High Adventure

by Donald E. Westlake

One man’s quest to make history—and a lot of money: “High entertainment” from the three-time Edgar Award–winning Grand Master of Mystery (Elmore Leonard).   Kirby Galway may be a low-level marijuana smuggler in Belize, but the man has a dream—to make lots and lots of money. So when a local official offers him a back-jungle tract of land he swears would make a perfect cattle ranch, Kirby jumps at the opportunity. Unfortunately, he lands himself in a swamp—that he now owns.   Kirby begins selling homemade “artifacts” from his property to American museums and witless tourists, even building a fake ancient temple and recruiting a tribe of Mayan Indians who know a good scam when they see one.   But his cash-cow paradise soon attracts the attention of two snooping New York reporters, a beautiful archaeologist from UCLA, and a troop of Guatemalan guerillas just itching to shoot somebody. Kirby is going to have to talk fast, move faster, and pull out every dirty trick he knows if he’s going to get out of this alive . . .   “I thoroughly enjoyed High Adventure.” —Elmore Leonard   “Westlake at his intriguing, fast moving . . . Ends with a slam-bang climax.” —Los Angeles Times  Praise for Donald E. Westlake “Westlake has no peer in the realm of comic mystery novelists.” —San Francisco Chronicle

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Adventure, Thriller, Humor

361 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008) was one of the most prolific and talented authors of American crime fiction. He began his career in the late 1950's, churning out novels for pulp houses—often writing as many as four novels a year under various pseudonyms such as Richard Stark—but soon began publishing under his own name. His most well-known characters were John Dortmunder, an unlucky thief, and Parker, a ruthless criminal. His writing earned him three Edgar Awards: the 1968 Best Novel award for God Save the Mark; the 1990 Best Short Story award for "Too Many Crooks"; and the 1991 Best Motion Picture Screenplay award for The Grifters. In addition, Westlake also earned a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993.

Westlake's cinematic prose and brisk dialogue made his novels attractive to Hollywood, and several motion pictures were made from his books, with stars such as Lee Marvin and Mel Gibson. Westlake wrote several screenplays himself, receiving an Academy Award nomination for his adaptation of The Grifters, Jim Thompson's noir classic.

Some of the pseudonyms he used include
•   Richard Stark
•   Timothy J. Culver
•   Tucker Coe
•   Curt Clark
•   J. Morgan Cunningham
•   Judson Jack Carmichael
•   D.E. Westlake
•   Donald I. Vestlejk
•   Don Westlake

Reviews

[Terrance Layhew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want an Indiana Jones Adventure? Donald E. Westlake can write one of those, but without Indiana Jones, and it’s only going to be in Belize and the Caribbean. Oh, and there’s marijuana.

It’s a thoroughly Westlake novel. His response to the adventure-thirst in the wake of Raiders of the Lost Ark. High Adventure follows Kirby Galway’s attempts to fleece American’s with faux ancient artifacts, while being interrupted by the pretty female archeologist who mistakes his fake temple for a real one.

With farcical antics, the characters each pursue their own agendas until they collide.

It lacks the nail biting cliffhangers of a pulp serial ode (like Raiders), but makes the most of its exotic environment and humorous characters. It’s a better comparison to the other Harrison Ford adventure, Six Days, Seven Nights (1998). Similar tone, slapstick but with adventurous elements. The difference being High Adventure is far more enjoyable.

[Spiros · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typically Westlakian tale of skullduggery and cross-purposes set in the jungle of Belize, with Kirby Galway and Innocent St. Michael cast in the Humphrey Bogart/Claude Rains roles. A ripping good yarn.

[Dj · Rating 3 out of 5]

When is smuggling Mayan Pre-Columbian Artifacts, not smuggling Mayan Pre-Columbian Artifacts?

In a confusing, twisty and convoluted fashion, Donald E. Westlake runs down the whole scam in the fashion that only he can deliver. A thoroughly enjoyable romp into the South American underworld that makes it a fun read.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb, ridiculous Westlake, this time in his international adventure mode, creating some genuinely laugh out loud moments. The hotel restaurant scene is one of his best comic pieces.

[dianne b. · Rating 4 out of 5]

i agree with Elmore Leonard; a very, very funny book. A Confederacy of Dunces set in 1980s Belize.

[William Leight · Rating 3 out of 5]

“High Adventure” is amusing but a tad overlong. The main part of the plot involves Kirby, an American expat in Belize who makes a living smuggling marijuana to the U.S. on his small plane, trying to make money by selling fake Mayan artifacts. His plan is to convince his targets that he has stumbled on a previously unknown Mayan site and that he can smuggle the artifacts supposedly found there (in reality, produced by artisans in a small Mayan village adjacent to the supposed site) to the U.S. for them. The funniest part of the book comes when two prospective buyers — a gay couple who are New York-based art collectors and a corrupt Midwestern museum executive — are both in Belize at the same time, and Kirby prevents them from comparing notes by persuading each that the other is a dangerous gangster. But Westlake loads the book down with two many other plotlines: there’s a female archaeologist who wants to stop Kirby from despoiling what she thinks is a real Mayan site, a corrupt Belizean bureaucrat who wants to figure out what Kirby is up to so he can get a cut, and a crusading journalist who is trying to run a sting on Kirby with the help of the gay couple. And on a surprisingly serious note, there is the Guatemalan army, which is trying to discourage peasants from fleeing across the Belizean border by staging a massacre and blaming it on Ghurkas (Belize became independent in 1981 but Guatemala refused to recognize it for years and so British troops continued to patrol the border until 1989). The scenes with the Guatemalan army officer who is planning this are appropriately creepy, and the museum official’s semi-colonial arrogance make him an excellent villain. It was a little bit cliched that the highly educated female character had to chill out and find happiness with our protagonist, who is a lovable rogue of a type that I don't really believe in. Still, the resolution is satisfying and the book never drops below the level of fine: it’s just that in spots, you get the impression that a more focused book could perhaps have been more.

[Dominick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though there is some crime in here, this book is outside of Westlake's normal wheelhouse of crime fiction, whether humorous or serious. It owes more to Indiana Jones or Romancing the Stone, which came out the year before this was published. Set in Belize, the novel involves interlocking acts of moral dubiousness but centres on protagonist Kirby Galway's Mayan artefact scam: convincing buyers he had actual ancient artefacts that are actually forgeries. Multiple characters with their own overlapping and conflicting agendas cross paths, sometimes dangerously, and Westlake shows his usual facility both for intricate plotting and inventive scenarios. Some of the characterization is a little broad (especially that of Valerie, the idealistic archaeologist stoutly fighting to preserve historic sites). The novel does address the cultural implications of Kirby's actions, but the book is a light confection, not a serious contemplation. It is indeed often laugh-out-loud funny, and none of the skulduggery has fatal consequences, at least for any of the named characters--though some do end up in one sort of pickle or another. Entertaining light fare.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a tough couple of days and a book that was very intense, Donald Westlake is all I need to get into a good mood. High Adventure involves EVERYONE having a scam and who can out scam who. The United States and Belize are the main story locations and as usual it's a hoot. Highly recommend Westlake to anyone looking for a fun read.
My all time favorite Westlake character is "Dortmunder" and his gang of thieves. PLEASE read this series in order and the gang grows/changes with each new caper. You are truly missed Mr. Westlake.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grinned a lot while reading this book, as it is full of scoundrels and con artists. Some of these people are pretty lovable. Kirby is a favorite and is basically just a slacker with an airplane. He is just a little conniving in a gentle way. He is thwarted at every turn by the archaeologist and Mayan expert. There is action and charming repartee. There are good guys and bad guys. The good guys win.

[Nancy C. Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure craziness

I don't know where the author gets his ideas but they are always insane. This is one of his wackiest. Plus it involves the Mayan culture, one of my favorite things to study. Saying anything more would be spoiling the fun for new readers. I recommend it highly.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dated but fun.

[David Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun in Belize

[Jeff Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars, rounded up to five. Another triumph from an absolute master of the form.

[Rudy Seifert · Rating 3 out of 5]

D E W was a master of the complicated caper. Good fun, he is missed.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Westlake's better screwball adventures. Recommended if you need a chuckle.

[Maurean · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is usually the case with Westlake, this was a very witty & extremely enjoyable read. Set in Belize, it put me in the mind of an Indian Jones setting (I couldn't help picture Kirby as a young Harrison Ford!) But, maybe that's just me...

[Denise M.]

AKA: Alan Marshall, Alan Marsh, James Blue, Ben Christopher, Edwin West, John B. Allan, Curt Clark, Tucker Coe, P.N. Castor, Timothy J. Culver, J. Morgan Cunningham, Samuel Holt, Judson Jack Carmichael, Richard Stark, Donald E. Westlake

[Mary Newcomb]

"Mayan" artifacts, smuggling and greed form the basis for this entertaining tale of Kirby Galway and his misadventures in Belize.

[Trent Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story, well built settings. It made me want to visit Belize and see some mayan temples... so success!

[Twistedtexas · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.5/10

"He's eating bones!"