The Way to Dusty Death by Alistair MacLean

This is another one of my old favourites and it has been a very long time since I last read it. It is strange how you can remember some things from the past readings, while other bits seem totally new. This novel sticks in my mind as it is different from the usual war themes that many of the books run along. Therefore, the few different ones are good to read like When Eight Bells Toll and Caravan to Vaccares, which I still have to read.
This story is about a world champion racer Jonny Harlow’s downward spiral as it starts with a horrific crash he is involved in during a grand prix. It seems to shatter his nerve and he becomes more of a loner and secret drinker. But before long you find out that this is an elaborate charade with some deeper game and that Johnny is anything but a drunken has-been race driver. The owner of his team is worried but is it just because of Johnny’s decline? His daughter is in love with Johnny but an accident caused by his car has crippled her. His son who worshiped Johnny now hates his guts and wants to have revenge for his sister’s lameness. Does Johnny have any friends except maybe the journalist?
Something stinks in the race world and particularly in the Coronado team. Johnny has to find out what is happening and his motive is the accidents that have killed his brother, his best friend and also crippled the love of his life. So who are involved in the wrong doings happening within this team? After most of the accidents the chief mechanic states that there was nothing wrong with Johnny’s car and that maybe it was driver issue rather than machine fault. The only way Johnny can find out what is happening is by driving the transporter across Europe and persuades the owner to let him drive it. The description of that drive is hair-raising and cements the readers belief that nothing is really wrong with Johnny’s nerves or his driving. There are 2 other race drivers who appear friendly with the chief mechanic, so what is their involvement in the dastardly plot?
The tighter the situation and the better the hero gets. There is something about the heroes of Alistair MacLean books, they are larger than life and can cope with anything thrown at them. Again this type of character usually feels too good to be true but then one thinks that just because I have never met anyone like that does not mean someone like that does not exist. Some other authors have penned similar heroes of books who rise above all the violence and the pain and evil in which they find themselves so that the good and justice prevails. Maybe I am just an optimist or a fantasist who believes in happy endings and about good overcoming the evil. No matter what, this is yet another classic MacLean book that keeps you reading.