Books: Brothers Keepers By Donald E. Westlake (1975/2019)

"For nearly two centuries, a small order of monks has lived on New York’s Park Avenue. Through the rise of skyscrapers and crush of so many people living in the city, they’ve managed to keep their monastery safe from capitalism thanks in large part to a ninety-nine year lease. But one December Saturday, these monks are surprised to learn that the lease is almost up and that their entire block is about to be sold to build a new office building. As part of the attempts to save their building, Brother Benedict is forced to Travel from his beloved quiet monastery life several times to deal with the family that holds the lease. He also will need to deal with the business people who are buying it. Things become complicated for Brother Benedict when he meets and falls in love with the daughter –whose father holds said lease. Thus, Brother Benedict is forced into a battle of conscious, questioning whether he belongs with her or with his fellow monks. And in the battle of love, war, and New York real estate, nothing is as it seems."

Originally published in 1975, and later re-issued in the early 1980s by Mysterious Press, Brothers Keepers in now back in print after 30 years, released under the Hard Case Crime imprint (great new cover, as well). However, there is not much in the way of crime going on here. The closest, I guess, to having some crime (beyond the greed of men) comes about a quarter into the book when a copy of lease they’ve finally found (in a hilarious scene set in a dusty, dirty attic) that will prevent them from being evicted is stolen. A question arises on how anyone outside the monastery knew of the find, leading some fellow monks to ponder if was an inside job, or has someone managed to infiltrate the monastery without anyone noticing?

Beyond that, Brothers Keepers just showcases the kind of careful and precise character building Westlake seems to do with ease (even though most of the other monks get little in the way of personalities -but then again, most of them are not essential to the story). And his innate ability to add humor and curmudgeonly quirkiness to his characters and make them still endearing is another well earned talent.

But the book is fun and a reminder why New York of the 1970s may have been the best and oddest times to live in. It may not be laugh out loud funny like a lot of his Dortmunder tales, but the wry humor and Wes Anderson style setting (had Wes Anderson been around then) and dialogue surely will keep many amused.