Get Real

"A rollicking crime caper that pulls the pants right off the reality TV industry" is the final mystery from "a master craftsman" (New York Times Book Review).

Getting caught red-handed is inevitable when a TV producer convinces a thief named John Dortmunder—and his merry gang of thieves—to do a reality show that captures their next score. The producer guarantees to find a way to keep the show from being used in evidence against them. They're dubious, but the pay is good, so they take him up on his offer.


A mock-up of the gang's usual hangout, the OJ bar, is built in a warehouse down on Varick Street. The ground floor of that building is a big open space jumbled with vehicles used in TV world, everything from a news truck and a fire engine to a hansom cab (without the horse).


As the gang plans their next move with the cameras rolling, Dortmunder and Kelp sneak onto the roof of their new studio to organize a private enterprise. It will take an ingenious plan to outwit viewers glued to their television sets, but Dortmunder is nothing if not persistent, and he's determined to end this shoot with money in his pockets.


"Clever. . . . will rouse chuckles from even jaded readers." —Publishers Weekly, starred review


"Charming characters, clever twists, and mischievous wit combine to create a winning novel." —Bookmarks magazine


"With brilliant restraint and perfectly pitched deadpan dialogue, Westlake keeps his characters dancing precariously along the knife's edge of absurdity. . . . a sheer delight." —Booklist, starred review