Josh Redmont received his first cheque at the age of twenty-seven, but he had no idea what it was for. He tried to track down the issuer, but had no luck. The cheque cleared, and Josh had made $1000. Except, then, the cheques kept coming ­ once a month. All this for nothing, until one day, seven years later, a man informs him that he is now active. What plot has Josh been drawn into and is he capable of extricating himself from it?

As I began ‘Money For Nothing’, I was not sure of what to make of it. Was it an attempt at a wry thriller novel, or was it a humorous mystery? As the novel progressed, I opted for the latter. Westlake includes scene after scene that may well have the reader laughing out loud, as the ineptness of Josh and his comic response to situations contrasts with the malevolence behind the plan.

Westlake’s success is principally with his characters. Josh is strikingly human, and his sheer shock as events go wildly out of control is well described by Westlake. He also creates a character that he could easily use again in Robbie, a thespian with a lack of success but who is instantly memorable. His evildoing characters are also allowed humorous lines and action which fit in well with the spirit of the book.

‘Money For Nothing’ is not a hardboiled novel and indeed, it is not much of a mystery, since Josh succeeds in unravelling it very quickly. However, Westlake keeps up the suspense by throwing in some twists and never letting the reader settle into a routine. Therefore, with a dash of mystery, a healthy dose of humour and an enjoyable novel overall, ‘Money For Nothing’ is an ideal dish for those who do not want anything particularly dark, or perhaps even those who are having a break between darker novels.