On the day he died, December 31, 2008, Donald Westlake strangled an intruder at his summer home in the Hamptons. He then cooked a lunch of salmon and lentils which he leisurely ate on his patio. To be quite honest, I made most of that up. Yes, Westlake did die on New Year’s Eve, but no, he did not kill an intruder in his home. This is simply my way to pay fitting tribute to one of the great crime novelists of our time.
Westlake wrote his hard-boiled novels for the better part of the latter half of the twentieth century, having written well over one hundred titles and several screenplays. And he could flat out WRITE. Few could believe that he could pump out such quality at his frenetic pace so he cut himself in half by creating a pseudonym, “Richard Stark,” and inventing a new breed of literary criminal, a thief who went simply went by the name “Parker.” Parker is a severely calculated and brutal character who takes down banks and museums with precision, cold logic, and force. The Parker novels span twenty nine titles and over forty years. They are known for their ruthless protagonist, astonishingly intricate “jobs” or heists and often jolting opening sentences. Here is a brief sample of some great openings to his novels: From Hunter (December 1962): "When a fresh-faced guy in a Chevy offered him a lift, Parker told him to go to hell." From The Mourner (December 1963): "When the guy with the asthma finally came in from the fire escape, Parker rabbit-punched him and took his gun away." From Backflash (1998): "When the car stopped rolling, Parker kicked out the rest of the windshield and crawled through onto the wrinkled hood, Glock first." From The Seventh (March 1966): "When he didn't get any answer the second time he knocked, Parker kicked the door in." And my favorite, from Firebreak (2001): "When the phone rang, Parker was in the garage, killing a man."
What made you root for Parker isn’t his brutality, but his cautious planning, his execution of detail. And Parker is careful. This is a character that checks and double-checks, backtracks, steps in people’s shoes, walks around, analyzes, writes notes, plans for B, C, and D, and finally charges in full-throttle. It’s at this point that Parker fails to note one small detail that the house of cards begins to fall and the real fun begins.
It’s hard to believe there won’t be another Parker novel. Each arrival of a new one felt like Christmas. It’s hard to pick a favorite but the “Outfit” is excellent. Parker takes on the Mafia as he looks for the thug who took his money. One by one Parker picks thu
gs off until he reaches the Don at the top. And he takes him down, too and he gets what he came looking for. The film “Payback” is Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Parker, re-named “Porter” for the film from his novel The Hunter. Even in the film you appreciate the brutal efficiency of the character that keeps moving while the bodies of people who got in his way fall around him. My favorite Parker novel is Nobody Runs Forever because of its force, humor, and yes, warmth.
I just got the latest Westlake novel, or rather, Stark, and it’s called Dirty Money, published posthumously. I haven’t even cracked it open yet and don't know when I will. It comforts me to know that there’s still another Parker novel yet to be read.
Westlake wrote his hard-boiled novels for the better part of the latter half of the twentieth century, having written well over one hundred titles and several screenplays. And he could flat out WRITE. Few could believe that he could pump out such quality at his frenetic pace so he cut himself in half by creating a pseudonym, “Richard Stark,” and inventing a new breed of literary criminal, a thief who went simply went by the name “Parker.” Parker is a severely calculated and brutal character who takes down banks and museums with precision, cold logic, and force. The Parker novels span twenty nine titles and over forty years. They are known for their ruthless protagonist, astonishingly intricate “jobs” or heists and often jolting opening sentences. Here is a brief sample of some great openings to his novels: From Hunter (December 1962): "When a fresh-faced guy in a Chevy offered him a lift, Parker told him to go to hell." From The Mourner (December 1963): "When the guy with the asthma finally came in from the fire escape, Parker rabbit-punched him and took his gun away." From Backflash (1998): "When the car stopped rolling, Parker kicked out the rest of the windshield and crawled through onto the wrinkled hood, Glock first." From The Seventh (March 1966): "When he didn't get any answer the second time he knocked, Parker kicked the door in." And my favorite, from Firebreak (2001): "When the phone rang, Parker was in the garage, killing a man."
What made you root for Parker isn’t his brutality, but his cautious planning, his execution of detail. And Parker is careful. This is a character that checks and double-checks, backtracks, steps in people’s shoes, walks around, analyzes, writes notes, plans for B, C, and D, and finally charges in full-throttle. It’s at this point that Parker fails to note one small detail that the house of cards begins to fall and the real fun begins.
It’s hard to believe there won’t be another Parker novel. Each arrival of a new one felt like Christmas. It’s hard to pick a favorite but the “Outfit” is excellent. Parker takes on the Mafia as he looks for the thug who took his money. One by one Parker picks thu
gs off until he reaches the Don at the top. And he takes him down, too and he gets what he came looking for. The film “Payback” is Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Parker, re-named “Porter” for the film from his novel The Hunter. Even in the film you appreciate the brutal efficiency of the character that keeps moving while the bodies of people who got in his way fall around him. My favorite Parker novel is Nobody Runs Forever because of its force, humor, and yes, warmth.I just got the latest Westlake novel, or rather, Stark, and it’s called Dirty Money, published posthumously. I haven’t even cracked it open yet and don't know when I will. It comforts me to know that there’s still another Parker novel yet to be read.
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