The men in the tan-and-cream Chrysler came with guns blazing. When Ray Kelly woke up in the hospital, it was a month later, he was missing an eye, and his father was dead. Then things started to get bad.
From the mind of the incomparable Donald E. Westlake - Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster and Academy Aware nominee - comes a devastating story of betrayal and revenge, an exploration of the limits of family loyalty and how far a man will go when everything he loves is taken from him.
So says the copy on the back cover of my copy of HCC-009. I continued my Hard Case Crime reading with the other Westlake in my collection (although not the only other Westlake available from HCC). I enjoyed Double Feature so much I made 361 my follow-up.
Unfortunately I did not enjoy it so much. I think it's likely perfectly serviceable for what it is - a POV from a crook/ bad guy/ unsympathetic protagonist - but there was not much for me to latch onto. The plot didn't come across properly to me - I don't know how else to describe it. It was like following bad directions on a map. But purposefully constructed. I can't fault Westlake's approach or writing, I just didn't really respond to the aesthetic I guess. From the first to the last I just didn't sympathize with anyone, and that made for sloggy reading.
As I was reading I was "watching" it in my head simultaneously, which was an interesting experience. The film noir film I watched in my head was just fine. The prose worked for it, I didn't need to like the characters or find them or the plot all that interesting, it was all just mood and black-and-white hardboiled diversion. But I didn't enjoy reading it. I've spoken elsewhere and often of the necessity of scientists to invent the appropriate device to lift films entirely from people's heads; if such a device existed I could show you what I meant. Alas.
The title refers to an entry in Roget's Thesaurus for killing/ destruction of life.
And that's kind of the end of the review, here. Wasn't for me. You? Let me know what I'm missing here. It's a quick read, which means it's a quick re-read, too.
Anyone who wants a deeper dive is encouraged to check out the Westlake Review entry here.
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The Hard Case Crime Chronicles will continue with...
Say It With Bullets by Richard Powell.
Appearing sooner or later. See you then.
