European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 15, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Book review Thorp s detective thriller traces la cocaine Trade by Steve Brewer associated press Roderick Thorp the Tough talking author of the detective is on the publicity Mil once again pushing his Al Rel mystery novel in 20 years. And though his latest Rainbow drive Summit books $18.95has t vet become a classic in s grabbing the attention of crime renders throughout lha Nalion. Crime  drug trafficking hat been the form a private investigator s main interest for years. After he Myverl to los Angeles a decade Ign he wrote a 21-p.irl series on cocaine trafficking for the ios angelas Hershl examiner tracing How cocaine gels from the Andes to the nostrils of i he   he Learned about the drug Trade and the los Angeles police department eventually wound up in Jln Bow drive which tells about Maverick c Mike Gallagher s investigation of five murders and flow in uncovers political corruption drug  and even while slavery 7his Blok is .1 real Surprise Thorp said you Don t know who these a Guys Are because some of these characters Are concealing their real identity from Mike and from the Reader thai s because for a Long Lime they concealed their identities from me. I had no idea who they were. Then one Day t called a buddy of mine i run a lot of ideas past him. I said what Iff and he said of course Vou know you re onto something when you get chilis All Over. This thing gave me a lot of those. A lot of pleasure  the detective was Thorp s third and most successful novel. It became an International Best seller and was made into a movie starring Frank Sinatra. Yet the author wailed 20 years before venturing again into the crime genre i did not want to be categorized he said Between Biles of egg and Rye Toast at a Hollywood hotel Coffee shop. I did not want to suffer the Fate of so Many of the Guys who have come along since. Time and time again a Guy has come along and written one breakthrough Besl seller and another one and a  Rainbow author of the detect v6,f Roderick Thorp teen a piercing look it dope Zetlen and the land. By the fourth or fifth Book people Are saying he s repeating himself what i did t want of do and Haven t done is repeat  Thorp so a written nine novels ranging from nothing lasts forever a thriller about terrorists to West let a novel set mostly in 19lh Century new York to Lenny and Barnum a Tate about n love affair Between circus founder . Barnum and swedish Singer Jenny Lind. Despite his years in los Angeles Thorp still Speaks with the rapid accent of his native new York Bobbing his Bald head and punctuating sentences with profanities. He s not shy about his opinions on drug dealers they do it because they Don t want to work. They re stupid and greedy. Thai s Why they Are  on government intelligence units they could t catch a spy with a Butterfly  on the hotel where he was staying at Summit books expense this is the most expensive hotel in the world. Nine Dolors for a  of coff Thyl i would t spend the Devil s Money like  on ii i. And in Lus Angeles nobody famous or powerful Ever goes to jail. You can think from now until the end of your life and you la never come up with .1 single  on compromising you want to be a popular novelist Ihen you have to make compromises with yourself about your material. If you want to be popular at the Cost of All other things when James Lavelt says whirlwind is the Besl he can do i believe him. That s what happens to  Thorp who taught College literature and creative writing for five years said his students were astounded by his work habits. He rarely uses outlines and most of his writing is scribbled on a clipboard while he flicks his television from Channel to Channel. When i m near the end of a Book for the last six weeks it s animal Lime he said. I be Laid in the Frozen dinners in the Freezer. I have built my Neil. As Long As the cat s alive i know the air is Safe. I just go until i m  besides the publicity tour that has taken him to Detroit Washington Denver and san Francisco Thorp has visited new York four times this year publicizing Rainbow drive and researching his next Book. 11 will be about new York s immigrant populations built around the summer s statue of Liberty Celebration. Since i m from new York and i be never really written thai novel the editor said in s time/1 said it s Money and he said right " Thorp said. Eli stir i note Kjin Bow drive if on order of stats to