McCorkle & Padillo hired to guard Arab king

Mac McCorkle and Mike Padillo are "saloon" keepers in Washington D.C. They came to Washington after their place of the same name in Bonn on the banks of the Rein had been blown up. Oddly enough, despite their reputations, their Washington D.C. establishment has yet to be assaulted. Despite the fact they are trying to put their pasts behind them and keep their noses clean, through various mishaps they find themselves with a new job, to protect a young man from assassination. Peter Paul Kassim is on the brink of becoming King of Llaquah, a country that has recently discovered it sits on nearly 100 billion barrels of oil reserves. Kassim stands in the way of political enemies who are extremely interested in getting Kassim out of the way.
The Backup Men is a fast paced suspense novel, but what really hold the story together is McCorkle and Padillo's relationship. Their characters and conversations are witty, humorous and at times, utterly astonishing. ( )

Not sure how I could have missed Ross Thomas over the years. I have read two of his books now and both were excellent.

Padillo and McCorkle are recurring characters in Thomas’s novels. An unlikely pair of sidekicks, they partner in owning a bar in Washington. Both have somewhat shady but apparently reputable pasts, and Padillo is approached by the Gothar twins to provide backup in providing security for the soon-to-be king of a very small but very oil-rich Middle Eastern country. There are others who want to make sure the prince makes no deals nor returns to his country.

The book has a definite old-fashioned feel to it with some of the action having a slight fantastical feel to it. What makes the book sparkle is the dialogue that propels the book forward. Thomas has a gift for writing dialogue. Some of the short conversations reminded me of those between Boyd Crowder and Raylan Givens. The ending came as a nicely complicated surprise. Quite enjoyable. ( )

Every time I read another Ross Thomas, I tell myself I need to read more. It’s perfection, really. If you like buddy stories with complex plots and great dialog, look no further. Padillo and McCorkle just crackle with life and personality. I can’t help comparing them with Wu and Durant, the vibe is similar, but their adventures have an element of tragedy and sadness that I haven’t seen with the other two. The noir component is heavier in these books as well. I swear every time a door opened and the pair walked into a room, they had a drink. Or a smoke. Or both. And they need it! The body count just keeps climbing. They know they can only trust each other, but plans go awry and the final confrontation is a good one. Great shadowy villains and menace. I know our heroes will triumph, but at what cost? ( )

Simply the best espionage/buddy novel around by a master of mystery and suspense. ( )