Stage an elaborate robbery for a cause that has a smidgeon of virtue about it. But, oops, someone got there first. So gather your gang in the backroom of a friendly bar and plan another robbery more elaborate than the first, and then another until something works. That is the gimmick in The Hot Rock by Donald E. Westlake. The novel, which turns 53 this year, is an iconic caper story. Its gang of would-be burglars includes a cab driver who brags that he can drive anything, an optimistic con man and pool shark, and a cracksman who knows when a clock can be picked and when something more explosive is needed. The gang is led by John Dortmunder, a hard-bitten ex-con. There is some unintended nostalgia--phone booths and door-to-door salesmen, for example. But it still elicited quite a few chortles.
It was adapted to the screen by William Goldman of Princess Bride fame, but it was not as much fun as it should have been. Robert Redford was badly miscast as Dortmunder, who should have been played by a more deadpan actor. ( )

The Hot Rock by Donald E. Westlake is the first book that features John Dortmunder the thief whose capers never quite come off as planned. In this one he and his friends have been hired by a diplomat from one African nation to steal a huge emerald currently on display in the United States from a different African Nation. What follows is a series of heists as the emerald comes in and out of their hands.

Although Dortmunder has the brains and a talent for thievery luck seems to always go against him and in this instance he and his gang find themselves having to acquire the emerald numerous times as well as orchestrate an escape from prison and a kidnapping from a mental hospital. The book is full of setbacks, betrayals and just plain bad luck but it is also full of humor and characters that are fun to read about.

In Hot Rock the author creates a series of hilarious but mostly believable situations that Dortmunder must navigate and we, the readers, are awarded with a light and very enjoyable read. ( )

My first Westbrook and the first book in his Dortmunder Series is an imaginative and fun read. The idea came first of an emerald that won’t stay stolen, then Dortmunder was created to live it out. Love heist scenarios pulled off by smart people and the structure of this allows for several well-crafted heists. The central question of why would they keep trying after repeated bouts of bad luck was handled with deft character work and humor. If this were ignored or glossed over with a “because it’s there” trope, I would have become irritated and either quit reading or finished the book with a chip on my shoulder and a grudge. Truly funny, the humor does not detract from the action. Actually adds to the momentum of the goings on which builds heist upon heist until a nice twisty conclusion. The gimmick of having to steal the same emerald again and again never feels like a gimmick. Each time their situation falls apart, it’s funny and a surprise. Liked this enough to leap right into another Westlake GOD SAVE THE MARK—a stand alone non-series entry that had it’s own gimmick I felt was a little forced. Still good but it made me appreciate THE HOT ROCK even more. ( )

Fast-moving, entertaining crime novel/comedy. These five dudes try to steal an emerald from one African country to give it back to another African country. The only trouble is, something always goes wrong.

There is a sequel; it's on my Goodreads list. ( )

I really enjoyed this introduction of the Dortmunder character. Fast, fun read. Quirky characters. Not in the least predictable. ( )