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    Jimmy the Kid: A Dortmunder Novel
    Jimmy the Kid: A Dortmunder Novel
    Jimmy the Kid: A Dortmunder Novel
    Audiobook5 hours

    Jimmy the Kid: A Dortmunder Novel

    Written by Donald Westlake

    Narrated by Brian Holsopple

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Life imitates art in this caper featuring bungling criminals who base their kidnapping plan on a novel.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHighbridge Company
    Release dateMar 5, 2013
    ISBN9781622310449
    Jimmy the Kid: A Dortmunder Novel
    Author

    Donald Westlake

    Donald E. Westlake (1933–2008) was one of the most prolific and talented authors of American crime fiction. He began his career in the late 1950s, churning out novels for pulp houses—often writing as many as four novels a year under various pseudonyms—but soon began publishing under his own name. His most well-known characters were John Dortmunder, an unlucky thief, and a ruthless criminal named Parker. His writing earned him three Edgars and a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Westlake’s cinematic prose and brisk dialogue made his novels attractive to Hollywood, and several motion pictures were made from his books, with stars such as Lee Marvin and Mel Gibson. Westlake wrote several screenplays himself, receiving an Academy Award nomination for his adaptation of The Grifters, Jim Thompson’s noir classic.

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    Reviews for Jimmy the Kid

    4/5

    84 ratings8 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Dortmunder has no chance when kelp is involved. Nice plot line. Surprise ending
    • 4/5
      "Jimmy the Kid" was my entree to the world of John Dortmunder and his cohort of thieves in New York. Dortmunder has been funnier than here but full points for Westlake's pisstake of his own pseudonymously published novel "Child Heist".Dortmunder's gang decide to follow the plot of "Child Heist" and kidnap a kid for ransom. Of course, in "Child Heist" everything goes right for the gang but sadly not so in "Jimmy the Kid".NB: I saw the film "Jimmy the Kid" starring Garry Coleman" many years ago and I can't remember it following the book's plot too closely.
    • 4/5
      Fun, and funny! It's a book within a book, and a movie of it all too!Basically, Westlake gives us a Dortmunder and gang book called "Jimmy the Kid" that follows along another "book" by Richard Stark (wink,wink!) titled, "Child Heist" which features Parker! Kelp wants to use "Child Heist" as a blueprint for their next "job", but of course, the Dortmunder gang has an entirely different experience than the Parker gang! Loved the double layer of this story, great humor, and fun ending too! Definitely a treat to have the Westlake/Stark worlds collide!
    • 3/5
      3.5***

      John Dortmunder is at it again. Talked into a “perfect” kidnapping plot by his “friend” and previous cohort, Andy Kelp, he tries everything to pull of the big caper that is certain to make the gang a fortune. Recently, while a guest of the county for possessing burglar tools, Kelp came across an interesting mystery story in the prison library. Child Heist by Richard Stark outlines a perfect crime – the kid is unharmed, and the kidnappers get away scot free. All the details are there, they just have to follow them in real life! What could possibly go wrong?

      A lot.

      I love Westlake’s writing, and particularly enjoy the comic capers of John Dortmunder and his gang of inept accomplices. Of course they’ll pick a kid who is smarter than all of them put together. Jimmy’s resourcefulness and superior intelligence serve him (and the gang) well. The cops are as hapless and unlucky as the gang.

      As I was reading, I kept thinking what a fun movie this would make. Obviously not an original idea – it’s been adapted THREE times: in Italy (1976), in the US (1982 – starring Gary Coleman!), and in Germany (1998).
    • 5/5
      Juggling 3 points of view - Dortmunder's, a fake Richard Stark novel, and Jimmy The Kid's, Westlake melds all three expertly into one story that is entertaining from start to finish. Highly recommended to anyone who likes a comic crime caper.
    • 4/5
      Westlake gets a bit meta as Dortmunder and friends plan a kidnapping based on a Richard Stark book, 'Child Heist.' This one was long out of print until Mysterious Press reissued it last year, and I think it's the only Dortmunder book I hadn't read.It's what you'd expect from a Dortmunder novel - nothing goes as planned, there's a bit of humor, and things turn out generally OK in the end. Westlake includes some chapters from the fake Parker novel, which read as a Stark novel would (although I have trouble imagining Parker would go along with a kidnapping - it just doesn't seem like his style).A couple minor quibbles with this particular edition. For some reason, British spelling is used throughout (colour and tyres, for example), and there are a few minor layout errors. It looks like Mysterious Press is reissuing most of the Dortmunder stuff in uniform trade paperback editions, which aren't quite as nice as the University of Chicago Parker reissues.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this, the further adventures of the Dortmunder Gang. I read this many years ago and it was still on my shelves as a fun read and I was not disappointed in the reread. It reminded me of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich in that it is a quick read, does not strain the powers of concentration and made me laugh right out loud. Fun, fun, fun!
    • 1/5
      One of the few Dortmunder books I do not like. Probably for the same reason Dortmunder doesn't like the caper. The fake Richard Stark book. At least I assume "Child Heist" is a fake book. It is just a rewrite of "Ransom of Red Chief" with a Dortmunder spin. Maybe if I hadn't seen the Gary Coleman movie before I read the book I might have enjoyed it. Oh well.