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Craig McDonald
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The Great Pretender: A Hector Lassiter novel (Hector Lassiter Series Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Craig McDonald (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.6 out of 5 stars 18 ratings
Nazis, black magic and secret history collide in Craig McDonald's "The Great Pretender." In 2007, McDonald launched the Hector Lassiter series with the Edgar Award-nominated debut, "Head Games," pairing the globetrotting, larger-than-life crime novelist with equally legendary filmmaker and amateur magician Orson Welles. "The Great Pretender" fits the capstone on the Lassiter/Welles legend, spanning their decades-long, uneasy association from the run-up to Welles' infamous "War of the Worlds Panic Broadcast of 1938" to the set of the noir classic "The Third Man" and the ruins of post-war Vienna. The novel finds the actor and author in a race for a lost holy relic promising its possessor infinite power but a ghastly death if lost. Hector and Orson's competitors in their quest for the 'Spear of Destiny' or 'Holy Lance' include German occultists, members of the Third Reich, a sensuous Creole Voodoo priestess and a strangely obsessed J. Edgar Hoover.

PRAISE FOR THE HECTOR LASSITER NOVELS:
"With each of his Hector Lassiter novels, Craig McDonald has stretched his canvas wider and unfurled tales of increasingly greater resonance." --Megan Abbott

"Reading a Hector Lassiter novel is like having a great uncle pull you aside, pour you a tumbler of rye, and tell you a story about how the 20th century 'really' went down." --Duane Swierczynski

"James Ellroy + Kerouac + Coen brothers + Tarantino = Craig McDonald." --Amazon.fr

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  1. Book 4 of 11
    Hector Lassiter
  2. Print length
    303 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    September 24, 2014
  6. File size
    2.0 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 11 books in this series.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Welcome to Hector Lassiter #4 in Betimes Books new chronologically-sequenced release of old and new Hector Lassiter titles. "The Great Pretender" is one of the never-before-seen Lassiters, reuniting author/screenwriter Hector Lassiter with the precocious actor/director/magician Orson Welles. Welles and Hector previously crossed paths in "Head Games" on the set of Welles' noir classic "Touch of Evil," and in "Toros & Torsos," where Welles is glimpsed filming "The Lady From Shanghai."
"The Great Pretender" covers the larger arc of their friendship from a first meeting in Dublin, Ireland, to a trek across Spain and on to New York City where Welles is seen prepping his infamous "War of the Worlds" broadcast. This novel also foreshadows America's entry into World War II, setting the table for Lassiter #5, "Roll the Credits," that opens in occupied Paris. --Craig McDonald

About the Author

Craig McDonald is an award-winning author and journalist. The Hector Lassiter series has been published to international acclaim in numerous languages. McDonald's debut novel was nominated for Edgar, Anthony and Gumshoe awards in the U.S. and the 2011 Sélection du prix polar Saint-Maur en Poche in France. The Lassiter series has been enthusiastically endorsed by a who's who of crime fiction authors including Michael Connelly, Laura Lippmann, Daniel Woodrell, James Crumley, James Sallis, Diana Gabaldon, and Ken Bruen, among many others. McDonald is also the author of two highly praised non-fiction volumes on the subject of mystery and crime fiction writing, "Art in the Blood" and "Rogue Males," nominated for the Macavity Award.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00NXTJ2F4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Betimes Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 24, 2014
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.0 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 303 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 4 of 11 ‏ : ‎ Hector Lassiter
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.6 out of 5 stars 18 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Craig McDonald

    Craig McDonald

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Craig McDonald is an award-winning author and journalist. The Hector Lassiter series has been published to international acclaim in numerous languages. McDonald's debut novel was nominated for Edgar, Anthony and Gumshoe awards in the U.S. and the 2011 Sélection du prix polar Saint-Maur en Poche in France. The Lassiter series has been enthusiastically endorsed by a who's who of crime fiction authors including Michael Connelly, Laura Lippmann, Daniel Woodrell, James Crumley, James Sallis, Diana Gabaldon, and Ken Bruen, among many others. McDonald is also the author of two highly praised non-fiction volumes on the subject of mystery and crime fiction writing, "Art in the Blood" and "Rogue Males," nominated for the Macavity Award.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Craig McDonald

    Craig McDonald

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Craig McDonald is an internationally best-selling novelist. His critically acclaimed Hector Lassiter series includes "Head Games," which was a finalist for the Edgar, Anthony, Gumshoe and Crimespree Magazine awards for best first novel. It was also released as a graphic novel by First Second Books.

    Other Lassiter novels include "One True Sentence," "Forever's Just Pretend," "Toros & Torsos," "The Great Pretender," "Roll the Credits," "The Running Kind," "Print the Legend," "Death In The Face" and "Three Chords & the Truth."

    A standalone thriller about illegal immigration, "El Gavilan," was published in autumn 2011 to a Publishers Weekly starred review and was selected for many year's best lists.

    He is also an award-winning journalist and has published two volumes of author interviews, "Art in the Blood" and "Rogue Males."

    In 2022, he launched a new series, this one featuring pulp magazine-style heroine Zana O'Savin in a pastiche of classic pulp fiction heroes such as Doc Savage and The Shadow. These include "The Blood Ogre," "The Mothman Menace," and "The Death Killers."

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
18 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Ken
    4.0 out of 5 stars Head Games - is still my favorite. Perhaps it was because I simply didn't find ...
    Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I'm generally a huge admirer of Craig McDonald's Hector Lassiter novels. Alas, this one seemed flat and not quite up to the same extraordinary standards of the others - the first, Head Games - is still my favorite. Perhaps it was because I simply didn't find Orson Welles to be that engaging a character, certainly no one I'd want to spend as much time with as Hector did. His previous walk-on's were fine but they were limited. Also, the plot seemed to be meander, unlike the crisp plotting of the other Lassiter books, even though I did find the introduction of occultism and Hector's reaction to it fascinating, not to mention the War of the Worlds radio broadcast and ensuing public hysteria. The best analogy I can make is that while not every Matt Helm or Travis McGee or, for that matter, James Bond novel is 5*, they're an excellent read and better than the competition. The bottom line is that if you're a fan, you should read it anyway and if you're not yet a fan, you're better off starting at the beginning of the series rather than jumping in here.I'm looking forward to reading Roll The Credits next.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Thomas Kokenge
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another Home Run for Craig McDonald and a must read for any fan of The Shadow!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    The fourth book in the series has our hero Hector Lassiter in an adventure that spans the late 1930's to the late 40s in an Indiana Jones like adventure that is still very much grounded in the real world. He also is teamed up with his longtime friend Orson Welles of The Shadow and War Of The Worlds radio and several of the greatest movies ever filmed fame. What could possibly go wrong? Like every one of Craig McDonald's novels, be they Hector Lassiter or Zana O'Savin, to go into anymore detail would ruin the fun. Just saying that if you are in the mood for an adult historical adventure/mystery/even pulp novel with lots and lots of references to The Shadow you can't go wrong with "The Great Pretender! And if you like the pulp adventures of Doc Savage, The Shadow and The Avenger your REALLY need to check out Mr. McDonald's Zana O'Savin series where these heroes truly live again, in Hector Lassiter's world no less!
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  • andrew review
    4.0 out of 5 stars Hector and Orson Welles
    Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I love the Hector Lassiter series by Crag McDonald( I've read all but three of the ten in the series). They are a literary cinematic history of the 20th century seen through the eyes of a pulp novelist who crosses paths with some of the great figures in art and literature ( and politics) of that time. They are sexy, violent, well written , pulply literature. This one involves nazis , lost relics, Orson Welles , the movie The Third Man, and Welles' 1938 radio broadcast that panicked the Eastern United States. I agree with the other reviewer that this isn't the best of the bunch but it is a cut above most other crime fiction. Start with Head Games and read this one thereafter.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Marvin Minkler - Modern First Editions
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hector Lassiter Novels Neber Fail to Please
    Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2017
    Format: Paperback
    The Hector Lassiter series of historical crime novels by Craig McDonald is one of the best ones out there. I have never been disappointed and more often than not, surprised and delighted with every plot twist and turn. The Great Pretender continues this trend, and after starting this one in the early evening, it was past midnight when I finally took a break. This is great writing, and what I look for in a pulp/noir novel.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • thesteveesq
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on February 2, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    well done
    Report
  • Kelly Mac
    2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on March 20, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Still trying to get into it without much enthusiasm.
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  • Ben Clibrig
    1.0 out of 5 stars One Star
    Reviewed in Australia on December 10, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The reviews are better written and are nowhere near as irritating as the book.
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