THE GOLDEN GIZMO, by Jim Thompson

I stumbled upon this book while looking for a different title,The Alcoholic by the same author, pulp writer Jim Thompson. Golden Gizmo traces the meanderings of a con-man character by the name of Tod(dy) Kent, itinerant gold buyer and loser. Written in 1954, the book has an entertaining ambiance and reads somewhat like a detective novel of the period. In an alternative universe inhabited by a talking dog and a chinless man, Kent unwittingly uncovers an elaborate neo-Nazi plot involving international gold smuggling. Sounds far-fetched but it actually works, in a way. Worth a read if only for the bizarre story line and characters.

For a review of the book from Broad Street Review, click here: http://www.broadstreetreview.com/books-movies/Jim_Thompsons_Golden_Gizmo