Easy Go (Hard Case Crime)
Originally published under the John Lange pseudonym in 1968, this early Crichton novel is a fast-paced thriller in the pulp style. An archaeology professor learns about a previously undiscovered pharaoh’s tomb in Egypt; he puts together a small team, intending to loot the tomb and make himself rich. But, and this should come as no surprise, dissension in the thieves’ ranks soon puts the professor’s plan, not to mention his life, in jeopardy. Crichton published the Lange novels (eight of them in total) between the late 1960s and the early ’70s. If you didn’t know they were written by Crichton, you’d have a hard time telling that from the books: the resemblance between a Lange novel and, say, Jurassic Park is so slight as to be insignificant. But it’s also worth noting that the Lange novels are great fun, with entertaining characters and exciting stories. Leave it to the author’s fans to decide whether they’re curiosities or legitimate additions to the Crichton canon. --David Pitt