Donald E. Westlake was een uitzonderlijk productieve en getalenteerde auteur van Amerikaanse misdaadfictie, bekend om zijn filmische proza en vlotte dialogen. Zijn werken verkenden vaak de levens van dieven en criminelen, met gedenkwaardige personages als de ongelukkige John Dortmunder en de meedogenloze Parker. Westlake was een meester in zijn vak, in staat om spannende verhalen te creëren met onverwachte wendingen en een scherp inzicht in de menselijke natuur. Zijn vermogen om onder verschillende pseudoniemen te schrijven en zijn verhalen voor de film aan te passen, onderstreept zijn veelzijdigheid en blijvende impact op het genre.
This companion volume features a stunning oversized slipcase edition that brings together two acclaimed works, The Score and Slayground. Celebrated for its quality, this collection follows the success of the award-winning Martini Edition, offering fans an elegant presentation of these stories.
Knocking over a lucrative religious revival show, Parker reminds us that not all criminals don ski masks - some prefer to hide behind the wings of fallen angels. Backflash followed soon after, and it found Parker checking out the scene on a Hudson River gambling boat.
Serving as an A-Z guide to the artists and bands who have shaped jazz, this work tracks the history of jazz and its changing styles.
When John Dortmunder sets out to rob a bank, he really means it. He steals the whole thing. With the help of his usual crew, as well as a sophomoric ex-FBI man and a militant safecracker, Dortmunder puts a set of wheels under a trailer that just happens to be the temporary site of the Capitalists' & Immigrants' Trust Corp. When the safe won't open and the cops close in, Dortmunder realizes he's got to find a place -- somewhere in suburban Long Island -- to hide a bank. "One of the funniest conceptions you're going to come across...the ending is hilarious." (The New York Times)
Set against a backdrop of societal change, this book explores the complexities of human relationships and personal growth. The narrative delves into the lives of its characters, revealing their struggles and triumphs as they navigate the challenges of their time. Themes of love, identity, and resilience are woven throughout, making it a poignant reflection on the human experience. The author's insightful prose captures the essence of the era, inviting readers to connect deeply with the characters' journeys.
The thief Parker teams up with some crooks to steal half a million dollars from a TV evangelist. But one cannot keep his mouth shut and Parker is on the run, pursued by people on both sides of the law.
Parker robs a rock concert, but the heist goes sour, and he finds himself - and his woman, Claire - menaced by a pair of sadistic, drug-crazed hippies. Slayground turns the hunter into prey, as Parker gets trapped in a shuttered amusement park, besieged by a bevy of local mobsters.
After a four-way split following a job, George Uhl begins to pick off his fellow hoisters, one by one. His first mistake? He doesn't begin things by putting a bullet into Parker.
After the publication of Butcher's Moon in 1974, Donald Westlake said, "Richard Stark proved to me that he had a life of his own by simply disappearing. He was gone." And readers waited. But nothing bad is truly gone forever, and Parker's as bad as they come. According to Westlake, one day in 1997, "suddenly, he came back from the dead, with a chalky prison pallor"--and the novels that followed showed that neither Parker nor Stark had lost a step. Backflash finds Parker checking out the scene on a Hudson River gambling boat. Parker's no fan of either relaxation or risk, however, so you can be sure he's playing with house money--and he's willing to do anything to tilt the odds in his favor. Featuring a great cast of heisters, a striking setting, and a new introduction by Westlake's close friend and writing partner, Lawrence Block, this classic Parker adventure deserve a place of honor on any crime fan's bookshelf.