#Titanuary #BookReview ‘Brothers Keepers’ by Donald E Westlake

To celebrate the upcoming re-release of Donald E Westlake’s ‘Double Feature’ in February from Titan Book imprint, Hard Case Crime, today I am re-sharing my review of ‘‘Brothers Keepers’/

Boasting a pulp painted cover that makes it easily identifiable amongst a swathe of covers, Hard Case Crimes has a very distinct and specific brief to bring us, the readers, the best in new and republished hard boiled crime fiction.

And in that field, Donald E Westlake is one of the grand masters.

Quirky, darkly humorous and intriguing, his books are , in this humble reader’s opinion, classics of the genre.

About the book…

What will a group of monks do when their century-old monastery in New York City is threatened with demolition to make room for a new high-rise?

What will a group of monks do when their century-old monastery in New York City is threatened with demolition to make room for a new high-rise? Anything they have to. In this hilarious tale of the saintly facing off against the unscrupulous, “Though Shalt Not Steal” is only the first of the Commandments to be broken as good men tussle with bad over that most sacred of relics, a Park Avenue address.

Starting in inimitable Westlake style with a confession scene that had me bursting out laughing,this newly repackaged and republished copy of ‘Brothers Keepers’ is a pure delight to the very last page.

It captures a time in the mid 70’s that most of us would find hard to recall,especially not this reviewer, ahem, who is FAR too young to remember any of it, and heard about it from her grandparents, and that, in and of itself, is part of the book’s charm. This tiny patch of land, this monastery is the last bastion on Park Avenue against the encroaching tide of skyscrapers.

Brother Benedict , a 34 year old Christinian monk who has lived in the monastery for the past 10 years after converting to Catholicism to win the heart of a girl who ran off and left him anyway, prefers life inside the cloisters. It’s quiet, straight forward and the routine gives a lot of comfort to a man at odds with modern 20th Century life in New York.

He accidentally comes across the plans to demolish several buildings, including theirs, in an architectural think piece published in the Sunday Times, his weekly indulgence. The journalist is outraged at the encroachment of modern building and the underhand methods used to acquire either land,buildings or both.The monastery has stood on leased land, for 2 centuries, passing from the monastery founder to the Flattery family after the original 99 year lease expired.

Now 16 world weary, but also unworldy, monks have the fight of their lives on their hands. It’s them versus the Flattery’s as they battle to preserve their way of life in a world that no longer recognises the rights of this minority religious order.

Shot through with humour, it’s very much a tale that is timeless despite being 44 years old. I feel that we are still fighting to have and maintain our own space in a paradoxically shrinking, yet expanding world -we can travel the world without leaving our homes thanks to the internet, but the payoff is that unknown forces can see every move that you make.

How far do you compromise your principles and bend sacred vows to do God’s work? A 67 story office block versus a band of 16 monks trying to hang on to their home-it’s a foregone conclusion…or is it?

If you have never tried Donald E Westlake before, or his alter ego Richard Stark, this is a great jumping on point for the author about whom Stephen King says -‘A book by this guy is cause for happiness.’

Keep an eye on the blog for my review of ‘Double Feature’, being republished for the first time in 40 years, as #Titanuary continues apace!

About the author…

Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008) was one of the most prolific and talented authors of American crime fiction. He began his career in the late 1950’s, churning out novels for pulp houses—often writing as many as four novels a year under various pseudonyms such as Richard Stark—but soon began publishing under his own name. His most well-known characters were John Dortmunder, an unlucky thief, and a ruthless criminal named Parker. His writing earned him three Edgar Awards: the 1968 Best Novel award for ‘God Save The Mark’; the 1990 Best Short Story award for “Too Many Crooks (Link Below)”; and the 1991 Best Motion Picture Screenplay award for ‘The Grifters’. In addition, Westlake also earned a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993.