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jeremyhornik's review
4.0
I don't have a Parker problem, YOU have a Parker problem.
Maybe the goriest. A heist. A couple of psychos louse things up. And it's very personal. Plus, an extended section on how the roof of an auditorium is made.
Maybe the goriest. A heist. A couple of psychos louse things up. And it's very personal. Plus, an extended section on how the roof of an auditorium is made.
msand3's review
3.0
3.5 stars. The thirteenth Parker novel is a bit of a let-down after the strength of [b:The Sour Lemon Score|595808|The Sour Lemon Score (Parker, #12)|Richard Stark|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1301558067l/595808._SY75_.jpg|3848] and the previous Grofield novel, despite Charles Ardai's praise in the foreword. I've come to realize that I prefer the novels that don’t include Claire as an integral part of the plot. Parker is at his best when he's drifting from safehouse to temporary hotels under assumed names. This attempt to domesticate Parker (by Claire, but also by Stark) just isn't working for me -- and clearly it isn't working for Parker! As such, I can only hope that Stark (and Parker!) can move past this hang-up on Claire in the future novels.
ericwelch's review against another edition
3.0
This is the 13th in the series of Parker novels and I suspect Stark, a.k.a. Westlake was trying to humanize Parker a little by putting him into a relationship. That, of course, makes Parker’s life much more complicated and hazardous as Claire is put at risk from a heist that went well but brought with it some serious ramifications, i.e. guys who are killing off the participants.
It’s a solid page-turner for those of you who enjoy noir.
Interesting quote: "One of Parker's specialties was handling the people, which meant keeping them quiet, making sure none of them got killed, making sure none of them loused up the routine. The last was the most important, and the others would be sacrificed to it, if necessary, though a neat job was always better"
It’s a solid page-turner for those of you who enjoy noir.
Interesting quote: "One of Parker's specialties was handling the people, which meant keeping them quiet, making sure none of them got killed, making sure none of them loused up the routine. The last was the most important, and the others would be sacrificed to it, if necessary, though a neat job was always better"
vailynst's review against another edition
3.0
Notes:
Currently on Audible Plus
There's an intro at the start of the book. I liked most of it but I wish it didn't give away parts of what's going to happen in the later books. Not real spoilers but I've been having fun going into the books without reading the blurbs & seeing if my guess (based on the title) is a part of what happens.
Currently on Audible Plus
There's an intro at the start of the book. I liked most of it but I wish it didn't give away parts of what's going to happen in the later books. Not real spoilers but I've been having fun going into the books without reading the blurbs & seeing if my guess (based on the title) is a part of what happens.
theangrylawngnome's review against another edition
3.0
The Parker series by Donald Westlake writing as Richard Stark has always been my guiltiest of guilty pleasures. Yet this one was not only one I'd somehow missed, it was curiously flat somehow. Damn near a disappointment. By definition every Parker book is going to be as formulaic as Noh Theater, of course, yet I typically am so pulled along by the action I no more notice the formula than I do that I'm riding on rails when on a roller coaster. But this time I did.
Curiuosly [b:Slayground|447175|Slayground (Parker, #14)|Richard Stark|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1174855051s/447175.jpg|3854] may have been the first Parker novel I read, and it remains a favorite. I say "curiously" since in the excellent introduction from Charles Ardai, Ardai explains that this book,Slayground and Plunder Squad (which I've also not read) form a triad of similar themed books. Go figure.
Curiuosly [b:Slayground|447175|Slayground (Parker, #14)|Richard Stark|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1174855051s/447175.jpg|3854] may have been the first Parker novel I read, and it remains a favorite. I say "curiously" since in the excellent introduction from Charles Ardai, Ardai explains that this book,Slayground and Plunder Squad (which I've also not read) form a triad of similar themed books. Go figure.
nigellicus's review against another edition
5.0
Parker and gang pull off a heist and despite one guy dropping out beforehand, everything goes smoothly until they get back to their safe house and find the guy who dropped out with his head caved in. The gang splits up, but someone is after them, taking them out one by one, and while Parker follows their trail hoping to come up on them from behind, his woman, Clare, alone in her new house, has two unexpected visitors.
The Parker books are as meticulous as the heists they depict, or at least as meticulous as Parker prefers his heist to be. The meticulous tone remains even as all descends into murder and bloody mayhem, much as Parker remains cool and flat when the bullets start flying. Jessup and Manny are the antithesis of Parker - insane and unpredictable, sloppy and messy - it's Parker versus the counterculture in this riveting thriller.
The Parker books are as meticulous as the heists they depict, or at least as meticulous as Parker prefers his heist to be. The meticulous tone remains even as all descends into murder and bloody mayhem, much as Parker remains cool and flat when the bullets start flying. Jessup and Manny are the antithesis of Parker - insane and unpredictable, sloppy and messy - it's Parker versus the counterculture in this riveting thriller.
imzadirose's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. This one was boring, though the ending wasn't bad. Just took me a while to get through it, even though it was so short.
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