Donald E. Westlake rarely disappoints me. This is one of those times.
Not to speak ill of the dead, but his newest Hard Case Crime release THE CUTIE — originally published in 1960 as THE MERCENARIES — simply failed to hook me, and Westlake is one who’s adept at hooking you from the very start. At least he doesn’t waste any time establishing the story; on page one, Clay, the right-hand man to crime czar Ed Ganolese, gets a late-night visit from a stuttering junkie named Billy-Billy Cantell, who just woke up next to a dead girl he’s never seen. Obviously, Billy-Billy needs Clay’s fix-it skills, especially since the doper accidentally left his hat — affixed with his name and number — at the scene.
Clay has no reason to believe that Cantell is lying about not being involved in the murder, so he agrees to shield him. Ganolese tells Clay to get the guy out of town immediately, but an antsy Cantell high-tails it before the trip can be taken. In their own search for the drug addict, the cops start raiding Ganolese’s lines of income, so the pressure is on Clay to find Cantell fast, as well as find out who the real killer was.
In his investigation, the girl turns out to be Mavis St. Paul, a beautiful “model.” That’s code for “high-class mistress.” Clay gleans details — and a long list of suspects — from Mavis’ elderly sugar daddy and her best friend, who contradict one another.
While I like the idea of a crook being forced to play private dick, THE CUTIE doesn’t amount to much. It moves a mile-a-minute, but the underlying mystery isn’t one I cared to see solved. Although Westlake’s enormous sense of humor remains — Clay doesn’t fault Mavis’ friend’s skittishness because “an ounce of caution is worth a pound of plasma.”
Well-written, it is — it’s just the material isn’t up to his usual clever machinations. You’ll find that, however, in the excellent, lady-or-the-tiger ending. —Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• ASK THE PARROT by Richard Stark
• THE AX by Donald E. Westlake
• COPS AND ROBBERS by Donald E. Westlake
• DIRTY MONEY by Richard Stark
• THE HOT ROCK by Donald E. Westlake
• THE HUNTER by Richard Stark
• I KNOW A TRICK WORTH TWO OF THAT by Donald E. Westlake
• KILLING TIME by Donald E. Westlake
• KILLTOWN by Richard Stark
• LEMONS NEVER LIE by Richard Stark
• THE MAN WITH THE GETAWAY FACE by Richard Stark
• THE OUTFIT by Richard Stark
• PITY HIM AFTERWARDS by Donald E. Westlake
• POINT BLANK by Richard Stark
• SOMEBODY OWES ME MONEY by Donald E. Westlake
• THE SOUR LEMON SCORE by Richard Stark
• THE SPY IN THE OINTMENT by Donald E. Westlake
• 361 by Donald E. Westlake
• WHAT’S SO FUNNY? by Donald E. Westlake
• WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN? by Donald E. Westlake
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I read this one twice under it’s original title, and I recall being disappointed with it also. I am planning on giving it a third chance, since I am a member of the Hard Case Crime book club but I’m waiting because there is plenty of other Westlake I haven’t read yet that I have on my “to read” list. I am planning on reading his science fiction novel Anarchaos next.
I almost read this one this week, but skipped over it. I’m disappointed to hear it’s not up to the usual Westlake standards.
To be fair, it WAS his first book. (Well, the first one published with his name, anyway.) Lots of the usual Westlake elements are there, and I think it reads well, but you’re right — it’s definitely not on par with his later work.