"Josh
Redmont was 27 when the first check arrived, and he had absolutely no idea what
it was for. Issued by "United States Agent" through an unnamed bank
with an indeterminate address in D.C., someone seemed to think Josh was owed
$1,000. One month later, another check arrived, and then another, and
another...and Josh cashed them all. Month after month, year after year, never a
peep from the IRS, never an explanation for all this seemingly found money; the
checks even followed Josh from one address to another as he moved through life.
Now, after a full seven years, we find him on his way to meet the wife and kids
for a summer vacation. Puzzled by the approach of a smiling stranger, Josh's
stomach seizes with dread when the unwanted greeting begins with, "I am
from United States Agent." Dumbstruck, Josh attempts to feign ignorance
until he hears the words, "You are now active."
Money For Nothing would be Westlake’s final non-series novel
released in his lifetime, five years before his passing on New Year’s Eve 2008.
Also, certain Westlake scholars believe this book also “constitutes the tenth
and final ‘Nephew’ book, though with so many variations on the basic formula as
to render it almost unrecognizable.” As FredFitch at The Westlake Review
further notes “To some extent it is an attempt to blend elements from the two
of his weakest books–his first comic caper, Who Stole Sassi Manoon?, and his first
major attempt at satire, I Gave At The Office (the seventh
Nephew)”
I’ve only read Who Stole Sassi
Manoon?, and still hunting down a
reasonably priced version of I Gave At The Office, so we’ll see.
But yes, this book works for various reasons, but on the whole, it’s sort
of flat with a storyline seen many times in both movies and TV. Also, I’m
curious why this book was written in the third person, as it might’ve worked
better in first person. Then is the novel suppose to serious or funny? Yes,
there are some serious situations, especially towards the end, but there are
other serious parts sprinkled out through the book. Then there are some
situations by some of the characters that are very funny and often reminded me
of the early John Dortmunder tales when the “villains” were non-Americans and
had little grasp of idioms and social cues.
Surprisingly, since this was released in 2003, there is zero reference to
9/11, which was probably a conscious point on Westlake, because the gist of the
book deals with Ukrainian terrorist (which seems odd today) and a planned assassination at Yankee’s
Stadium. There is also a sequence that takes place in LTP area of JFK that
seemed out place –the area would’ve probably had some security coverage and
CCTV cameras by 2003. So it’s possible this novel is set before 9/11 (and maybe
written well before, as well, but that doesn’t explain why someone like Josh
does not have a mobile phone, but they use the internet with a powerful search
engine. Maybe these were things Westlake had little use of?)
There is one bit of brilliant satire here, when Josh is trying to piece everything
together and ends up going to a book reading at (the real) Westsider Books in
New York. The description of the writer of fantasy series (and his fans) now in
its seventh volume sort of resembles George R.R. Martin. But Westlake’s snarky
vibe of the whole thing is pretty spot on.
Anyways, not a terrible Westlake crime novel but not all will like like due to its sometimes slow pacing, almost no action, with humor that does not hit all the marks.
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