
The Hot Rock
The First Dortmunder Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $17.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Jeff Woodman
About this listen
John Dortmunder and company are hired by an U.N. African Ambassador to steal the famed Balabomo Emerald from the hands of a rival African country. But their daring and clever burglarly goes awry, and the emerald slips through their fingers. Undaunted, Dortmunder chases the gem by plane, train and automobile in hot pursuit of the hot rock.
Listen to another Dortmunder caper.©1970 Donald E. Westlake (P)2010 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Put a Lid on It
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meehan, a career thief staring at life without parole, is awaiting sentencing at the Manhattan Correctional Center when he is called to a meeting by someone masquerading as his lawyer. The man, it turns out, represents the presidential reelection campaign committee now finding itself in need of a little professional help. So they outsource Meehan in return for a walk from all pending criminal charges.
-
-
Entertaining and Literate
- By PTM on 08-11-21
-
The Comedy is Finished
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1977, and America is finally getting over the nightmares of Watergate and Vietnam and the national hangover that was the 1960s. But not everyone is ready to let it go. Not aging comedian Koo Davis, friend to generals and presidents and veteran of countless USO tours to buck up American troops in the field. And not the five remaining members of the self-proclaimed People’s Revolutionary Army, who’ve decided that kidnapping Koo Davis would be the perfect way to bring their cause back to life....
-
-
not my favorite Westlake book
- By rent house guy on 03-30-16
-
The Cutie
- A Hard Case Crime Novel
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
- Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mavis St. Paul had been a rich man's mistress. Now she was a corpse. And every cop in New York City was hunting for the two-bit punk accused of putting a knife in her. But the punk was innocent. He'd been set up to take the fall by some cutie who was too clever by half. My job? Find that cutie - before the cutie found me.
-
-
Westlake
- By Grandma G on 10-22-18
-
The Busy Body
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Al Engel had worked his way up to being Nick Rovito’s right-hand man, near the top of the syndicate. And this was a delicate job that Rovito had given him: retrieving a very important jacket, loaded with heroin, from the fresh grave of the drug mule who was accidentally buried wearing it. There was just one problem (at least - just one to begin with): It turned out the grave was empty. Suddenly Engel was the one finding himself “in deep”.
-
-
What Gangsters Go Through
- By Larjane on 11-17-23
-
Dancing Aztecs
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Specialist in the scam, the con, and the rip-off, Jerry Manelli is running around New York hot on the trail of a priest: a thousand-year-old, two-foot-tall, ugly, misshapen, dancing Aztec priest made of solid gold, with eyes of pure emeralds, worth a million dollars. Somebody stole it from its museum home in South America and smuggled it through U.S. Customs in a shipment of plastic imitations. But the wrong one got delivered, and the million dollar statue, mixed with the fifteen copies, is somewhere in New York.
-
-
Too Many Characters for Audio!
- By SNAPDRAGON on 07-14-14
-
Somebody Owes Me Money
- A Hard Case Crime Novel
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cab driver Chet Conway was hoping for a good tip from his latest fare, the sort he could spend. But what he got was a tip on a horse race; which might have turned out okay, except that when he went to collect his winnings, Chet found his bookie lying dead on the living room floor. Chet knows he had nothing to do with it.
-
-
Great reading of a hilarious novel
- By G. Steyn on 09-12-08
-
Put a Lid on It
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meehan, a career thief staring at life without parole, is awaiting sentencing at the Manhattan Correctional Center when he is called to a meeting by someone masquerading as his lawyer. The man, it turns out, represents the presidential reelection campaign committee now finding itself in need of a little professional help. So they outsource Meehan in return for a walk from all pending criminal charges.
-
-
Entertaining and Literate
- By PTM on 08-11-21
-
The Comedy is Finished
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1977, and America is finally getting over the nightmares of Watergate and Vietnam and the national hangover that was the 1960s. But not everyone is ready to let it go. Not aging comedian Koo Davis, friend to generals and presidents and veteran of countless USO tours to buck up American troops in the field. And not the five remaining members of the self-proclaimed People’s Revolutionary Army, who’ve decided that kidnapping Koo Davis would be the perfect way to bring their cause back to life....
-
-
not my favorite Westlake book
- By rent house guy on 03-30-16
-
The Cutie
- A Hard Case Crime Novel
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
- Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mavis St. Paul had been a rich man's mistress. Now she was a corpse. And every cop in New York City was hunting for the two-bit punk accused of putting a knife in her. But the punk was innocent. He'd been set up to take the fall by some cutie who was too clever by half. My job? Find that cutie - before the cutie found me.
-
-
Westlake
- By Grandma G on 10-22-18
-
The Busy Body
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Al Engel had worked his way up to being Nick Rovito’s right-hand man, near the top of the syndicate. And this was a delicate job that Rovito had given him: retrieving a very important jacket, loaded with heroin, from the fresh grave of the drug mule who was accidentally buried wearing it. There was just one problem (at least - just one to begin with): It turned out the grave was empty. Suddenly Engel was the one finding himself “in deep”.
-
-
What Gangsters Go Through
- By Larjane on 11-17-23
-
Dancing Aztecs
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Specialist in the scam, the con, and the rip-off, Jerry Manelli is running around New York hot on the trail of a priest: a thousand-year-old, two-foot-tall, ugly, misshapen, dancing Aztec priest made of solid gold, with eyes of pure emeralds, worth a million dollars. Somebody stole it from its museum home in South America and smuggled it through U.S. Customs in a shipment of plastic imitations. But the wrong one got delivered, and the million dollar statue, mixed with the fifteen copies, is somewhere in New York.
-
-
Too Many Characters for Audio!
- By SNAPDRAGON on 07-14-14
-
Somebody Owes Me Money
- A Hard Case Crime Novel
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cab driver Chet Conway was hoping for a good tip from his latest fare, the sort he could spend. But what he got was a tip on a horse race; which might have turned out okay, except that when he went to collect his winnings, Chet found his bookie lying dead on the living room floor. Chet knows he had nothing to do with it.
-
-
Great reading of a hilarious novel
- By G. Steyn on 09-12-08
-
Metzger's Dog
- A Novel
- By: Thomas Perry
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Leroy "Chinese" Gordon breaks into a professor's lab at the University of Los Angeles, he's after some pharmaceutical cocaine, worth plenty of money. Instead, he finds the papers the professor has compiled for the CIA, which include a blueprint for throwing a large city into chaos. But how is the CIA to be persuaded to pay a suitable ransom, unless of course someone actually uses the plan to throw a large city into chaos - Los Angeles, for instance?
-
-
Messrs. Perry and Kramer should get six stars.
- By Richard Delman on 03-22-12
By: Thomas Perry
-
Money for Nothing
- By: Donald Westlake
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is no such thing as a free lunch, but it takes Josh Redmont a while to figure that out. The first check arrived when Josh was 27, $1,000, issued by "United States Agent" through an unnamed bank with an indeterminate address in Washington, D.C. The checks continued to arrive once a month, even when Josh changed addresses, with nary an explanation or a peep from the IRS.
-
-
Poor
- By Roger AG on 10-06-06
By: Donald Westlake
-
Burglars Can't Be Choosers
- By: Lawrence Block
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this first in a series of wickedly funny mysteries, best-selling author Lawrence Block introduces Bernie Rhodenbarr, sometimes burglar, sometimes sleuth. Pulling only an occasional, very discreet job, Bernie manages to maintain his comfortable New York City apartment and keep his unorthodox vocation a closely-guarded secret. Every burglar knows never to trust anonymous phone calls. But when the caller offers easy money for an hour's work, Bernie can't ignore the job.
-
-
Wonderful Wise-Ass Humour
- By Bodiccea on 02-25-14
By: Lawrence Block
-
The Everything Box
- A Novel
- By: Richard Kadrey
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A beautiful, ambitious angel stands on a mountaintop, surveying the world and its little inhabitants below. He smiles because soon, the last of humanity who survived the great flood will meet its end, too. And he should know. He's going to play a big part in it. Our angel usually doesn't get to do fieldwork, and if he does well, he's certain he'll get a big promotion.
-
-
Everything not for Everyone
- By Mel on 05-12-16
By: Richard Kadrey
-
Theft of Swords [Dramatized Adaptation]
- Riyria Revelations, Book 1
- By: Michael J. Sullivan
- Narrated by: Amanda Forstrom, Andrew Quilpa, Andy Brownstein, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out...and so begins this tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend. Avempartha is the second of a six book series entitled the Riyria Revelations.
-
-
Could do without the commercials throughout it
- By Amazon Customer on 01-26-22
-
11-22-63
- A Novel
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Craig Wasson
- Length: 30 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King - who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer - takes listeners on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.
-
-
I Owe Stephen King An Apology
- By Kelly - Write Well Academy on 04-16-12
By: Stephen King
-
Killing Floor
- Jack Reacher, Book 1
- By: Lee Child
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is a drifter. He’s just passing through Margrave, Georgia, and in less than an hour, he’s arrested for murder. Not much of a welcome. All Reacher knows is that he didn’t kill anybody. At least not here. Not lately. But he doesn’t stand a chance of convincing anyone. Not in Margrave, Georgia. Not a chance in hell.
-
-
Even if you have it GET THIS ONE!!
- By shelley on 10-30-15
By: Lee Child
-
Fugitive City
- By: William P. Wood
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A one-man crime wave is shaking the peaceful city of Santa Maria, California, and no place is safe. Kenny Trask, an unpredictable, high-strung, shockingly violent convict, has just escaped from prison and is intent on putting together enough cash to bankroll a new life for himself, his ex-cellmate, and the female defense attorney he believes they must “rescue”. Only one man is willing to stand in the way.
-
-
Boring, Boring, boring.......
- By Astrid Dahl on 02-27-21
By: William P. Wood
-
14
- By: Peter Clines
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s.
-
-
Super solid listen!!
- By Magpie on 06-24-12
By: Peter Clines
-
Off to Be the Wizard
- Magic 2.0, Book 1
- By: Scott Meyer
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's a simple story. Boy finds proof that reality is a computer program. Boy uses program to manipulate time and space. Boy gets in trouble. Boy flees back in time to Medieval England to live as a wizard while he tries to think of a way to fix things. Boy gets in more trouble. Oh, and boy meets girl at some point.
-
-
Hang in there
- By Kelly on 03-04-17
By: Scott Meyer
-
Stick
- By: Elmore Leonard
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After serving time for armed robbery, Ernest "Stick" Stickley is back on the outside and trying to stay legit. But it's tough staying straight in a crooked town - and Miami is a pirate's paradise, where investment fat cats and lowlife drug dealers hold hands and dance. And when a crazed player chooses Stick at random to die for another man's sins, the struggling ex-con is left with no choice but to dive right back into the game. Besides, Stick knows a good thing when he sees it....
-
-
Can't beat this with a stick (sorry).
- By Richard Delman on 05-14-12
By: Elmore Leonard
-
Redshirts
- A Novel with Three Codas
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the facts that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces; (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
-
-
Not his Wheal-house
- By P. Stover on 09-16-13
By: John Scalzi
Critic reviews
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Busy Body
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Al Engel had worked his way up to being Nick Rovito’s right-hand man, near the top of the syndicate. And this was a delicate job that Rovito had given him: retrieving a very important jacket, loaded with heroin, from the fresh grave of the drug mule who was accidentally buried wearing it. There was just one problem (at least - just one to begin with): It turned out the grave was empty. Suddenly Engel was the one finding himself “in deep”.
-
-
What Gangsters Go Through
- By Larjane on 11-17-23
-
Money for Nothing
- By: Donald Westlake
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is no such thing as a free lunch, but it takes Josh Redmont a while to figure that out. The first check arrived when Josh was 27, $1,000, issued by "United States Agent" through an unnamed bank with an indeterminate address in Washington, D.C. The checks continued to arrive once a month, even when Josh changed addresses, with nary an explanation or a peep from the IRS.
-
-
Poor
- By Roger AG on 10-06-06
By: Donald Westlake
-
Plotting for Murder
- Cozy Mystery Bookshop, Book 1
- By: Tamra Baumann
- Narrated by: C.S.E. Cooney
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sawyer Davis's new life in picturesque Sunset Cove is crumbling around her as fast as the old Victorian house she lives in. She's a chef whose matchmaking mother has left her a puppy, a bevy of single men to choose from, and a bookshop dedicated to whodunnits. Complete with a book club of amateur sleuths who live for death. When one of the members dies just after eating Sawyer's amazing truffle mac and cheese, Sawyer is immersed in an even bigger soup pot of trouble.
-
-
horrible performance
- By Lee on 09-24-21
By: Tamra Baumann
-
Put a Lid on It
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meehan, a career thief staring at life without parole, is awaiting sentencing at the Manhattan Correctional Center when he is called to a meeting by someone masquerading as his lawyer. The man, it turns out, represents the presidential reelection campaign committee now finding itself in need of a little professional help. So they outsource Meehan in return for a walk from all pending criminal charges.
-
-
Entertaining and Literate
- By PTM on 08-11-21
-
The Comedy is Finished
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1977, and America is finally getting over the nightmares of Watergate and Vietnam and the national hangover that was the 1960s. But not everyone is ready to let it go. Not aging comedian Koo Davis, friend to generals and presidents and veteran of countless USO tours to buck up American troops in the field. And not the five remaining members of the self-proclaimed People’s Revolutionary Army, who’ve decided that kidnapping Koo Davis would be the perfect way to bring their cause back to life....
-
-
not my favorite Westlake book
- By rent house guy on 03-30-16
-
Dancing Aztecs
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Specialist in the scam, the con, and the rip-off, Jerry Manelli is running around New York hot on the trail of a priest: a thousand-year-old, two-foot-tall, ugly, misshapen, dancing Aztec priest made of solid gold, with eyes of pure emeralds, worth a million dollars. Somebody stole it from its museum home in South America and smuggled it through U.S. Customs in a shipment of plastic imitations. But the wrong one got delivered, and the million dollar statue, mixed with the fifteen copies, is somewhere in New York.
-
-
Too Many Characters for Audio!
- By SNAPDRAGON on 07-14-14
-
The Busy Body
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Al Engel had worked his way up to being Nick Rovito’s right-hand man, near the top of the syndicate. And this was a delicate job that Rovito had given him: retrieving a very important jacket, loaded with heroin, from the fresh grave of the drug mule who was accidentally buried wearing it. There was just one problem (at least - just one to begin with): It turned out the grave was empty. Suddenly Engel was the one finding himself “in deep”.
-
-
What Gangsters Go Through
- By Larjane on 11-17-23
-
Money for Nothing
- By: Donald Westlake
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is no such thing as a free lunch, but it takes Josh Redmont a while to figure that out. The first check arrived when Josh was 27, $1,000, issued by "United States Agent" through an unnamed bank with an indeterminate address in Washington, D.C. The checks continued to arrive once a month, even when Josh changed addresses, with nary an explanation or a peep from the IRS.
-
-
Poor
- By Roger AG on 10-06-06
By: Donald Westlake
-
Plotting for Murder
- Cozy Mystery Bookshop, Book 1
- By: Tamra Baumann
- Narrated by: C.S.E. Cooney
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sawyer Davis's new life in picturesque Sunset Cove is crumbling around her as fast as the old Victorian house she lives in. She's a chef whose matchmaking mother has left her a puppy, a bevy of single men to choose from, and a bookshop dedicated to whodunnits. Complete with a book club of amateur sleuths who live for death. When one of the members dies just after eating Sawyer's amazing truffle mac and cheese, Sawyer is immersed in an even bigger soup pot of trouble.
-
-
horrible performance
- By Lee on 09-24-21
By: Tamra Baumann
-
Put a Lid on It
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meehan, a career thief staring at life without parole, is awaiting sentencing at the Manhattan Correctional Center when he is called to a meeting by someone masquerading as his lawyer. The man, it turns out, represents the presidential reelection campaign committee now finding itself in need of a little professional help. So they outsource Meehan in return for a walk from all pending criminal charges.
-
-
Entertaining and Literate
- By PTM on 08-11-21
-
The Comedy is Finished
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1977, and America is finally getting over the nightmares of Watergate and Vietnam and the national hangover that was the 1960s. But not everyone is ready to let it go. Not aging comedian Koo Davis, friend to generals and presidents and veteran of countless USO tours to buck up American troops in the field. And not the five remaining members of the self-proclaimed People’s Revolutionary Army, who’ve decided that kidnapping Koo Davis would be the perfect way to bring their cause back to life....
-
-
not my favorite Westlake book
- By rent house guy on 03-30-16
-
Dancing Aztecs
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Specialist in the scam, the con, and the rip-off, Jerry Manelli is running around New York hot on the trail of a priest: a thousand-year-old, two-foot-tall, ugly, misshapen, dancing Aztec priest made of solid gold, with eyes of pure emeralds, worth a million dollars. Somebody stole it from its museum home in South America and smuggled it through U.S. Customs in a shipment of plastic imitations. But the wrong one got delivered, and the million dollar statue, mixed with the fifteen copies, is somewhere in New York.
-
-
Too Many Characters for Audio!
- By SNAPDRAGON on 07-14-14
What listeners say about The Hot Rock
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- L. Gutman
- 07-10-12
Dortmunder and Gang Come Alive!
Would you listen to The Hot Rock again? Why?
I have listened to this audiobook several times already, and will undoubtedly listen again. First of all, it's a great story -- I read the novel years ago and went on to read all of the Dortmunder books. (Never thought I'd bond with a bunch of petty criminals, but I did.) And the narrator is wonderful. He reads the prose with just the right attitude (usually kind of a dead-pan fatalism, if it's Dortmunder's thoughts he's tracking) and marvelous voices. Each and every character has distinction. Kelp, Murch and Dortmunder sound exactly like themselves, so much so that it's hard to believe sometimes that there's one man reading them all. And they're all really fun characters to begin with.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
The plot of The Hot Rock is unbelievable, over-the-top, and yet I bought every bit of it. If a thing could go wrong, it generally did ... but then our heroes (such as they are) kept pulling things back from certain doom.
Which character – as performed by Jeff Woodman – was your favorite?
My favorite character is Murch. And Kelp. And Dortmunder. Oh, and there was this great German Shepherd that had Dortmunder trapped on a porch ... Jeff Woodman does a really great German Shepherd, too.
Any additional comments?
More Dortmunder/Jeff Woodman, please!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Golanka
- 07-29-20
Caper Caper Caper (and more Capers)
A fun fast-paced old school "how will they get out of this one" story. Westlake keeps the action--and the humor--going from the beginning to the end.
The narration is good. Woodman doesn't get in the way of the story which is the most important job of a narrator.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- M. Giorgi
- 03-03-15
A Comedy of Crooks
What did you love best about The Hot Rock?
The sometimes dry and sometimes quick humor. Totally different angle to a crooks story.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
Yes when I wasn't rolling over in laughter.
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
He takes some getting use to but eventually it works.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, though it took a little longer.
Any additional comments?
Just a comedy of fools and errors. I think you'll enjoy it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- jwags
- 02-08-22
love these books
It has been years since I read these-they're still great. Excellent narration. Highly recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Troy
- 06-22-14
Oh No! Not Again!
If you could sum up The Hot Rock in three words, what would they be?
Really? Not Again! -- "How many times does Dortmunder have to steal this thing?" It's a fair question and one that you will be asking yourself throughout the novel.
What did you like best about this story?
Well, you can't take it too seriously. Unlike Westlake's Parker novels (written under the name Richard Stark), the Dortmunder novels are penned in a comic vein. The feel is a bit like Ocean's Eleven.
Any additional comments?
Woodman delivers a great performance. I was constantly chuckling. The characters are well delineated and Westlake's language, as usual, is spot on. Good stuff.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mike From Mesa
- 08-15-13
Wonderful fun.
I bought this book looking for something a bit lighter than the histories and biographies I had been reading and was delighted with my choice. I guessed that any book that had as many sequels as the Dortmunder books was probably worth taking the time to read and I was well pleased with the choice.
Dortmunder is, of course, a career criminal and that is not someone I could normally identify with. He makes his living stealing and, at the start of the book, is leaving prison after two convictions. Another conviction means life in prison. That might be enough incentive for most people to try to make an honest living, but not Dortmunder. I suppose what makes him an interesting character is the bad luck that follows his actions. In this story he, and his fellow criminals, have to commit a whole series of crimes to try to rescue their initial prize with each attempt funnier and more complex than the last. All the characters associated with Dortmunder are interesting and, while reading, I could not help but think of Damon Runyon's characters.
Of course no one in this story is an innocent bystander so the long series of mis-chances that take place are comical and the ending is absolutely inspired. I was so pleased with this book that I rented the dvd of the movie. While that was a terrible mistake (the movie is just awful) the book is a gem. I have decided to read more books in this series and have already added "Nobodys Perfect" to my Wish List. It is hard to believe that other books in the series will equal this one in sheer enjoyment but I will see …
The book is excellently read by Jeff Woodman and I recommend it as a light read good for a lot of laughs, some of them guffaws.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cheimon
- 03-07-13
Charming story straight from 1970 - bad narration
The story is very charming, that it was written in 1970 adds a lovely nostalgia to it. It's not a fast paced thriller, but a cute, funny crime story (it gets funnier the farther you get, I agree with other reviewers that it's a bit bland in the beginning). Not a must-read, but definitely an enjoy-to-read.
Surprisingly though, there aren't a lot of reviews about the narration. Woodman has a very pleasant voice, but his narration is a bit catastrophic, he leaves much of the novel's potential untapped. It's all about the characters and their interplay, but only two or three of the main characters enjoy any depth in the narration. Dortmunder himself is not among them - Woodman endows him with his regular narration voice, which is young and light. There are indications in the text that Dortmunder is actually reluctant and tired and rolling his eyes most of the time. We don't hear any of that through Woodman though. Very sad, a better narrator could have made this raucously funny.
In addition, the African characters have Pakistani accents, which is hard to handle.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeffrey R. Bednar
- 11-09-21
Hysterical Heist Book
Dortmunder and his crew of neurotic thieves are even more priceless than the emerald they are stealing. The reader is great.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RueRue
- 05-15-16
A fun caper
Witty and fun. The narration is fantastic ! A little dated, but very entertaining.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chronovore
- 02-16-15
Great fun
Multiple capers make for great fun. Timeless. I'm looking forward to more Dortmunder with my next Credit. Strong performance as well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!