Jonathan Dawson, writing in The Canberra Times, noted that "Harlequin is a thriller and a very fine one, certainly one of West's best works to date.

It strikes deep into the heart of the capitalist system, the world of paper money that is now seen to be no longer impregnable.

"[2] In her literary study of West and his work, Maryanne Confoy noted: "In Harlequin, written when he was in his late fifties, West once again investigated the theme of the divided self and he developed it in greater depth.

But this time it was against the panorama of the battle between good and evil that is integral to the human condition.

West was still stuggling with the moral universe in order to find personal peace.