Rating: 
Summary: More twists and turns...
Review: Dortmunder is at it again. And this one has more twists and turns than you'd expect even from a Dortmunder book. This isn't my favorite Dortmunder caper (I think I would still vote for the original Hot Rock as my favorite), but an entertaining read, providing some laugh-out-loud sequences.
Rating:
Summary: More twists and turns...
Review: Dortmunder is at it again. And this one has more twists and turns than you'd expect even from a Dortmunder book. This isn't my favorite Dortmunder caper (I think I would still vote for the original Hot Rock as my favorite), but an entertaining read, providing some laugh-out-loud sequences.
Rating: 
Summary: Dem Bones, Dem Bones
Review: Dortmunder's back and, judging by the opening chapter, his luck still hasn't changed for the better - thank goodness. If it's possible, the predicaments he gets into are even more outlandish and are described even more vividly by Westlake.The genius of the Dortmunder books is the brilliant simplicity of the plans that can't fail, followed by their inevitable failure, usually through a most unexpected foul-up. This timeout, Dortmunder is asked by regular scary man Tiny Bulcher to help recover a holy relic for his cousin's homeland. It just happens that the relic is the femur of an obscure saint, somehow important to the country being granted entry into the United Nations. As the title suggests...don't ask. Once again, Dortmunder devises an ingeniously simple plan to recover the relic from the embassy of a neighbouring country. Once again his plan works perfectly - almost. Once again he must devise an even more brilliant plan which takes more risks and leaves him open to even greater failure. Hilariously, the boys from the Continental Detective Agency make another ill-fated appearance. This mob would have to be the unluckiest group of blokes in New York. They continue to be the only people who consistently come off second best to Dortmunder and his crew. This is the eighth book in the Dortmunder series and carries on the tradition in fine style. As a reader who has read the previous seven, the sly references to incidents that occurred in earlier books gave the feeling of being a part of the team, reminiscing about past glories. For a very humorous and enjoyable caper, this is an extremely worthwhile read.
Rating: 
Summary: Looney Tunes
Review: For those who are not familiar with the main character of this book and series, John Dortmunder, he is an absent-minded genius burgler. Like others in this series, Dortmunder goes to commit a burglary, it gets bungled and Dortmunder, with his incredible genius, not only gets the burglary right, but a whole lot more. The humor in the book is hilarious in some areas, cumbersome in others (there are conversations by the regulars in a saloon that are always on the hilarious side). I find some of Dortmunder's sidekicks to be cartoon-like characters. Unfortunately for this novel, the cartooning goes beyond the characters and into the very thread of the mystery/thriller. Dortmunder and his crew have to swipe the femur from an obscure saint so that one even more obscure fourth world nation can get into the UN rather than another. The engineering of Dortmunder's revenge against those who mucked up his original burglery is ingenious and makes the book. This is fine airplane or beach reading. You won't be a better person for reading it, but you will have some laughs. Depending on your sense of humor, you may have many laughs.
Rating:
Summary: Looney Tunes
Review: For those who are not familiar with the main character of this book and series, John Dortmunder, he is an absent-minded genius burgler. Like others in this series, Dortmunder goes to commit a burglary, it gets bungled and Dortmunder, with his incredible genius, not only gets the burglary right, but a whole lot more. The humor in the book is hilarious in some areas, cumbersome in others (there are conversations by the regulars in a saloon that are always on the hilarious side). I find some of Dortmunder's sidekicks to be cartoon-like characters. Unfortunately for this novel, the cartooning goes beyond the characters and into the very thread of the mystery/thriller. Dortmunder and his crew have to swipe the femur from an obscure saint so that one even more obscure fourth world nation can get into the UN rather than another. The engineering of Dortmunder's revenge against those who mucked up his original burglery is ingenious and makes the book. This is fine airplane or beach reading. You won't be a better person for reading it, but you will have some laughs. Depending on your sense of humor, you may have many laughs.
Rating:
Summary: Quid Lucrum Istic Mihi Est?
Review: Humor me while I tell you about this crime comedy. "What's In It For Me?" is the motto that Dortmunder claims from his family crest until someone reminds him that he was brought up as an orphan at the Bleeding Heart Sisters of Eternal Misery in Dead Indian, Illinois. He finally admits, "I stole it." That sums up Dortmunder's approach to life, and is the theme of this story. Caught in a tug-of-war, two newly formed Eastern European countries, Tsergovia and Votskojek, are fighting for one seat in the United Nations. A Catholic Archbishop has been selected to determine who shall gain the seat. Both countries assume that he will be swayed by who has the authentic relic of Saint Ferghana Karanovich (1200?-1217), repentant daughter of a family of murdering and robbing innkeepers. The relic is one of her femurs, a remnant of some unpleasant family eating habits. In the hands of Votskojek, Tsergovia has challenged its authenticity. Tests are being conducted in New York. Tsergovia knows that Votskojek has the real thing, and needs to find a way to grab the bone. Like two children pulling on a wish bone at Thanksgiving, only one will get their wish. Dortmunder and his usual cronies (Andy Kelp, Stan Murch, Murch's Mom, and Tiny Bulcher) are engaged in pursuing this activity for Tsergovia by Tiny's cousin, Grijk Krugnk (and if you can say that correctly, you are the only one who can other than Dortmunder). Although Tsergovia has no money, a New York bank unwittingly loans Tsergovia funds that Grijk Krugnk can use to hire Dortmunder and his crew. Who will get the seat? Who will get the bone? Is the bone genuine? Those are but a few of the questions this zany novel will answer for you. To me, the best Dortmunder novels have brilliant plans, really weird complications, and lots of jokes along the way. Don't Ask abounds in all three dimensions. I thought the humor was the best of any book I have read in the series. There is the obligatory nonsense among the regular patrons at the OJ Bar & Grill on Amsterdam Avenue, where Dortmunder likes to hold his meetings in the back room. They begin by discussing why the Indy 500 is called that. One regular asserts, "It's because . . . they run it on Independence Day." Another argues that Independence Day is not the Fourth of July, "This Fourth of July is the fourth of July!" "The reason they call the Indy the Indy is because they named it in honor the guy in Raiders of the Lost Ark." And on it goes! A second source of humor is about the difficulties that the Eastern Europeans have in pronouncing English words and the American have in pronouncing Eastern European words. After this book, Tiny may become "Diny" for you. A third source of humor is the book's main theme, the absurd seriousness with which sovereign nations are treated . . . even if there is almost no substance to them. J.C. Taylor provides the coup de grace on this subject in the book's final chapter. You'll enjoy it. A fourth source of humor concerns rotten fish. Look for this near the beginning and the end of the book. A fifth source of humor is found in the allusions to international espionage. And there are many more including corporate buccaneers, two-timing husbands, and situations in which appearances can be misleading. I particularly liked the way that the earlier books in the series were referenced in ways to make the humor more vivid. Although you will understand the story without having read those books, these references are wonderful. Does Murphy's Law really exist? Yes, but Murphy must have stolen it from Dortmunder. Whenever anything goes wrong, I'm tempted to cite Dortmunder's Law instead: Anything funny that can go wrong will!! After you finish this book, think about some situation you have faced where things did not work out well. Can you see the humor in it now? Would you have found the situation better at the time if you could have seen the humor then? If so, be sure to practice laughing at your circumstances. It's the best medicine.
Rating:
Summary: Quid Lucrum Istic Mihi Est?
Review: Humor me while I tell you about this crime comedy. "What's In It For Me?" is the motto that Dortmunder claims from his family crest until someone reminds him that he was brought up as an orphan at the Bleeding Heart Sisters of Eternal Misery in Dead Indian, Illinois. He finally admits, "I stole it." That sums up Dortmunder's approach to life, and is the theme of this story. Caught in a tug-of-war, two newly formed Eastern European countries, Tsergovia and Votskojek, are fighting for one seat in the United Nations. A Catholic Archbishop has been selected to determine who shall gain the seat. Both countries assume that he will be swayed by who has the authentic relic of Saint Ferghana Karanovich (1200?-1217), repentant daughter of a family of murdering and robbing innkeepers. The relic is one of her femurs, a remnant of some unpleasant family eating habits. In the hands of Votskojek, Tsergovia has challenged its authenticity. Tests are being conducted in New York. Tsergovia knows that Votskojek has the real thing, and needs to find a way to grab the bone. Like two children pulling on a wish bone at Thanksgiving, only one will get their wish. Dortmunder and his usual cronies (Andy Kelp, Stan Murch, Murch's Mom, and Tiny Bulcher) are engaged in pursuing this activity for Tsergovia by Tiny's cousin, Grijk Krugnk (and if you can say that correctly, you are the only one who can other than Dortmunder). Although Tsergovia has no money, a New York bank unwittingly loans Tsergovia funds that Grijk Krugnk can use to hire Dortmunder and his crew. Who will get the seat? Who will get the bone? Is the bone genuine? Those are but a few of the questions this zany novel will answer for you. To me, the best Dortmunder novels have brilliant plans, really weird complications, and lots of jokes along the way. Don't Ask abounds in all three dimensions. I thought the humor was the best of any book I have read in the series. There is the obligatory nonsense among the regular patrons at the OJ Bar & Grill on Amsterdam Avenue, where Dortmunder likes to hold his meetings in the back room. They begin by discussing why the Indy 500 is called that. One regular asserts, "It's because . . . they run it on Independence Day." Another argues that Independence Day is not the Fourth of July, "This Fourth of July is the fourth of July!" "The reason they call the Indy the Indy is because they named it in honor the guy in Raiders of the Lost Ark." And on it goes! A second source of humor is about the difficulties that the Eastern Europeans have in pronouncing English words and the American have in pronouncing Eastern European words. After this book, Tiny may become "Diny" for you. A third source of humor is the book's main theme, the absurd seriousness with which sovereign nations are treated . . . even if there is almost no substance to them. J.C. Taylor provides the coup de grace on this subject in the book's final chapter. You'll enjoy it. A fourth source of humor concerns rotten fish. Look for this near the beginning and the end of the book. A fifth source of humor is found in the allusions to international espionage. And there are many more including corporate buccaneers, two-timing husbands, and situations in which appearances can be misleading. I particularly liked the way that the earlier books in the series were referenced in ways to make the humor more vivid. Although you will understand the story without having read those books, these references are wonderful. Does Murphy's Law really exist? Yes, but Murphy must have stolen it from Dortmunder. Whenever anything goes wrong, I'm tempted to cite Dortmunder's Law instead: Anything funny that can go wrong will!! After you finish this book, think about some situation you have faced where things did not work out well. Can you see the humor in it now? Would you have found the situation better at the time if you could have seen the humor then? If so, be sure to practice laughing at your circumstances. It's the best medicine.
Rating:
Summary: Great remedy for a hangover
Review: I had been rather disappointed with my latest spate of Donald Westlake purchases. I was even thinking about giving up on this peculiar favorite of mine (ever since college, 20 years ago) when I made the mistake of stealing my girlfriend's rum after she started a fight with me, and got miserably drunk playing Unreal Tournament, better than I had for a while in fact, against all female bots.
The next morning, I could barely move my head, and my sweetheart trying to make up with me caused such shooting pains down my whole spinal column that I instantly forgave her on the condition that she be a little more quiet. Unable to walk without feeling like a door had just been slammed on my forehead, I dimmed the lights and picked up "Don't Ask," and hunkered down for another spell of uneventful, but not too painful reading.
I found the second half of the novel to be so hilarious that it took me back to the same thrill I used to get in reading "I Gave at the Office," "Adios Scheherezade," "A Fly in the Ointment," and of course "The Hot Rock." It made me laugh so much that I had to stop reading several times because the pain brought tears to my eyes.
So once again Westlake has, at least for a little while, managed to arrive at a frank and open humor at how dumb us humans can be, and do it like no one else I know of, save perhaps the late Hunter Thompson (Committed suicide today, God rest his soul), but with subtlety and tact. This novel makes fun and light entertainment, and easy reading. Once again, I say I would put this on the back of my potty anyday.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best in the series
Review: I would put this book right up there with Drowned Hopes and WTWTCH? as the cream of the Dortmunder crop. The first chapter alone is worth the price of admission; aside from serving as an excellent introduction to the characters and setting the stage for what's to come (in more ways than one), it is a wonderful piece of writing and a comedic tour de force. You might think the rest of the book couldn't possibly live up to the lofty standard set by Chapter 1, but it does, and then some. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best in the series
Review: I would put this book right up there with Drowned Hopes and WTWTCH? as the cream of the Dortmunder crop. The first chapter alone is worth the price of admission; aside from serving as an excellent introduction to the characters and setting the stage for what's to come (in more ways than one), it is a wonderful piece of writing and a comedic tour de force. You might think the rest of the book couldn't possibly live up to the lofty standard set by Chapter 1, but it does, and then some. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that I can't recommend this book highly enough.
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