“I’m a robber,” John Dortmunder says, “not a grave robber.” Yet he soon finds himself in a Long Island cemetery with dirt up to his knees. His old friend Andy Kelp is to blame—Andy and the Internet.
For it was while ambling on the Net that Kelp met up with master manipulator Fitzroy Guilderpost and his nefarious companions, the flunked teacher Irwin Gabel and the Las Vegas showgirl Little
Feather Redcorn. What these three have in mind is the takeover of an upstate casino, and what they also envision is that Dortmunder and Kelp will not share in the ill-gotten gains. Shovel in hand,
Dortmunder wonders whose grave this is. If he isn’t careful, it could be his. “Westlake has a genius for comic strategy, and Bad News has a lunatic brilliance worthy of Abbott and
Costello.”—New York Times
“I’m a robber,” John Dortmunder says, “not a grave robber.” Yet he soon finds himself in a Long Island cemetery with dirt up to his knees. His old friend Andy Kelp is to blame—Andy and the Internet.
For it was while ambling on the Net that Kelp met up with master manipulator Fitzroy Guilderpost and his nefarious companions, the flunked teacher Irwin Gabel and the Las Vegas showgirl Little
Feather Redcorn. What these three have in mind is the takeover of an upstate casino, and what they also envision is that Dortmunder and Kelp will not share in the ill-gotten gains. Shovel in hand,
Dortmunder wonders whose grave this is. If he isn’t careful, it could be his. “Westlake has a genius for comic strategy, and Bad News has a lunatic brilliance worthy of Abbott and
Costello.”—New York Times
Editorial Reviews
Editorial Reviews
“Westlake is a card
with characters, and he flashes that talent to terrific effect here.” —New York Times Book Review
“Intricately plotted…Its
crisp writing keeps you moving…A delightful addiction to the long-running
Dortmunder saga.” —USA Today
“Hilarious…When’s the
last time you read a book that made you laugh on every page? If there’s a more wryly
convoluted mind out there than Westlake’s, it has yet to show itself, and it
does make the five-year wait between Dortmunder’s lunatic capers seem
excruciatingly long…The best workout your sense of humor will get this
millennium.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Is any mystery
writer more adept at turning murder into mirth or conjuring more hilarious
hokum than Westlake in his Dortmunder series? I doubt it…[The narrative is]
jumping and joyous.” —Chicago Sunday Sun-Times
“For the whole
package—laughs, imagination, weirdoes in comic action—Bad News is the unqualified champ!” —Toronto Sunday Star
“Superior!…Dortmunder
and friends are back in an exciting caper…The funniest mystery series on the
market today. The story line is amusing and entertaining as John and his team
engage in a battle of wits.” —Midwest Book Review
“Bad News is good news for Westlake’s devoted fans…Vintage Westlake
and vintage Dortmunder—clever, whimsical, charming, and, above all, funny.” —Booklist
“Very good…Westlake
provides us with some hysterical justice system characters. Escapade follows
escapade in rapid succession…This is just the sort of delightful book to take
on a cross-country plane ride, as long as you don’t mind the occasional odd
stare from fellow passengers who are wondering what could possibly be so funny.” —Winston-Salem Journal
“Perhaps the best
Dortmunder novel so far…This latest carries on the Dortmunder tradition and
raises it to new standards.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Petty criminals have
never been so engaging…The central caper is downright ingenious and the various
subplots swirling around the scam showcase Westlake’s wonderful characters and
outrageous sense of humor…Highly recommended.” —Mystery News
“A timeless plot that
combines the best elements of the Three Stooges and a Damon Runyon story. That
should be good enough for anybody looking for a finely oiled…romp through the
graveyards of upper New York State.” —Library Journal
“I’m always glad to
see John Dortmunder and his crew again…It’s a kinder, gentler underworld we visit
when we ride with Donald Westlake.” —Charlotte Observer
“Another welcome addition
to Westlake’s collection of must-read and must-reread books.” —Harrisburg Patriot-News
“[Dortmunder is]
crime’s funniest reoffender…and this is his best adventure yet.” —Globe and Mail (Toronto)
“A classic
Dortmunder!…The latest and perhaps funniest comic novel featuring criminal John
Dortmunder.” —New York Post
“Plenty of hilarity…Donald
Westlake digs up another comic caper.” —BookPage
Donald E. Westlake (1933–2008) wrote dozens of novels under his own name and numerous pseudonyms, including Richard Stark and Alan Marshall. Many of his books have been adapted for film,
most notably The Hunter, which became the 1967 noir Point Blank and the 1999 smash hit Payback.
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