Overview
John Dortmunder and his merry crew stumble upon a television reality show whose producer decides to push the limits of the medium. The studio will film the gang as they plan and execute one of their patented nothing-can-go-wrong-until-it-does capers. As the gang strategizes its next move with the cameras rolling, Dortmunder and his partner Kelp organize a private side enterprise. It will take an ingenious plan to outwit the executive suits and keep viewers glued to their television sets. But Dortmunder is nothing if not persistent, and he's determined to end this shoot with extra money in his pockets. GET REAL is the last hilarious caper by the late Grand Master of mystery and suspense Donald E. Westlake.
Synopsis
Luckless thief Dortmunder and his gang agree to star in a reality show capturing their next heist. But as the cameras roll, Dortmunder comes up with an ingenious secret plan that's sure to end in hilarious hijinks.
BookPage
"Side-splittingly funny...Westlake will be remembered for his clever commentary on current affairs, his always amusing whimsical characters and of course his brilliant depiction of modern-day Robin Hoods robbing from the rich and giving to, well, themselves."
Editorials
BookPage
Side-splittingly funny...Westlake will be remembered for his clever commentary on current affairs, his always amusing whimsical characters and of course his brilliant depiction of modern-day Robin Hoods robbing from the rich and giving to, well, themselves.New York Times Book Review
A rollicking crime caper that pulls the pants right off the reality TV industry.Michael Dirda
From that very first sentence, you learn two things. Primo, that this is a Dortmunder novel, one of a series of comic capers about a gang of New York crooks who have been charming discriminating readers for nearly 40 years, and secundo, that you're in for a very, very good time…While the developing plot of Get Real has holes big enough to drive a stolen Chevy through, they don't really matter much. Mostly, one just enjoys Westlake's ingratiating, laid-back narrative voice.—The Washington Post
Marilyn Stasio
After watching a bare-chested dentist trekking through the jungle by torchlight to shake a spear at a sunburned accountant in a loincloth, you might think television reality shows were beyond satire. But that would be underestimating the puckish wit of Donald E. Westlake, who died of a heart attack last New Year's Eve but still leaves us laughing with his final novel, a rollicking crime caper that pulls the pants right off the reality TV industry.—The New York Times
Publishers Weekly
A reality-show company aptly titled Get Real recruits the delightfully understated John Dortmunder and his merry men for a heist in this clever Dortmunder novel (after What's So Funny?), a worthy final word from Westlake (1933-2008). The producer of the prospective series, Doug Fairkeep, reveals himself to be both cynical and naïve, a combination that makes him an excellent foil for the guys. Naturally, the gang has to make this gig pay more than what's offered, as much for the fun of it as for the extra cash. While Get Real helps them map out a "real" robbery, the boys are mapping out a real robbery-of some of the company's "hidden assets." The thinking is that Get Real can hardly come after them to retrieve cash that it can't admit that it has. The game plan changes nearly hourly, and the outcome is anything but certain. The assorted idiosyncrasies of the group's members and the interactions among them will rouse chuckles from even jaded readers. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Library Journal
Westlake's final Dortmunder novel is a winning send-up of our current fascination with reality TV. When Dortmunder and his associates-okay, his criminal gang-are offered a role on a reality show dramatizing their exploits, they initially think it's a terrible idea. However, they soon see it as an opportunity to aid in their usual criminal pursuits. While the producers of their show believe that the group is staging a small-time robbery, they're actually working on a way to find what they believe is a large amount of money being housed by the production company. What's not expected is that they begin to enjoy their TV careers, an outcome that contributes a couple of laugh-out-loud scenes. Dortmunder, Andy Kelp, Stan Murch, and the other members of their inner circle are perfectly drawn, and their interactions make for excellent comedy. Westlake, who died last New Year's Eve, will be sorely missed, but he has left a fine last work that will add to his legacy. Highly recommended.
—Craig Shufelt