Tangled Web UK Review February 2008
What's So Funny by
Donald E. Westlake
hbk out December 07
Published by Quercus
at £12.99
OK, I can't resist it, so let's get it out of the way. What's so funny? Only another Dortmunder story from the pen of Donald Westlake. Born in 1933, Westlake reckons he learned about the comedy of life situations when he discovered he had been born to Irish parentage on Orangeman's Day. It could have been enough to make him as dour and pessimistic as John Dortmunder, but it didn't. In a long and successful career, he has reaped three Edgars, used many pseudonyms, had many novels turned into films – Point Blank, Hot Rock, Bank Shot to name a notable few – and written original screenplays. One of his most enduring creations is the career criminal and planner, John Dortmunder, who began life in the story Hot Rock as Westlake's other creation, the hard-boiled Parker. But as the story became more and more comic, Dortmunder was born, allegedly named after a neon beer sign.
On his way to meet his friends and fellow criminals at the OJ Bar and Grill, Dortmunder is waylaid by Johnny Eppick, ex-cop turned PI. Eppick has the goods on JD concerning another heist, so JD is forced to work for Eppick. He is introduced to an ancient relic of a man in a wheel-chair called Hemlow. Hemlow tells him a story about the end of the First World War and a valuable chess set. Hemlow's father, along with other American soldiers found this forgotten chess set in Russia. It had been intended as a gift for the Tsar, but he was now dead, and no one in the Soviet Government knew of its existence. The soldiers under the leadership of Sergeant Northwood smuggled the set back to the US, intending to share the spoils. But Northwood disappeared with it, and all the soldiers lost out. Now Hemlow wants the chess set back. However, it is the basis of the wealth of a now rich and powerful family. It is hidden in a bank vault while the family bicker over who is to inherit it. JD reluctantly works out a plan to steal the chess set, helped by his friends.
All Westlake's regular characters are here, including Dortmunder's long-suffering girlfriend May, and the gang he hangs out with. We have eternally optimistic Andy Kelp, driver Stan Murch, not so gentle giant Tiny Bulcher, and new boy Judson Blint. Though the chess set caper seems impossible, it is not as crazy as Stan's idea to steal a 12 foot high golden dome due to top off a mosque in Manhattan. We know JD will find a way, and entertain us hugely en route. Yes, they're all criminals, but the caper is all in a good cause, and its only snobby, rich folk being deprived of a possession that was stolen in the first place. No moral dilemmas here then. Witty, and madcap, it is a classic piece of Westlake, and to paraphrase a question from Dortmunder himself – 'Quid lucrum istic mihi est?' (What's in it for me?) – the answer is a hugely entertaining frolic of a comedy caper.
(
Ian Morson
Author of Falconer books and short listed for 1999 Ellis Peters Historical Crime Dagger)
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