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sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
Very sad to have read what will probably be the last of the Dortmunder series.
lgpiper's review against another edition
3.0
Back in the dark ages, before we could afford things like a TV, my spouse and I read a lot, often reading to each other. We became quite fond of Westlake's books about the burglar, John Dortmunder. That was long ago. But, my spouse finally got to the "Ws" in her dogged determination to read all the "Mystery" books in our local library in alphabetical order according to author. As a result, she came home with a Dortmunder book. It caused me to reflect on the "good old days", which then led to my determination to revisit Dortmunder myself. It turns out my library had only one available in kindle edition. So I snagged it.
Reading this book involved a bit of cognitive dissonance for me. My earlier forays into the Dortmunder books were before the days of cell phones, computers and the internet. So, suddenly, we have them all here. Not only that, but reality TV has become all the rage. I never imagined anything so stupid as reality TV back in my youth. The closest we got was Dick Clark's American Bandstand, and I was suspicious of that.
Anyway, Dortmunder and his pals are enticed into becoming involved in taping a reality TV program showing them planning and executing a burglary. They, of course, aren't that stupid, so decide to do a pretend burglary of the properties of the production company, all the while being pretty certain that they can find something else in the production company's building worth a lot more. So, in essence, their involvement helps them case the joint, so to speak.
So, we have lots of absurd goings on, both within Dortmunder's "gang" and within the reality show production company. All good fun.
Reading this book involved a bit of cognitive dissonance for me. My earlier forays into the Dortmunder books were before the days of cell phones, computers and the internet. So, suddenly, we have them all here. Not only that, but reality TV has become all the rage. I never imagined anything so stupid as reality TV back in my youth. The closest we got was Dick Clark's American Bandstand, and I was suspicious of that.
Anyway, Dortmunder and his pals are enticed into becoming involved in taping a reality TV program showing them planning and executing a burglary. They, of course, aren't that stupid, so decide to do a pretend burglary of the properties of the production company, all the while being pretty certain that they can find something else in the production company's building worth a lot more. So, in essence, their involvement helps them case the joint, so to speak.
So, we have lots of absurd goings on, both within Dortmunder's "gang" and within the reality show production company. All good fun.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
4.0
‘The rest of your future starts right here.’
"Dortmunder did not like to stand around on street corners. A slope-shouldered, glum-looking individual in clothing that hadn't been designed by anybody, he knew what he looked like when he stood for a while in one place on a street corner, and what he looked like was a person loitering with intent."
John Dortmunder, New York thief, finally has something to smile about. A television producer, Doug Fairkeep, has convinced him and his gang of thieves to star in a reality television show. This show is to be about their next heist, and the pay being offered is extremely good. Very tempting. Except, perhaps, for the small issue of how to avoid being caught red-handed, especially with a camera tracking every move. Dortmunder has a cunning plan: can the gang execute it?
This is humorous, escapist fiction. As Doug Fairkeep says: ‘reality shows do not solve society's problems. They don't even consider society's problems. Reality is escapist entertainment at its most pure and mindless.’ We know that, or do we?
‘In the world of reality, we don’t have surprises.’
This is the 14th (and last) in a series of Dortmunder novels that started way back in 1970. Donald Westlake was a prolific author who died at the end of 2008. This is my first Dortmunder novel and I’ll be looking to read the earlier novels. I really don’t know how (or why) I’ve not come across these novels before.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
"Dortmunder did not like to stand around on street corners. A slope-shouldered, glum-looking individual in clothing that hadn't been designed by anybody, he knew what he looked like when he stood for a while in one place on a street corner, and what he looked like was a person loitering with intent."
John Dortmunder, New York thief, finally has something to smile about. A television producer, Doug Fairkeep, has convinced him and his gang of thieves to star in a reality television show. This show is to be about their next heist, and the pay being offered is extremely good. Very tempting. Except, perhaps, for the small issue of how to avoid being caught red-handed, especially with a camera tracking every move. Dortmunder has a cunning plan: can the gang execute it?
This is humorous, escapist fiction. As Doug Fairkeep says: ‘reality shows do not solve society's problems. They don't even consider society's problems. Reality is escapist entertainment at its most pure and mindless.’ We know that, or do we?
‘In the world of reality, we don’t have surprises.’
This is the 14th (and last) in a series of Dortmunder novels that started way back in 1970. Donald Westlake was a prolific author who died at the end of 2008. This is my first Dortmunder novel and I’ll be looking to read the earlier novels. I really don’t know how (or why) I’ve not come across these novels before.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
tommyro's review against another edition
3.0
The last Dortmunder. It is as brilliant and entertaining as all the ones that came before. John and his crew are missed.
reverenddave's review against another edition
3.0
Not a classic, but I'll take any previously overlooked late-era Dortmunder I can get my hands on. Story seemed to end rather abruptly.
psteve's review against another edition
3.0
The last Dortmunder novel is fun reading, though not among the best (see Why Me). In this caper, the gang gets involved with some TV producers who want to do a reality tv show about them planning and carrying off a heist. The tension between the tv types and thieves is fun, as is the way the gang gets seduced by TV. A few laughs, and they will be sorely missed, but as I say not among the best.
angelicr's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite Dortmunder, but it's always a good time when the whole gang is together.
rosseroo's review
4.0
As a fan of crime fiction and heist films I'd always been aware of the Dortmunder series, but had never sampled one until this final installment. It's a very fun, light crime caper featuring an amiable cast of New York crooks, and I can definitely see the appeal of going back to the earlier books to get to know them better. Here, the gang comes together when a reality TV producer meets one and suggests a reality show based on their exploits. This is basically a humorous romp that allows the author to satirize reality TV shows (which is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel), and showcase the gang's formidable talents as thieves and con men (and for all the satire, I would totally watch a reality show that revolved around burglars). There's not really much to the story, as the gang plays along with the TV folks to mask their true target, and various complications ensue. Aside from the clever scheming, the book's main appeal is the gang members' clever banter and snappy dialogue. This was actually the first book I've ever read on my smartphone, and I have to say, it's very well suited to that kind of "short burst" reading. I will definitely be going back to read the series from the start.
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