Customer Reviews

The Golden Keel

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[3.5 stars]

'The Golden Keel' was Desmond Bagley's first novel, and you can tell that he hadn't quite settled into his stride at this point. The opening is a bit clumsy, the book takes a while to gain momentum, and there is a lack of genuine motivation for the protagonist. However, this is pretty good for a first outing, and once the book gets moving it is an entertaining read.

Many of Bagley's early thrillers feature a small group of varied protagonists instead of a single "hero" character, and this is no exception. The brawny Coetzee, the weak-willed Walker, and the resourceful Francesca are all interesting characters, as is the urbane antagonist Metcalfe. The pacing of the second half is good, with the dockyard battle and final storm well described. And the ending is somewhat unexpected, although the very final "twist" is perhaps a bit too clever for its own good.

It's not in the same league as his best books, but there are enough familiar elements here to make 'The Golden Keel' appealing for Bagley's fans, and to those who love thrillers in general.

This was Desmond Bagley's first book and although it is by far not his best book, it has enough to the storyline to make him an author to watch for.

The story concerns the salvaging of Mussolini's gold from where it was hidden during the Second World War. The main character (Hal) is a boat designer who hears the tale of the gold from one of the men who hid the gold but has been unable to retrieve it.

The adventure is the planning and execution of the retrival of the treasure.

There is a strong hint of Alastair Maclean to the novel in that the storyline is very down to earth (no James Bond heroics here) and Bagley makes sure to keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Being his first novel, there are times where the story gets bogged down a little bit but on the whole, it is a good read.

I remember enjoying this story many years ago and decided recently to have another look. This was Bagley's first thriller and it starts sluggishly before picking up pace. The story takes place in the early 1960s when Cape Town boat maker Peter Halloran, freshly widowed after a drunk driver kills his wife, needs to get his mind off his woes. He remembers the crazy story a drunk soldier told him many years ago about how a ragtag bunch of prisoners and partisans in Italy managed to hijack and then hide a convoy carrying a fortune in gold and jewels during World War Two. The main principals still haven't found a way to get the gold out, so Halloran offers his help. I won't say too much more about how they try to pull off this feat, since the idea at the centre of the tale is pretty clever, but the book features the usual fights, gunfire, violence and love interest you'd expect from such escapist literature. What I like about the Golden Keel is that it's tightly written, plausible, interesting, and doesn't abuse the trust of the reader. You're never faced with a ludicrous plot twist or development so unlikely that you lose interest. I read most of his books and must say I recall liking this one the most.

I picked up Desmond Bagley after I last read him in school and had a hazy recollection that I had liked him then.
Reading him again just reminded me that my judgement had been corrrect.
This is fairly predictable yarn about a group of people who go after a stash of gold hidden during the war in rural Italy. They encounter various shady and not so shady characters on the way and how they eventually return home forms the crux of the tale.
With Desmond B. little can be expected in terms of character build up and psychological insights but it can be forgiven at the altar of a pacy read. After the main protoganist's wife (presumably beloved as their relationship is barely touched upon) is killed (rather conveniently) in a car accident, he enjoins a group of two to go and try to get the treasure.
He does meet up with a romantic interest but that i shandled with kid gloves. There is hardly any chemistry and though the book is in first person, the insights are restricted to the effects of planning. Of the cast a brutish Coertze is the one who comes closest to gaining our sympathy as his character at least shows some hint of a mystery.
Although you would still want to race to the end and find out how it all went.
Go ahead, pick it up but don't expect to come out of the experience a beter man.