What's So Funny?

By: Donald E. Westlake

Narrated by: William Dufris

All it takes is a few underhanded moves by a tough ex-cop named Eppick to pull thief John Dortmunder into a game he never wanted to play. With no choice, he musters his always-game gang and they set out on a perilous treasure hunt for a long-lost gold and jewel-studded chess set once intended as a birthday gift for the last Romanov czar.

From the moment Dortmunder reaches for his first pawn, he faces insurmountable odds. The purloined past of this precious set is destined to confound any strategy he finds on the board. Success is not inevitable with Dortmunder leading the attack, but he's nothing if not persistent, and some gambit or other might just stumble into a winning move.

©2006 Donald E. Westlake (P)2004 BBC Audio

Critic reviews

"Westlake is a national literary treasure, and his latest effort only enhances his value." ( Booklist)

Great Book

Westlake was the first author is ever listened to years ago on tape and got me adicted! His Dortmander series is great as well as the work he did under the name Richard Stark.

great book

it was really good it kept you in suspense the whole time with all the different twists and turns the ending kind of suck because everybody kind of lost out except the nursing home but it wasn't that funny I was expecting to be funny

Another excellent caper

Enjoyed the book and some of the new peripheral characters. The caper seemed the usual chaotic Dortmunder outing, although an incident toward the end seemed anticipatable (and almost inevitable). I felt it had a couple more loose ends than usual, but it was still enjoyable..

Entertaining

Engaging. Narrator hooks you quickly. Some twists here and there that don’t always work out the way you think but that’s life. Kept me interested and amused. Definitely recommend!

Slow Windup For A Stellar Finish

Westlake's Dortmunder & crew of lovable thieves are involved in another comedy of errors wonderfully performed by Dufris. Enjoy!

Checkmate!

John Dortmunder, experienced thief and ex-cop Johnny Eppick for hire threaten Dortmunder into doing a job for Eppick’s employer. The specific prize was in a sub-floor bank vault under a sixty-floor bank building. This was impossible to Dortmunder but Eppick had him by the short hairs. Dortmunder needed help and went to his usual crew for assistance. How on earth was he supposed to pull this off? If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain. The story detours to focus on other characters, their backgrounds, and their interest in the prize. Eventually, the tale comes back to Dortmunder and the prize. This is my first experience with Dortmunder and I liked it very much.

what a cast of characters!

There are many and varied characters, here, all performed beautifully. These are the kind of characters you remember years after reading them. I heard this book years ago. This time, I didn't remember the plot, but I knew all the players . I definitely recommend.

Dufris is a marvel!

Dufris and Westlake - what a pair.

The story is already clever and hilarious, and Dufris' narration ensures it remains as such. The characters are all so clearly defined by a vocal maestro.

I was sorry it ended far too soon.

I love Dortmunder

Westlake never fails to deliver the goods with the Dortmunder capers. They make us laugh, they do not subject us to gratuitous sex or violence, and no one gets harmed. William Dufris reads "What's So Funny" perfectly, giving unique voices to the five conspirators and the auxiliary characters. Probably it would help to listen to the previous Dortmunder capers in order, in order to appreciate the patterns in these lovable criminals' lives; but "What's So Funny" -- like the other Dortmunder novels -- entertains admirably on its own. If you appreciate humor and gentleness in your crime novels, Westlake's Dortmunder series was made for you.

Delightful story, excellent reading

I’ve become a huge fan of the Dortmunder books over the last few years after discovering them (coming from discovery of the Parker series). The books and characters get better and better as the series evolves.

The narrator’s voicing of the character is so good. (I wish he had done all of them!)