If you're looking for a gritty prison crime fiction novel turn away now, Help I Am Being Held Prisoner is pretty much the opposite; professional prankster, Harold Kunt (with an umlaut) finds himself in prison after a prank turned foul, causing multiple injuries to motorists including a couple of high powered politicians. Now he's serving time, rubbing shoulders with con men, mobsters, and violent street thugs - he's completely out of his depth and comfort zone - so how does he manage to rob a couple of banks?
Help I Am Being Held Prisoner is loaded with laughs using the trademark Westlake humor. Even the crimes committed comprise elements of jocularity which few other writers could pull off while managing to both; convey a sense of dangerous urgency and subtle satire.
While the pranks, the stop-start nature of the bank job, and the comings and goings of the prison populace grew a tad tiresome, it was a fun ride all the way through to the ending.
My rating: 3.5/5 - Westalke didn't take all his characters seriously and this book is all the better for it. Recommended for fans of Carl Hiaasen and Marc Lecard.
Help I Am Being Held Prisoner is loaded with laughs using the trademark Westlake humor. Even the crimes committed comprise elements of jocularity which few other writers could pull off while managing to both; convey a sense of dangerous urgency and subtle satire.
While the pranks, the stop-start nature of the bank job, and the comings and goings of the prison populace grew a tad tiresome, it was a fun ride all the way through to the ending.
My rating: 3.5/5 - Westalke didn't take all his characters seriously and this book is all the better for it. Recommended for fans of Carl Hiaasen and Marc Lecard.
You can read my review of The Comedy Is Finished by clicking the link below:
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