Review.I’m getting behind. I’ve read a bunch o’ good books lately.

Don’t Ask, by Donald Westlake.

I don’t know if this is the real story, but this is what I imagine: Donald Westlake mails his M.S. into his agent, without a title. The agent opens the box, calls Westlake, and says, “Well, Donnie (you don’t mind if I call you Donnie, do you?), what’s the name of the book? And what’s it about?” And Donald Westlake says, “Don’t Ask.” “Right-o,” says the agent, because Donald Westlake is one of those perennial sellers, and can get away with that kind of thing.

Any description of the plot would be meaningless. For those of you in the know, this is a Dortmunder novel. For those of you not in the know (like myself, although I do intend to get in that there know), the opening scene of the book is Dortmunder and couple of his associates riding in a fish truck which they have stolen to get the frozen fish. The a/c is dripping icewater on Dortmunder’s foot, and they’re stuck in a traffic jam in NYC for hours. Three big guys. Dortmunder can’t move his foot out from under the drip, so he flips off the a/c switch. Doot da doo. The drip shuts off, get off the bridge and out of traffic, get out and…pheeeeeuw. They’re riding in hundred degree heat, and nobody notices that the cab hadn’t gotten any warmer.

So much for the fish.

Dortmunder is a brilliant thief. He just has these…occaisional lapses. Mishaps. Bad coincedences.

I giggled my way through this thing.

Dortmunder, for some reason, reminds me of a Spider Robinson character. Not any character in particular, just a Spider Robinson character.

I especially recommend this to my brother in law, Mike.