Cops and Robbers [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Donald E. Westlake (Author), Dom Alagia (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1997

Meet Tom and Joe. They've got homes on Long Island and a dream: to pull off the perfect heist. Tom and Joe also have badges, uniforms and guns, just like the rest of the New York City police force! These two shining examples of New York's Finest don't care what they steal or how, as long as it comes out to 2 million dollars. But they get involved with the Mob and find out that robbing Wall Street can be very dangerous

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

DONALD E. WESTLAKE has written numerous novels over the past thirty-five years under his own name and pseudonyms, including Richard Stark. Many of his books have been made into movies, including The Hunter, which became the brilliant film noir Point Blank, and the 1999 smash hit Payback. He penned the Hollywood scripts for The Stepfather and The Grifters, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. The winner of three Edgar awards and a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, Donald E. Westlake was presented with The Eye, the Private Eye Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award, at the Shamus Awards. He lives with his wife, Abby Adams, in rural New York State. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Chivers Audio Books (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 079272206X
• ISBN-13: 978-0792722069
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,603,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars really good, May 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Cops and Robbers (Mass Market Paperback)

Involving,full of action,humorous but sad.Absolutely to read

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Comic Caper!, August 19, 2008

By 

James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Cops and Robbers (Mass Market Paperback)

I have been trying to obtain all of Westlake's classic comic capers for a while now, a lot are hard to find, Cops and Robbers is no exception but believe me, it's well worth the time and money. Just in case you are unfamiliar with the term Comic Caper, a lot of Westlake's earlier independent storylines were classified with this title by his fans and the media. These books usually have a main character or two who is basically a nice guy/s but not always the most moral or ethical person. This person usually has a sudden monumental hurdle come their way and to achieve their goal or get their normal life back, has to deal with a range of eccentric characters along the way. The majority of these comic capers are crime capers.

In Cops and Robbers a couple of New York policeman named Tom and Joe have had a rather hard life. Each day they carpool into Manhattan together watching Yuppies in their cars travelling in air conditioned comfort and wonder why life is so unfair. It is during one of these mornings that Joe tells Tom not long ago he walked into a convenience store in his uniform and robbed the place. These two decide that some crimes are justifiable, and decide as cops, due to their access they can pretty much commit any crime they want. They are also fully aware they will go to jail if they are caught so decide to limit themselves to just one crime. And if they are going to commit a crime it better be a big one. What to steal, what to steal? Tom and Joe will come with a grand plan, but to pull it off they're going to have to contact the mafia.

Cops and Robbers has very likeable main characters. Written in 1972 it does show its age at times such as obviously they'd now have mobile phones and things like this, but then again their scheme probably couldn't work in today's modern world anyway. A very enjoyable novel, of Westlake's comic capers I've read so far this is one of my favourites.

If you haven't already done so check out Westlake's other comic capers. The best three at an absolute masterpiece level are, Smoke, The Spy in the Ointment and a New York Dance (also published as Dancing Aztecs). Other comic capers also worth checking out are The Fugitive Pigeon, The Busy Body, God Save the Mark, Who Stole Sassi Manoon?, Help I am Being Held Prisoner, Castle in the Air, Enough and High Adventure.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good guys, bad guys, guys in between...., August 4, 2008

By 

M Elliott "a reader from TX" (NORTH CENTRAL TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

this comic crime caper will make you laugh out loud and chew your fingernails at the same time. I'm convinced Donald E. Westlake is a genius....or at least immensely talented. He creates great characters whose dialogue sounds like real people talking, and his way with a plot is intricate, complex, and fun.

In Cops and Robbers, Joe and Tom are two of New York City's finest and also friends living next to each other on Long Island. It is summer and the city is hot; Joe and Tom, both married with families, are tormented by the city, the people they arrest every day, and the difference between the have and the have nots, especially since they number among the latter. Carpooling into the city together, they begin to fantasize about a scheme which would allow them to escape what they see as the deterioration of New York and the daily grind of their jobs. Soon the fantasy begins to seem not only real but possible, and before they know it they are committed to a plan so outlandish it seems destined to fail. By now your moral compass is compromised; you know Tom and Joe are doing wrong but you really like them and you don't want them caught. This is where the nailbiting comes in; Westlake is a master at creating scenes made up of little ordinary moments that build unbearable suspense. Part A of Tom and Joe's scheme will leave you gasping and puzzled; Part B will make you squirm. Joe and Tom are two wonderfully realized characters, as real as people you know, and you'll miss them when the book ends.

My first exposure to Westlake was God Save the Mark, another look at the ironic side of crime, with a very different but just as affecting "hero." Now I am delightedly making my way through his entire collection. Treat yourselves; join the Westlake readers club. You won't be sorry.