5/21/2023 0 Comments Brooch mockupThen there's the deceptively simple challenge of getting across town with a ham sandwich in which is secreted a stolen emerald brooch, or the synchronized scrapes of crooks converging on a bashed-in bank in "Fugue for Felons." The short-story form is well suited to Westlake's sly shenanigans, and he even finds room for snippets of the Runyonesque repartee that gives this inspired nonsense just the right touch of absurd panache. Each gambit is filled with engaging twists, such as when the gang tunnels into a bank vault only to find it packed with hostages from an armed robbery already in progress, or when they start a stampede while attempting to boost a stud racehorse. The swift succession of heists, getaways, scrapes, and screwups gathered in Thieves' Dozen epitomizes the venal joys of the comic caper. Featuring Westlake's hapless hero John Dortmunder, this original compilation of short stories ties in to the author's latest Dortmunder hardcover, "The Road to Ruin."From BooklistAll the usual Westlake suspects are back in another fine mess, or in this case in a delightful collection of 11 Dortmunder stories.
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