The Comedy is Finished

December 12, 2011
MWA Grand Master Westlake (1933–2008) shows his skill and versatility as an author in this posthumous crime novel. In 1977, the radical fervor that grew through the 1960s and early 1970s, fueled by the struggle for civil rights and the Vietnam War, has largely subsided, but a small group seeks to reignite passions by kidnapping comedian Koo Davis, known for his longstanding USO tours during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam in support of the troops. The snatch is perfectly planned and executed, but things soon start to fall apart for the bewildered Koo, the kidnappers, and the FBI agent leading the investigation, who hopes success will remove the taint his reputation suffered because of Watergate. Westlake provides a probing analysis of the kidnappers’ various and sometimes vague motivations, including their demands for the release of 10 “political” prisoners. Sharply written and insightful, this “lost” novel is a worthy addition to Westlake’s lengthy catalogue. Agent: Einstein-Thompson Agency.

February 15, 2012

The late Westlake began this book toward the end of the 1970s but ultimately shelved it, partly because he felt the premise too closely mimicked Martin Scorsese's film The King of Comedy. He nonetheless sent a copy to his friend Max Allan Collins, who recently informed Hard Case of its existence (go Max!). Set in 1977, the plot follows the kidnapping of superstar entertainer Koo Davis (a thinly veiled Bob Hope) by the People's Revolutionary Army, a handful of leftover Sixties radicals, demanding the release of ten political prisoners. Readers wouldn't necessarily peg Westlake for a gag writer, but Koo delivers a lively string of Hope-esque zingers throughout. While the kidnappers want to use Koo to free incarcerated friends, Mike Wiskiel, the Watergate-disgraced FBI agent leading the investigation, also hopes to use the case to springboard himself back to Washington. VERDICT The characters are well drawn, the dialog flows, and the chapters speed by, making for a breezy, solid read. This late discovery is a welcome treat for Westlake's many fans. A natural for all mystery collections.--Mike Rogers, Library Journal

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2012
It's 1977. The Vietnam War and Watergate are very recent history. Comedian Koo Davis, however, continues to do what he's been doing for four decades: tell jokes. But just before the taping of his TV special, Koo is kidnapped by the People's Revolutionary Army. The kidnappers demand that 10 imprisoned radicals be given safe passage out of the U.S. in return for Koo. The Comedy Is Finished is a tense, compelling story of captive, captors, and an FBI agent, but it's also a painfully insightful portrait of a very dark period in U.S. history. All the main characters' lives have been affected by the war or Watergate, and Westlake, who wrote the novel in the late 1970s, gives each plenty of opportunity to lament what happened to them and relive some of this country's darkest years. It's very different from Westlake's beloved comic crime capers, and although readers old enough to remember those years may find the memories dredged up to be unpleasant, they will probably be hard-pressed to put the book down.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)