Critics' Opinion:
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Published in USA
Apr 2007
368 pages
Genre: Mysteries
Publication Information
In his classic caper novels, Donald E. Westlake turns the world of crime and criminals upside down. The bad get better, the good slide a bit, and Lord help anyone caught between a thief named John Dortmunder and the current object of his intentions. Now Westlake's seasoned but often scoreless crook must take on an impossible crime, one he doesn't want and doesn't believe in. But a little blackmail goes a long way in... What's So Funny? All it takes is a few underhanded moves by a tough ex-cop named Eppick to pull Dortmunder into a game he never wanted to play. With no choice, he musters his always-game gang and they set out on a perilous treasure hunt for a long-lost gold and jewel-studded chess set once intended as a birthday gift for the last Romanov czar, which unfortunately reached Russia after that party was over.
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"Not every loose end may be tied up, but the ironic resolution will leave both series fans and newcomers satisfied." - PW.
"Starred Review. The neocons haven't been right about much lately, but Kristol just may be on to something this time." - Booklist.
"More characters than at Agincourt, each with a wicked way with a punch line, and a plot twist that lands this firmly in Westlake's own screwball territory" - Kirkus.
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Donald E. Westlake wrote over a 100 novels and nonfiction works over
thirty-five years under his own name and many pseudonyms, including Richard
Stark and Alan Marshall. Many of his books have been made into movies,
including The Hunter, which became Point Blank, and
the 1999 smash hit Payback. He penned the Hollywood scripts for The
Stepfather and The Grifters, which was nominated for an Academy Award
for Best Screenplay. The winner of three Edgar awards and a Mystery Writers of
America Grand Master, Donald E. Westlake was presented with The Eye, the Private
Eye Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award, at the Shamus Awards.
He died of a heart attack in December 2008. He is survived by his wife,
Abby Adams, and seven adult children.
A timely novel that explores the human capacity for resiliency and compassion.
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