Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Parker, the ruthless antihero of Richard Stark’s eponymous mystery novels, is one of the most unforgettable characters in hardboiled noir. Lauded by critics for his taut realism, unapologetic amorality, and razor-sharp prose style—and adored by fans who turn each intoxicating page with increasing urgency—Stark is a master of crime writing, his books as influential as any in the genre. The University of Chicago Press has embarked on a project to return the early volumes of this series to print for a new generation of readers to discover—and become addicted to.
In The Seventh, the heist of a college football game goes bad, and the take is stolen by a crazed, violent amateur. Parker must outrun the cops—and the killer—to retrieve his cash.
“Parker . . . lumbers through the pages of Richard Stark’s noir novels scattering dead bodies like peanut shells. . . . In a complex world [he] makes things simple.”—William Grimes, New York Times
“Whatever Stark writes, I read. He’s a stylist, a pro, and I thoroughly enjoy his attitude.”—Elmore Leonard
“Westlake knows precisely how to grab a reader, draw him or her into the story, and then slowly tighten his grip until escape is impossible.”—Washington Post Book World
“Donald Westlake’s Parker novels are among the small number of books I read over and over. Forget all that crap you’ve been telling yourself about War and Peace and Proust—these are the books you’ll want on that desert island.”—Lawrence Block
Synopsis
Parker, the ruthless antihero of Richard Stark’s eponymous mystery novels, is one of the most unforgettable characters in hardboiled noir. Lauded by critics for his taut realism, unapologetic amorality, and razor-sharp prose style—and adored by fans who turn each intoxicating page with increasing urgency—Stark is a master of crime writing, his books as influential as any in the genre. The University of Chicago Press has embarked on a project to return the early volumes of this series to print for a new generation of readers to discover—and become addicted to. This season’s offerings include volumes 7–9 in the series: The Seventh, The Handle, and The Rare Coin Score.
In The Seventh, the heist of a college football game goes bad, and the take is stolen by a crazed, violent amateur. Parker must outrun the cops—and the killer—to retrieve his cash. In The Handle, Parker is enlisted by the mob to knock off an island casino guarded by speedboats and heavies, forty miles from the Texas coast. The Rare Coin Score features the first appearance of Claire, who will steal Parker’s heister’s heart—while together they steal two million dollars of rare coins.
“Parker . . . lumbers through the pages of Richard Stark’s noir novels scattering dead bodies like peanut shells. . . . In a complex world [he] makes things simple.”—William Grimes, New York Times
“Whatever Stark writes, I read. He’s a stylist, a pro, and I thoroughly enjoy his attitude.”—Elmore Leonard
“Westlake knows precisely how to grab a reader, draw him or her into the story, and then slowly tighten his grip until escape is impossible.”—Washington Post Book World
“Donald Westlake’s Parker novels are among the small number of books I read over and over. Forget all that crap you’ve been telling yourself about War and Peace and Proust—these are the books you’ll want on that desert island.”—Lawrence Block
Also available from the University of Chicago Press:
The Hunter
The Man with the Getaway Face
The Outfit
The Mourner
The Jugger
The Score
Weekly Standard
"Last year the University of Chicago Press acknowledged their excellence by embarking on a uniform edition of the first 16 novels in the series. . . . Whether early or late, the Parker novels are all superlative literary entertainments. . . . Parker's only virtues are his intelligence and his professionalism-yet somehow you always end up rooting for him. Nietzsche knew why: When you look into an abyss, the abyss looks into you."-Terry Teachout, Weekly Standard
— Terry Teachout
Editorials
Weekly Standard
“Last year the University of Chicago Press acknowledged their excellence by embarking on a uniform edition of the first 16 novels in the series. . . . Whether early or late, the Parker novels are all superlative literary entertainments. . . . Parker’s only virtues are his intelligence and his professionalism—yet somehow you always end up rooting for him. Nietzsche knew why: When you look into an abyss, the abyss looks into you.”—Terry Teachout, Weekly Standard
— Terry Teachout
Weekly Standard -
"I wouldn't care to speculate about what it is in Westlake's psyche that makes him so good at writing about Parker, much less what it is that makes me like the Parker novels so much. Suffice it to say that Stark/Westlake is the cleanest of all noir novelists, a styleless stylist who gets to the point with stupendous economy, hustling you down the path of plot so briskly that you have to read his books a second time to appreciate the elegance and sober wit with which they are written."—Terry Teachout, CommentaryPublishers Weekly
Originally published in 1966, Stark's novel is a classic noir crime thriller (replete with complex double-crosses within double-crosses) in which antihero Parker is looking to reclaim his share of the cash from a recent stadium robbery and find the man who murdered his woman. In this audio edition, narrator Stephen R. Thorne does an effective job rendering the thrilling game of cat and mouse, particularly Parker's cool handling of the cops working both the murder case and the stadium robbery. Yet contemporary audiences new to the noir genre may find it challenging to stay on top of the plot points, as the action and dialogue often move too quickly for casual listeners to digest. A University of Chicago paperback.(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.