Books like Bank Shot by Donald E. Westlake
Instead of robbing a bank, Dortmunder tries to steal the whole building. Encyclopedias are heavy, and John Dortmunder is sick of carrying them. While in between jobs, the persistent heist-planner is working an encyclopedia-selling scam that's about to blow up in his face. The cops are on their way when his friend Kelp pulls up in a stolen Oldsmobile, offering a quick escape from the law and a job that's too insane to turn down. Kelp's nephew is an FBI washout who's addicted to old-time pulp novels and adventure stories. He tried being a cop, and now he wants to be a ro. The story is a clever blend of action, crime, and detective elements, with a twist ending that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
First publish date: 1972
Genre: Crime Fiction/Heist Fiction
Authors: Donald E. Westlake
★
★
★
★
★
4.5 (2 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for Bank Shot by Donald E. Westlake are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to Bank Shot (24 similar books)
Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens’s 1837-39 social novel, follows an orphan raised in a workhouse who flees to London, joins a gang of pickpockets, and uncovers family secrets while exposing child labour and exploitation.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Fred Fitch's inheritance leads him into a web of scams and intrigue.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Parker must outwit a sinister plot while trapped in a deserted amusement park closed for the winter.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A burglar has $700,000 stashed in a New York reservoir, and now it's Tom Jimson's job to retrieve it by blowing up a dam.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In 1933 New York, the Corleone crime family battles for dominance.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A thief and his gang are hired to do a reality TV show, but their next score will be captured on camera.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Parker, the relentless thief, schemes to retrieve a heist’s stolen money hidden in an unused church choir loft, confronting law and rival gangsters in a high‑stakes chase.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A bumbling thief, Dortmunder, returns from the wild, sparking a police chase and a series of crimes across the city.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Dortmunder, a criminal, escapes police custody and is tasked with finding a missing nun.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
An old friend of Dortmunder's falls into a mysterious cemetery, leading to a dangerous chase through a New York City casino.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A detective named Dortmunder is burglarized by a billionaire and must find a lucky ring to clear his name
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Detective Bernie Rhodenbarr, a part‑time thief, finds himself framed for murder after a burglar plunders a dentist’s apartment and kills its wife.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A thrilling mystery tale by Donald E. Westlake, featuring a skilled detective who solves complex cases.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
An ex-cop, John Dortmunder, reluctantly joins the criminal underworld to recover a stolen treasure, facing impossible odds and a mysterious past.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A powerful novel of organized crime in 1940s New York City.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Mario Puzo's novels explore the world of organized crime and the lives of Italian Americans in New York.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
One Last Look by Donald E. WestlakeKahuna by Donald E. Westlake
The Outfit by D.Main Westlake
Getting Square by Donald E. Westlake
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!