Books › Bank Shot
Bank Shot
First published 1972 · 282 pages
A delightfully absurd heist caper that trades grim realism for chaotic, high-stakes comedy.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like riding shotgun in a stolen getaway car driven by the world's most ambitious yet perpetually exhausted criminals. The narrative moves at a brisk, entertaining clip, trading the grim realism of traditional crime fiction for a wry, chaotic energy that borders on the absurd. It captures the gritty texture of New York City streets while maintaining a lighthearted, caper-like atmosphere where the stakes are high but the tone remains playfully irreverent. The prose is punchy and humorous, perfectly suited to the weary frustration and sudden, wild ambition of its lovable rogues. It is a perfect match for readers who delight in classic action-adventure stories where the heists are impossibly grand and the thieves are delightfully human.
- Mood
- chaotic
- lighthearted
- gritty
- Tone
- wry
- comedic
- irreverent
- absurd
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the absurdity of ambition · camaraderie among thieves · the daily grind of crime · escaping the mundane
- The writing
- Punchy and humorous, blending the gritty textures of New York with a sharp comedic edge.
- The arc
- Moves from the weary frustration of small-time grifts to the chaotic thrill of an impossibly absurd heist.
- Who it's for
- Readers who delight in classic, comedic crime capers featuring lovable, down-on-their-luck rogues attempting the impossible.
Content notes
- criminal activities
- law enforcement evasion
About the book
Instead of robbing a bank, Dortmunder tries to steal the whole building. Encyclopedias are heavy, and John Dortmunder is sick of carrying them. While in between jobs, the persistent heist-planner is working an encyclopedia-selling scam that's about to blow up in his face. The cops are on their way when his friend Kelp pulls up in a stolen Oldsmobile, offering a quick escape from the law and a job that's too insane to turn down. Kelp's nephew is an FBI washout who's addicted to old-time pulp novels and adventure stories. He tried being a cop, and now he wants to be a ro.
Description from Open Library.
Books like Bank Shot
See why they match
The hot rockDonald E. WestlakeA delightfully chaotic heist where absolutely everything that can go wrong does, executed with deadpan brilliance.
Drowned hopesDonald E. WestlakeA frantic, high-stakes caper where a ticking clock of dynamite forces a reluctant thief into increasingly desperate underwater heists.
The GetawayBrenda JacksonA relentless, sun-baked descent into paranoia where every escape route leads straight to hell.
The axDonald WestlakeA relentlessly dark and suspenseful plunge into the mind of an ordinary man driven to horrific extremes by corporate downsizing.
Get ShortyElmore LeonardA razor-sharp, sun-drenched joyride where the mob meets the movies, fueled by deadpan wit and effortless cool.
Shoot the piano playerDavid GoodisA smoke-filled, fatalistic descent into the gutter where the past is a debt that must always be paid.