Rating: 
Summary: Francis Meehan, Recidivist
Review: Westlake is a master of both the comic crime novel and the caper story, and here he combines both to great effect. Francis Xavier Meehan (known always as "Meehan") is a felon and a recidivist. ("That's what they'll put on my tombstone, 'Francis Meehan, Recidivist'.") He's also very bright and an autodidact, mostly because there's lots of time to read in jail. This time, he's awaiting federal changes for having highjacked a truck he didn't know was carrying the U.S. Mail, and he's definitely not looking forward to federal time. So he's cautiously interested when a politician from the president's reelection campaign committee comes to see him about engaging his professional burglary skills to recover a "package" that could damage the president's chances and which is presently in the possession of the Other Side. The problem is, as Meehan lays his plans and tries to set up a team to do the job, nobody in Washington can keep their mouths shut. Jeffords, the political contact, is a hoot. Goldfarb, Meehan's lawyer, is another one. And Meehan himself is a trove of highly quotable dialogue and observations, espeically when it comes to the Ten Thousand Rules. Like many (perhaps most) of Westlake's yarns, this would make a pretty good film, too.
Rating: 
Summary: PROFESSIONAL THIEF vs. POLITICAL CROOKS
Review: Westlake is up against the real crooks this time as he takes on the spindoctors, dirty tricks and honorable candidates of our national political scene. And you know he's going to win in the end by poking fun "RIGHT" and "LEFT!"Francis Xavier Meehan is a thief. He's also sitting in jail getting ready to be found guilty of "big time" federal charges because the ordinary truck he helped hijack wasn't full of the expected computer stuff from Mexico, but U.S. Postal Service mail. Then out of the blue a very non-lawyerly person claiming to be his lawyer shows up at the jail to see him and makes him a deal that he can't refuse. It seems as if the president, who is running for re-election has committed a slight political blunder, which just happens to be detailed on a video tape the opposition is going to release as a last minute dirty trick that will blow the election. So Meehan agrees to the offer which is to steal the tape and watch the federal charges disappear. So, do you really expect a bunch of politicians to ever do anything right - especially in a Westlake comedy of errors? Before long everyone from the opposition to international espionage agents know that something is brewing with Francis Xavier. There's no "little blue dress" in this political farce, but expect to see just about everything else. Westlake has returned to his classic comic crime style for this one and created a whole new cast of enjoyable characters that really deserve a second visit. Hint. Hint. This one has my total recommendation.
Rating: 
Summary: Throw it away
Review: Wow, talk about a poorly written book, this is it.Dismal plot,sentences structure like a 10 year old,honest.I could only read 40 pages or so before quitting, and I love this genre. Sounded more like a punk little kid trying to talk tough and failing.There are lots of better mysteries out there.
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