from "Other Guy" the pretender and the rest.