Customer Reviews

The Road to Ruin (Dortmunder Novels)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Over many years the world's most pessimistic thief has been hilariously unlucky, occasionally successful but always entertaining as he has put together some imaginative heists. I'm talking about John Dortmunder, creation of Donald Westlake, who first appeared back in 1970 in THE HOT ROCK and is back in the 11th book in the series, THE ROAD TO RUIN.

In this outing John Dortmunder and his crew targets Monroe Hall's classic car collection. Monroe Hall is a pariah. He has recently been caught robbing his own company blind and is now in seclusion within his sprawling compound with his wife, security guards and various collections that include cuckoo clocks, chess sets, rare books and music boxes. In fact, the man collects just about everything. The only thing he seems unable to collect is servants who don't want anything to do with him - after all, he's a pariah.

So, as I mentioned, there's a classic car collection just begging to be stolen. The main problem confronting Dortmunder is the electric fence that stands between him and the cars. This problem is closely followed by the problem posed by the security guards manning the front gates. But Dortmunder is an ideas man, problem solving is his specialty and once again he comes up with a novel solution to their entry problem. So the heist is a goer - nothing can possibly go wrong.

Unknown to Dortmunder and his crew is a fly in their ointment that is sure to spoil their carefully thought out heist. Monroe Hall is such a rotter that he has made enemies up, down and sideways all waiting their chance to try to wring some of the money he took back out of him. They're faced with much the same problem as Dortmunder, namely getting to Hall. You see, he's such a pariah (do you get the idea that he's a pariah yet?) that he never leaves his compound making it difficult for the waiting ex-business partners and union workers to get to him. So while Dortmunder is executing his plan, these other blokes, better described as blundering fools actually, are making their own devious plans.

Naturally, the opposing plans are destined to come crashing together which is sure to cause all manner of uproar, mayhem and general hilarity. From book to book, the general premise hasn't changed in the Dortmunder series, that is, a can't-miss caper is planned down to the last detail only to be upset by some unforeseen circumstance. The pleasure in the books lies in Donald Westlake's uncanny ability to deliver off-beat characters, scathingly brilliant comedic dialogue, cleverly devised crimes and imaginative solutions to his problems.

Although this book comes late in the series, it can be enjoyed without having to read any of the earlier books, although the earlier books will obviously give you more of a familiarisation with the characters who make up Dortmunder's gang. So if it's a light-hearted crime book you're after where the criminal is the good guy, this book will meet your needs.

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.

Donald E. Westlake has made a career interspersing wonderful Dortmunder novels with various substandard other books. Road to Ruin is another hit for the Dortmunder genre. It involves Dortmunder and his usual associates as they try to steal a set of antique cars. As usual Westlake involves various other characters as they approach the climax from other directions. The laugh quotient is high as it normally is with novels of the series. And you always know that although they are crooks Dortmunder and his cronies don't really want to hurt anyone. Road To Ruin eclipses the last two Dortmunder novels (What's the Worst that Could Happen, and Bad News) primarily because the secondary characters are a great improvement. This particular adventure is very close to the best novels of the Dortmunder series (specifically The Hot Rock, Nobody's Perfect and Drowned Hopes). For this reviewer it would be ideal if Westlake spent the rest of his life writing only Dortmunder novels.

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.

I have enjoyed several of the Dortmunder books. This is just barely a Dortmunder book. Dortmunder is in it, but not much. If you know the Dortmunder gang, you might find some humor in the first half of the book. Otherwise, there are way too many new characters to make it interesting. When I finished the book, I felt cheated. My guess is that a young editor didn't feel confident enough to say to the money-making author: This is at best a first draft of the first two-thirds of a Dortmunder story that needs more Dortmunder.

I would like you to do something for me. It will only take a few hours, and you'll enjoy every minute of it. It is a relatively simple task. Just read Donald Westlake's new novel THE ROAD TO RUIN and then read any two or three of his previous works. THE ROAD TO RUIN is part of Westlake's John Dortmunder mythos, but you don't have to limit yourself to that fine series. If you want to dip into one of his crime novels or stand-alone comic crime novels for the purpose of this exercise, that's fine. After you've done this, please get back to me and tell me if there is anyone else who writes more prolifically and with such consistency.

Westlake does it all. His storytelling ability compels you to keep reading. His plotting is first rate. His writing style ... how does a guy simultaneously entertain and challenge the reader? The only time you'll set this book down is if you need to reach for the dictionary. Westlake doesn't just work with language --- he loves it. And it shows. He is also fond of adding little details, flourishes, touches to what is going on in his work. In THE ROAD TO RUIN, one of those little touches is a partner's desk. Within a few words, he describes perfectly why one rarely sees a partner's desk these days. The guy is a marvel.

I could prattle on all day about Westlake (indeed, it appears I have) but I'm sure you would like to know what THE ROAD TO RUIN is all about. You probably have a good idea if you are at all familiar with John Dortmunder, Westlake's perennially unsuccessful thief. Dortmunder is not so much unskilled as he is unlucky. He is the walking embodiment of Murphy's Law. What makes the Dortmunder novels such an absolute joy to read is not necessarily what happens, but why it happens and who it happens to.

Monroe Hall is one of the "who's" in THE ROAD TO RUIN. Hall is very, very rich, and very, very crooked. He is a robber baron in the sense that he robbed SomniTech, his own company, and its stockholders, earning the hatred of ... well, just about everyone. He is so hated, in fact, that the hired help is in the process of de-hiring itself. Dortmunder gets wind of this and hatches a wild plot to get himself and his gang of not-so-merry but still funny men hired onto the Hall estate.

Dortmunder has his eye on Hall's collection of classic cars. The only way to circumvent Hall's considerable security is to become part of the interior scenery as the hired help. What Dortmunder doesn't plan on, however, is that Hall's list of antagonists include some union types who lost their pension money to Hall's shenanigans and some venture capitalists who were heavily leveraged into SomniTech and who, when the smoke cleared, were forced to move back with their parents. The white and the blue collars form an uneasy alliance --- only Westlake could so effectively skewer both --- to get their money back, and maybe a little extra. When all three deals start to go down simultaneously, Hall has some good company: his faithful butler, Dortmunder. The results are more than hilarious.

Westlake, as is so often his wont, starts a number of plates spinning in THE ROAD TO RUIN and never loses one. If there is a problem --- let's make that a minor shortcoming --- with THE ROAD TO RUIN, it's that there are so many interesting characters running around on the pages that Dortmunder almost goes missing! However, there is enough of him to let you know that it's still his book, the latest in a long line of Westlake classics. Don't miss this one.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

John Dortmunder's stock in trade is coming up with dazzlingly brilliant robbery schemes which then proceed to fall apart for completely unexpected (and usually very funny) reasons. In "The Road To Ruin", unfortunately, Dortmunder's plan isn't all that brilliant, and the way it falls apart isn't all that unexpected.

Author Donald Westlake is still a consummate pro, however, so even in a subpar outing like this there are at least some good laughs scattered throughout. But if you're thinking of making this your introduction to the Dortmunder gang, please reconsider. Almost any other book in this series will do a better job of getting you hooked, except maybe "What's The Worst That Could Happen?" -- a great read, but funnier if you already know Dortmunder's case history.

If you're a fan of John Dortmunder and his crew of misfit crooks, you'll be disappointed, and ultimately frustrated, by this outing.

It starts off promisingly enough, with the idea to heist a fleet of antique cars from a despised millionaire. The only way in -- so that they won't have to deal with all his electric fences and impossible security -- is to go to work for the man and pull an inside job.

Meanwhile, another group of men -- who have good reason to hate the despised millionaire -- plot to kidnap, and then force, him to electronically transfer $10 million of his money to them.

Without giving too much away, you know Dortmunder's crew and this other group will eventually collide. Unfortunately, by the time this happens, its very late in the story -- and the outcome is not the usual droll hilarity that we expect from the finale of a Dortmunder novel by Westlake (I.E. the bank in inside a trailer rolls down a hill and off a pier, in "The Bank Job," leaving Dortmunder and company with nothing). Instead, the story just peters out. I can only hope the next Dortmunder novel will be better thought out, with a more satisfying conclusion and fewer loose ends.

If you're a huge fan of Westlake's stand alone storyline comic capers and have been putting off reading a Dortmunder novel as you feel it's a series and you need to start at the beginning but The Hot Rock is a bit too hard to obtain then this is the introduction to Dortmunder you need. Why, because even though Dortmunder is in this one, and is certainly in some interesting and key scenes, he is only one of many interesting eccentric criminals and other characters in this novel. He shares the word count of this book with many others. Like Westlake's best comic capers, The Road to Ruin has a number of independently operating storylines which all converge at one time or another. The three various criminal groups are made of very different characters so there's no chance of confusion by the reader so they can just sit back and enjoy the brilliance. All these groups have their own goal, but they all have one thing in common, making ex CEO of a failed company, Monroe Hall pay! Hall conned his shareholders, fired and didn't pay out the entitlements to that company's employees and has hidden his wealth in off shore accounts where the banks, account numbers and passwords are only known in his head.

So waiting outside the gates are a couple of investors who have lost everything and are now living once again with their parents, they want to abduct and force Hall to transfer his hidden money to their accounts. Three white trash beer brand t-shirt wearing loyal union members want to give Hall a good beating then demand his wife pay their union enough ransom money to compensate themselves and the other former employees in their factory floor division in exchange for Hall's safe return. Last but not least you've got the group containing Dortmunder, who are after Hall's collection of valuable cars tipped of by an ex con, stunt driver and ex driver for Hall who wants vengeance for his dismissal. Problem for all three groups is that Hall never leaves his fortress and that fortress has a powerful electric fence and guards who check everyone going in.

This is a great novel that anyone other than those who judge a good Westlake novel by the number of times the words John Dortmunder appears each chapter will thoroughly enjoy!

You will enjoy this book much more if you DO NOT READ the jacket copy. For some reason, the publisher has put spoilers in there.

Dortmunder and Andy Kelp are between jobs . . . and a little short of the green when Andy's friend Chester Fallon looks him up. Fallon has been out of jail for four years, and has been trying to go straight. But he's just lost a cushy job driving a rich man's collector automobiles . . . and sees a chance to steal his way back into comfort. Why not drive off with the cars?

But Chester is just a wheel man. He needs a planner. Naturally, Andy suggests Dortmunder. With that simple beginning, you are on your merry way to as funny a Dortmunder story as I have read.

The rich man with the collection is Monroe Hall. You'll recognize his type. He was the CEO of SomniTech until he was removed for stealing from the company and cheating the IRS. Although he has made partial restitution, he's hidden most of his money offshore. He gave the cars to a foundation . . . but keeps the cars around. Trouble is, a foundation cannot hire an ex-felon which is why Chester lost his job.

Monroe Hall is a nasty piece of work. His skill in life is bamboozling other people. He only avoids practicing that talent in a gloating way with his wife. He's a person that many would be tempted to steal from . . . if they could succeed. Monroe is tough though. He's got first-rate security, an electrified fence, and doesn't write down the numbers to his offshore accounts.

No one can stand Monroe. He's also taken advantage of so many people that many want revenge . . . while others want their money back. So he's a target with no friends. That vulnerability creates many interesting complications in the story.

Dortmunder duly cases the estate, and sees no way around, over, under or through that fence. He decides stealing the cars will have to be an inside job. How can he and his team of ex-cons accomplish that? That's where the fun begins.

Along the way, the book has many signature elements of Dortmunder novels including the inane conversations by the barflies at the O.J. Bar & Grill. You'll love the ones about global warming and holidays.

I can hardly wait for the next Dortmunder novel!