Books

Books : reviews

Donald E. Westlake.
Smoke.
Mysterious Press / Warner. 1995

Donald E. Westlake.
The Hot Rock.
Mysterious Press. 1970

John Dortmunder left prison with the warm words of the warden ringing in his ears and not one chance of going straight. Soon Dortmunder was riding in a stolen Cadillac with venetian blinds, reuniting with old friends and scheming to heist a large emerald belonging to a small African nation. As always, his planning is meticulous. As always, the execution is not. Undaunted, Dortmunder is now chasing the gem by plane, train, and automobile. Because this hot rock has a way of getting stolen—not just once, but again and again and again…

Donald E. Westlake.
Don't Ask.
Mysterious Press / Warner. 1993

Donald E. Westlake.
What's the Worst That Could Happen?.
Warner. 1996

Donald E. Westlake.
Trust Me on This.
Mysterious Press / Warner. 1988

rating : 4 : passes the time
review : 15 July 2001

It's Sara Joslyn's first day as a reporter at the sleazoid Weekly Galaxy, and on her way to the office, she discovers a murder. A story! But when she gets to work, no one, especially not her cynical editor, is remotely interested -- the corpse wasn't anyone famous, were they? Gradually she gets sucked into her new life as a scum-of-the-earth reporter, and almost forgets the murder. Almost.

This is fun for its view of the internal workings of the dire Weekly Galaxy, its revolting proprietor, its underhand practices, and its bizarre office layout. The Hundred Year Old Twins, the Star's Wedding, the Body in the Box, all feature in the team's desperate race to get the most trivial of headline-grabbing stories, by any means possible, to ensure their continued well-salaried employment. Oh, and there's a murder mystery, too. Occasionally.

Donald E. Westlake.
Baby, Would I Lie?.
Mysterious Press / Warner. 1994