Double Feature

Enough maybe isn't the most hilarious of all of Westlake's comic capers but it certainly is a very funny entertaining read. Westlake has written over a variety of genres throughout his career under his own name and various pen names (the most successful is Richard Stark). His collection of work known as comic capers (crime stories with humorous happenings and sometimes eccentric characters) of which this is one of are very hard and expensive to track down but well worth the search and money. Enough is the story of movie reviewer and womaniser Carey Thorpe whose life is going along quite well. He has a number of different female bed partners who know nothing of each others existence. However one night and argument with one of them, Laura Penney goes to far and before he knows it she's dead. Carey doesn't want to go to jail so makes sure all evidence he was at the scene is removed. However Laura's husband didn't trust her and a private investigator had been outside watching the building. He demands $10 000 from Carey or he'll go to the police. Carey doesn't have ten thousand dollars so has to commit more crime to get it. However the the violent sleazy investigator wants more from Carey so concerned for his safety gratefully accepts an invitation to accompany Detective Fred Staples (who is investigating Laura's murder) to another movie industry crime scene to give an insiders two cents. Carey solves the murder in two seconds impressing Staples and is henceforth called upon by Staples at every opportunity to play a Miss Marple type role. Meanwhile complications keep arising in Laura's case which Carey will have to deal with along the way if he's going to get away with murder. A classic Westlake novel. Carey like with most Westlake villains, although doing bad things, you come to quite like him. Quite an interesting character as is evident by one of my favourite ever Westlake character quotes, (p120) - "It was the first time I'd ever made love to a woman in a bedroom with a murder victim hanging in the closet, particularly a victim of my own, and I must say it made absolutely no difference at all. I was neither turned off nor were my responses heightened. Possibly I'm abnormal" Hopefully they'll re-release these classics again one day so you can get them at reasonable prices. Still tracking down some of these comic capers so haven't read them all yet but the best three at masterpiece level Westlake Comic Capers I've read so far are Smoke, The Spy in the Ointment and a New York Dance (also published as Dancing Aztecs). Other comic capers also worth checking out are The Fugitive Pigeon, The Busy Body, God Save the Mark, Who Stole Sassi Manoon?, Help I am Being Held Prisoner, Castle in the Air and High Adventure. Of course you've also got to read the Dortmunder series and the Parker series (written under the pen name Richard Stark) as well. You've also got to read his greatest stand alone story novel of all time The Ax the ultimate

If you buy Donald Westlake's "Enough" you get a novel ("A Travesty") and a novella ("Ordo") -- two for the price of one. The former is very funny and well worth reading. The latter shows Westlake at the height of his powers: "Another thing. Every one of them was alone. They went up and down the aisles, pushing their carts past one another -- from up above, they must have looked like pieces in a labyrinth game -- and they never looked at one another, never smiled at one another. They were just alone in there, and from up front came the clatter of the cash register." This is a short, melancholy piece that compares favorably with Westlake's best works (the early Parker, "High Adventure"). As usual, it has a happy ending. The Happy Ending is almost a Westlake trademark. It's the writing in between that really gets to you.