“Scratch One” (1967), the second of Michael Crichton’s eight John Lange novels, starts slowly and without direction. I thought I’d have to make a tough decision between the value of my time and my project to read all of Crichton’s work. Eventually, finally, main character Roger Carr is introduced and the intrigue starts to make sense and the quality picks up considerably.
An Everyman James Bond
Carr is fun to follow, even if he is inconsistently written. He’s a rich American playboy lawyer visiting France to buy a villa for his boss, a politician. But he gets mistaken for an assassin who is part of a grand game between Middle Eastern and Western factions involved in a massive off-the-books weapons purchase (and the stoppage of the purchase).
Those early chapters chronicle several assassinations (sometimes assassinations of assassins) in the game, Crichton’s way of emphasizing the danger. If the author had started with Carr, a reader might’ve assumed this is a lighter story since “mistaken identity” usually means “comedy.”
“Scratch One” (1967)
Author: Michael Crichton, writing as John Lange
Series: John Lange No. 2
Genre: Hardboiled crime
Setting: French Riviera, 1967
In this case, it doesn’t, but the lengths Crichton goes to to keep Carr involved in the yarn are somewhat amusing. Both sides (including the American diplomatic liaison, Gorman, who thinks Carr is his assassin client, Morgan) wonder after each of Carr’s actions who he is and what he’s up to.
As a character, Carr is likable, though he doesn’t quite snap into place as realistic. Sometimes he’s brave, sometimes he isn’t; sometimes he wants this bizarre situation to end, sometimes he revels in it.
Crichton lands on the idea that Carr’s blessed life creates in him a sense of confidence (albeit misplaced): The few annoying events today will be forgotten in a better tomorrow, because that’s how his life has always gone.
A femme fatale and villains
Once Carr (and we) meet Anne, no further machinations are needed to keep Carr in the game; indeed, she inspires him to think about dropping his playboy lifestyle and settling down. Anne is the noir femme fatale, but we get a bit more insight into her than is usual.
Of course, she’s gorgeous; we want some hardboiled clichés to remain intact. And she’s Australian, but that doesn’t amount to anything. “Scratch One” (a reference to “scratching out” a player in the game) partly tips its hand as a young writer’s novel in that it has a lot of details, but a lot of them don’t matter.
Liseau is a basic villain who enjoys torturing people; he’s also a surgeon by day, likely a nod to Crichton’s medical schooling. Henchman Brauer is classic muscle, with the wrinkle that he abhors torture, preferring a clean kill.
Gorman is stressed by his job, and Nice policeman Vascard is a more typically gruff officer; his conversation with Carr, with both speakers coming from entirely different assumptions, is one of several amusing parts that play on the mistaken identity.
Everyone’s personality and background are vibrant enough to keep things interesting when paired with the France and Monaco countryside and city life, which Crichton drew from after a visit to the Cannes Film Festival and Monte Carlo Formula One Grand Prix – the latter of which factors into the climax. The author’s interest in cars and weapons shines through, as well.
After an almost overwhelming start, “Scratch One” moves briskly and fairly cleanly to the finish line. It’s rougher around the edges (“pulpier,” if you will) than the Lange debut, “Odds On.” But I think Crichton himself was a bit hard on it when he called it “no good.” Good for him for aiming higher, though.