Imagine a man, a wealthy man, who began life with sufficient money, but chose to live his life solely in the pursuit of even more money and did so using his one bona-fide talent: fleecing other people, companies, and governments. Couldn’t happen here could it? Well, with that premise, Donald Westlake extracts the maximum humor from one Monroe Hall and his recently changed circumstances.The Road to Ruin is the eleventh Dortmunder novel, coming after Bad News. When I started my foray into these novels, I began with books #8 (Don’t Ask) and #9 (What’s the Worst That Could Happen), so I was familiar with the “mature” version of our characters before “discovering” their roots. Like his Parker series (written under the nom-de-plum Richard Stark) the style of the books has evolved. And, much ore so than Parker, John and friends have also evolved over 20-odd years. They don’t seem to age (like Parker), but the world around them changes in lockstep with our world.Sure the stories had to change – otherwise it would be just the same type of crime over and over again, but the group of misfits that John works with has become both more cohesive and more “homey”. True, John still looks askance at ideas that Andy brings him, but he is no longer as negative about avoiding at any cost. Instead, through time (and his own incarceration near-misses and empty-handed jobs) he’s come to listen first and then maybe object.In this novel, Andy is visited by an old “fraternity” friend who needs some help; the fraternity, of course, being that of criminals. Chester stopped being an active member after getting out four years ago and found a fun, and well-paid job driving cars for the aforementioned wealthy man. But once the man got caught, his plea arrangement requires that he not associate with any known criminals. So, in addition to bankers, investors, employees, and you & me (via the government), Chester gets hosed because he loses his job, his housing (nice place on the estate), health care, 401k, and so on (being one of the criminal element that can no longer be associated with).The rich guy likes to collect things. Things such as: cars, cuckoo clocks, paintings, jewelry, books and other valuable and unique items. So, once Chester talks with Andy and John, they decide to relieve this former employer of a few of his cherished objects.Now, because he was an equal opportunity bastard, he has a few now-ruined individuals also seeking revenge. A couple of former investment fund managers and some line workers have been angling for a way to extract recompense from Mr. Hall.John comes up with a reasonable scheme that is greatly aided by a dear friend of Andy’s gal pal, Anne Marie. Posing as available, clean-as-a-whistle employees-to-be (Mr. Hall being pretty much despised by one and all), John, Andy, Stan, and Tiny set in motion their plan to take wealth from the wealthy. As in every Dortmunder tale, fate, coincidence, and enemy action all intervene with interesting results.Although every Dortmunder novel is interesting and unique, I found this to be one of the more inventive. The team never seems to repeat a caper even when the basic objective is always the same. Nor is their bad luck exactly repeated. This book comes in a bit longer (341 pages) than the average, but it does not feel padded; just fun and fast-paced. The author even gets to use that old mystery gag, the butler did it. Four (4) Stars on or off the road.
11 Dortmunders down, 3 to go. By now I know that I enjoy the Dortmunder formula, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Road to Ruin, but this may have been the weakest entry in the series thus far. The novel is free from the out-and-out silliness that I sometimes complain about (though to some readers, the entire Dortmunder series may seem an exercise in silliness), but it also lacks the gravitas that elevates some of the books in the series. As well, for the first time while reading a Dortmunder novel, I was acutely aware of the padding. The supporting cast (exclusive of Dortmunder's usual crew) seemed to arrive more quickly than usual, all with backstories and occasions for us to see the narrative through their eyes, and all seeming to lengthen the narrative more than enrich it. The heist this time involves Dortmunder & Co. planning to steal a collection of rare automobiles, but—spoiler alert—things go so wrong that we never get to see them even try to drive away with the cars. In sum, if you enjoyed the first 10 Dortmunders, you will enjoy this one, but if you are looking for a random Dortmunder to read, pick a different one.
What do You think about The Road To Ruin (2005)?
It's a toss-up between this and Drowned Hopes for which has been the worst in the series so far. Drowned Hopes was overlong, often dull, and sometimes painful, but it at least felt like a Dortmunder. This one reads much more like one of those "continue the franchise" sequels, written after the original author's death by someone with enough acquaintance with what has come before to seem right on the surface, but insufficient understanding to really have it fit in.The main characters are all here, but largely only in spirit. Much more of the book is taken up with two other groups who are also out to get the mark, and a few other minor characters who seem like they might turn out to be more important, but generally aren't — and everyone is just too thinly sketched, and often seemingly unfinished (view spoiler)[(at one point it looks like there's going to be a major twist when Dortmunder and the gang discover they actually quite like Hall, but this is simply overtaken by events and goes nowhere (hide spoiler)]
—Tony
Since it's the holiday season, I've been craving escape in Hollywood movies. Nothing I've seen on a screen recently (except for I Am Divine, and that's an indie documentary) can remotely compete with Westlake, so the last time I was invited out to see a new flick I said, "No, dammit, I have Dortmunder!" Or words to that effect...This one is up there with other great novels in this series. The plotting is great, lots of nice twists and turns and hilarious characterization throughout. The capitalist pig boor who is the central target of various scammers and schemers is hysterically awful, and makes me appreciate how Westlake's sympathies leaned toward the underdogs of this world.
—Ben
This book feels like half a Dortmunder novel. But half a Dortmunder novel is still a decent read. This is by no means my least favorite novel in this series, but I had some problems with it - the science facts kept getting in the way (one of the central elements of the plot made no sense at all, for example). And then I realized I was nearing the end (three dots left on my Kindle), and Westlake was still adding plot complications, and was nowhere near resolving any. And then the book just kind of ended, at what felt like the halfway point. If I'd been reading a print copy, I would have been checking to see if some pages had fallen out of the novel.But all the same - Dortmunder books are generally fun light reads, and this one is no different. The same familiar characters and elements are there, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. (I realize it's too late for this, but I do think maybe Westlake should have just written a book about a really evil rich guy; that seems to be his primary interest in the later Dortmunder novels, and he spends more time building a delightfully detestable rich target than he does on the actual caper. The thing is, I read Dortmunder novels for the capers and the criminals, not the targets.) Basically, this one is for Dortmunder completists, and for anyone sad that there will never be another Dortmunder novel.
—thefourthvine
