The Game of 30

By William Kotzwinkle

Book Overview

A hardboiled mystery that will satisfy the most discerning thriller reader: great plot, interesting characters, vivid Manhattan backdrop, and the added spice of the exotic, ancient Egyptian game that... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553573853
• ISBN13: 9780553573855
• Release Date: October 1995
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 295 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

both modern and nostalgic

William Kotzwinkle, despite his frequent turns converting blockbuster movies like ET: the Extraterrestrial into novels, is one of the more consistently interesting fantasy writers around. In The Game of Thirty, he tries his hand at a hard-boiled private eye novel and proves quite capable. Jimmy McShane is a former military cop turned NY City private detective. When he is hired to look into the mysterious death of an antiquities dealer, he finds himself getting drawn into a murderous match of wits with the killer, based on the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs' Game of Thirty. Mixing traditional elements of noir fiction--first person narrative, wisecracking dialogue, and urban locale--with nearly Victorian elements, reminiscent of a Sherlock Holmes or Fu Manchu tale--cobra venom, egyptology and the like--and throwing in a New Age heroine as Jimmy's sidekick, Kotzwinkle produces a neat little thriller that manages to be both modern and nostalgic and seems like it would be perfect for the big screen. GRADE: B

Interesting Until the End

The Game of Thirty is a little bit above average when it comes to stories in the mystery-esque genera. The plot is interesting, and although it revolves around a typical "hard guy" main character and "kooky, yet bright" dilettante female companion, the story does not come across as being too cliche. For me the best part about the book was the Egyptian atmosphere, which is centered on a board game - the Game of Thirty. Although at times this game is used to envoke far too much foreshadowing, on the whole it helps the story progress. An antiquities theme runs througout the book, but many other sub plots are developed (generally well), that allow the reader to peak into other walks of life. The worst part of the book is the ending. Readers can guess the ending about 1/2 way through, and the conclusion is completely unrealistic. Still the Game of Thirty is a good read.

An Encahnting and Intriguing read

The Game of thirty was a ming boggling and fascinating book. It seemed to lead you into a new dream and keep you there. This book deals with tough issues, deeper than you can imagine, and handles them straightforward, in a New Yorker approach. I definetlty reccomend this book to anyone. It is an intriguing tale that sweeps you off your feet.

A fast paced mystery that has you playing "the game".

"The Game of Thirty" is a well written and enthralling mystery that blends a wide array of characters into a wonderful whodunnit. Ancient Egyptian artifacts, New York jewelers and pedophiles make this a read you can't put down

Deeply engaging ,intelligent thriller. I read it in 1 night

Kotzwinkle's fertile imagination has weaved a plot with just enough twists to be interesting without being convoluted. His character development is sympathetic and complex, . The author has a great eye for detail and creating a proper setting, so the story is a good read throughout. The hero is virile and smart but also compassionate. The ending is not a straight- forward one, but leaves the reader with certain personal judgements to make. I can"t wait for the movie !!