8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Time for another visit with the criminal element, July 8, 2008
This review is from: Dirty Money (Hardcover)
Detailed yet fast-moving crime tale delivers the goods, satisfyingly and often violently wrapping up the loose ends from the last two "Parker" books, "Nobody Runs Forever" (which ends in a great cliff hanger) and "Ask the Parrot".
The "Parker" novels only reveal characters' traits and personalities through their responses to plot developments (there are no breaks in the plot to show what characters do during a quiet night at home, for instance), and this novel is no exception. Having said that, we do get a few new chords in the song this time out, to keep things interesting. For one thing, we get to see a lot more of Parker's girlfriend (or possibly wife, for all we know) Claire, who actually helps out with the caper in progress. And there's also an entertaining female bounty hunter, Sandra Loscalzo, who's part of the gang this time. Sandra's amusing banter (which even makes the stoic Parker crack a small smile from time to time) adds another layer to the book, but not to the point of softening the hardboiled nature of the proceedings (thankfully).
I did like the fact that Parker is actually allowed an outright laugh line this time out, positioned as the last line in the book, no less. But don't worry; though very funny, it's an edgy, noir-ish bit of humor very much in tone with the dark flavor of this excellent crime series.
Note to fellow Amazon Kindle users: The book reads excellently on the Kindle, which is also offering the previously mentioned "Nobody Runs Forever" and "Ask the Parrot". So you're all set to enjoy the entire three-book epic. And by the time you're finished, maybe a few other "Parker" novels will make their way onto Kindle (right now, "Firebreak" is the only other one available). But, really, you don't need to read these books in order. Even among the closely-related entries (like the ones covered in this review), you can just pick up any "Parker" book and start reading. It's just more fun to experience things as the main character does. If fun is the right word for a series where a happy ending is the crooks evading the cops and getting away with the cash.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
entertaining crime caper sequel, April 26, 2008
This review is from: Dirty Money (Hardcover)
Master thief Parker cannot believe how much went wrong when he and his two partners robbed an armored car (see NOBODY RUNS FOREVER). Not only was the loot no good as it was "poisoned" by authorities, the cops caught one of his cronies Nick Dalesia when he tried to use the DIRTY MONEY. Nick escaped but killed a marshal. Parker fled Massachusetts leaving the two plus million behind hidden in a loft of an abandoned rural church as he heads to Long island to regroup knowing that the cop murder places Nick in a different zone from robbery. He assumes the third partner McWhitny will agree with his assessment.
Bounty-hunter Sandra Loscalzo knows that Parker is the means to her getting a cut of the loot. Though he knows she is on his tail and so are other less moral souls from both sides of the law, Parker decides the time to return to Massachusetts to collect the money is now. All he needs is a plan to elude law enforcement, miscreants, and Sandra starting with the Holy Redeemer Choir van.
This is a direct follow up to NOBODY RUNS FOREVER, but though DIRTY MONEY can stand alone it behooves fans to read the first book because references back to that tale become more meaningful. Long time readers will find a different Parker in this crime caper as he is much more subdued than usual; an apropos reaction to the robbery fiasco and murder. This is an entertaining crime caper with the antihero seeking more than just the stolen cache, he tries to regain his swagger as he lost some of his moxie when he fled Massachusetts empty handed.
Harriet Klausner
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Parker Is Back For The Loot, May 18, 2008
This review is from: Dirty Money (Hardcover)
Parker (one name only) is a professional thief. He's been played in the movies by Lee Marvin and Mel Gibson. He's always tough, always a real hardcase, and he doesn't give up on anything. In short, he's my kind of anti-hero.
I first made his acquaintance when I was a kid haunting the long book aisles of Conda's Swap Shop, a place where you could find books, hub caps, tools, and car parts. It was the kind of noir place with wooden floors and big sweeping fans. I always thought it was the kind of place where you'd find a man like Parker when he was trying to hide out. For fifteen cents, I picked up Parker novels. It was a steal at that price, and I read those books often.
The books carry the byline, Richard Stark. But that's just a pseudonym for Donald Westlake, who's known more for his comedic novels than the rough-and-tumble lifestyle of Parker. If you read books under Westlake's name, you may be surprised to see the difference in the writing styles. Somewhere deep inside, Westlake has the soul of a professional thief. I'm glad that he's starting letting Parker out to play again.
DIRTY MONEY picks up with Parker trying to get money from a past armored car robbery that he didn't quite get away with in NOBODY RUNS FOREVER. The last few Parker books have been tied tightly together but spaced two years apart. It's an interesting take, but I like seeing new faces in the Parker books.
The way a Parker novel normally works is this: The reader meets Parker and some of the people he's going to be using on the job, almost like a MISSION IMPOSSIBLE scenario. Then the job gets explained. Then the opposition shows up. Invariably, something goes haywire in the job. An unexpected threat shows up or - as happens most of the time - some of the thieves Parker has allied himself with turn out to be too greedy for their own good. Or at least, Parker's own good.
DIRTY MONEY is a tad slower-paced than most of the other Parker novels, but the author spends some time exposing the world of money laundering, one of the biggest white collar crimes currently going on. I found it interesting, but I missed the gunplay and the tension. I like the books most when Parker is up against the wall, trying to figure out how to keep himself from getting killed by "partners" or captured by the police or other bad guys.
The money from the armored car job has been marked. Parker knows it's not worth recovering. However, there's a money launderer willing to give him a cut on the cash and he'll move it overseas where the marked money won't get found out as easily.
From that point on, the book turns into a chess match between Parker, his partners, an FBI agent, and the local police. Maybe the action isn't quite up to par, but this is Parker. I still like watching him work, and Stark/Westlake's pared-down prose reads so easily I was done before I knew it. It's a great book for fans, but I'd recommend reading some of the earlier novels to readers that haven't met Parker before.
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