Cab driver Chet Conway was hoping for a good tip from his latest fare, the sort he could spend. But what he got was a tip on a horse race. Which might have turned out okay, except that when he went to collect his winnings, Chet found his bookie lying dead on the living room floor. Chet knows he had nothing to do with it—but just try explaining that to the cops, to the two rival criminal gangs who each think Chet's working for the other, and to the dead man's beautiful sister, who has flown in from Las Vegas to avenge her brother's murder...
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"Donald E. Westlake's "Somebody Owes Me Money" is vintage pulp fiction. Originally published in 1969, "SOMM" has been wonderfully resurrected thanks to Hard Case Crime, which has been faithfully publishing pulpy crime novels---old and new---for several years now. Westlake's blend of hard-boiledness and humor make this particular novel a winner. Chet Conway is a cab driver who wins big on a horse at the races. Unfortunately, when he goes to collect his winnings from his bookie, he finds the guy dead from a bullet hole in the chest. Immediately, the bookie's wife, the cops, the mob, and the bookie's sexy little sister think he's the murderer. He just wants his money, but in order to get it, he may have to play amateur detective to find the real killer, clear his name, and get the money. For some reason, I picture this vividly as a mad-cap 60s black-and-white comedy-noir with Jack Lemmon as Conway, Walter Matthau as Detective Golderman, and Ann Margaret as Abbie." — Scott (4 out of 5 stars)
"Donald E. Westlake's "Somebody Owes Me Money" is vintage pulp fiction. Originally published in 1969, "SOMM" has been wonderfully resurrected thanks to Hard Case Crime, which has been faithfully publishing pulpy crime novels---old and new---for several years now. Westlake's blend of hard-boiledness and humor make this particular novel a winner. Chet Conway is a cab driver who wins big on a horse at the races. Unfortunately, when he goes to collect his winnings from his bookie, he finds the guy dead from a bullet hole in the chest. Immediately, the bookie's wife, the cops, the mob, and the bookie's sexy little sister think he's the murderer. He just wants his money, but in order to get it, he may have to play amateur detective to find the real killer, clear his name, and get the money. For some reason, I picture this vividly as a mad-cap 60s black-and-white comedy-noir with Jack Lemmon as Conway, Walter Matthau as Detective Golderman, and Ann Margaret as Abbie."
“Stephen Thorne sounds like a natural-born reader of Westlake’s breezy, irreverent characters.”
“Even as Westlake kids the conventions of mystery, the neatly knotted plot proves that he takes even fun seriously.”
" Another fun pulp mystery. I really enjoyed this one. "
" Hard Case Crime #44 "
" Absolutely FUN crime book. Westlake writes characters who actually talk and act like people do in real life, and the main character's persistence in telling the truth was refreshing. Highly recommended as a reading "snack"! "
" A nice chance in pace from some of Westlake's other crime novels I've read, it's really a testament to his talent that he could so easily switch to a breezy comedic story like this one. Not my favorite of his books, but a very enjoyable one. "
" Nobody does it better than Westlake! "
" Great start and gets worse and worse. The title doesn't lie. "
" Listened to it - very funny. "
" Cab driver and occasional gambler Chet finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery when his bookie is killed. Everyone assumes he did it, and he's got to solve the case to get everyone off his back (and find the person who will pay off the bet his bookied "reneged" on). "
" From the Hard Case Crime series (which I love), a fun read about tough cab driver who finds his bookie dead. Exactly what you hope for from this kind of novel. "
" Another funny crime drama... "
" Starts off well, but really starts to drag halfway through, when it becomes mostly dialogue-based. Also, a lot of the attempts at humour unfortunately deflate the suspense. "
" Quality early Westlake. A NYC hits a longshot, but when he goes to collect, he discovers his bookie's been murdered. Even though two rival mobs are out gunning for him, he never loses site of his goal: "Who's got my money?" "
" I like Westlake--light reading, doesn't take himself seriously but still meaty enough to keep you interested. Fun cast of 'characters.' "
" Donald Westlake is a cool writer, but this isn't one of his better works. Too wacky to be believable, if you like comedy crime you'll be in stitches by this lame fest. "
" My buddy Mike told me to check this out. This is a fun little pulp yarn with witty dialogue that could rival Chandler. A wonderful read. "
" What can I say...it's classic Westlake!! Loved it "
" Despite a good set-up(gambling cabbie wins big on the races and finds his bookie dead when he shows up to collect) this becomes a lighter comic novel that I kept wishing was more hardboiled. Most of the comic dialog is really lame. Definitely not Westlake's best. "
" This is seriously the most enjoyable pulp I think I have ever read. This guy can really tell a fun and exciting story. It may be that I just love stories where everything seems to go wrong for someone. I loved the main character. "
" pretty entertaining spoof of young cabbie in nyc trying to collect a winning bet on a horse race from two different sets of mobsters, both of which are trying to kill him. nice and smooth in plot and dialog. "
" I always enjoy Westlake's down-on-their luck, shady characters. Although I believe he is getting too old to write believable dialogue between thirty-somethings. It sounds a little 1950s. "
Donald E. Westlake (1933–2008) wrote dozens of novels under his own name and numerous pseudonyms, including Richard Stark and Alan Marshall. Many of his books have been adapted for film, most notably The Hunter, which became the 1967 noir Point Blank and the 1999 smash hit Payback.
Stephen Thorne trained at RADA and played several seasons with the Old Vic Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford and London. He has worked extensively in radio, with over two thousand broadcasts for the BBC, including Uncle Mort in the Radio 4 comedy series and the part of Treebeard in The Lord of the Rings. His television work includes EastEnders, Boys from the Bush, Death of an Expert Witness, and David Copperfield.
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