Thomas, who died in l995, never received the same recognition as contemporaries such as Robert B. Parker, John D. MacDonald or Ross Macdonald, but was as good, if not better, than most of them - and I am taking into account an admirer's recent eulogy of Ross Macdonald in this paper. The present volume shows Thomas's lighter side, wherein one Edd Partain, ex-soldier and penurious member of VOMIT (Victims of Military Intelligence Treachery) is being sought by two ruthless army officers with mayhem on their minds. Seems some years before $1 million of CIA money went missing down in El Salvador during an aborted and bloody mission, and Edd just happens to be one of the survivors. The result is a kind of lightweight Catch-22, with Edd, like Yossarian, having to jump rather precipitously in order to keep one step ahead of the vengeance seekers. Blackly funny, Ah, Treachery! will keep you laughing, but if you want to find the true essence of Thomas's art, seek out his The Fourth Durango, Briarpatch and especially Twilight at Mac's Place. V.B.