High Adventure
by Donald E. Westlake
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Description
Kirby Galway may be a low-level marijuana smuggler in Belize, but the man has a dream-to make lots and lots of money. So when a local official offers him a back-jungle tract of land he swears would make a perfect cattle ranch, Kirby jumps at the opportunity. Unfortunately, he lands himself in a swamp-that he now owns. Kirby begins selling homemade "artifacts" from his property to American museums and witless tourists, even building a fake ancient temple and recruiting a tribe of Mayan show more Indians who know a good scam when they see one. But his cash-cow paradise soon attracts the attention of two snooping New York reporters, a beautiful archaeologist from UCLA, and a troop of Guatemalan guerillas just itching to shoot somebody. Kirby is going to have to talk fast, move faster, and pull out every dirty trick he knows if he's going to get out of this alive . . . show lessTags
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Member Reviews
One of Westlake's lesser releases, "High Adventure" covers the hijinks of a Belize-based smuggler. While some readers would compare this to an Indiana Jones adventure, I just wished that Westlake would spend his time writing more Dortmunder books.
A stand-alone comedic novel with a strong romance subplot from Westlake. A smuggler, an archeologist, artifact forgers, corrupt local politicians, and marijuana (thus the "high" adventure), all played for laughs in inimitable Westlake style.
overlapping conspiracies surrounding Mayan antiquities in Belize
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Author Information
270+ Works 28,013 Members
Author Donald E. Westlake was born in Brooklyn, New York on July 12, 1933. He attended colleges in New York, but did not graduate. He wrote more than 100 novels and 5 screenplays throughout his lifetime. He also wrote under numerous pseudonyms including Richard Stark, Tucker Coe, and Samuel Holt. Almost 20 of his novels were adapted into films and show more he created the television series, The Father Dowling Mysteries. He is a three-time winner of the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America and was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay for The Grifters. He was also named a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master in 1993. He died of a heart attack on December 31, 2008 at the age of 75. (Bowker Author Biography) Donald E. Westlake has won three Edgar Awards & was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for "The Grifters". He lives in upstate New York. (Publisher Provided) show less
Common Knowledge
- Important places
- Belize; Belizean jungle; Belmopan, Belize; Guatemala
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 123
- Popularity
- 266,652
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.71)
- Languages
- English, French
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 9
- ASINs
- 3
