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justjoel's review against another edition
3.0
Dated, but Still Funny
Second Dortmunder caper was no less amusing than the first. If you like screwball comedy and clueless cops, you could do a lot worse than this series.
Second Dortmunder caper was no less amusing than the first. If you like screwball comedy and clueless cops, you could do a lot worse than this series.
carrie562's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
Very entertaining return of the longsuffering Dortmunder and his wacky gang. Fun to be immersed in the 1970s world of these novels. A new character, Herman X, adds a bit of diversity to the cast. Not quite as good as The Hot Rock, but plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Murch’s mom is a particular highlight.
rwarner's review against another edition
3.0
Pleasant and humorous read. Stretches credibility often, characters are stereotypical caricatures, and the plot has some gaps, but it moves along at a good pace and is a fun read. Sometimes crime pays.
usbsticky's review against another edition
2.0
Book #1 was ok so I decided to try book #2 in the series. But the writing is just too dated. Earlier I had said that book #1 was unsophisticated but representative of its time when everything was simpler, whether robbing banks, heists or even heist books.
But after getting through 47% I decided to dnf it. The return value for time spent reading just isn't there. The guileless writing just wasn't enjoyable and I had to force myself to read it. The characters were simple, there were too many of them, each was just a cardboard cutout there to move the story along.
After the repetitive repetition of the novelty of stealing the entire bank faded, there was nothing there. I will not be continuing the series.
But after getting through 47% I decided to dnf it. The return value for time spent reading just isn't there. The guileless writing just wasn't enjoyable and I had to force myself to read it. The characters were simple, there were too many of them, each was just a cardboard cutout there to move the story along.
After the repetitive repetition of the novelty of stealing the entire bank faded, there was nothing there. I will not be continuing the series.
bundy23's review against another edition
3.0
Mildly amusing bank robbery caper that I think I'd have preferred if it had a darker edge.
benfiretag's review against another edition
4.0
A Dortmunder caper where the crew steals the bank. A local bank is rebuilding their headquarters and has put a mobile office across the street in an empty lot to service their customers. The wheels and axles have been removed and the temporary building set on blocks. Once a week they get the payroll and have extra guards. The question is how the gang can steal the bank and then leisurely break into the vault. Of course, nothing goes right for the gang, or for the police. Hilarity and irony take the day.
falconfeast's review against another edition
4.0
It's a well written comedy. There is nothing special about this but still it's entertaining. You won't get bored while reading this
Definitely worth reading multiple times
Definitely worth reading multiple times
koki_siringo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
wordboydave's review against another edition
5.0
A perfect crime caper novel. If he had written nothing else but this and "The Hot Rock," Donald Westlake would deserve to be a legend.