Donald edwin westlake was an american writer, with more than a hundred novels and non. Westlake donald edwin westlake july 12, 1933 december 31, 2008 was an american writer, with over a hundred novels and nonfiction books to his credit. Air force he began his writing career with the mercenaries in 1960. Donald e westlake thieves rich people humorous stories detective and mystery stories corporationscorrupt practices automobile theft criminals dortmunder fictitious character infobuy. The first novel in the series, the hot rock was originally intended to be a parker novel. Donald edwin westlake was a noteworthy american author of the science fiction and crime genre. John dortmunder is a character featured in a series of novels by american novelist donald e. 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. Westlake used the pen name richard stark for this novel. He was married to abigail adams, sandra foley and nedra henderson.
Westlake 19332008 was one of the most prolific and talented authors of american crime fiction. 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. 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 places, including a museum, an insane asylum and a new york city. Westlake was born on july 12, 1933 in brooklyn, new york, usa as donald edwin edmund westlake. John archibald dortmunder is the thief whose shelve the hot rock. John archibald dortmunder is a fictional character created by donald e. John dortmunder is a master criminal in new york city. 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. 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.
Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. The first installment in the dortmunder book series, by author donald e. 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. Although the crime and science fiction genres were his specialty. A dortmunder mystery the dortmunder novels book 8 kindle edition by donald e. Donald westlake is the king of the comic caper novel any argument. Books by donald e westlake authors like donald e westlake. Westlake s determined bad guy john dortmunder still have a while to wait.
He began his career in the late 1950s, churning out novels for pulp housesoften writing as many as four novels a year under various pseudonymsbut soon began publishing under his own name. Westlakes books in order of publication and in chronological order. Jul 31, 2015 an old cellmate asks dortmunder for help robbing a reservoir. If you make every previous book absolutely necessary for the comprehension of the next, eventually attrition of readers will whittle away your. Writing under 17 pseudonyms as well as his own name, donald westlake began his writing career in his teens in the. Many of his books have been made into movies, including the hunter, which became the brilliant film noir point blank, and the 1999 smash hit payback. See all 5 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. He was a writer, known for the grifters 1990, payback 1999 and parker 20. In previous books in the series, we have seen dortmunder stealing jewels and paintings and banks yes, stealing a bank, not robbing it, but never before has he had to steal a dead indian. 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. 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. 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. Donald edwin westlake wurde 1933 als spross einer irischstammigen familie in new.
Born in brooklyn, he died in san tancho, mexico, on 31 december, 2008. Westlake are a rollicking treat that combine fastmoving suspense with laughoutloud wit. He died on december 31, 2008 in san tancho, mexico. 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. Westlake published nearly one hundred books, including two longrunning series starring the hardhitting parker and the hapless john dortmunder. When john dortmunder sets out to rob a bank, he shelve bank shot. Donald edwin westlake 1933 2008 welcome and thanks for visiting the official website of crime novelist and mwa grand master donald e. Westlake originally intended the hot rock to feature his character parker and to publish it under his. Westlake has made a career interspersing wonderful dortmunder novels with various substandard other books. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers, with an occasional foray into science fiction and other genres. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. He has written dozens of novels over the past thirtyfive years, under his own name and a rainbow of pseudonyms. The first of the dortmunder books, and the funniest novel westlake had yet written. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read good behavior.
He began his career in the late 1950s, churning out novels for pulp housesoften writing as many as four novels a year under various pseudonyms such as richard stark but soon began publishing under his own name. 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. His series include dortmunder, parker, grofield, mitchell tobin and others. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read jimmy the kid. They meant it to be for good, but after twentythree years the prisons are too crowded for seventyyearold bank robbers, and so they let the old man go. Westlake includes books the hot rock, bank shot, jimmy the kid, and several more. Westlake 1989, paperback, reprint at the best online prices at ebay. 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.
Tenn and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The thing about dortmunder is that hes a genius, a certifiable criminal mastermind. This hugely satisfying novel features a hapless thief, john dortmunder, whose wonderful. The first installment the hot rock was adapted into a feature film that performed extremely well. Dortmunder s escape and a few botched rectifying thefts occur before the lugubrious conman conceives an elaborately devious. The complete series list for john dortmunder donald e.
Westlake donald edwin westlake 19332008 was an american author of numerous bestselling novels and nonfiction books under his own name and many pseudonyms. The hunter is a genuine crime thriller revolving around the life of the fictional character named parker. Westlake has written numerous novels over the past thirtyfive years under his own name and pseudonyms, including richard stark. It involves dortmunder and his usual associates as they try to steal a set of antique cars. Perfect for fans of carl hiaasen or lawrence blocks bernie rhodenbarr series, the dortmunder novels by new york timesbestselling and multiple edgar awardwinning author donald e. An old cellmate asks dortmunder for help robbing a reservoir.
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. American john archibald dortmunder is a fictional character created by donald e. See the complete dortmunder series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. He came up with dillinger in the 1930s, and pulled a lot of highprofile jobs before the state put him away. Westlake stars a thief who has a lot of bad luck named john dortmunder. However, being caught redhanded is inevitable in do. But theres much more to westlake s oeuvre than parker and dortmunder. Bear in mind that the series started in 1970 and was always set in the present so dortmunder was moreorless the same age in 2000 that he was in 1970, so if things like the absence of cell phones bother you you may want to stick with the more recent offerings. In any long series of books, you need to have more than one volume to bring in fresh readers. Just great i particularly like dont ask because i actually learned a number of new facts about new york. With the getaway car, we get our first glimpse of another side of westlake the writer. Westlake, and who is the protagonist of 14 novels and 11 short stories published between 1970 and 2009. The following is a description of the first couple of books written by westlake.
Many of his books have been made into movies, including the hunter, which became point blank, and the 1999 smash hit payback. The first crime thriller written by donald westlake was the hunter which he wrote in the year 1962. Donald edwin westlake july 12, 1933 december 31, 2008 was an american writer, with over a hundred novels and nonfiction books to his credit. Those first westlake books zipped by so quickly that i wasnt even aware i was reading them until they were over. Dortmunder s plan fails at the last minute, leaving the bone under coast guard custody on governors island, half the gang in the deas hands and dortmunder in a dungeon watched over by the frankensteinlike dr. He first appeared in the novel the hot rock, published in 1970. Thats what i want, an action hero with something wrong with him. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Discover more authors youll love listening to on audible. Westlake july 1986 part one the following story first appeared in the asbury park press, july 27,1986. Road to ruin is another hit for the dortmunder genre. Westlake s bestselling audiobooks and newest titles.
A dortmunder novel book one the dortmunder novels 1 ebook. Westlake wrote over a 100 novels and nonfiction works over thirtyfive years under his own name and many pseudonyms, including richard stark and alan marshall. If get real is the first dortmunder novel you will read, dont feel like youve arrived too late. As with all of donald westlakes novels about dortmunder and his cohorts, just hang on because it is going to be a strange and funny ride. 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. Order of dortmunder books john dortmunder is a character featured in a series of novels by american novelist donald e. Like parker, dortmunder is a career criminal, although he is a nonviolent criminal who prefers to plan out elaborate schemes, which of course never work out exactly the way he plans. Why me dortmunder paperback march 1, 1985 by donald e. It was based on two phone interviews i did with westlake from his nyc home earlier that month, shortly after the release of his dortmunder novel good behavior. The characters name comes from a neon sign that westlake saw that read dab which was for a beer called dortmunder actien bier.
Whats bad news for john dortmunder, the talented but unlucky thief, is good news for mystery readers. The road to ruin the dortmunder novels book 11 ebook. Buy jimmy the kid the dortmunder novels by donald e. He began his career in the late 1950s, churning out novels for pulp housesoften writing as many as four novels a year under various pseudonyms such. The character appears in eleven stories and fourteen novels, and made his first appearance in the hot rock which was published in the year 1970. Westlakes bestselling audiobooks and newest titles. 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.