Michael Crichton’s second novel, which he wrote under his pseudonym of John Lange, is a fast-paced thriller that plays on the familiar trope of mistaken identity. This time out an American lawyer, Roger Carr, finds himself mistaken for a high-profile hitman and finds himself stuck between opposing sides in an arms deal which has its climax at the Monaco Gran Prix.

Carr finds himself on the Continent in search of a villa for his client. He’s lucky enough to miss a few attempts on his life, including the destruction of a passenger plane after its landing, and perhaps finds the love of his life.

With Cannes and its film festival as a backdrop, Roger finds himself falling in love with Anne, a local dancer who is beguiling, beautiful and Roger’s equal in every way. Perhaps everything isn’t as bad as it seems with the violence happening around him?

Or maybe it is. There’s a nefarious group which refers to itself as The Associates and is led by Liseau, a doctor who loves the use of a scalpel, and is more than willing to use it to send a message.

Scratch One isn’t quite as drenched in sex as Crichton’s previous novel, it’s still there but marries nicely with the North by Northwest, and Ian Fleming feel of the tale. The story rockets along, and Carr finds himself dealing with the local police, the American consulate and a number of thugs and villains.

But he also finds himself falling hard for Anne as they zip about the countryside in his rented Alfa Romero .

Crichton’s story rockets along, and there are hints of the writer he becomes. He’s detail-oriented and keeps the narrative rolling along, doling out sequences and creating an almost pulp-feeling story that definitely reflects a number of stories and genres that were popular at the time on the screen and on the page.

The climax comes on a little quickly, and there are a couple moments leading up to it that feel a little too neat, especially with the way Liseau treats Carr and Anne, and the revelations revealed around the story, but it’s still a lot of fun.

Honestly, it’s like taking a step back in time reading these early Crichton novels. They are such a reflection of the time, but he does tell his stories really well. It’s a fun story, and I’m getting a huge kick out of these early novels, but am also looking forward to the point when his novels start to include a little more science and become a little more cutting-edge.

Still, John Lange’s stories are a rollicking good read, and enjoyably digested. Let’s see what Crichton does with his next one, 1968’s Easy Go, aka The Last Tomb.