However, being caught redhanded is inevitable in do. In the hot rock, one of westlakes most popular books, dortmunder and his band of misfit felons steal a priceless diamond. My mother, lillian, maiden name bounds, mothers maiden name fitzgerald, was all. Donald e westlake thieves rich people humorous stories detective and mystery stories corporationscorrupt practices automobile theft criminals dortmunder fictitious character infobuy. He was one of the great crime writers of the last half of the 20th century, particularly for his comic crime novels.
I kept having to remind myself that what was happening could be possible since they wouldnt have many of the technologies we have now. The stories and books are all great, but the quality of the films varies widely, from. Its been five years since weve heard from donald westlake s creation, but while hes been away, dortmunder hasnt lost any of his zip, whether evading police inside a sams clublike megastore to planning the burglary of a mansion guarded with the latest hightech security measures. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Variously know as tucker coe, curt clark, samuel holt, timothy j. The hot rock is the first in a series about john archibald dortmunder written back in 1970, this is something that i had to keep reminding myself while reading, as it is also set in the time frame it is. However, being caught redhanded is inevitable in dortmunder s next production, when a tv producer convinces this thief and his merry gang to do a reality show that captures their next score. May 29, 2018 westlake worked in comedy as much as in hardboiled fiction, and parkers comic counterpart, john dortmunder, has his own serious fan base. He was a writer, known for the grifters 1990, payback. When john dortmunder sets out to rob a bank, he shelve bank shot. But theres much more to westlake s oeuvre than parker and dortmunder. Westlakes determined bad guy john dortmunder still have. John dortmunder is a master criminal in new york city.
Parker, a hardboiled criminal and john dortmunder, a fun flipside of parker are a couple of famous characters who feature in most of his novels. Books by donald e westlake authors like donald e westlake. Writing under 17 pseudonyms as well as his own name, donald westlake began his writing career in his teens in the. The first of the dortmunder books, and the funniest novel westlake had yet written.
Westlake was born on july 12, 1933 in brooklyn, new york, usa as donald edwin edmund westlake. In an odd twist for the dortmunder novels, the gang is asked to be part of a reality television series. Excerpt from character profile by kevin burton smith, the thrilling detective web site donald westlake is the king of the comic caper novel any argument. Westlakes classic caper novels, 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 attention. John archibald dortmunder is a fictional character created by donald e. Westlake published nearly one hundred books, including two longrunning series starring the hardhitting parker and the hapless john dortmunder. The doleful john dortmunder and his band of merry men make their last comic foray into the world of crime in this delightful story, the last of donald westlakes more than 100 novels before he passed. He was a writer, known for the grifters 1990, payback 1999 and the stepfather 2009. I was born donald edwin westlake on july 12th, 1933 in brooklyn, new york. The crime genre has indeed proved to be fertile ground for westlake. While this is one of my favorite dortmunder books so far, i write this with a bit of sadness given donald e. Dortmunder fictitious character up to 20 books are listed, in descending order of popularity.
Westlake has written numerous novels over the past thirtyfive years under his own name and pseudonyms, including richard stark. John archibald dortmunder is a fictional character created by donald westlake, and who is the protagonist of 14 comic novels and 11 short stories published between 1970 and 2009. See the complete dortmunder series book list in order, box sets or omnibus. But theres much more to westlakes oeuvre than parker and dortmunder. Get real brings back john dortmunder, the mastermind of a gang of.
Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Westlakes books in order of publication and in chronological order. Being born in the year 1933, westlake died in the year 2008 at the age of 75 after writing hundreds of novels. Donald edwin westlake july 12, 1933 december 31, 2008 was an american writer, with. Over the course of half a century, westlake produced in the neighborhood of 100 novels for a list, go to. Best known for his mystery novels including the dortmunder series, he also wrote screenplays, including the script for the grifters which was nominated for an academy award for best screenplay. Westlakes bestselling audiobooks and newest titles. The hot rock is the first in a series about john archibald dortmunder written back in 1970, this is something that i had to keep reminding myself while reading, as it is also set in the time frame it is written in. John dortmunder is the leader of a burglary gang, hired by the ambassador of an african nation to steal a disputed emerald of at least as much symbolic importance as monetary value from a rival african nation while said emerald is in the u. Excerpt from character profile by kevin burton smith, the thrilling detective web site donald westlake is the king of the comic. He first appeared in the novel the hot rock, published in 1970. Books about dortmunder fictitious character what should i. He was married to abigail adams, sandra foley and nedra henderson.
Westlake originally intended the hot rock to feature his character parker and to publish it under his richard stark pseudonym. Westlake is no longer with us and likely this was the last of his books. Donald edwin westlake was a noteworthy american author of the science fiction and crime genre. The series consists of 14 novels, with the final one get real published in 2009. Morgan cunningham, judson jack carmichael whats with all the j names. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers, with an occasional foray into science fiction and other genres. Aug 23, 2009 books capers donald westlake dortmunder get real mystery reading rereads written word elisabeth moss is a terrifying shirley jackson in the first trailer for shirley, released june 5 all the new. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the hot rock. Westlake worked in comedy as much as in hardboiled fiction, and parkers comic counterpart, john dortmunder, has his own serious fan base. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while. Under an english heaven, regarding the unlikely 1967 anguillan revolution, and a biography of elizabeth taylor.
The hot rock 1970 the first of the dortmunder books, and the. But if parker has had soso luck on screen, dortmundertrue, lets be clear, to his own fatalistic formhas fared worse. John dortmunder created by donald westlake 19332008. With the getaway car, we get our first glimpse of another side of westlake the writer.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you. Most of donald westlakes novels are set in new york city. Donald westlake is the king of the comic caper novel any argument. Westlake 1986, hardcover 5 out of 5 stars 1 product rating 1 product ratings the dortmunder. Being born in the year 1933, westlake died in the year 2008 at the age of 75 after writing hundreds of novels and nonfiction books. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read good behavior. The doleful john dortmunder and his band of merry men make their last comic foray into the world of crime in this delightful story, the last of donald westlake s more than 100 novels before he passed away in 2008 at the age of 75. He has written dozens of novels over the past thirtyfive years, under his own name and a rainbow of pseudonyms. Donald westlake was born july 12, 1933, and died on the last day of 2008. Several novels of westlake have been adapted into motion pictures. The characters name comes from a neon sign that westlake saw that read dab which was for a beer called dortmunder actien bier. It is mentioned in more than one book that he was abandoned at birth and raised in an orphanage in the fictional town of dead indian, illinois, run.
Westlake s classic caper novels, 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 attention. The characters name comes from a neon sign that westlake saw that read dab. Discover more authors youll love listening to on audible. A dortmunder novel book one the dortmunder novels 1. Westlake stars a thief who has a lot of bad luck named john dortmunder. Donald edwin westlake 19332008 was an american author of numerous bestselling novels and nonfiction books under his own name and many pseudonyms. A dortmunder novel book one the dortmunder novels 1 kindle edition by westlake, donald e download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Its been five years since weve heard from donald westlakes creation, but while hes.
John dortmunder is the leader of a burglary gang, hired by the ambassador of an african nation to steal a disputed emerald. Westlake originally intended the hot rock to feature his character parker and to publish it under his. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read bank shot. A sly wit surfaced repeatedly throughout the long literary career of donald e westlake, who has died aged 75 from an apparent heart attack. His series include dortmunder, parker, grofield, mitchell tobin and others. Get real brings back john dortmunder, the mastermind of a gang of runyonesque crooks who have now blundered their way through 14. Then, just as the con man his name is dortmunder, and he eventually occupied more than a dozen of westlakes capercomedies awaits delivery of another 10dollar bill to his wallet, he hears. Air force he began his writing career with the mercenaries in 1960. Westlake, and who is the protagonist of 14 novels and 11 short stories published between 1970 and 2009. Below is a list of donald westlakes dortmunder books in order of when they were originally released also their chronology. Westlake, creator of john dortmunder, the most clever and. Westlakes final novel, his blundering criminal crew hits.
Westlake fans will welcome the return, after a fiveyear hiatus, of luckless burglar john dortmunder and his gang of lowlifes from the back room of the o. Westlake includes books the hot rock, bank shot, jimmy the kid, and several more. Donald edwin westlake 1933 2008 welcome and thanks for visiting the official website of crime novelist and mwa grand master donald e. Westlake has penned a number of famous characters with lively characteristics. Westlake also known as richard stark, this series is about john dortmunder, a master criminal in new. In each of the dortmunder novels, there is typically a detailed foray somewhere through the city. The complete series list for john dortmunder donald e. The dortmunder series began in 1970 with the aforementioned novel the hot rock.
The dortmunder books arent science fiction, though the experience of rereading them all together is a very science fictional one. John archibald dortmunder is the thief whose shelve the hot rock. Just great i particularly like dont ask because i actually learned a number of new facts about new york. Westlake, creator of john dortmunder, the most clever and least lucky thief in crime fiction, and, writing as richard stark, the hardboiled heist master parker. Thats what i want, an action hero with something wrong with him. See the complete dortmunder series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. Donald edwin westlake july 12, 1933 december 31, 2008 was an american writer, with more than a hundred novels and nonfiction books to his credit. However, the plot involves a precious gem that is stolen, lost, reacquired, stolen again, lost again, which seemed too comic a situat. The first installment the hot rock was adapted into a feature film that performed extremely well. In the hot rock, one of westlakes most popular books, dortmunder and his band of misfit felons steal a priceless diamond for the leader of an african country and then lose it, a cycle which repeats itself throughout the novel as dortmunder and crew are forced to resteal the diamond from a variety of increasingly bizarre. He died on december 31, 2008 in san tancho, mexico. Welcome and thanks for visiting the official website of crime novelist and mwa grand master donald e.
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