The Busy Body

By: Donald E. Westlake

Narrated by: Brian Holsopple

Al Engel had worked his way up to being Nick Rovito’s right-hand man, near the top of the syndicate. And this was a delicate job that Rovito had given him: retrieving a very important jacket, loaded with heroin, from the fresh grave of the drug mule who was accidentally buried wearing it.

Rovito ordered Engel to go to the grave in the early hours of the morning, dig up the coffin, and get back the suit - plus kill two birds with one stone (so to speak) and whack the guy who would help with the digging. There was just one problem (at least - just one to begin with): It turned out the grave was empty. Suddenly Engel was the one finding himself “in deep”.

Busy Body is early Westlake, as he was mastering the genre he would become known for: the comic caper.

©1966 Original material © 1966 Donald E. Westlake. Recorded by arrangement with The Mysterious Press.com, LLC. (P)2012 (p) 2012 HighBridge Company

early westlake

Would you listen to The Busy Body again? Why?

If you're a fan of Westlake, this is an early book with a lot of early threads. Non politically correct and loving New York

What about Brian Holsopple’s performance did you like?

funny accents

I can't believe this is in the plus catalog

This was so much better than most of the stuff I buy. Crisp intelligent banter in the style of Dashiell Hammett.

The Blue Suit!

Charlie Brody was the first in the organization to die in several years. The Boss, Nick Rovido thought this would be a good time to have a great sendoff. Unfortunately, Charlie was buried with something important to the Organization. Fred Engle, Al’s father arranged a meeting with the Boss. Given some condemning information from his father, Al replaced Nick’s existing right-hand man. Four years later, Engle was to retrieve something important for Nick and to rub out Willie Menchik, a truck driver for the organization who talked too much. Engle was to do both jobs at the same time. The situation went from bad to worse. What Nick wanted Engle to retrieve disappeared, along with clues to where it went. All the Boss wanted was the item and it was up to Engle to get it. The story wandered all over, seeming to have nothing to do with the plot. Confusing twists and turns, make me wonder if it will eventually come together. Three.point.five.

Comic criminal caper

What made the experience of listening to The Busy Body the most enjoyable?

I'm a late convert to Westlake's subtle comic charms. I read a fair bit of crime and have read plenty of Westlake's alter ego, Richard Stark. I've only started to get into his comic capers in the last few years and realise that their is much gold here too. I like the whiny, almost apologetic, mobster hero and the narrator Brian Holsopple is a good choice to voice his thoughts.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I wanted to know what happened next. Westlake is an easy listen for sure.

Which character – as performed by Brian Holsopple – was your favorite?

Not Applicable.

Who was the most memorable character of The Busy Body and why?

Westlake introduces plenty of oddball characters and potential "guilty parties" throughout so it's really just a mix-up of them all.

Any additional comments?

This title is a stand alone so you won't need to read something else to get the running gags. I'd recommend it if you are a fan of Lawrence Block, Chester Himes, or even someone like George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series.

A good listen

What did you love best about The Busy Body?

This was my first listen to a Westlake book and I enjoyed it. It was a good little mystery with amusing characters and humorous incidents. I plan to listen to more by Westlake.

Great characters! Fun twist!

This was the first book of Donald E. Westlake that I've given a listen to and I'll definitely be listening to all I can get my ears on... get it.

Read to perfection by Brian Holsopple.

Fun Fun Fun

What can I say, it's a Westlake. Motivated to hear the end. I didn't guess this ending. Wouldn't it be so cool to meet Westlake? Another time.

Good reading

Westlake never disappoints . good story with lots of surprises. have to look for another book.

What Gangsters Go Through

Who says it’s easy being a gang member. Who can a guy trust? He should have gone to dinner at his mother’s.

Very Enjoyable

The busy body takes in NYC. This takes place before John, Tiny and the others get together. It is a very interesting story. Even if you are a Dortmunder fan like me, you will not miss them. The reader is excellent- I wish I could give him more stars. With twists and turns galore, and double crossing gangsters it really kept my interest.