Put a Lid on It

Rating:
Summary: This book hardly told a "story" at all.
Review: At the very beginning of the book, our hero is taken out of prison to do a job. At the very end, he's finally doing that job. The book chugs along from A to Z without a single interesting complication or change of direction or anything that would have made if feel like a "story."

This is the most padded book I can remember reading for a long time. Our hero sits down to meet with a character at a restaurant and the character wastes multiple paragraphs looking at wine lists, etc. while we just wait and wait for something to actually happen.

I should mention that I listened to the unabridged audiobook, read by William Dufris. For all I know, Dufris may be a nice guy, but here he created such broad and often annoying character voices that they distracted from what little was going on.

I've only read (well, listened to) one other Donald E. Westlake book -- Bad News -- and I really enjoyed it! Things actually happened, the plot actually made some interesting turns and I stayed entertained enough that I felt like the book was wasting my time.

In fact, I enjoyed Bad News so much that I'm going to give Westlake another chance, despite my disappointment with Put a Lid On It.

Rating:
Summary: Westlake Lite
Review: Despite the introduction of the likeable Francis Meehan, this book is not up to Westlake's standards. The plot, obstensibly meant to offer a degree of political satire, is not all that exciting (indeed, the secret behind the story is sort of unimpressive) and the read is far too quick, even compared to the Dortmunder books. Westlake fans won't be angry with this, but they might wonder where the meat is.

Thankfully, we do get a good addition to the Westlake "family" of intelligent, interesting crooks and scoundrels in the form of Meehan. He carries the book through some under-written bits, and helps cover for the two-dimensionality of the politicos Meehan encounters.

However, after the dark strength of The Hook and The Ax, this one is a disappointment. Guess everyone, even Westlake, has a n off-day.

Rating:
Summary: Another flawless Westlake!
Review: Donald Westlake can do no wrong. Another flawless novel by the emperor of comic timing. Do yourself a huge favor...pick up any Westlake book today and get hooked!

Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: So glad to see more of the witty, stylish Westlake back. The grim stuff (The Axe) is flooding the market; there is no one better at writing the witty mystery than Westlake.

This engaging, fast-paced tale hearkens back to my favorite Dortmunder, What's the Worst That Can Happen?

Rating:
Summary: Master of the Caper
Review: Somewhere between Parker and Dortmunder is Francis Meehan, a streetwise thief facing a long term in federal prison. Not quite as violent as Parker, not quite as comic as Dortmunder, Meehan is recruited by some true low-lifes: politicians.

Having learned from the mistakes of Watergate, the President's men have hired a competent crook who they can tantalize into work with the possibility of freedom. Both sides are in over their heads: Meehan is used to a more honest breed of crook, and the politicos have little idea what the world of crime is like.

Like other Westlake caper novels, half the fun is in the preparation of the eventual crime. Most of this book deals with the preparations, with the actual crime not taking place till late in the book. Westlake is a master in this field, and he doesn't disappoint here. If the book rates four stars, it is only because, good as it is, it is not quite the level of some of his other works. Nonetheless, neither Westlake veterans nor first-time readers should be anything less than pleasantly entertained.

Rating:
Summary: Shades of Watergate
Review: This is vintage Westlake and a bitter satire of government.
All of Westlake's characters have runs of bad luck and Franci (not Frank, thank you) Meehan is no exception. Meehan is a non-violent career criminal who has just been incarcerated at the Manhattan Correctional Center awaiting sentencing on a federal charge (how was he to know the truck he was hijacking was carrying registered mail in addition to computer parts). He is approached by Jeffords, obviously a lawyer, who makes him a strange proposition. Jeffords whisks Meehan off to the Outer Banks in a corporate jet. The U.S. president's campaign committee needs a burglary performed, and they've learned a lesson from Watergate: If you need a successful burglary, hire a professional burglar. Amateurs, they are, they pick one in prison. They want Meehan to steal a very incriminating videotape from a supporter of the opposing party. All charges will be dropped if he can pull it off.
Meehan is no fool, however, hates to work with amateurs - that would violate one of the "ten-thousand rules" - and he works his own little sting in the midst of the large one. He enlists his own crew to lift the video from the estate of a wacko millionaire all the while trying to protect himself from incompetent but malicious forces (rent-a-thugs from the rival campaign and some errant Middle-Eastern types) who want the video for their own purposes.
In this humorous crime caper, Westlake is at his cynical and impudent best.

Rating:
Summary: Shades of Watergate
Review: This is vintage Westlake and a bitter satire of government.
All of Westlake's characters have runs of bad luck and Franci (not Frank, thank you) Meehan is no exception. Meehan is a non-violent career criminal who has just been incarcerated at the Manhattan Correctional Center awaiting sentencing on a federal charge (how was he to know the truck he was hijacking was carrying registered mail in addition to computer parts). He is approached by Jeffords, obviously a lawyer, who makes him a strange proposition. Jeffords whisks Meehan off to the Outer Banks in a corporate jet. The U.S. president's campaign committee needs a burglary performed, and they've learned a lesson from Watergate: If you need a successful burglary, hire a professional burglar. Amateurs, they are, they pick one in prison. They want Meehan to steal a very incriminating videotape from a supporter of the opposing party. All charges will be dropped if he can pull it off.
Meehan is no fool, however, hates to work with amateurs - that would violate one of the "ten-thousand rules" - and he works his own little sting in the midst of the large one. He enlists his own crew to lift the video from the estate of a wacko millionaire all the while trying to protect himself from incompetent but malicious forces (rent-a-thugs from the rival campaign and some errant Middle-Eastern types) who want the video for their own purposes.
In this humorous crime caper, Westlake is at his cynical and impudent best.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Keep a Lid on the Secret that is Westlake
Review: This mightn't be Westlake's greatest literacy achievement but it is still pretty good. Meehan a career criminal who has spent much time behind bars hijacked a federal truck mistaking it for something else. He now faces a lifetime in a federal facility and does not look forward to it. One day a man comes to visit him telling him he is his new lawyer. Meehan sees straight through him but this does not matter he is still recruited. This man and others want Meehan to commit a crime to save the president of the USA from a scandal and if he does he will be a free man.

This is an interesting book although not Westlake's best. That title would by far go to his masterpiece the Ax. Corkscrew is another good novel as well. This one is worth reading as well but it is not in the masterpiece league of the Ax.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful summer week-end read
Review: Weary of torturous plots that didn't make sense that I've been suffering through because they were "highly recommended" by people with "reputations", I reached for and started reading "Put a Lid On It" by Donald Westlake who wrote the dark "The Ax" and "The Hook". Every word of this comic caper was a joy including the dedication. I won't give you the plot (it's readily available). But let me tell you no plot summary can tell you the subtle ironic messages about our presidential election process I found in this crime caper. The ending is funny and touching. Don't miss this.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful summer week-end read
Review: Weary of torturous plots that didn't make sense that I've been suffering through because they were "highly recommended" by people with "reputations", I reached for and started reading "Put a Lid On It" by Donald Westlake who wrote the dark "The Ax" and "The Hook". Every word of this comic caper was a joy including the dedication. I won't give you the plot (it's readily available). But let me tell you no plot summary can tell you the subtle ironic messages about our presidential election process I found in this crime caper. The ending is funny and touching. Don't miss this.