Review
Writing a couple of years ago . . . John Banville reckoned the Parker novels to be ''among the most poised and polished fictions of their time and, in fact, any time.'' That''s high praise from an impeccable source, and Banville is right to single out the technical excellence of these books. The Parkers read with the speed of pulp while unfolding with an almost Nabokovian wit and flair. . . . Original editions of these books, and even later reprints, change hands for scores or hundreds of dollars on the Net, and its excellent to have them readily available againnot so much masterpieces of the genre, just masterpieces, period. . . . . *The Hunter glitters with seemingly effortless intricacy, being aimed at one episodea stunner, the kind of moment in fiction that really does have you leaping from your chair and exclaiming in surprise and glee.Richard Rayner, Los Angeles Times*
(Richard Rayner Los Angeles Times 20080912)
Parker is refreshingly amoral, a thief who always gets away with the swag.Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly
(Stephen King Entertainment Weekly 20080828)
Parker . . . lumbers through the pages of Richard Starks noir novels scattering dead bodies like peanut shells. . . . In a complex world [he] makes things simple.William Grimes, New York Times
(William Grimes New York Times )
Whatever Stark writes, I read. Hes a stylist, a pro, and I thoroughly enjoy his attitude.Elmore Leonard
(Elmore Leonard )
Richard Starks 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 )
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 wouldnt write what he does if Stark hadnt been there before. And Quentin Tarantino wouldnt 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 Westlakes Parker novels are among the small number of books I read over and over. Forget all that crap youve been telling yourself about War and Peace and Proustthese are the books youll want on that desert island.Lawrence Block
(Lawrence Block )
If youre 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 )
Richard Stark writes a harsh and frightening story of criminal warfare and vengeance with economy, understatement and a deadly amoral objectivitya 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 brilliant invention. . . . What chiefly distinguishes Westlake, under whatever name, is his passion for process and mechanics. . . . Parker appears to have eliminated everything from his program but machine logic, but this is merely protective coloration. He is a romantic vestige, a free-market anarchist whose independent status is becoming a thing of the past."Luc Sante, New York Review of Books
(Luc Sante New York Review of Books )
"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."--TerryTeachout*, Commentary*
(Terry Teachout Commentary )
"If you''re a fan of noir novels and haven''t yet read Ricahrd Stark, you may want to give these books a try. Who knows? Parker may just be the son of a bitch you''ve been searching for."--John McNally, Virginia Quarterly Review
(John McNally Virginia Quarterly Review )
"The University of Chicago Press has recently undertaken a campaign to get Parker back in print in affordable and handsome editions, and I dove in. And now I get it."--Josef Braun, Vue Weekly
(Josef Braun Vue Weekly )
"Whether early or late, the Parker novels are all superlative literary entertainments."--Terry Teachout, Weekly Standard
(Terry Teachout Weekly Standard )
Product Description
You probably havent ever noticed them. But theyve noticed you. They notice everything. Thats their job. Sitting quietly in a nondescript car outside a bank making note of the tellers work habits, the positions of the security guards. Lagging a few car lengths behind the Brinks truck on its daily rounds. Surreptitiously jiggling the handle of an unmarked service door at the racetrack.
Theyre thieves. Heisters, to be precise. Theyre pros, and Parker is far and away the best of them. If youre planning a job, you want him in. Tough, smart, hardworking, and relentlessly focused on his trade, he is the heisters heister, the robbers robber, the heavys heavy. You dont want to cross him, and you dont want to get in his way, because hell stop at nothing to get what hes after.
Parker, the ruthless antihero of Richard Starks 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-styleand adored by fans who turn each intoxicating page with increasing urgencyStark 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 discoverand become addicted to.
In The Hunter, the first volume in the series, Parker roars into New York City, seeking revenge on the woman who betrayed him and on the man who took his money, stealing and scamming his way to redemption.
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
Elmore Leonard wouldnt write what he does if Stark hadnt been there before. And Quentin Tarantino wouldnt write what he does without Leonard. . . . Old master that he is, Stark does all of them one better.Los Angeles Times
Donald Westlakes Parker novels are among the small number of books I read over and over. Forget all that crap youve been telling yourself about War and Peace and Proustthese are the books youll want on that desert island.Lawrence Block
(20080914)