The Python Project

Rex Carver #3

by Canning. Victor.

Het kleed was ivoorwit en ik zonk er langzaam in weg. Bij het raam stond een zwart-ivoorwit gestreepte canapé waar wel zes mensen breeduit op konden zitten. Omringd door haar zwart-witte kussens zat daar mevrouw Stankowski, met opgetrokken benen.Ze droeg een kort hooggesloten jakje en een lange broek van zilverkleurige stof, het zat haar als gegoten. Het rode haar glansde verblindend en moest haar om de zoveel dagen bij de een of andere dure kapper een hoop geld kosten. Haar ogen waren blauw, maar ze stonden niet zo vriendelijk. Ik glimlachte haar warm toe en zag dat het haar niets deed.'Gaat u zitten, meneer Carver, en maakt u het kort.' Ze wees met een lang ebbehouten stokje naar een klein verguld stoeltje bij de haard. Ik ging zitten en 'Uw verzekeringsmaatscahppij heeft mij gevraagd om de gouden armband in de vorm van een opgerolde python die van u gestolen is, op te sporen... Ze vinden het eerlijk gezegd niet zo aannemelijk dat toen u en het dienstmeisje er niet waren, iemand deze flat is binnengekomen met de sleutel, de slangenarmband meenam van uw toilettafel en verder niets heeft gestolen..'

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Espionage, Classics, Fiction

284 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog here in January 2001.

The Python Project is very similar to The Whip Hand, an earlier Canning thriller; it has the same background, many of the same characters, and virtually the same plot. Rex Carver, shady private detective, is hired to investigate the theft of some jewellery by an insurance company, and swiftly finds himself involved in something very dangerous and obscure, but an affair at least agreeably full of good looking young women.

The main interest in this novel is when Carver's partner, the organised Hilda Wilkins, who disapproves of Carver's operational methods, becomes involved in the active side of the case, much to her dislike. However, the novel as a whole is far too similar to The Whip Hand to be truly successful; you can't help feeling that a private detective whose account of every case he has involves reiterating the phrase "If I'd known what I was getting into, I'd have left it alone" is not quite in the right line of work. (This is one of the more annoying, if small, similarities.) Either novel by itself would rank among Canning's best, but taken together, one of them must seem very unoriginal.

[Page_by_page__ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I accidentally got my hands on this book and I don’t regret it.

First of all, the plot is amazing. It resembles a lot of James Bond adventures that I loved since I was a kid. It’s fast paced but easy to follow, has a lot of twists and turns and the characters are interesting and well developed for their role in the plot.

If you ever come across a Canning’s book, give it shot!

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific and absorbing adventure with abundant twists and turns...

[Tina Tamman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has taken ages for me to read this book because I found it uninteresting, definitely not thrilling. My heart was not in it. When it was first published in 1967, foreign travel, particularly flying, was not popular, maybe not that affordable. Reading it in 2023, I found that much of the flying in the novel is totally unnecessary, does not add any local colour or anything. Altogether I thought the novel rather formulaic; previous books and films in particular have accustomed me to this complicated telling of a story where danger lurks around the corner and there are constant quandaries, then good luck. Maybe I simply expected too much after the same author's "Firecrest" (published a few years later) that I enjoyed very much.
On the positive note I think the title is excellent and the python bracelet and the python itself were definitely photogenic, worth imagining.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good entertaining spy thriller of the non-plausible kind. Very good page turner, witty prose and lots of twists and turns. Likable villains and Sadist good guys, Jewelled and real pythons and a lot of hot girls too! The plot was convoluted but well- constructed except for some inexplicable visits to lady friends by Rex Carver when he was supposed to lie low.
Overall it was a very competently written spy thriller that should entertain those who like to read Gavin Lyall, Bagley or Durbridge .

[Jennifer Plested · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old school Jack Reacher mixed with Bond

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an exciting book, starts off as a case of possible insurance fraud, spirals into a high-stakes cold war drama. Very much a relic of an earlier time, tautly narrated and plotted, full of exotic locales, thrilling action, beautiful women and colourful characters. Canning has picked up some of the mannerisms of hardboiled/noir writers but this pure escapism.

[Carlos Paulino · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very charming and a fun quick read. The story progresses very quickly and had me hooked from beginning to end.