The Hot Rock cover art

The Hot Rock

The Dortmunder Novels, Book 1

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The Hot Rock

By: Donald E. Westlake
Narrated by: Justin Price
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About this listen

Edgar Award Finalist: A comical crime caper "filled with action and imagination" (The New York Times Book Review).

John Dortmunder leaves jail with ten dollars, a train ticket, and nothing to make money on but his good name. Thankfully, his reputation goes far. No one plans a caper better than Dortmunder. His friend Kelp picks him up in a stolen Cadillac and drives him away from Sing-Sing, telling a story of a $500,000 emerald that they just have to steal. Dortmunder doesn't hesitate to agree.

The emerald is the crown jewel of a former British colony, lately granted independence and split into two nations: one for the Talabwo people, one for the Akinzi. The Akinzi have the stone, the Talabwo want it back, and their UN representative offers a fine payday to the men who can get it. It's not a simple heist, but after a few years in stir, Dortmunder could use the challenge.

©1970 Donald E. Westlake (P)2024 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books Crime Fiction Literature & Fiction
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This is Westlake at his near best — whilst memory for me is his best work, Dortmunder and his wily crew is his best character work!

Read sublimely by Price — this is better than 95% of modern day crime fiction without any doubts whatsoever!!!

A bit of crime perfection

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