SOMEBODY OWES ME MONEY

Stephen Thorne sounds like a natural-born reader of Westlake's breezy, irreverent characters. This pre-Dortmunder saga, written in 1969, is less polished than many of his more recent novels, but his trademark elements are here. Lots of buddies, some losers, a few heart-of-gold types, one misunderstood protagonist, one beautiful woman, and New York City. Stephen Thorne makes the most of it, rendering the implausible goings-on (which start with a cabbie being paid with a tip on a horse race) almost believable through an assured, commanding delivery. He handles male and female voices expertly and gives each of the main characters a distinct, consistent voice. This is a romp through the New York of 40 years ago. R.E.K. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]