The Ax

A masterpiece. Read it and be amazed.Written in first person, the book has nothing do with an actual ax or an ax murder. It's about Burke Devore, a family man with a wife and son, who gets "the ax" when he is downsized out of his job as a specialist in a paper mill (perhaps an oblique reference to the fact that Westlake started out as a "pulp" writer).The premise is so outrageous, only a genius like Westlake could make it so real and compelling. What Devore decides to do about his dilemma, as his bank account dwindles and his family tries to survive on an ever-decreasing budget, is brilliant, devious, and heinous.As the story progresses, readers will expect it to lead to a tragic ending. But Westlake has a surprise in store for us. The ending is miraculous and unexpected. But the story remains a tragedy.Westlake is best known for his comic crime capers like the wonderful Dortmunder series, but his serious novels should not be overlooked. I believe they are his best work. Another do-not-miss novel is Memory, unpublished for years and recently releases by Hard Case Crime. Incredible!What a fantastic legacy Westlake left us. More than 100 books, all waiting to be devoured!

This is one of my favorite books of all time. This was the first book I read by Mr. Westlake, but sure as heck wasn't my last.Burke Devore finds himself in the same place many of us have- the unemployment world. After working for over twenty years at a paper mill, he was let go due to downsizing. So what's a guy to do?Burke decides to kill his competition- literally.After placing an ad in a trade magazine, Burke takes the resumes he receives, decides which applicants would best serve as his competition for a job and then places them on his hit list. Using an untraceable Luger pistol he got from his deceased father's trunk, he goes toward the executions one by one, hitting several snags along the way. The suspense builds big time as he plunges into dangerous waters and each kill is different and affects him in a unique way.One thing I have to show appreciation for is the first person voice in this one. Burke Devore clearly has a twisted way of examining his situation and justifying his way out of it. However, at certain moments, I do side with him. Even the craziest person does make a good point sometimes and Burke actually makes plenty of them in this dark journey which will keep you in suspense and possible up at night due to its razor sharp attitude and all-too-plausible plot.

Well that was pretty disturbing. The Ax by Donald Westlake is a book no one who has been laid off during our current recession should read, it will give them too many ideas. I was recommended this book by a friend, and author, and normally I don't read crime fiction, but I was intrigued enough with the premise to give it a try - a guy who loses his job then in order to secure himself another job, he kills off his competition. Even though this book wasn't humorous, I still saw the dark irony in it all and enjoyed it. I also couldn't have picked a better time to read this book (which was written in the late 90s), it's so topical to today's current situation in America.On the downside I did find myself skipping entire paragraphs, and even occasionally whole pages because Westlake focused on too many unimportant details like directions and and scenery as Burke, the anti-hero, drives along. The pacing was a little slow for me, but that could just be that I'm used to reading young adult novels where the pace is rarely slow.On the plus side, this is definitely a story I am likely to forget. Westlake's writing is haunting and disturbing and it makes me really worried that I could be one day snuffed out by someone gunning for my job, so thanks a lot Westlake, I'm attributing my workplace and job security anxiety to your book.

You've never read anything like this before, and I doubt you will again. Story of a man (Burke Devore) who loses his job in a field that has very few prospects. However, there is one possiblity of another job that he would be qualified for, but there are other applicants equally qualified. Soooo, he goes about finding out who might also be interviewing, and one by one begins to eliminate them; often in spectacular ways!Whet your interest? Does he get away with murder? Does he get the job? Better read it and find out - you won't be able to rest until you have!! Really classic Donald Westlake. Not a Dortmunder book, but equally as good. You'll love it.

What do you do when you are over fifty years old, and the company for which you have worked for nearly a quarter of a century is downsizing and gives you the ax? One would think that you would simply get another job. Wrong! In this era of corporate downsizing and fierce competition, that may be easier said than done. Ask Burke Devore.Burke Devore, unemployed now for nearly two years, would like nothing better than to get a job commensurate with his experience as a product manager for a paper mill corporation, but as I said, competition is fierce. Desperate in his quest for the american dream that seems to have turned into a nightmare from which he cannot wake, his middle class life is spiraling out of control. He must regain control by whatever means necessary. Burke Devore, thinking out of the box, simply decides to eliminate the competition...literally. Our erstwhile serial killer is mad as hell, and he isn't going to take it anymore.This darkly satirical and provocative novel is a veritable page turner. Moreover, there is an underlying social commentary that permeates the plot, which serves to make the reader complicit with the protagonist, as he moves forward with his deadly agenda. Well written and original in concept, it makes for a book well worth reading, especially by those who enjoy mysteries and novels of suspense.

I loved this thriller! It’s so well thought out by our main character in his own twisted way! This is the first novel I’ve read by Donald Westlake but it won’t be my last.