THE THIRD IDENTITY

by Rosemary Gatenby ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1979

Earnestly plotted, slightly overwrought suspense--about a man wrongly imprisoned for murder who, along the way to freedom, finds his true identity. Black civil rights leader Elwyn Charleson is slain in Missouri, and Garvin McAllister has been tricked into appearing and attempting to flee near the murder scene while the real lookalike assassin--whose face had briefly appeared on TV--fades away. So Gar is convicted, and later he's visited in prison by reporter Christie Worthing, who pleads for a new trial in print. Her article does no good (it almost gets her killed, in fact), but it's seen by Ned, the brother for whom Gar (adopted as a child) has been searching. Christie and Ned set out to establish Gar's innocence and also the real name and early history of both brothers. Ned raids a courthouse document file, and later, in an elaborate caper, springs Gar from prison. Eventually they will all join to track down the villain--who had a non-political grudge against Charleson--and the brothers will acquire a father and unkink their love lives. . . . Hard-working--but the plot thins at times, with the four-square characters and action not supplying enough color to cover some credulity-straining details. Passable.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1979

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dodd, Mead

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1979

Categories: FICTION