What's the Worst That Could Happen?

Godalmighty, did I love these books as a child. Hilarity abounds -- I still has the world's biggest soft spot for Stan, and every scene in the bar makes me laugh like a dying hyena (the regulars are comedy gold) and I want to cuddle Dortmunder (and May, dear lord, May), but it's pretty thin other than that. Which is fine! Sometimes, you don't want deep and important literature, and when that is the case, a Donald Westlake is never not a good choice.

“He did - He stole from the burglar?”

Never a smart idea. Especially when the burglar is John Dortmunder. Not a good idea at all…

May inherits a lucky ring, which she in turn gives to Dortmunder. Which is subsequently taken from him by a man whose house he attempted to rob when the police arrest him.
“That’s when Dortmunder knew he could no longer play by the rules. He was going to get that ring back. Which meant, he was going to escape.”
“I’m going to get that ring back, Dortmunder swore, a mighty oath, if I have to chew that finger off.”

So, the chase begins! From NYC, to Washington D.C., and then to Las Vegas!

It’s John and Andy for most of the book, the rest of the gang comes in around page 225. And the gang plans to show more rob a Las Vegas casino to create a diversion for John to get his ring back! The crew, or string, grows to twenty! Most of the extra 'help' comes along because they are upset about what happened to Dortmunder! The phrase 'thick as thieves' really comes out in this caper!

A good, fun read! I enjoyed it quite a bit, though I'm a bit saddened that this is my second to last Dortmunder novel. It's bittersweet. But, I can always revisit him! show less

This is one of the best stories I've read in Westlake's series about the world's unluckiest thief, John Dortmunder. For one thing, Dortmunder comes out of it a lot better off than in previous stories. Caught burglarizing the house of billionaire Max Fairbanks, Dortmunder is incensed when Fairbanks steals the "lucky ring" right off of his finger just before the police haul him away. Dortmunder proceeds to rob every house and apartment owned by Fairbanks, and (unlike his usual capers) each break-in results in a great haul of swag for the burglars -- but the ring remains in Fairbanks' possession. The action culminates in a brilliantly-plotted Las Vegas casino robbery.

I love most of Westlake's comic crime novels, with or without Dortmunder, show more but he was really at the top of his game when he wrote this one. show less

Donald E. Westlake's Dortmunder series ranks high on my list of fictional favourites, with a mix of memorable characters and ludicrous situations. "What's the worst that could happen?" is one of the later books in the Dortmunder series and finds our hero John Dortmunder caught in the thieving act and escorted off the premises and into a police car, destination time in the big house.

Of course, if you've read a Dortmunder book you know that nothing goes smoothly but does have moments of high humour as Dortmunder, his partner May (who plays a bigger role here than in many other books in the series), and his array of disreputable associates. Always fun.

Dortmunder is another fine creation of Donald Westlake. He occasionally appears in the Parker stories, but this one is devoted to Dortmunder himself. Things always seem to go wrong and the beginning is no exception. They attempt to burgle a house on Long Island that’s supposed to be empty but it’s a house being used as a trysting place for Fairbanks (pun perhaps?) a thieving executive millionaire and his mistress. He calls the cops and then has the temerity to steal a “lucky” ring off Dortmunder’s finger before he gets hauled off to jail. Dortmunder escapes the police car (a humorous event in itself) and vows to get the ring back and make the guy sorry for his humiliation.

The plot then revolves around Dortmunders show more extraordinary capers to get the ring back. And in the process, they decide to rob a Las Vegas casino. After conducting a little third-rate burglary at the Watergate. A little third-rate burglary at the Watergate?” Andy said, “I already tried that on him, and it didn’t work. John isn’t much of a history buff.”... Herman paused to take a roll of duct tape from inside his tuxedo jacket, tear off a length, and attach it to the edge of the door over the striker to keep it from locking. Spies, political agents, and other amateurs put such tape on a door horizontally, so that it shows on both front and back, and can be noticed by a passing security person. (There is a risk here that anyone under the age of forty will not get this reference at all.)

What makes these books are the little side comments Westlake throws in a social criticism. For example: “On the TV, people covered with blood were being carried to ambulances. Wherever it was, it looked like a real mess. Then, as Dortmunder watched, the people and the ambulances faded away and some candy bars began to dance.” and “The thing is,” Andy explained, “when I feel I need a car, good transportation, something very special, I look for a vehicle with MD plates. This is one place where you can trust doctors. They understand discomfort, and they understand comfort, and they got the money to back up their opinions.” show less

This is the best Dortmunder book so far --- he's actually useful in making a plan, and all of the characters are likeable, and it's much less formulaic than most of the books, AND it's not way too long like Drowned Hopes!

What a breath of fresh air. Dortmunder the thief is a delightfully limited character. I am so glad to have found this series.