Fletch, Too

Fletch #9

by Gregory McDonald, B. Shir-Cliff (Editor)

Fletch, TooAfter a few delays and without the benefit of a rehearsal, it looks like Fletch is finally getting hitched. It’s a small affair, just a few friends, the bride’s parents, the groom’s mother, and, just maybe, his father. Except Fletch’s father is supposed to be dead.Fletch, TooBut somebody delivered the letter, signed Fletch (senior) and containing an invitation (and a pair of plane tickets) to visit the old man in Nairobi for the honeymoon. Never mind Fletch and his bride were planning a ski trip to Colorado.Fletch, TooNo sooner does the couple land in Africa (togged out for skiing!), then the search for Fletch’s father begins. There’s a murder at the airport, reports of the old man’s incarceration, and the hospitality (and evasiveness) offered by pop’s best friend, who flies them across the continent, just a step or two behind (or maybe ahead of) the old rascal.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Crime, Audiobook, Detective, Novels

Hardcover

First published October 8, 1986

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

i have no idea what happened. The first Fletch books really sucked me into the series, with witty, funny escapades which usually involved Fletch embroiled in some murder mystery. That worked well for the first six books. The seventh, Carioca Fletch, was infuriating, as it had pretty much no connection with the series other than the protagonist's name, and was completely uninteresting as a South American travelogue.

Mcdonald (small d?) retreated and wrote the last two in the series as prequels (basically Parts I & II, hence the titles "Won" and ",Too")), everything occurring prior to "Fletch", and trying to fill in some of the details alluded to in the subsequent books. While Fletch Won was a return to form (although not very good), this finale pretty much ended the novels on a bad note. This was basically an African travelogue, with Fletch following a trail left by his father (presumed dead, and never met). Completely frustrating to read, again, with little mystery to get involved in, and characters that really seemed to have no purpose other than to provide some deeper meaning to all that went on.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A weird prequel that takes place a week after the events of Fletch Won. I feel like I shouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did, as it's part travelogue and part personal identity quest with a minor mystery in the background, but I read the hell out of it.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Okay, I'm clearly not reading these stories in order (chronological or publication order). It's partly because I thought Fletch was the first book and maybe it was. But then I somehow thought this was the first one, so I started this one, and I was initially thrown because this was about him getting married to Barbara and going on their honeymoon, except not to where they thought they were going, but instead of Africa to find his dad who he thought was dead. But I discovered when I was halfway through that this is actually the sequel to Fletch, Won (I guess I should have looked more closely at the titles, lol), and Fletch, Won takes place about a week before this one? Yeah, it's all a bit convoluted, but that's okay--these books are a bit of that.

I was expecting a murder mystery after the gruesome murder at the beginning of the story, but I'm not sure we ever figured out that particular murder. Maybe I missed something.

The story ended up being more about Fletch and Barbara as they begin their married life under very odd circumstances. He spends the book exploring Kenya with and without Barbara, waiting for his father to show up. At some point he learns his father is in prison and he tries to get him out. But most of the book is just Fletch and or Barbara seeing interesting sites in Africa, and some interesting archeological stuff.

The writing was decent and the narration was good, but I think I preferred the Fletch book, which is the first one I read.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Fletch, Too" is the sequel to "Fletch Won." It picks up the story of Fletch's wedding just as "Fletch Won" leaves off. The titles of these two books give away where they fit in the Fletch universe. Chronologically, Fletch Won (1) and Fletch, Too (2) are books 1 and 2 of the series.

It begins with a crazy wedding ceremony on a bluff in the rain, takes off as Fletch and his bride Barbara change horses in midstream at the airport en route to their honeymoon and end up in Nairobi, Kenya, with skis, poles, and only ski clothing. An invitation from a long-thought dead father will do that. The goofiness and the twisted explanations for their gear and clothing are hilarious. But, after that it sort of devolves to a plot-less meandering as so many of these books do.

[Bill Doughty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not badly written, per se, and McDonald's dialog is fun and snappy as usual, it's just a real shaggy dog of a story where not much of anything happens except that they're in Kenya for reasons. Even nothing happening in Kenya is still nothing happening.

[Austin Gaines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the second book in the Fletch series. It was good enough and had some good jokes. I'll probably read more Fletch one day. I'll probably always imagine him as Chevy Chase.

[Edward Champion · Rating 2 out of 5]

An execrable and completely incoherent entry in the Fletch series. It starts off fairly well before deviating into a Crazytown plot that not even Mcdonald himself seems to understand. The identity of Fletch's father is wantonly and lazily contradicted. The trip to Kenya contains some racist cheap shots. At this point in his career, Mcdonald's storytelling powers were drastically slipping. I mean, given how awful CARIOCA is, it's amazing that FLETCH, TOO is even worse. My theory is that Mcdonald was writing far too many books too fast in the mid-1980s and that something had to give. And not even the reliable Fletch could summon Mcdonald. This would be the last Fletch book until the two Son of Fletch books in the early 1990s. If Mcdonald wasn't embarrassed by this, then he should have been.

[C-shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pulled out an old hardbacked copy I've had forever and started it today. It's short and easy and funny, if silly, just like the Chevy Chase movie.
I read this in one day, and it was such great good fun. Despite some silliness, the story had substance and adventure - the jungles of Kenya! - murder and mystery - the search for lost Roman ruins - with a real twist to the denouement. I would actually rate it 4.5 stars.

[Hobart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This originally appeared at

Up to this point, we know practically nothing about Fletch's personal life—he's been married (and divorced) twice and engaged once or twice in addition to that. He's carried on an on-again/off-again relationship with Moxie Mooney. Served with valor in the Army, made a couple of good friends there. That's pretty much it—most of what we know about Fletch is about his professional life—and then the amateur sleuthing/investigative journalism he's done since he didn't kill Alan Stanwyck. We know next to nothing about his family, his childhood, and so on.

In Fletch, Too McDonald decides to fix that. Picking up right after Fletch Won (like a day or two after) with his first wedding, the revelations start right away. We meet Fletch's mother, a mystery novelist of some renown (but perhaps not of the highest caliber). After the ceremony, he's handed a letter from someone claiming to be his father. Fletch had been told that his father had "died in childbirth," so he's taken aback by this. The letter describes (briefly) why his father had not been around for his life and that he's "mildly curious" about his son. If Fletch is at least "mildly curious" about his father, he's invited to visit him in Nairobi for their honeymoon, tickets are enclosed.

More than mildly curious, and driven to get some answers (or at least a good story), the two hop that plane (bringing their luggage and skis packed for a trip to Colorado). At this point, it stops being a standard Fletch novel and becomes something more akin to Carioca, Fletch. Before they leave the airport, Fletch witnesses a murder (unbeknownst to the murderer).

Fletch makes a couple of attempts to investigate the murder, but due to circumstances, a language barrier, police not given to outsiders' help, and the lack of anything to go off of, he doesn't get far. In fact, minor spoiler, the only reason Fletch "solves" the murder is that he recognizes the killer toward the end of the book. Which makes for a fairly unsatisfying "mystery" novel.

Where this book gets interesting is as Fletch and his wife meet some locals, explore the city, and meet a colleague of his father's. We're treated to a look at the culture, legal system (or lack thereof), history and some speculative Archeology about the area. It's interesting—but it feels more like McDonald had an interesting vacation, read some good books on the region and/or had some great conversations with people from Nairobi and wanted to share what he'd learned (again, see, Carioca, Fletch).

I think I appreciated this more than the other non-standard Fletch because 1. I came in with low expectations (remembering how little I liked it) and 2. the supporting characters are more interesting.

At this point, I assume (and am supported by experience) that Miller will do a capable job with the Narration and he helped me enjoy the experience.

This is one for completists, for those who are curious about Fletch's backstory, or for those who have a hankering for learning about Kenya. It's not a bad book, it's just not as good as it should be.

[Paul Lyons · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hey, another Gregory McDonald "Fletch" novel! It must be fun and funny, with a complex mystery to solve, with the smart, obnoxious, witty, rebellious and subversive I.M. Fletcher on the case to woo the women, put everyone on the hot seat, and solve the crime using his vast ingenuity and intelligence. Wait, what? Gregory McDonald titled his book "Fletch, Too," and there is barely any mystery to solve, and instead the author fills the book with serious-minded prose and serves as a travelog for Kenya...like in Africa?? W-T-F???

It's so weird. After a quartet of novels that featured Fletch as a wise-cracking investigative journalist and mystery sleuth, Gregory McDonald slowly began to lose interest. Both "Fletch's Moxie" and "Fletch and The Man Who" were lackluster works, with the author choosing to break beyond his Fletch as investigative journalist/mystery sleuth into someone who appears as passive straight man to everyone else's lunacy...with off-genre distractions into social commentary and politics. Yuck. By the time McDonald wrote the horrendous "Carioca Fletch"...the Fletch character was resigned to a background role, only showing up to appear in the author's dull expose on Brazil and its Carnival Festival. After going completely off the rails, the author attempted to get back to basics with "Fletch Won," with a standard murder-mystery to solve. Yet the novel was terrible, made no sense, and McDonald no longer had the drive to write the good ole fashioned Fletch book. He was no longer that kind of writer.

With "Fletch, Too," Gregory McDonald appears to have returned to who he wanted to be, the author who wrote travel exposes disguised as prose fiction, such as "Carioca Fletch." With "Fletch, Too" the author moved Fletch to Africa, under the excuse of meeting his long lost father. Through the book's 250 endless pages, Gregory McDonald places Fletch again as a straight man, observing and experiencing the rural jungle, culture, wildlife, spiritual life and people of Kenya. That's it. There is no mystery to solve, no witnesses to interview, nothing.

Yes, yes...as a secondary story, the author offers up a brutal murder in an airport men's room, which Fletch bears witness to, as well as the complications involved with the attempt to meet his father. However the main story, is just Fletch and his new wife Barbara traveling around Africa with a pilot-explorer called Peter Carr, who wishes to find an ancient Roman city buried in Kenya. There are monkeys, there are men who appear as statues, there is there uninvited Kenyan friend Juma. There is food, and drink and sickness and health. There is nothing worth reading about.

Worse, Gregory McDonald lies to his readers. When later in the book, it appears all signs are pointing to Carr as Fletch's father, the author has Carr clearly state that no, he is definitely not Fletch's father. BUT, at the very end of the book, in a letter, Carr reveals that yes, he is indeed Fletch's father. So lame!! So lazy! Meanwhile the mystery of why the real Carr fought with and killed a man in the airport men's room, was never solved.

Hate is a strong word, so I won't use it. I will say I loathed "Fletch, Too," and did not enjoy reading it at all. Gregory McDonald could have, should have called his novel something other than a Fletch book. When you title your novel "Fletch, Too," there better be a Fletch story in there, otherwise it's a bad case of bait and switch. Did not feel good to be caught in Gregory McDonald's bait, and his book is an insult to those who once appreciated his Fletch character, and novels.

[Andy Rausch · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Fletch prequel. I have seen readers on here calling this the second Fletch book, but that is not so. This one came long after McDonald had established his character. That's what makes this one so heartbreaking. It's just not fun. The best thing about the Fletch books is Fletch himself. When McDonald winds him up and lets him go out and be smug and smartass and funny, it's great. But in a couple of these (this one in particular), Fletch gets completely overshadowed by a boring plot that seems very much out of place.

It's funny, but I've read all of the other books except for SON OF FLETCH, and because of the boredom the book was causing me, I noticed for the first time that there really is no character development whatsoever in these books. It's quite a feat to write a dozen or so popular books about a character that audiences love with zero character development. But the dialogue and Fletch's "I don't give a damn" attitude sell the best of these books.

But this one is a total dud. So boring, and the event the book (kind of) builds up too fizzles out almost immediately. No thank you. McDonald was amazing, but this one felt like an obligation to fulfill a publishing contract and to get paid. My guess is that MacDonald went on vacation to Kenya, because this book is filled with (far too many unneeded) details about Kenya. Again, these things absolutely bury and stifle good old Fletch.

Boo.

[Gert De Bie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een beetje een atypische Fletch - voor zover wij dat al kunnen beoordelen - met een hoofdrol voor het Afrikaans continent (Kenia).
McDonald blijft een vlot en aangenaam verteller, maar in dit boek neemt hij meer tijd en ruimte voor beschouwingen. Fletch, too wordt zo een reisverslag over een trip naar Kenia, en een - weliswaar licht - filosofisch boekje over het verschil tussen Westerse en Afrikaanse levensvisie.
In die mix vinden we nog altijd de heerlijke Irwin Fletcher, journalist met spitse tong, eigenzinnig karakter en heerlijke humor. Het boek wordt door meer dankbare karakters bevolkt, kent weer spitse dialogen en ditmaal een wat dunnere, maar toch goed uitgewerkte plot. Blijft heerlijk leesvoer tussendoor!

[J. Griff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I'm going to write a review. I've been enjoying the Fletch mysteries starting earlier this year. Having been a fan on the '80s movies I wasn't aware of the novels until working in a bookstore & finding the paperback. I made the mistake of reading this series in published order, not realizing there was a chronological order. Nonetheless I still enjoyed the series not always understanding how Fletch would find himself the varies ways each book would start inconsistently from the previous. Here is where I finish this series as I have no interest in the last two books. Maybe one day I'll come back to this series reread them in the proper order. Having now read 9 of the books I have been able to separate the novel's version of Fletch from Hollywood's.

[Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Fletch-out-of-water tale that immediately follows Fletch Won. Not as abysmal as Carioca Fletch, but still pretty bad.

In the interest of saying something nice, the brief coda actually had an unexpectedly strong emotional resonance, and the argument could be made that Fletch had to go through what he went through for that payoff to mean something.

But, ultimately this was not a good book, and you should not read it. One and a half stars, rounded up.

[Mark Tadder · Rating 2 out of 5]

What did I think of the book? I didn't think much of it at all. I probably should start at the beginning of the series because I cannot understand how we went from the previous book which was a funny and weirdly gritty lighthearted romp with that adorable character in his job as an investigative reporter into this thing which was so incredibly Overly enthusiastic that is completely unbelievable and unrelated to any characters from the series that I could recognize. And not only that, the big pay off at the end was so obvious that I spent the last 10 minutes smacking myself in the face for sticking with this book. Come on people. We deserve better

[Ian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gregory McDonald's work is incredibly inconsistent if the Fletch books are anything to go by.
The author has a wonderful ear for dialogue and when he works at it can put together an excellent plot. He didn't bother with that here. The first few pages have genuine laugh out loud moments as Fletch goes through his first marriage, but as the book progresses you forget all the charitable feelings you have as it descends into a not very good African travelogue. Reminds me of the equally poor (no, actually worse) 'Carioca, Fletch'.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it was pretty good. Entertaining enough. Had some laughs. Easy reading. I like that. But, there wasn't a crazy mystery to it. A couple of key things early early on, then a long middle where those things were somewhat abandoned while we went on some random adventures that were interesting, but really veered off from the key things. Then it all got wrapped up in a nice bow in the last 10th of the book. That makes it sound not so great, but it wasn't bad. Just not up to par with the other Fletch books I've read. McDonald has set a high standard for himself though.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fletch barely makes his own wedding and then takes his new bride off to Kenya in search of his father. She is understandably upset as they had planned to go skiing and were not prepared for Kenya. He ends up searching for Roman ruins with a friend of his father's and his father ends up in jail for a bar fight before they get to meet. I won't spoil the ending, it isn't bad. The Fletch books would of made a decent season of a series they are about that caliber of storytelling. They are amusing and harmless but not exactly cliff hangers.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book (chronologically) in the Fletch series, and explains much of his past. I've read the books in this series out of order, and realize this book has something that the others have only flirted with - a bit of emotional warmth. It's still a fast-paced, interesting story, and we're on a new continent this time; Africa. (Other books in the series have been set it North America (California and the South, maybe Chicago? I'm losing track.), South America (Brazil). With each new entry, we're in a different world, with a fresh story. McDonald was an amazing writer.

[Erik Prime · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ninth book in the long-running series and its second prequel. The title is a homonym for “Fletch 2.”

On Fletch’s wedding day, a stranger hands him an envelope with a letter from his long-lost father and two airplane tickets to Nairobi, Kenya. He convinces his new bride to forgo a Colorado skiing trip for a honeymoon in East Africa. At the Nairobi airport, Fletch witnesses a brutal murder in the men’s room. Which mystery will Fletch solve first, the identity of the murderer or the location of his eccentric father?

MARITAL STATUS: married to first wife Barbara.
SEXUAL LIAISONS: Two.
NUMBER OF ALIASES: Zero.
NUMBER OF MURDERS: One.
RATING (OUT OF TEN): 7

[Benn Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really much of a Detective story or Mystery, "Fletch, Too" is more a straight up ordinary novel. It's not that it's a terrible book, per see. It's just not a particularly good "Fletch" book. It wouldn't take much rewriting to make the story about a different set of characters. I suppose it should be commended as a change of pace for the series, but honestly, it feels a bit lacking, incomplete.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something like Carioca Fletch in its travelogue quality, this second Fletch-prequel has the newly married journalist and wife going to Africa instead of Colorado for their honeymoon, with all sorts of shenanigans and hijinks along the way. It's still zipper than Carioca, but does end up having that same problem of wanting to be a mystery, a comedy, and a travelogue all at the same time and sometimes that tri-headed focus isn't really in the novel's best interests.

[John Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just didn’t understand what the point of this book was. Don’t waste your time as there is nothing all that fun or Fletch-ish about this book nor does it really add anything important to the Fletch story. It was somewhat interesting in terms of the African narrative (maybe McDonald had just taken a trip to Africa) but if you want to read and learn about Africa I’m sure that there are better ways of doing it.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery of Fletch’s father

I like the straight on mystery’s better; however, it is a compelling read. This book is a travelogue, much like Carioca Fletch; however, there is a mystery regarding The identity of Fletch’s Father, which hangs over the book. A fun read, but not as much fun as Fletch or Fletch Won

[Wampus Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last Fletch is the weirdest Fletch in that the mystery isn’t actually investigated but is just kind of there. The setting of Kenya and European/American expats and tourists along with the exotic citizens really felt like out of a Graham Greene. And this book has the most dialogue this side of George V. Higgins.

Charming relic, this.

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. I recently booked a trip to Africa so I was very interested in reading about the scenery, people, wildlife and customs. I also loved getting to know Fletch and his father.

[Dave W · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite of the series, thus far. Quick read but very repetitive in middle. Ended stronger than it was on course for, so that was good. Was hoping for a little more excitement than what was provided.

[Danny Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've come to find that there are pretty much two kinds of Fletch books, the really engaging, spry mysteries, and the more laid back, placid character and tone studies. This is one of the latter, and it plays gently and has a couple of nice chuckles.

[Fredric Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of the Fletch books are good romps and should be read, though there is obviously something of a cookie-cutter feel to the novels. Still, if you like the genre, this Fletch book as well as the others are "must reads."

[Bryan Davenport · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fletch is on his honeymoon in Africa. Getting into mischief and meeting new people. I enjoyed his escapes from death and him getting sick but I feel this wasn’t as good as the last book. But it is fun and I don’t think it would work as a movie but a tv show sure thing.