The Hot Rock

The First Dortmunder Novel

By: Donald E. Westlake

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman

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.

Critic reviews

"Westlake's novel comes awesomely close to the ultimate in comic, big-caper novels; it's so filled with…action and imagination." ( New York Times Book Review)

"Westlake is a master hand at the running gag….This Westlake brought on such a case of the laughing bends that I required decompression." ( Washington Post)

All-Time Top 100 Mysteries (Mystery Writers of America)

love these books

It has been years since I read these-they're still great. Excellent narration. Highly recommend.

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.

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!

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.

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.