GRADE: B+
*Book 3 in the Parker Series*
I love that I've discovered the Parker series. I'd been searching for a good series of popcorn books that I can read quickly without a whole lot of brainpower when I'm in that mood, or when I'm working and have little time to read. The Parker books have filled that void for me. They're quick, in-and-out little adventures that I can pop like mean little gummi bears whenever I want!
This episode seems to concludes the beef between master criminal Parker and the organized crime syndicate, the Outfit, a beef that began in the first novel, The Hunter. In The Hunter, Parker warned the bastards that he could rally together his network of professionals and make the Outfit's life a living hell. But they didn't listen. So Parker is making good on his promise.
This was probably the most exciting of the three Parker books I've read so far, as Parker sets off a powder keg of crime, with him and his associates dedicated to pulling off a crippling number of Outfit robberies all over the country. It's always a pleasure reading how author Richard Stark meticulously crafts these robberies and makes each one feel fresh. As usual, there's not much to these books, but they're short little adventures guaranteed to keep you entertained!
*The 80th and final book I read in 2014! Just in time!*
Love the Stark/Parker novels! I enjoy collecting the old paperback editions. THE OUTFIT was particularly good because it made the criminal activities, like book-making and whatnot, seem almost comprehensible to a regular guy like me! Check out the movie version from the early '70s, with Robert Duvall and Karen Black, not perfect, but entertaining.
ReplyDelete