Mixed Pickles - the Book log 2012

The late Donald Westlake back in his Richard Stark guise to present one last adventure with Parker. If you have never read any of the novels, you may remember Parker as being played by Lee Marvin in "Point Blank" (a terrific film)or by Mel Gibson in "Payback" (a pointless remake).

Westlake/Stark is one of a few writers to make a success out of writing under two separate identities. Ed MacBain/Evan Hunter springs to mind (and, indeed, must be the only instance of a writer collaborating with his alter-ego on a single novel), but whereas MacBain/Hunter wrote completely different genres (policers and literary), W/S splits between "caper" novels and the adventures of killer/thief Parker. In this one parker tries to recover the proceeds of an earlier novel, hampered at every turn by police, state troopers, rival gangsters, bounty hunters, and accomplices; just another working day for Parker.

Taut, pacy, never a wasted word; Stark by name and stark by execution.