The Road to Ruin

There are a lot of writers out there that I enjoy, but there are a limited few who I consider extra special. Getting a new book from one of these writers is a special treat, and since such treats are limited, I need to space them out over time so as not to use them up to quickly. Donald Westlake is such a writer, and the latest treat of his that I've read is The Road to Ruin. The Road to Ruin is the eleventh novel featuring hard-luck thief John Dortmunder. Dortmunder is a gifted "planner": he's the one who can come up with the plans for the great caper. Unfortunately, no matter how great his scheme, fate always seems to conspire against him. In this novel, the target is Monroe Hall, a Ken Lay-ish sort of scheming billionaire who has avoided conviction but lives in solitude in a New Jersey mansion. Hall has ruined many with his sly bookkeeping, and now he needs to stay out of the public eye. It's even hard for him to keep household staff. Hall has a collection of valuable cars that is the target of Dortmunder and his gang. Since security is air-tight, Dortmunder decides the way to get in is to become employees. Andy Kelp becomes a private secretary, hulking Tiny Bulcher becomes a security guard and Stan Murch becomes a chauffeur. Dortmunder is the new butler. Everything works brilliantly. They've got the jobs, they have access to the cars, a place to stash them and a way of getting cash for them. There's just one problem.... Hall has ruined many people and some of those people want revenge. Mac, Buddy and Ace are some blue collar employees who were laid off when Hall's company went under; Mark and Os are investors who lost a lot of money when the stock collapsed. They team up with the intent of kidnapping Hall and forcing him to transfer money out of his "secret" off-shore accounts. But unlike Dortmunder and his crew, these folks are strictly amateurs. They do eventually develop a plan of their own, but the execution of their plan will create havoc with Dortmunder's own plot. Westlake's Dortmunder books are always a delight, and this book is no exception. Although crime rarely pays in these books, Westlake is hardly moralizing. Actually, if there is a moral to a Dortmunder story, it's a rather cynical one: you can work hard and plan well and still, something can come out of nowhere and louse things up. But that's probably reading too much into Westlake's intent; this book should be strictly read for the great entertainment it provides. The Road to Ruin is a fun and funny read.

Easy read. Great characters. Goofy,fun plots. Have enjoyed all of the Westlake books I have read and look forward to the next one.

With so many characters whose lives intertwine in surprising ways, these Dortmunder books always involve a hopeful caper, with zaniness ensuing. I wish they were turned into movies on a par with Oceans Eleven and Italian Job. This story fell a little short in a way i can't explain without ruining the end and i may have given it only 4 1/2 stars, but i love the core characters, their quirks, interactions with Rolo, details on driving routes. Can't wait to start the next one.

I'm sorry, this book just doesn't measure up to classic Westlake. Understand, I'm a huge fan of DW - there's one book of his out there, a nonfiction work, that I haven't read. I LOVE Dortmunder. But, this book fell flat. It felt like it was supposed to be much longer. The character development was limited. Plot was thin, frankly. There were some interesting elements, but they just fizzled. One character came in guns blazing, but never interacted with the gang, and was caught with his guns holstered-what was the point? I waited for Dortmunder to rev up and take control of the situation. Unfortunately, it never happened. Read Drowned Hopes or What's the Worst That Could Happen? to see Dortmunder in his prime. This book made me wonder if DW was okay. Is he ill? This book feels like he might be.

The gates of success may never swing wide The efforts we labor may pass in the tide But pride in one’s work, take heed Will always prove a most rewarding deed. Can the gang live on what might have happened?

Murphy's Law firmly in place. A really well planned heist that couldn't have gone more wrong. A delightful read and highly recommended.

This series is my relaxer - it makes me laugh, shake my head in wonder, and just enjoy reading. Need more writers like this.

Everyone hates the man who cheated them out of their savings. Three different groups are out to get him. Will anyone of them succeed? Funny crime story in the Dortmunder series.

as described

The Dortmunder books are a delight (I've read 9 of the 14) with a familiar and interesting set of characters reappearing like old friends to tackle an imaginatively wacky crime caper. This time the gang tries to steal a collection of vintage cars from a crooked millionaire, but at the same time there are 2 other groups of victims of the millionaire out to get revenge in their own crooked ways. The joy of these books is in the conversational and other interplay between the characters; also fun is that the heists rarely go smoothly and to plan, so Dortmunder's gang often has to deal with the unexpected. In this book, however, I felt there was too much time spent on the other characters instead of Dortmunder's gang, who never seemed to really get going with their own plan. But overall it was still a great read, full of Westlake's trademark humour and fertile imagination.

This one was slow to start. Half way through I still didn't much care what was going on. Also, there were no high speed chases. The cover art is a lie. And there were a lot of characters who were not liked (or liked) by other characters, but I couldn't tell why from their actions (eg the fence, Munroe Hall at the beginning). But, it was still a fun ride! Lots of humour and interesting things going on. Though, did they really need to go through all that when trailers and flatbed trucks can just waltz in through the gate without trouble?

a great Dortmunder book