Fred Fitch, the protagonist of God Save the Mark, is typical of the antiheroes who narrate Westlake's humorous fiction. Reclusive by nature, he has found an occupation — in his case, that of free-lance researcher — which requires the minimum of contact with others. As a consequence, his reactions to characters such as his late uncle's mistress, a stripper whose brassy exterior masks a heart with at least traces of gold, are much stronger and sharper than they would be if he were an experienced man of the world. The reader feels that Fitch is discovering new people rather than simply being introduced to them for the first time, and this adds a great deal of zest to his story.

In comparison to the exotic characters Westlake delights in inventing for his narrator's enlightenment, Fitch's persona is a tabula rasa when the plot gets underway. But as the...