Reading Richard Rohmer

Now THIS is Rohmer.

Only fifty pages in and already I have two nominees for the Single Greatest Rohmer Line of All Time:

The Rohmer Military Man, Very Excited About the Meeting He’s Prepared

His telescopic pointer was extended, at the ready.

The Rohmer President, Tough as Balls

“Okay, Gino, it’s sanction time.”

And beaver bashing. And tankers. And a fantastic international plan to buy something, but Rohmer’s not telling you what.  (But come on, it’s an oil company.)  And the purpose of buying this company? To then own it.  It’s so devilishly simple!

And sexy action power salads in the restaurant at the hotel.

This is The Expendables of Rohmer paperbacks.  It has everything.

And best of all, the glorious Rohmer Repeats.

A QUIZ ON RETALIATION PAGE 1 THROUGH PAGE 50

Q: Where did Paul James go when he left the bank? And where is the center of Canada’s oil patch?

Paul James had gone out to the oil patch in Calgary where he had made a fortune.  p. 1

James had left the bank and gone to Calgary, the center of Canada’s oil patch. p. 20

Q: What did Ross Harris do in the war? And when was D-Day?

Captain Harris of the First Canadian Parachute Battalion had parachuted into the beachhead area in France in the early-morning darkness on D-Day, the sixth of June, 1944. p. 20

“I’m an old army parachute battalion man myself—1^st Canadian Parachute Battalion.  We jumped in at the beachhead on D-Day morning.” -- Ross Harris P. 31

Q: What is the SAS? Are its members highly trained?

… the fabled British SAS, the Special Air Service, probably the most highly trained, efficient, antiterrorist military unit in the world.  p. 1

“They’re retired members of a crack antiterrorist British Army organization called the Special Air Service.” p. 31

“Quite, the Special Air Service, Her Majesty’s absolutely top antiterrorist, anti-everything force.  My dear chap, there’s no more highly trained, highly skilled unit in the world.” p. 43

His people were all former SAS colleagues, highly trained… p. 43

Q: What the hell?

“What the hell do you want Arab money for?” p. 22

“But how the hell are you going to bring off this covert business?” p. 23

But how the hell would the senior senator from Florida come up in short order with a researched, intelligent answer to that question? p. 35

“For chrissake, Gino, what the hell do I care what you’re going to do to those dumb Canadians about their goddamn confiscatory National Energy Program…?” p. 37

"What the hell do you mean my that?” p. 41

Q: Tell me something I already know.

And you know, Jim, all of these big takeovers happened because that goddamn government up there has set up a fortress. p. 10

“But, as you know, my people in State and I are sensitive.” p. 33