Although John Gardner's new Boysie Oakes novel, "Air Apparent" …, climaxes with gun-running and an attempt to overthrow a government, everything leading up to the principal event is either banal or confused or both. Oakes, a former special agent, scarcely gives any evidence of professional qualification. A dummy air-agency is set up to help Boysie with his work—naturally it has three glamorous secretaries who double as hostesses. But Boysie falls for a beautiful model who works for a mysterious group which may be either for or against Boysie. Confused? So is the story—hardly worth the price.

A review of "Air Apparent," in Best Sellers, Vol. 30, No. 23, March 1, 1971, p. 530.