Cast a Yellow Shadow [Paperback]

Ross Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 11, 1982 | Series: A Methuen paperback

A classic mystery featuring Padillo and Mac, from the award-winning author of Ah, Treachery! McCorkle returns from Germany to Washington, D.C., with a beautiful wife, intending to live a quiet life as a saloon keeper in a classy neighborhood. But when his old friend Mike padillo is stabbed, his wife is kidnapped, and various assassination plots and double agents surface, McCorkle and Padillo set off to save the day.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Littlehampton Book Services Ltd (June 11, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 041705260X
• ISBN-13: 978-0417052601
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Padillo Returns From Africa, December 2, 2000

By 

Rosemary Brunschwyler (Homewood, Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cast a Yellow Shadow (Mass Market Paperback)

Set in Washington, D.C., CAST A YELLOW SHADOW is the second of the McCorkle and Padillo books. McCorkle is married now to a German girl named Fredl and he owns Mac's Place, a bar and grill near K Street. Padillo is the former partner in Mac's Place in Bad Godesberg, but has not been seen since he fell into the Rhine during a fight. Padillo reappears after being in Africa where he has become an unwilling operative in the planned assassination of a small country's Prime Minister. The killing is scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., and to force Padillo to do his part, the bad guys kidnap Fredl. The rest of the story centers around efforts to rescue Fredl and stop the assassination. McCorkle and Padillo work in an atmosphere of great mutual trust and respect. McCorkle is the narrator and Padillo provides more than his share of excitement. The series improves as it develops, but even this early book is enjoyable.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Foreign Double Agents and Local Criminals, July 15, 2002

By 

Peter Kenney (Birmingham, Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cast a Yellow Shadow (Paperback)

Padillo lines up some foreign double agents as helpers. McCorkle does his recruiting from the local underworld. Much of the fun in a Ross Thomas tale is trying to guess who will pull off the double and triple crosses. There are always surprises. CAST A YELLOW SHADOW is an excellent action yarn

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure entertainment!, August 25, 2006

By 

nobizinfla "nobizinfla" (Windermere, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cast a Yellow Shadow (Mass Market Paperback)

The DNA of Ross Thomas' novels contains unpredictability, witty urbane dialogue, inventive plotting, intricate double (and triple) dealing and a rogue's gallery of quirky characters.

"Cast a Yellow Shadow" (1967) is the second in his Mac and Padillo series featuring two guys who just want to operate a nice bar and grill after their cold war time.

Nevertheless, the saloon keepers are caught up in political skullduggery because of Padillo's enforced activities for the CIA.

Mac's wife has been kidnapped to ensure that Padillo will assassinate a South African prime minister.

The other side is offering cash for Padillo not to pull the trigger.

For a couple of old soldiers of fortune, this mess should be no problem---except that whether Padillo does the shooting or not, Mac's wife is going to die.

Padillo enlists the aid of a trio of foreign double agents he has tuned and Mac gets some helpers from the local criminal element.

The scheme is hatched to free Mac's wife and the chase is on as clever devious people try to outfox one another. Who will pull the double cross, who will stay loyal?

Like crossword puzzle fans, readers will delight at how neatly all the pieces fit.

Ross Thomas: always surprising, always entertaining!