Ross Thomas wrote 25 wonderful novels in his 29 year writing career, which ended with his death in 1995. Nearly a book a year for a quarter of a century is prodigious output, to be certain; but it is regrettably small when the writer possessed the brilliance and skill of a writer such as Thomas. I have read and savored each of his books at least twice, and some more than that. He is the writer I suggest to people most often, for in his works lie countless undiscovered gems that too many readers have missed.

Thomas spent his first twenty years of adulthood working as a reporter, PR flack, and political strategist. He then wrote his first novel, The Cold War Swap, in six weeks at the age of forty. It won an Edgar, the most prestigious award for mystery fiction. (He won another Edgar for Briarpatch in 1985.)

Thomas wrote "political thrillers," but that label is too limiting. His books were smart, witty, original, suspenseful, and engrossing. He could make you laugh out loud one chapter, sweat with anxiety the next, and shake your head at the folly of it all come the end. The phrase "couldn't put it down" might have been coined for his books; you might have to put them down because you've got work in the morning, but you definitely won't stop thinking about his quirky, inventive plots.

The settings of Thomas' books are as varied as the characters: Hong Kong, DC, Germany, the Deep South; Congressmen, Writers, Union Organizers, Historians, Advertising Men. Thomas wrote about the kind of people behind the headlines; the men and women who keep the games of politics and commerce moving. They are ordinary people who participate in extraordinary events. They aren't that different from the rest of us, which makes them all the more enjoyable and fascinating to observe.