Review
“Whatever Stark writes, I read. He’s a stylist, a pro, and I thoroughly enjoy his attitude.”—Elmore Leonard
(Elmore Leonard )
“Richard Stark’s Parker novels . . . are among the most poised and polished fictions of their time and, in fact, of any time.”—John Banville, Bookforum
(John Banville Bookforum )
“Richard Stark writes a harsh and frightening story of criminal warfare and vengeance with economy, understatement and a deadly amoral objectivity—a remarkable addition to the list of the shockers that the French call romans noirs.”—Anthony Boucher, New York Times Book Review
(Anthony Boucher New York Times Book Review )
“Parker is a true treasure. . . . The master thief is back, along with Richard Stark.”—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
(Marilyn Stasio New York Times Book Review )
“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
(Washington Post Book World )
“Elmore Leonard wouldn’t write what he does if Stark hadn’t been there before. And Quentin Tarantino wouldn’t write what he does without Leonard. . . . Old master that he is, Stark does all of them one better.”—Los Angeles Times
(Los Angeles Times )
“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
(Lawrence Block )
“If you’re looking for crime novels with a lot of punch, try the very, very tough novels featuring Parker. . . . The Hunter, The Outfit, The Mourner, and The Man with the Getaway Face are all beautifully paced,tautly composed, and originally published in the early 1960s."—Christian Science Monitor
(Christian Science Monitor )
About the Author
Richard Stark was one of the many pseudonyms of Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008), a prolific author of noir crime fiction. In 1993 the Mystery Writers of America bestowed the society’s highest honor on Westlake, naming him a Grand Master.