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Rating: Summary: Parker does it again! Review: I absolutely love Richard Stark's (Donal Westlake) Parker novels! Here we have THE OUTFIT back from 1963 and it still works today! Parker and his underworld cohorts decide to toss the rule bookl out the window and start knocking over syndicate scores. This is tight, fast, and hard. Read Stark or miss out entirely!
Rating: Summary: Dated, but a good example of the genre... Review: Parker, the tough, take-it-to-them man from Richard Stark/Don Westlake, is trying to enjoy some r-n-r down south when a bumbling assassing tries to make it permenant. He learns that the Outfit is still trying to recover from an earlier embarrassment and wants him dead. This leads to a pretty thin plot about Parker calling on all his professional buddies to put a hurt on the Outfit by ignoring an unwritten rule and knocking over Outfit rackets. The writing is tight, as you'd expect, but a bit dated (originally published in 1963)and doesn't cover any new ground. Still, its enjoyable and worth a quick read (its only 215 pages or so). Bottom line: Don't expect to be spellbound, but you'll enjoy the experience.
Rating: Summary: Crime Fights Organised Crime Review: The name is Parker and he's not one for making idle threats. When he talks, he follows through with brutal efficiency. And so, when he warned the organised crime boss not to cross him or he would hurt the organisation, it would have been a good idea to listen. What would not have been a good idea was to attempt to put a hit on Parker. When the hit fails, as of course it must, Parker sets in place a devious plan to hurt the Outfit just as he promised. What follows is a highly entertaining string of crimes around the country, striking blow after blow on behalf of our anti-hero, Parker. If you're simply after a flat out entertaining book of action sequences that aren't cluttered up with pesky character development, then this is the book for you. As a matter of fact, the entire Parker series is for you. Parker remains the true dispassionate enigma. Sure he's heartless, cruel and vindictive but you've just gotta love the rascal.
Rating: Summary: pretty good Review: This one isn't up to par with it's predecessor's. It's an okay read, but not as engaging as the first two. It's hard to believe the "Outfit" guys are that easy to steal from and kill. It all happens so easily that it's not very enjoyable.
Rating: Summary: David vs Goliath: Parker takes on the Outfit Review: Those who enjoy Stark's(Westlake's)storytelling will not be disappointed, though this is hard-boiled stuff even for Stark. This time Parker is out to teach the mob a lesson, and he has just enough friends to do it. After a face change and some rooting around he gets the job done, but not without some blood and unpleasantness.
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