I enjoyed Westlake’s novels years ago and for some reason lost track of him. To my delight, I rediscovered a number of more recent books about Dortmunder and the gang. This one was originally published in 1993 and has been reissued, thank goodness. Westlake’s characters are each unique gems, his plots are solid and fast-paced, and his writing is hilarious. In this one, Tiny Bulcher’s cousin from the old country needs a small favor, and who else to tackle it but Dortmunder, Andy, Stan and the other specialists in burglary? The demise of the Soviet Union has, among other things, resulted in a feud between the tiny country where the Bulchers are from and another tiny country. One of the things at stake is membership in the United Nations. The decision of which one gets the membership is up to an old archbishop, who says it will go to whichever country has the medieval relic of the femur of Saint Ferghana. So Dortmunder and his gang embark on a multinational caper. Love it!
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