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The Aluminum Hatch
When much-hated Link Pickett, owner of a camping/fishing establishment on Michigan's Borchard River, is found dead in a canoe, rabid environmentalist Vernon Kelso is immediately suspected, but his son, Kit, and ex-wife, Mercy, are determined to prove hisinnocence
- GenresFiction
207 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 23, 2024
Brief summary: A canoe rental company proprieter is murdered by a booby trap, and Michigan DFG officer Mercy convinces boyfriend Fitzgerald, a former Detroit newsman now on a permanent lottery winnings funded fly fishing vacation in the north woods, to investigate as she is concerned her ex-husband, a known enemy of the victim, could get railroaded by the under pressure Sheriff.
In the first few pages I learned how “horny” Mercy Virdon, one of the main characters is, a result of being in the woods in winter. Apparently cut-rate motels also make her horny. Wow, so the author thought that should be the first character trait we learn about her?
Soon after we see a canoeist almost completely decapitated by a wire strung across the river… come on, really? So it was clear early on the author was not trying hard and the book was intended for cheeky entertainmnent. Once I managed my own expectations it was an ok read.
I liked the northern Michigan setting and river and fly fishing aspects. The characters were decent, specifically Fitzgerald and Mercy, though there could have been a bit more development and personality for both. But they were interesting and likable. Other characters were a mixed bag. Laurel, Calvin, the Sheriif were done well. Others there just wasn’t much too them. All the Picketts were bad like your clichéd rich poweful villainous family that runs their small town with an iron grip. The character development for Kit seemed to be have him use the word “sucks” all the time.
One strange aspect is the amount of bed hopping that has gone on with these people. So much cheating, it jwas just a bit over the top so far as plausibility. Mixed with the casual sex (though there is no actual sex scenes in the book) is constant drinking, again, it just seemed excessive. As was the hatred the fly fishing group (referred to as environmentalist in the book description) felt towards pleasure canoeists, from both the Pickett’s canoe rental company to their customers; family groups and Girl Scouts. Somehow the book and its characters seem to rationalize that as normal, very bizare to me, as an outdoorsman and fly fisherman sharing the water with other users is normal I really did not understand that aspect of the novel. While the author refers to the fly fishing group as environmentalist, I really did not see how the “canoeists” did anything worse than they did so far as negative impact. And other than the author creating the two sides I saw nothing that made me think the environmentalists even deserved that title. Seemed like a fake distinctioned the author made for the sake of the plot but he did nothing to show the characters as derserving of that description.
The mystery was not great. Fitzgerald serves as the “detective” of the story but the author does a poor job of crafting the plot. Not much in the way of red herrings, and Fitzgerald doesn’t really do much but wait for more things to happen which they do predictably. Not very exciting and much didn’t seem realistic or plausible. The ending was just weird. Probably won’t try other books by this author unless other reviews indicate he has vastly improved.
In the first few pages I learned how “horny” Mercy Virdon, one of the main characters is, a result of being in the woods in winter. Apparently cut-rate motels also make her horny. Wow, so the author thought that should be the first character trait we learn about her?
Soon after we see a canoeist almost completely decapitated by a wire strung across the river… come on, really? So it was clear early on the author was not trying hard and the book was intended for cheeky entertainmnent. Once I managed my own expectations it was an ok read.
I liked the northern Michigan setting and river and fly fishing aspects. The characters were decent, specifically Fitzgerald and Mercy, though there could have been a bit more development and personality for both. But they were interesting and likable. Other characters were a mixed bag. Laurel, Calvin, the Sheriif were done well. Others there just wasn’t much too them. All the Picketts were bad like your clichéd rich poweful villainous family that runs their small town with an iron grip. The character development for Kit seemed to be have him use the word “sucks” all the time.
One strange aspect is the amount of bed hopping that has gone on with these people. So much cheating, it jwas just a bit over the top so far as plausibility. Mixed with the casual sex (though there is no actual sex scenes in the book) is constant drinking, again, it just seemed excessive. As was the hatred the fly fishing group (referred to as environmentalist in the book description) felt towards pleasure canoeists, from both the Pickett’s canoe rental company to their customers; family groups and Girl Scouts. Somehow the book and its characters seem to rationalize that as normal, very bizare to me, as an outdoorsman and fly fisherman sharing the water with other users is normal I really did not understand that aspect of the novel. While the author refers to the fly fishing group as environmentalist, I really did not see how the “canoeists” did anything worse than they did so far as negative impact. And other than the author creating the two sides I saw nothing that made me think the environmentalists even deserved that title. Seemed like a fake distinctioned the author made for the sake of the plot but he did nothing to show the characters as derserving of that description.
The mystery was not great. Fitzgerald serves as the “detective” of the story but the author does a poor job of crafting the plot. Not much in the way of red herrings, and Fitzgerald doesn’t really do much but wait for more things to happen which they do predictably. Not very exciting and much didn’t seem realistic or plausible. The ending was just weird. Probably won’t try other books by this author unless other reviews indicate he has vastly improved.
September 28, 2025
The cover advertises the book as, "A Michigan Mystery." I was unaware that such a market existed in an abundance that one needed to have this displayed. Perhaps so, but how such a locally niche book found its way to a used bookstore near me is a mystery in and of itself.
The book is about the politics and personal relationships of a small town in... Michigan. Oh, and fly-fishing. The politics are all tied together through fly-fishing. The personal relationships are all tied together through fly-fishing.
You see, the lumbering company cut gaps in the trees, which warmed the river, encouraging tourists. These tourists, probably from Detroit, which nobody likes, arrive during the summer to canoe down the river. Canoes ruin the fly-fishing. If you're at a fishing hole and a canoe comes through it, that's an aluminum hatch, and that might make you angry, angry enough to kill. Fly-fishers are not chill.
It is not a bad book. I found it interesting enough. I did not realize the importance of fly tying to fly-fishing. If your tying is trash, well, everyone is mighty likely to look down on you for such a pathetic display of skill. If you look up fly tying, it is kind of impressive, but it's wild how much this came up in this book. This would probably be another star if you were into fishing and understood the hatred for the aluminum hatch in your core. If you aren't, like me, then I'm not sure you'll really understand.
The book is about the politics and personal relationships of a small town in... Michigan. Oh, and fly-fishing. The politics are all tied together through fly-fishing. The personal relationships are all tied together through fly-fishing.
You see, the lumbering company cut gaps in the trees, which warmed the river, encouraging tourists. These tourists, probably from Detroit, which nobody likes, arrive during the summer to canoe down the river. Canoes ruin the fly-fishing. If you're at a fishing hole and a canoe comes through it, that's an aluminum hatch, and that might make you angry, angry enough to kill. Fly-fishers are not chill.
It is not a bad book. I found it interesting enough. I did not realize the importance of fly tying to fly-fishing. If your tying is trash, well, everyone is mighty likely to look down on you for such a pathetic display of skill. If you look up fly tying, it is kind of impressive, but it's wild how much this came up in this book. This would probably be another star if you were into fishing and understood the hatred for the aluminum hatch in your core. If you aren't, like me, then I'm not sure you'll really understand.
December 31, 2024
If you are a Michigan fly-fisherman, you will love this book. If not, you won’t get it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews