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Donald E. Westlake

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Donald E. Westlake


Born
in Brooklyn, New York, The United States
July 12, 1933

Died
December 31, 2008

Website

Genre
Mystery & Thrillers


Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008) was one of the most prolific and talented authors of American crime fiction. He began his career in the late 1950's, churning out novels for pulp houses—often writing as many as four novels a year under various pseudonyms such as Richard Stark—but soon began publishing under his own name. His most well-known characters were John Dortmunder, an unlucky thief, and Parker, a ruthless criminal. His writing earned him three Edgar Awards: the 1968 Best Novel award for God Save the Mark; the 1990 Best Short Story award for "Too Many Crooks"; and the 1991 Best Motion Picture Screenplay award for The Grifters. In addition, Westlake also earned a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993.

Westlake's ...more

Combine Editions

Average rating: 3.9 · 66,568 ratings · 7,058 reviews · 442 distinct works • Similar authors
The Hot Rock (Dortmunder, #1)
3.95 avg rating — 6,828 ratings — published 1970 — 68 editions
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Bank Shot (Dortmunder, #2)
4.03 avg rating — 3,620 ratings — published 1972 — 57 editions
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The Ax
3.92 avg rating — 2,347 ratings — published 1997 — 35 editions
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Jimmy The Kid (Dortmunder, #3)
4.02 avg rating — 2,116 ratings — published 1974 — 52 editions
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Drowned Hopes (Dortmunder, #7)
4.15 avg rating — 1,811 ratings — published 1990 — 36 editions
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Somebody Owes Me Money
3.79 avg rating — 1,862 ratings — published 1969 — 33 editions
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What's The Worst That Could...
4.17 avg rating — 1,658 ratings — published 1996 — 30 editions
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What's So Funny? (Dortmunde...
3.94 avg rating — 1,656 ratings — published 2007 — 35 editions
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Why Me? (Dortmunder, #5)
4.12 avg rating — 1,541 ratings — published 1983 — 40 editions
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Good Behavior (Dortmunder, #6)
4.13 avg rating — 1,480 ratings — published 1986 — 43 editions
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More books by Donald E. Westlake…

Series by Donald E. Westlake

The Hot Rock Bank Shot Jimmy The Kid Nobody's Perfect Why Me? Good Behavior Drowned Hopes
(15 books)
by
4.01 avg rating — 29,792 ratings

Trust Me On This Baby, Would I Lie?
(2 books)
by
3.80 avg rating — 1,159 ratings

One Of Us Is Wrong I Know A Trick Worth Two Of... What I Tell You Three Times... The Fourth Dimension Is Death
(4 books)
by
3.67 avg rating — 250 ratings

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Quotes by Donald E. Westlake  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“Nobody gets everything in this life. You decide your priorities and you make your choices. I'd decided long ago that any cake I had would be eaten.”
― Donald E. Westlake, Two Much
2545 likes
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“My mother believed in all superstitions, plus she made some up.”
― Donald E. Westlake
tags: crime, mother, mystery, superstition
46 likes
Like

“What advice I would give to anybody about anything. Life is a slow-motion avalanche, and none of us are steering." (When asked in an interview about what question he's tired of being asked.)”
― Donald E. Westlake
tags: interview
12 likes
Like

Polls

December 2013/January 2014 Group Read

 
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279 total votes
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