1970; 287 pages. New Author? : No. Book #1 (out
of 14) of the Dortmunder series. Genre
: Crime Humor. Overall Rating : 8*/10.
The
Balabomo Emerald is a golf ball-size precious jewel that the African nations
of Akinzi and Talabwo both consider to be a national treasure. Of course, only one can possess it, and right
now, that happens to be Akinzi. But the
gem is presently in New York City, as part of a US tour of African
artifacts. And Major Iko, the UN
Ambassador from Talabwo, would like someone to “acquire” it for him.
John
Dortmunder is an ex-convict who specializes in the planning and implementing
“difficult” burglaries. He’s just been
released from prison (not all of his heists go as planned), and could use some
working capital. He’s got a team of
fellow criminal specialists to draw upon as partners, and Major Iko is willing
to pay for a worthy team.
What could possibly go wrong?
What’s To Like...
I’ve read four other books in this series, so
it was a treat to read the book that started it all. The book opens with Dortmunder being released
from prison, and that’s about all the backstory Donald Westlake gives for
him. Some of the series’ “regulars” –
Andy Kelp, Stan Murch, and Rollo the bartender – are here, but Tiny and Arnie
the Fence aren’t, and neither is John’s girlfriend, May. Two team members in this book – Alan Greenwood and
Roger Chefwick – were new to me.
The Hot Rock is really a series of five capers,
all involving the stealing of the Balabomo Emerald. Every time Dortmunder thinks he’s got it, it
somehow slips away and each subsequent heist requires increasingly outrageous
equipment. This confounds Major Iko, who
is bankrolling the project, but leads to some hilarious escapades.
The book, like the series, is essentially a “cozy”. No one gets killed, and the violence is
minimal. There is some cussing here, but
hey, wouldn’t you expect that in a gang of thieves? As with any Dortmunder book, the good guys
prevail (even
if their financial gain is minimal), the bad guys get their
comeuppance, and karmic balance is maintained.
Excerpts...
He’d preferred to
drive up here today rather than take the train, so he’d gone shopping for a car
last night, and he’d found this one on East 67th Street. It had MD plates and he always automatically
checked those, because doctors tend to leave the keys in the car, and once
again the medical profession had not disappointed him.
It didn’t have MD
plates now, of course. The state hadn’t
spent four years teaching him how to make license plates for nothing. (loc. 74)
In his office on
the opposite side of the building, Chief Administrator Doctor Panchard L.
Whiskum sat at his desk rereading the piece he’d just written for the American
Journal of Applied Pan-Psychotherapy, entitled “Instances of Induced
Hallucination among Staff Members of Mental Hospitals,” when a white-jacketed
male nurse ran in shouting, “Doctor! There’s a locomotive in the garden!”
Doctor Whiskum
looked at the male nurse. He looked at
his manuscript. He looked at the male
nurse. He looked at his manuscript. He looked at the male nurse. He said, “Sit down, Foster. Let’s talk about it.” (loc.
2367)
Kindle Details...
The
Hot Rock sells for $7.69 at Amazon. The other books in the Dortmunder series are
in the $6.99-$12.99 price range.
Donald Westlake also wrote many “more serious” crime novels, and these
range in price from $4.89 to $9.99.
”A racing driver going into the far turn at one hundred twenty mile
per hour shouldn’t have to answer the telephone.” (loc. 450)
The
exciting climax takes place in an airport, and involved gunplay and dodging
taxiing airplanes. If your own airport
experience is all post-9/11, these actions will seem hard to believe.
But back when the book was written (1970), there were no such things as metal
detectors or security checkpoints, and doors leading to the tarmac were quite
accessible. I know, because at that time I was a
college student flying back and forth across the country to and from school. It was a different, simpler world for
travelers back then, and sadly, it is gone forever. Still, this scene brought back fond memories
for me.
My
only quibble about The Hot Rock is that it
seemed to have a lot of typos for a mainstream Publishing House-issued
offering. Other than that, it is a worthy
opening novel in the Dortmunder saga. If
you like lovable crooks, you’ll like this book.
8 Stars.
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