Scan barcode
kivt's review against another edition
4.0
the caper was really funny, but the pacing wasn’t as good as Bank Shot. the frame also felt more dated. still really enjoyable.
strawbelbadude's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
The first John Dortmander book. A comic crime caper. What would happen if you had to steal the same thing five times (or more)? Hugely entertaining, with double cross after double cross.
pardum's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Perfectly rides the line between farce and a heist book. Very reminiscent in tone of a noir crime novel.
soapythebum's review against another edition
5.0
A delightful crime novel. I forgot how amusing Westlake is and this was a great start to the series I look forward to seeing what further hijinks Dortmunder gets up to in the next book.
zakharov's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
billymac1962's review against another edition
2.0
I'm glad this wasn't the first Westlake I had read.
I gave up more than halfway through because at the point where
the lawyer guy had checked himself into an insane asylum,
the story was just getting stupid. And not really all that funny.
Luckily, this series is just one of the several facets of Westlake's writing styles. I loved [b:The Ax|176811|The Ax|Donald E. Westlake|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344271240s/176811.jpg|170825], and enjoyed the first Parker novel.
This series may appeal to those looking for a very light, care-free read, but it lacked substance for me. Admittedly, I picked this up as a stalling tactic. I've had Storm of Swords hanging over my head and while reading this I was telling myself I should knock it off already and get back to Martin's series. So that's just what I did once this story got too silly.
I gave up more than halfway through because at the point where
Spoiler
the lawyer guy had checked himself into an insane asylum,
the story was just getting stupid. And not really all that funny.
Luckily, this series is just one of the several facets of Westlake's writing styles. I loved [b:The Ax|176811|The Ax|Donald E. Westlake|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344271240s/176811.jpg|170825], and enjoyed the first Parker novel.
This series may appeal to those looking for a very light, care-free read, but it lacked substance for me. Admittedly, I picked this up as a stalling tactic. I've had Storm of Swords hanging over my head and while reading this I was telling myself I should knock it off already and get back to Martin's series. So that's just what I did once this story got too silly.
killstorm's review against another edition
4.0
The first of Westlake's Dortmunder series is a fine quick read about a caper and its complications. Plenty of humor along the way.