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Something in the Air (John Putnam Thatcher, Bk 20)
Something in the Air - John Putnam Thatcher, Bk 20 Author:Emma Lathen In this, his twentieth appearance in an Emma Lathen mystery, John Putnam Thatcher, now an executive vice-president of the Sloan Guaranty Trust, must help apprehend the culprit who is committing sabotage (and worse) on a small commuter airline. — The management of Boston-based Sparrow Flyways, one of the few remaining successes of deregulati... more »on, wants to expand and offer coast-to-coast service. To finance the move, they are looking for backing and so have approached the Sloan. On the face of it Sparrow appears to be a pretty solid investment. Under the guidance of Mitch Scovil, president and founder; Sparrow works on a unique incentive program. As the charismatic Scovil explains at orientation seminars, "...We don't have unions. All of us are management," which is why each employee, when he is hired, buys ten shares in the company.
But at this moment of stress, it looks as though the enlightened concept may be about to cause problems. Many of the employee/stockholders are not happy about going transcontinental and are in a position to oppose the move. Scovil and his staff are aware of the discontent but unwilling to respond to it, and things are becoming tense. Not nearly so bad as they become, however, when a Sparrow pilot, well known for his outspoken position opposing the expansion, is found in Boston Harbor with his head bashed in...
What follows is vintage Emma Lathen, as John Putnam Thatcher, whom The New York Times has referred to as "Nero Wolfe with portfolio," weaves his laconic but incisive way through the maze of mergers and murders.« less