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Title: Lew Archer in his prime
Review: In some ways The Doomsters is a typical Lew Archer thriller: it involves a missing suspected murderer, family strife, and mysterious deaths in the distant past. This time, Archer falls in love and self-interest actually hinders him from being the moral center of the novel. What keeps the pace of the novel flowing is the theme of a man condemned by society and Archer's efforts to prove his innocence. There is also plenty of bloodshed, betrayals, and enough plot twists to keep the conclusion a surprise. In spite of the tragic turn the story takes there is the redemption for Archer who makes up for his own dreadful mistake in the past. It explains a great deal about Archer, his motivation and his maturity which grows in later Ross Macdonald novels.
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