THE
AX is a book about murder --- not crazed psychotic murder, but
cold-blooded, intelligent murder --- survival of the fittest
murder.  Meet Burke Devore, the protagonist and
antagonist of this twisted and terrifying novel.  He
seems like a regular guy --- fifty-something-years-old, married
with two grown children --- but he's been out of work for over two
years.  And he's a killer.  

What makes an ordinary hardworking man a
killer?  Westlake explores what happens to a man's mind
and spirit when he is axed, fired, let go.  After
twenty-five years of devoted service as a paper mill manager, Burke
is laid off when his mill merges with another.  Suddenly
he is no longer needed.  At first the grim reality of the
situation does not hit home.  After all, there's a
severance package and back vacation pay to look forward
to.  There's the promise of new opportunities on the
horizon.  But two years later there is nothing on the
horizon for Burke.  His children are growing up and
leaving home, his marriage is strained, and he is still
unemployed.  

That's when Burke decides to take charge of his
destiny.  No, he doesn't go out and buy more resume
paper. Instead he masterminds a plan to eliminate the
competition.  He knows at age fifty-plus he is not an
ideal candidate for a job.  At best he'd be the second or
third choice --- if he was lucky.  In Burke's very
logical and intelligent mind, the only answer is for him to
terminate his competitors.   Not a violent man by nature,
Burke puts all of his energies into tracking down these unlucky men
--- who like him are unemployed for similar reasons --- and murders
them.

The idea sounds almost maudlin, and it would be if Burke was this
crazy loon running around the paper mill drowning people in vats of
pulp.  But here's the thing --- he doesn't go "crazy," at
least like you'd think.  He has a plan and successfully
executes it...no pun intended.  Burke is not some weird
off-the-wall character.  He's an average man with an
above average problem who decides to change his fate in a very
uncommon way.  Although satirical, the frightening thing
about this novel is you almost believe it could
happen.  And you even find yourself understanding Burke's
position, even while you are sickened by his
actions.  

The first time Burke kills it goes surprisingly well.  No
complications, no big mess, and he's home in time for
dinner.  But the next one goes terribly wrong, and for
one night Burke writes a confession and thinks about turning
himself in.  He can't believe that he is a murderer. Then
he wakes up and feels better.  His conscience has cleared
with his tears from the night before.  He
rationalizes:

"How terrible I felt last night.  Tense, anxious,
terrified, unable to sleep.  I'm glad writing this made
it possible for me to lose consciousness for a while.  I
meant all of this last night, I know I did.  Everything
seemed so hopeless...I'm not used to this sort of thing, it would
be hard enough to do it even if they all went smoothly and
cleanly...I sympathize with the me from last night, who felt such
despair...and apologized to his victims.  I too would
apologize to them, if I could.  I'd leave them alone, if
I could.  I take the confession with me, folded in my
pocket.  I'll burn it later."

So Burke continues onward with his demented plan, and never looks
back.  Although fast-paced and extremely suspenseful, THE
AX is not always an easy novel to read because you fluctuate
between wanting him to get caught and wanting him to
escape.  By the time I got to the end I knew only one
thing for sure --- no job is worth killing for or dying
for.  I hope I never run into a Burke. I hope I do not
know one now.