Rating: 
Summary: Not Westlake's Best
Review: A very disturbing book, yes, but I'm not penalizing Westlake for that. While the premise is frighteningly plausible and the gallows humor occasionally quite funny, the story drags. There's always two possible outcomes to a crime novel (they get away with it, they don't get away with it), but Westlake can usually be counted on to come up with a surprising third. Here, despite what Mr. Mano of the New York Times will have you believe, by the time you get to the ending it's not surprising at all. Worth checking out of the library perhaps, but not worth owning.
Rating: 
Summary: A really disturbing book.
Review: I read this book from cover to cover and when I was done I wished I hadn't. I can't ever remember reading a book that left me feeling so upset. I guess I am swimming against the tide of "great read", "wonderful book", "dark comedy", etc., but I can't relate to such desperation as "the assassin" had. That's just what he was, an assassin. I hope there will be better books in the future from Mr. Westlake.
Rating: 
Summary: excellent thriller with deeper insights
Review: The title is clever in its double meaning and the events are unpredictable, frightening and almost believable. I believe Westlake shows the effects of prolonged unemployment on a man's self-esteem, emotional stability, and family relationships. It is a page-turner with no unnecessary descriptions or psychobabble.
Rating: 
Summary: You Ax'd for it
Review: This is a great book. The best crime novel I've read since "A Simple Plan". An exciting book with an everyman protagonist that becomes utterly fascinating. I loved Devore's observations and asides. Both involving and disturbing. This book raises more questions than answers (just read the other reader's comments) and makes the reader wonder, "What would I do?". And it's a great read.
Rating:
Summary: A different kind of job search.
Review: Donald Westlake's 1997 novel The Ax, shelved in the "mystery" section of my local library, is a sterling example of black humor. (I am reminded of the movie "Heathers" of a few years ago). The premise is simple: Burke Devore, a middle-aged paper company middle manager, has gotten "the ax" from his employer after years of devoted service. He can't find a job, largely because there are so many other newly unemployed middle managers looking for work. Devore decides the only way he can find employment is to kill -- literally -- his competition. I won't spoil the plot or ending by telling how he does this, or whether he finds work. I will say that Westlake writes a funny, shocking, sad, and believable story -- all in the first person as Burke exorcises his demons and blows away the competition -- which kept me up late on a work-night to finish. Burke -- and Westlake -- ask the larger question of why our society is so keen on discarding its most productive members (Burke was clearly very good at what he did for a living) in pursuit of shareholder profits.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling, disturbing, macabre, funny, brilliantly plotted
Review: An excellent departure for Westlake, who returns to the horror of The Stepfather, a movie he scripted. Though the central character, Burke Devore, is over the edge, you can't help sympathizing with him, and rooting for him as he bumps off his rivals. I agree with other reviewers that there were too many people on Devore's hit list, but Westlake never repeats himself; each of the killings spin off into a fresh surprise. The murders are graphic and unsettling, as they are even for Devore; the book is not for the squeamish. Westlake brings a twisted sense of humor to this grisly affair, not the lighthearted touch he's known for in the Dortmunder novels, but I found myself laughing several times. The Ax is also a very serious book about corporate greed and the whole "downsizing" phenomenon; anyone who's ever been handed a pink slip will identify with Devore's anger, bitterness, and desperation. I loved The Ax and hope Westlake has time (between his Dortmunder and Parker novels) to write more books in this vein.
Rating:
Summary: pschological horror at its' finest
Review: Halcyon Mills has reduced its Belial plant work force by one-fourth. Included in the downsizing is Burke Devore, who worked at the plant for the past twenty-five years. The severance pay is pretty good for Burke due to being a middle manager of long standing at the firm. However, for the next year, Burke struggles to find employment as he finds himself unable to "compete" with a younger and more diverse job market. With the year almost over, Burke desperately needs a job to feed and house his spouse and two children. He has learned one thing over the past year of utter frustration - there are too many rivals for the same position that he covets. So what does an unemployed, totally humiliated individual need to do to compete with the elite. Simple, he wipes out the opposition. Burke sets his plan in motion by placing an ad in the trades. He studies the resumes he receives in response to his ad until he selects who are his real rivals. He packs a gun and one by one starts to murder the competition. The police now have a strange serial killer on their hand, a decent middle aged family man driven to desperate measures to simply be gainfully employed. THE AX is a chilling tale of America's middle class plight and desperation in a changing world. Though this reviewer could never accept Burke as a cold blooded, methodical serial killer, the story line still somehow rings true. Donald E. Westlake demonstrates his abundant talent by this modern day horror tale. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: This book was a hoot. I finished it in 2 sittings!
Review: I found myself rooting for this unlikely hero/loser to get away with his outrageous murder plot. Totally original and fun.
Rating:
Summary: I was there
Review: I did like it and finished it in 2 days! Burke was a lttle to sick for me! It was interesting but to graphic and way too scary. It makes me scard to trust and send my resumes out to a blind ad, thinking some nut might kill me! Didn't care for the ending. Burke should have been caught and sent to jail not get the job just cuz he killed innocent men.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant.
Review: If you cut your teeth on hard-boiled novels, and actually appreciated and enjoyed the serious literature your high school English teachers forced you to read -- buy this book, read it, keep it on your shelf for when you want to read it again. You will. This is a harrowing journey into the hell of an American Everyman. You have to enjoy the hard-boiled school of writing to appreciate it, though. It's not for everyone.
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