Firebreak

Parker narrowly escapes a Russian hit man who came to the cabin he shares with Claire. In the midst of disposal of the body he is contacted about a potential job with huge rewards involving stolen paintings in an isolated Montana mansion. The time frame on the Montana job is very tight so Parker has no time to put closure into those who put the price on his head. Of course they aren't prepared to wait. As well as other Parker adventures written as Richard Stark also check out under Westlake's own name his masterpiece solution to being unemployed, The Ax. His novels Corkscrew and the Scared Stiff are also brilliant! I would also recommend James Pattinson (Pattinson not Patterson), a British author who writes very similar style novels which are also short chaptered and simple but enjoyable reads for those who have read everything Westlake has written so far but want more of this sort of reading. Feast of the Scorpion, Wild Justice, A Car for Mr Bradley, The Time of Your Life, Homecoming The Animal Gang and Crane all have criminal characters very similar to Stark's Parker character. Check them out.

Parker is back, and this time he is the target of a hit. This was a very enjoyable Parker novel. Not only is the typical plot turned on its head, by Parker being the target, but even the grand theft is totally undone. This is a great story that demonstrates the ad lib abilities of Parker. Like always, the writing is terse and quick. Details are for the dead men. This was a very quick read, and I recommend it to anyone with a taste for hard-boiled writing.

The Parker series from Richard Stark (the pseudonym of Donald E. Westlake) is the flip side from the author's comedic Dortmunder series. Parker is tough, no nonsense, and kills when necessary. His latest job teams him up with a gang of crooks looking to resteal some masterpiece paintings from a nouveau riche com-type billionaire who is less than honest. The paintings are secreted in a hidden location in the billionaire's luxurious hunting lodge. This book follows a familiar Parker plot outline: the crooks get together to plan a heist; Parker gets involved in some side business; plans go awry; things get improvised. In this book Parker's side business builds to a climax, but then ends too quickly. The final heist sequence packs suspense and action.One reads a Parker book knowing that one cuts straight to the action, with little of the fat and detours found in too many crime books these days. Parker is not someone you would want to meet in a dark alley, but you do enjoy reading about.

When asked why he had ceased writing Parker novels after "Butcher's Moon", Donald E. Westlake was quoted as saying he had "lost the voice." Since the publication of "Comeback", Westlake/Stark has been steadily, if somewhat unevenly, getting the voice back. I personally feel he has triumphantly returned to full strength in "Firebreak"."Firebreak", for me, represents the best of Parker. There's a job to be done, but there are also problems, first distinct from the job, then directly concerned with the job. This latest novel presents some of the longest-distance action since "The Sour Lemon Score", and, in fact, revisits three characters from that story. Plus, Elkins and Wiss, the "specialty promotions" guys from previous books and fond memory are back. PLUS: check me on this, but "Firebreak" may just be the first mention of the web in the Stark repetoire.If you're a Parker fan, and particularly if you have resisted returning to the fold (OK, yes, in the beginning I thought the revived series was strictly to make bucks off the Mel Gibson PAYBACK), then it's time to check in.Just one egregious mistake by Stark. Keep in mind, Parker is the guy, in "The Rare Coin Score", who had to ask Claire what year a Roman numeral represented ("I'm no good with that stuff"). Indeed, in this very book, Parker frowns at the abbreviation PR. And yet, on pages 32 and 51, Parker correctly identifies Cyrillic letters (the writing on the note he found on page 28). Richard, we love you, but, BE CAREFUL!

Parker has two jobs both critical to his well being. One is more along the line of his normal work. Parker is employed to steal stolen art treasures stored in a remote area of Montana. The "owner" Paxton Marino is a computer whiz billionaire so Parker knows he can expect anything and needs an electronic expert along for the ride. The other job is a bit more personal. Someone hired a pro to kill Parker. He needs to know who and why so he can concentrate on the art theft. The problem is over the years in his line of work Parker has made many enemies who would gladly urinate on his grave. As Parker makes inquiries through his underground connections, he soon realizes the art job resurfaced his name to some nasty people who simply detest him. Still Big Sky is calling and with the help of an electronic genius lunatic, Parker goes to work on purloining the art treasures. FIREBREAK is the typical Parker tale as the exciting story line is loaded with twists and turns yet the stark plot uses no unnecessary baggage. The tale belongs to Parker who seems relatively mellow compared to his maniacal sidekick (why trust this psychopath is beyond this reviewer). Still, this wild ride across the Northern Plains is an effective anti-hero thriller that proves Richard Stark under that name or as Donald Westlake can still be counted on for top-notch modern day noir.Harriet Klausner