Photo of Donald E. Westlake
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Donald E. Westlake

1933–2008

1 series 9 books in order 6 standalone books

Donald Edwin Westlake (1933-2008) was an American writer with over a hundred novels and non-fiction books to his credit, writing under at least 20 pseudonyms. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers, with occasional forays into science fiction or other genres. He was a three-time Edgar Award winner, and in 1993 the Mystery Writers of America named him a Grand Master, the society's highest honor.

Born
1933
Known for
Dortmunder

Series by Donald E. Westlake

Dortmunder

3 books in order · 1970–1974

  1. Cover of The hot rock

    The hot rock

    1970 · Donald E. Westlake

    John Archibald Dortmunder is a thief whose capers never quite succeed. After his release from prison, he and his friend Kelp plot to steal the…

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  2. Cover of Bank Shot

    Bank Shot

    1972 · Donald E. Westlake

    John Dortmunder, a persistent heist-planner, is involved in an encyclopedia-selling scam that is about to fail. He is tired of carrying heavy…

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  3. Cover of Jimmy the Kid

    Jimmy the Kid

    1974 · Donald E. Westlake

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Standalone books

  1. Cover of Watch Your Back!

    Watch Your Back!

    2005

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  2. Cover of The Road To Ruin

    The Road To Ruin

    2004

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  3. Cover of The hook

    The hook

    2000

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  4. Cover of What's the worst that could happen?

    What's the worst that could happen?

    1996

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  5. Cover of Drowned hopes

    Drowned hopes

    1990

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  6. Cover of Kahawa

    Kahawa

    1982

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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Donald E. Westlake written?

We list 9 books by Donald E. Westlake across 1 series, published between 1970–2005 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Donald E. Westlake's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Jimmy the Kid.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Donald E. Westlake's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.