This is the least good Dortmunder novel in the series so far. The characters are getting stale --- Rollo always describes people by what they drink, Murch only talks about what routes he drives, etc --- but it's fun enough. A problem with so many books with a "twist" is that they try to subtly point out to you that there will be a twist, without explicitly saying what. But there is only ever one possible twist, and so knowing there will be one is sufficient to learn what it is. Jimmy the Kid falls to this problem, which makes the third act predictable and rather boring. All in all, it's a fine read, but I wouldn't have picked it up if it were a standalone novel. ( )

kidnapping goes wrong

"Jimmy the Kid" was my entree to the world of John Dortmunder and his cohort of thieves in New York. Dortmunder has been funnier than here but full points for Westlake's pisstake of his own pseudonymously published novel "Child Heist".

Dortmunder's gang decide to follow the plot of "Child Heist" and kidnap a kid for ransom. Of course, in "Child Heist" everything goes right for the gang but sadly not so in "Jimmy the Kid".

NB: I saw the film "Jimmy the Kid" starring Garry Coleman" many years ago and I can't remember it following the book's plot too closely. ( )

Fun, and funny! It's a book within a book, and a movie of it all too!

Basically, Westlake gives us a Dortmunder and gang book called "Jimmy the Kid" that follows along another "book" by Richard Stark (wink,wink!) titled, "Child Heist" which features Parker! Kelp wants to use "Child Heist" as a blueprint for their next "job", but of course, the Dortmunder gang has an entirely different experience than the Parker gang! Loved the double layer of this story, great humor, and fun ending too! Definitely a treat to have the Westlake/Stark worlds collide! ( )

3.5***

John Dortmunder is at it again. Talked into a “perfect” kidnapping plot by his “friend” and previous cohort, Andy Kelp, he tries everything to pull of the big caper that is certain to make the gang a fortune. Recently, while a guest of the county for possessing burglar tools, Kelp came across an interesting mystery story in the prison library. Child Heist by Richard Stark outlines a perfect crime – the kid is unharmed, and the kidnappers get away scot free. All the details are there, they just have to follow them in real life! What could possibly go wrong?

A lot.

I love Westlake’s writing, and particularly enjoy the comic capers of John Dortmunder and his gang of inept accomplices. Of course they’ll pick a kid who is smarter than all of them put together. Jimmy’s resourcefulness and superior intelligence serve him (and the gang) well. The cops are as hapless and unlucky as the gang.

As I was reading, I kept thinking what a fun movie this would make. Obviously not an original idea – it’s been adapted THREE times: in Italy (1976), in the US (1982 – starring Gary Coleman!), and in Germany (1998). ( )