The Mercy of the Puddles [Paperback]

Ron Gillespie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2000

A fast-paced comic adventure of stolen antiquities and the New York art world featuring an unlikely hero named Fred Munson. Fred, a New York co-op based Quixote perched somewhere between Willy Loman and Indiana Jones becomes obsessed with a pristine Greek vase from the fifth century BC and a pottery shard he sees in a grainy video. Both bear ancient graffiti which he believes may have come from the same hand and which he believes may lead to the lost works of Euripides.Freds unlikely odyssey takes him on a wild journey through a fleabag hooker hotel, a late-night talk show, the Soho loft of a beautiful Russian curator and the back offices of the Metropolitan Museum, all the while attempting to duck the wrath of a wealthy Museum donor and keep his marriage intact.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ron Gillespie owns Numismatic Rarities, Ltd., a New York-based rare coin dealership which specializes in classical coins of ancient Greece and Rome. He lives in Westchester, New York with his wife, Sarah, and two cats.

Product Details

• Paperback: 348 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (June 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595099483
• ISBN-13: 978-0595099481
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,828,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Debut novel is a winner, October 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mercy of the Puddles (Paperback)

Who knew the world of Greek antiquities could be so riveting? In The Mercy of the Puddles, Ron Gillespie offers readers a tightly-plotted, fast-paced, good old-fashioned yarn--all too rare in these (dumb-as-a)post-modern times. Set in present-day New York, the story revolves around a valuable ancient vase that's found its way to the Metropolitan Museum via Switzerland. Or is it stolen property? And what about those strange markings on its base? All excellent questions and our hero, Fred Munson, makes it his personal crusade to find the answers. There's playfulness in Gillespie's prose that cleverly counterpoints the technicalities of ancient artifacts and modern computers. In less capable hands these passages might have been convoluted and plodding. Instead, they add another dimension to the plot line and tease readers with more than just a desire to know how it will all end. Rounding out the novel is a great cast of characters. This intense bunch of neurotic New Yorkers is headed up by Fred and his wife Helen. Not since Nick and Nora Charles has there been a more intriguing couple. Maybe there's even a new, 21st century "Thin Man" here? If so, Gillespie's believable and superbly timed dialogue could be a script writer's dream. From the world weary musings of a Greek archeologist to the street smart, subject-free banter of native New Yorkers, here is where the novel shines. In short: Gotta tell ya. Great little book