Scan barcode
nigellicus's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
5.0
Trying to plan a heist of a penthouse apartment stuffed full of valuable art, the gang are inconvenienced by the Jersey Mob taking over Rollo's bar and grill.
lprnana6572's review against another edition
5.0
Love Donald Westlake books and this one did not disappoint.
lavinia_speaks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pattydsf's review against another edition
2.0
Westlake really knows how to put together a story. He plots so well that all the pieces of the puzzle always fit at the end. He never ceases to amaze me. I convince myself that there is no way Westlake is going to manage it this time and he still gets everything right. What a lot of fun. Read this on my Kindle.
pattydsf's review
2.0
Westlake really knows how to put together a story. He plots so well that all the pieces of the puzzle always fit at the end. He never ceases to amaze me. I convince myself that there is no way Westlake is going to manage it this time and he still gets everything right. What a lot of fun. Read this on my Kindle.
thefourthvine's review
3.0
In my opinion, this is a standout among the later Dortmunder novels. That doesn't make it nearly as good as the classics - [book:Don't Ask], [book:What's the Worst That Could Happen?] - but it definitely means that this is a fun light read.
Westlake handles the plot much better in Watch Your Back! than in the earlier [book:The Road to Ruin] - here, he's up to his old tricks, knitting several plotlines together so that they are one joyous snarl by the end of the book. He's got the same old characters, and I for one am always happy to spend more time with Dortmunder, Kelp, Tiny, and Murch. He also introduces a new character on the criminal side; I found him interesting enough to want to read more about him. And, of course, Westlake's got his latter-days obsession: the vile, scheming, absolutely unredeemable rich guy target, who is probably the most vivid character in the book.
All in all, the ingredients for Dortmunder heaven are here. What's missing is the - I don't know, verve of the earlier novels. Somehow, this manages to be amusing without ever quite becoming truly funny. Still, I'll settle for amusement. This is worth reading for anyone who has read all the earlier Dortmunder books and loved them.
Westlake handles the plot much better in Watch Your Back! than in the earlier [book:The Road to Ruin] - here, he's up to his old tricks, knitting several plotlines together so that they are one joyous snarl by the end of the book. He's got the same old characters, and I for one am always happy to spend more time with Dortmunder, Kelp, Tiny, and Murch. He also introduces a new character on the criminal side; I found him interesting enough to want to read more about him. And, of course, Westlake's got his latter-days obsession: the vile, scheming, absolutely unredeemable rich guy target, who is probably the most vivid character in the book.
All in all, the ingredients for Dortmunder heaven are here. What's missing is the - I don't know, verve of the earlier novels. Somehow, this manages to be amusing without ever quite becoming truly funny. Still, I'll settle for amusement. This is worth reading for anyone who has read all the earlier Dortmunder books and loved them.
More...