Dirty Money - by Richard Stark (Paperback)

About the Book

"You kill a lawman," he said, "you're in another zone. McWitney and I are going to have to work this out." "But not on the phone." Parker yawned. "Nothing on the phone ever," he said. "Except pizza." This wraps up the saga begun in Nobody Runs Forever when Parker and his cohorts were forced to hide their take of cash (marked, or "dirty") in an abandoned church in the woods. Now Parker has a fence for the cash, and wants to go back for it. But there is bounty hunter and the FBI on his tail, along with local cops. Claire plays a larger role than usual. Laura Lippman, best-selling author of the Tess Monaghan series (married to David Simon) has written a terrific new foreword.

Book Synopsis

An action-packed crime novel starring Parker, the heister starring in the forthcoming Shane Black film Play Dirty!

Richard Stark's Parker novels are the hardest of hard-boiled, classic crime novels where the heists are huge, the body counts are high, and the bad guys usually win.

The Parker novels have been a huge influence on countless writers and filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino, Stephen King, George Pelecanos, Colson Whitehead, Lucy Sante, John Banville, and many more. Their stripped-down language and hard-as-nails amorality create an unforgettable world where the next score could be the big one, but your next mistake could also be your last. There's nothing else like them.

In this, the final Parker novel, Parker's got a new fence and a new plan to get the loot back from a botched job in Dirty Money, but a bounty hunter, the FBI, and the local cops are on his tail. Only his brains, his cool, and the help of his lone longtime dame, Claire, can keep him one step ahead of the cars and the guns. One of the best books in the whole series, full of action and surprises, Diry Money closes Parker's career with a bang. (And with a perfect final line.)

Written over the course of almost sixty years, the Parker novels are pure artistry, adrenaline, and logic both brutal and brilliant. Join Parker on his jobs and read them all again or for the first time. But don't talk to the law.

Review Quotes

"Parker is refreshingly amoral, a thief who always gets away with the swag."--Stephen King "Entertainment Weekly"

"The Parker novels by Richard Stark were very influential to [Reservoir Dogs]."--Quentin Tarantino

"Whatever Stark writes, I read. He's a stylist, a pro, and I thoroughly enjoy his attitude."--Elmore Leonard

"Fiercely distracting . . . . Westlake is an expert plotter; and while Parker is a blunt instrument of a human being depicted in rudimentary short grunts of sentences, his take on other characters reveals a writer of great humor and human understanding."--John Hodgman ""Parade""

"Richard Stark's Parker crime novels are the ultimate page-turners."--Jonathan Ames "The Boston Globe"

"Acquaint yourself with Stark's taut, toned brand of noir. . . . There's no denying the force of his storytelling or his flair for caper comedy: wonderfully, Parker and his gang plan to make their getaway in an old Ford Econoline van with 'Holy Redeemer Choir' stenciled on its side."-- "Guardian"

"Parker is as resolute and dangerous as ever."-- "Booklist"

"Slamming through a new crime novel by Westlake--and it's hard to drag your feet once the process starts--is a little like spelunking in a cave system whose twisted paths lead to fascinating galleries and grottoes, some bright and sparkly, some shadowy and frightening. Dirty Money and the other thrillers Westlake writes under the pseudonym of Richard Stark are of the latter category, an exploration of caverns dark and gritty. But even with the ground shifting under your feet and a sense of foreboding in the air, the experience is compelling and oddly exhilarating. . . . Ever the pro, Parker takes each hitch in stride, keeping his eye on the prize."--Dick Lochte "Los Angeles Times"

"The nice thing about the rather nasty stories Stark writes about a career criminal named Parker is that none of the significant characters is ever innocent. Which is why it's so easy to laugh when their intricate schemes begin to unravel. . . . Everyone in this merry misadventure ends up at Bosky Rounds, a quaint bed-and-breakfast that looks like the cover art for Yankee magazine--something to bear in mind on leaf-peeing excursions to picturesque New England villages."--Marilyn Stasio "New York Times"

About the Author

Richard Stark was one of the many pseudonyms of Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008), a prolific author of crime fiction. In 1993, the Mystery Writers of America bestowed the society's highest honor on Westlake, naming him a Grand Master. For a Parker character guide and infographics, visit Fifty Years of Parker, http: //parkerseries.uchicago.edu/.