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Parker #24
Dirty Money
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288 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
August 3, 2011
Parker, McWhitney, and Sandra Loscalzo make a plan to get the money Parker, McWhitney, and Dalesia left behind in Nobody Runs Forever. Things go without a hitch until Nick Dalesia escapes the cops and goes looking for the money himself. And what about the man McWhitney was going to use to launder the money? Can Parker and company get the money out of the church and get out alive?
Here we are. The last Parker book. Was it a fitting swan song for one of the best crime fiction series ever written? Not really, but we can chalk that up to Richard Stark's untimely demise.
Dirty Money is a pretty standard Parker book. You've got the crew, namely McWhitney and Sandra, you've got the complications, Dalesia, Oscar, and the manhunt still going on for Parker and McWhitney, and you've got the man himself, Parker, going after the money like a shark.
Of all the post-Butcher's Moon Parkers, this one is in the top two. I won't say it's padded but it feels like it could have been split into two books the size of The Hunter. The first half of the book deals with getting the money and dealing with Dalesia, and the second half deals with getting rid of the dirty money and acquiring clean money.
That's pretty much all I can say. Parker's plan worked out well, as always, and he dealt with the complications as he always does. It didn't feel like a series ender, but I can't imagine Parker retiring any way other than in the grave. Maybe the widow Stark will contract someone else to write further Parker capers but I hope she doesn't, unless she acquires a time machine and gets the Richard Stark of the early 70's.
It's a sad day, really. No more Parker, no more Grofield, no more Claire, etc. Parker went out on top. I envy people who have the chance to read the series for the first time. If you're into crime fiction, this series, along with the Matthew Scudder series by Lawrence Block, are the books against which the rest of the genre should be measured.
So long, Parker. I wouldn't want to meet you in a dark alley but it's been fun reading about you.
Here we are. The last Parker book. Was it a fitting swan song for one of the best crime fiction series ever written? Not really, but we can chalk that up to Richard Stark's untimely demise.
Dirty Money is a pretty standard Parker book. You've got the crew, namely McWhitney and Sandra, you've got the complications, Dalesia, Oscar, and the manhunt still going on for Parker and McWhitney, and you've got the man himself, Parker, going after the money like a shark.
Of all the post-Butcher's Moon Parkers, this one is in the top two. I won't say it's padded but it feels like it could have been split into two books the size of The Hunter. The first half of the book deals with getting the money and dealing with Dalesia, and the second half deals with getting rid of the dirty money and acquiring clean money.
That's pretty much all I can say. Parker's plan worked out well, as always, and he dealt with the complications as he always does. It didn't feel like a series ender, but I can't imagine Parker retiring any way other than in the grave. Maybe the widow Stark will contract someone else to write further Parker capers but I hope she doesn't, unless she acquires a time machine and gets the Richard Stark of the early 70's.
It's a sad day, really. No more Parker, no more Grofield, no more Claire, etc. Parker went out on top. I envy people who have the chance to read the series for the first time. If you're into crime fiction, this series, along with the Matthew Scudder series by Lawrence Block, are the books against which the rest of the genre should be measured.
So long, Parker. I wouldn't want to meet you in a dark alley but it's been fun reading about you.
April 7, 2013
This is the twenty-fourth and final volume in Richard Stark's excellent long-running series featuring Parker, a cold, amoral, methodical criminal. Parker was almost always involved in a gang of crooks that had been pulled together for some specific job, usually a robbery of some sort. In each of these capers, it always turned out that some of the gang members were more dependable than others; there was usually a weak link or a turn of bad luck somewhere along the way, and Parker would have to scramble, using all of his resources, to save himself and as much of the loot as possible.
Parker was always the most competent and often the deadliest man among the thieves and others he partnered with. He did what needed to be done, and if that involved leaving a trail of bodies in his wake, well then, that was just what the job demanded. No hard feelings.
Along the way, Stark (a pseudonym for master crime writer Donald Westlake) took an extented break from the Parker books between 1974's Butcher's Moon, the sixteenth book in the series, and 1997's Comeback, the seventeenth. The earlier books tended to be leaner and cut closer to the bone. The later ones are not quite so spare and Parker might be just a tad softer. They are still a lot of fun, but the first sixteen are grittier and generally better.
In the twenty second book, Nobody Runs Forever, Parker and his confederates knocked over an armored car that was carrying a little over two million dollars from one bank to another. But the law moved in so swiftly that the gang could not get away with the money. They were forced to stash it in the choir loft of an abandoned rurual church.
In the twenty-third book, Ask The Parrot, Parker is still struggling to save himself in the days after the robbery, and Dirty Money takes place shortly thereafter. Things are still hot; the cops still have roadblocks up searching for the robbers, and they are circulating sketches of the criminals.
To make matters worse, it turns out that the serial numbers on all of the bills the gang stole had been recorded. One of the robbers, Nick Daliesa, attempted to pass one of the bills and was caught. He then killed a deputy marshal and escaped again. Parker knows if Dalesia is caught he will try to trade the stolen money, or worse the identity of the other gang members, in order to obtain leniency.
As much as he hates to do it, Parker must return to the scene of the crime in an effort to recover the money and deal with his ex-confederate before Parker himself is compromised. To make matters worse, a female bounty hunter now inserts herself into the situation, demanding a share of the loot.
It's a lot of fun watching Parker jump from one crisis to another in an effort to keep his life from going completely off the rails, especially when he knows that, even under the best of circumstances, the money will be worth only ten cents on the dollar. A harsher man than I might argue that the book could have been a bit tighter, more along the lines of the earlier entries in the series, but that would be a small complaint and I'm certainly not going to make it at this point.
I put off reading this book for over two years, simply because I couldn't bear the thought that I would never have another fresh Parker waiting for me, and I hated getting to the last page. The book itself may rate four stars, but the series overall is five stars all the way. It's one of the best crime fiction series ever published and I'm already looking forward to starting it all over again.
Parker was always the most competent and often the deadliest man among the thieves and others he partnered with. He did what needed to be done, and if that involved leaving a trail of bodies in his wake, well then, that was just what the job demanded. No hard feelings.
Along the way, Stark (a pseudonym for master crime writer Donald Westlake) took an extented break from the Parker books between 1974's Butcher's Moon, the sixteenth book in the series, and 1997's Comeback, the seventeenth. The earlier books tended to be leaner and cut closer to the bone. The later ones are not quite so spare and Parker might be just a tad softer. They are still a lot of fun, but the first sixteen are grittier and generally better.
In the twenty second book, Nobody Runs Forever, Parker and his confederates knocked over an armored car that was carrying a little over two million dollars from one bank to another. But the law moved in so swiftly that the gang could not get away with the money. They were forced to stash it in the choir loft of an abandoned rurual church.
In the twenty-third book, Ask The Parrot, Parker is still struggling to save himself in the days after the robbery, and Dirty Money takes place shortly thereafter. Things are still hot; the cops still have roadblocks up searching for the robbers, and they are circulating sketches of the criminals.
To make matters worse, it turns out that the serial numbers on all of the bills the gang stole had been recorded. One of the robbers, Nick Daliesa, attempted to pass one of the bills and was caught. He then killed a deputy marshal and escaped again. Parker knows if Dalesia is caught he will try to trade the stolen money, or worse the identity of the other gang members, in order to obtain leniency.
As much as he hates to do it, Parker must return to the scene of the crime in an effort to recover the money and deal with his ex-confederate before Parker himself is compromised. To make matters worse, a female bounty hunter now inserts herself into the situation, demanding a share of the loot.
It's a lot of fun watching Parker jump from one crisis to another in an effort to keep his life from going completely off the rails, especially when he knows that, even under the best of circumstances, the money will be worth only ten cents on the dollar. A harsher man than I might argue that the book could have been a bit tighter, more along the lines of the earlier entries in the series, but that would be a small complaint and I'm certainly not going to make it at this point.
I put off reading this book for over two years, simply because I couldn't bear the thought that I would never have another fresh Parker waiting for me, and I hated getting to the last page. The book itself may rate four stars, but the series overall is five stars all the way. It's one of the best crime fiction series ever published and I'm already looking forward to starting it all over again.
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January 6, 2021
Dirty Money by Donald E. Westlake writing as Richard Stark is Parker novel #24 and the last published novel (published in 2008) of the Parker series.
Dirty Money is also the third book within the three novel saga beginning with Nobody Runs Forever (#22) and Ask the Parrot (#23).
At the end of Ask the Parrot, Parker drives off in a black Infiniti from a race track heist out in the boonies east of Albany, New York. Dirty Money begins with Parker watching the Infiniti sink to the bottom of a river then heading off to Long Island with Claire in a silver Toyota Avalon.
There's good reason Parker and Claire drive to Long Island prior to Claire's home along the lake in New Jersey, a reason having to do with an armored car job up in Massachusetts. The details of that caper are central to Nobody Runs Forever and the immediate aftermath is the stuff of Ask the Parrot.
So, dear reader of this review, in order to both understand and appreciate the dangers and challenges of what Parker must deal with in Dirty Money, please first read Nobody Runs Forever and Ask the Parrot. I can assure you, the pleasure you take in Stark's Dirty Money will be greatly enhanced.
So, assuming familiarity with Nobody Runs Forever and Ask the Parrot, check out this batch of Dirty Money hot shots:
It Takes Moxie
The lure of all that cash up in Massachusetts is simply too strong for Parker to keep away. Both Parker and Claire travel back to the town and area now all abuzz with the armored car robbery - and, to think, those terrible bank robbers actually escaped! Our audacious outlaw and his gal check in to a local bed and breakfast as a typical tourist couple come to soak in the beauty of New England autumn leaves.
Over tea and butter cookies in the communal dining room, the woman who runs the B&B, a Mrs. Bartlett, is delighted to share all the tantalizing details with such an attractive young lady (Claire). Parker simply sits in silent and listens. Parker learns the law caught both Elaine Langen and Jake Beckham and the additional steps the police are taking to catch the actual robbers - most useful information for Parker to plan his next move.
Busy Bounty Hunter
Slick, sassy and smooth, Sandra Loscalzo is back - and adds vinegar and zip to the tale, particularly when Sandra gets to team up with Parker in the final roundup for all that cash.
Big burley Nelson McWhitney watches Sandra in action, dealing with a band of crooks who want to steal the greenbacks from Parker and crew. At one point, Sandra gets stuck and asks the crooks to help move her Honda. McWhitney tells Parker, “She got them to help. You believe the balls on that woman?” Call it what you like, but when you’re working with Parker on a caper, you have to have brass.
Detective Gwen Reversa
The tall, blonde looker remains on the case. Detective Gwen stopped Parker on the highway (Gwen smelled outlaw) some days prior to the armored car robbery but is stuck now without a clue in locating either Parker or the money.
Gwen finds out Parker pulled that race course job in rural New York. She asks a New York state trooper who has come over to her area of Massachusetts to consolidate resources: “Captain, I don’t understand what happened last weekend over in your territory. What was he doing there? Did he have confederates?” Captain Modale took a long breath, a man severely tested but carrying on. “It really looks,” he said, “as though the fella did the whole thing by the seat of his pants.”
Oh, Captain; oh, Detective Gwen Reversa, if you ever could begin to think like Parker you just might have a better chance of nabbing him. Sorry to say for the law, Parker keeps at least five steps ahead of nearly anybody accustomed to working as part of a large organization.
Book Writer of True Crime
One of my very favorite bits in the entire Parker series: Terry Mulcany is a twenty-something freelance journalist who would LOVE to write the book, for sure a best seller, of the armored car robbery. Terry hangs around the police headquarters to grab the latest scoop. Terry is permitted in to police central since he helped the police in tracing Parker (early on, Terry had a quick face-to-face at the B&B with Parker and Claire).
Terry overhears the Captain and Detective Gwen discussing the race track heist where Parker worked with a local guy, Tom Lindahl. “Oh, Terry Mclcany thought, if only that could be my story. Tom Lindahl and the perfect crime. But where is he? Where are the interviews? Where are the pictures of him in his new life? Where is the ultimate triumph of the law at the very end of the day?
No, Tom Lindahl was safe from Terry Mulcany as well. He would stay with the true crime he had, the armored car robbery, with bazookas and unusable cash and three professional desperados, one of them now an escaped cop killer. Not so bad, really.
THE LAND PIRATES: working title."
So, The Land Pirates will be the working title of Terry's blockbuster. And guess who Terry would LOVE to have on the cover of his true crime book? Why, of course, the beautiful blonde detective on the case – Gwen Reversa.
Here I am, at the end point of writing the reviews for all 24 Parker novels. It was a joy from beginning to end. My hearty recommendation: read the Parker novels in order, beginning with The Hunter, where you'll find Parker walking across the George Washington Bridge. They'll go fast. You'll get so hooked; you'll look forward to the next book; you'll wish there were more than just 24. Parker, the ultimate antihero. American to the core.
American author Donald E. Westlake, 1933-2008
April 9, 2021
“If you leave me here," the guy on the floor said, "he'll kill me tomorrow morning."
Parker looked at him. "So you've still got tonight," he said.
Thus ends the 24-book Parker series by Richard Stark, one of the pseudonyms for Donald Westlake. Westlake was prolific, with more than 100 novels to his credit, and more than 20 screenplays, and he knew how to create rollicking crime stories with lots of laughs. When he was feeling mean, however, the name of the game was Parker, one of the best characters in the history of crime fiction.
In a fictional interview Westlake wrote between Westlake and Stark, Westlake acknowledges these differences:
DW: You do seem to know quite a bit about crime and the criminal mind.
RS: I read the papers. The business section. You mostly read the funnies, I think.
Westlake died (unexpectedly) of a heart attack on New Year’s Eve in 2008, at age 75, a few months after his last Parker novel was published. Is it a great book? Nah, it is one of the blandest of the series, but it does finish off a story begun a couple books ago. The series begins with a kind of trilogy, The Hunter, The Man With the Getaway Face and The Outfit, (and this would be a good place to start; if you like these three, then you will like any of the rest of it), and it concludes with a somewhat milder Parker in a bank heist story, Nobody Runs Forever, Ask the Parrot, and Dirty Money, though these are also a kind of continuation of some things that happened in The Sour Lemon Score (book 12) and Firebreak (book 20).
In this one Parker goes back to the church where they stashed the cash. He goes back with Claire, who for the first time gets a bit involved in the action, briefly and intentionally. He also goes back with McWhitney, who was one of the original fellow robbers, and Sondra, a bounty hunter. Some people die in the (as always) botched process. One complication is that the money is marked, or “dirty,” so has to be "laundered" in some way. Every one of the books in the series is educational in some way with respect to crime: Oh, you want to know how to rob a bank, or get a new legitimate social security number? Read Stark, who gives you a down-to-earth, working class view of guys just doing their jobs, that just happen to be criminal jobs. They get away in this one in an old Ford Econoline with "Holy Redeemer Choir" painted on the door. Ha. These folks will get turned away at the Pearly Gates, trust me.
My three favorite books in the series are The Hunter, because it introduces us to the character (and was made into a film, Point Blank, with Lee Marvin, in 1967, and with Mel Gibson in Payback), Slayground, and Butcher’s Moon, which he wrote before taking a twenty year break from the series.
I got interested in Parker through the four hip comics adaptations Darwyn Cooke made before he himself died:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/5415...
There are also four books featuring a very engaging actor with a wise-cracking and charming personality that is opposite of Parker, Alan Grofield, and two of the books are linked to Parker novels, one of them happening simultaneous to the action of one Parker novel:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/5565...
If you are new to the series, I suggest as I said reading the first three and then choosing among the rest, many of which can be read as stand-alones. Westlake is a very good writer of crime fiction, and a very good writer, period. I liked the series very much, but (speaking as a pacifist) I liked the most brutal ones best.
Parker looked at him. "So you've still got tonight," he said.
Thus ends the 24-book Parker series by Richard Stark, one of the pseudonyms for Donald Westlake. Westlake was prolific, with more than 100 novels to his credit, and more than 20 screenplays, and he knew how to create rollicking crime stories with lots of laughs. When he was feeling mean, however, the name of the game was Parker, one of the best characters in the history of crime fiction.
In a fictional interview Westlake wrote between Westlake and Stark, Westlake acknowledges these differences:
DW: You do seem to know quite a bit about crime and the criminal mind.
RS: I read the papers. The business section. You mostly read the funnies, I think.
Westlake died (unexpectedly) of a heart attack on New Year’s Eve in 2008, at age 75, a few months after his last Parker novel was published. Is it a great book? Nah, it is one of the blandest of the series, but it does finish off a story begun a couple books ago. The series begins with a kind of trilogy, The Hunter, The Man With the Getaway Face and The Outfit, (and this would be a good place to start; if you like these three, then you will like any of the rest of it), and it concludes with a somewhat milder Parker in a bank heist story, Nobody Runs Forever, Ask the Parrot, and Dirty Money, though these are also a kind of continuation of some things that happened in The Sour Lemon Score (book 12) and Firebreak (book 20).
In this one Parker goes back to the church where they stashed the cash. He goes back with Claire, who for the first time gets a bit involved in the action, briefly and intentionally. He also goes back with McWhitney, who was one of the original fellow robbers, and Sondra, a bounty hunter. Some people die in the (as always) botched process. One complication is that the money is marked, or “dirty,” so has to be "laundered" in some way. Every one of the books in the series is educational in some way with respect to crime: Oh, you want to know how to rob a bank, or get a new legitimate social security number? Read Stark, who gives you a down-to-earth, working class view of guys just doing their jobs, that just happen to be criminal jobs. They get away in this one in an old Ford Econoline with "Holy Redeemer Choir" painted on the door. Ha. These folks will get turned away at the Pearly Gates, trust me.
My three favorite books in the series are The Hunter, because it introduces us to the character (and was made into a film, Point Blank, with Lee Marvin, in 1967, and with Mel Gibson in Payback), Slayground, and Butcher’s Moon, which he wrote before taking a twenty year break from the series.
I got interested in Parker through the four hip comics adaptations Darwyn Cooke made before he himself died:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/5415...
There are also four books featuring a very engaging actor with a wise-cracking and charming personality that is opposite of Parker, Alan Grofield, and two of the books are linked to Parker novels, one of them happening simultaneous to the action of one Parker novel:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/5565...
If you are new to the series, I suggest as I said reading the first three and then choosing among the rest, many of which can be read as stand-alones. Westlake is a very good writer of crime fiction, and a very good writer, period. I liked the series very much, but (speaking as a pacifist) I liked the most brutal ones best.
February 5, 2025
4.5 stars
short review for busy readers:
If you've heard good things about this series, they're true. Fast paced, surprisingly well-written, with realistic "gotta love 'em" characters, tangible setting and mature tone. Body count: 3 definite, 2 possible. Fabulous ending.
in detail:
It's not the best idea to enter a series with not only the very last book in the series, but also the last book in a trilogy within the series.
But it's what showed up in my local LFL, so it is what I read.
"Dirty Money" throws you in at the deep end with a "the story so far" recap that fails to define who any of the characters actually are. So, if you haven't read the 2 previous novels, that's a bit of a hard jog at the start.
But once the recap is over and the actual plot begins -- wow, does it ever begin!
I'd have preferred to forego the cop focused sections, however. They were well done, but I didn't feel they added much to the overall plot.
The action is with the criminals and how they are going to get rid of 2 million dollars in registered bills (oops) from an armoured truck robbery. There are plenty enough twists and turns and non-involved scumbags wanting to belly up to the trough to keep the novel going at full speed just on its own without state trooper conference room banter. (Although these maybe returning characters, idk)
Another highly impressive point was that Stark ends the novel at the absolute perfect place. I mean *perfect*. Not a scene too much, not a scene too little. It's a rare thing to see an author so in control of their material that they have the chops to end like that. A round of applause there!
Even though I caught the series caboose, it was still a great ride.
Next time a Parker novel washes up on my LFL shores, I'll be taking it home with me and diving in to Stark's world again. 4.5 stars.
short review for busy readers:
If you've heard good things about this series, they're true. Fast paced, surprisingly well-written, with realistic "gotta love 'em" characters, tangible setting and mature tone. Body count: 3 definite, 2 possible. Fabulous ending.
in detail:
It's not the best idea to enter a series with not only the very last book in the series, but also the last book in a trilogy within the series.
But it's what showed up in my local LFL, so it is what I read.
"Dirty Money" throws you in at the deep end with a "the story so far" recap that fails to define who any of the characters actually are. So, if you haven't read the 2 previous novels, that's a bit of a hard jog at the start.
But once the recap is over and the actual plot begins -- wow, does it ever begin!
I'd have preferred to forego the cop focused sections, however. They were well done, but I didn't feel they added much to the overall plot.
The action is with the criminals and how they are going to get rid of 2 million dollars in registered bills (oops) from an armoured truck robbery. There are plenty enough twists and turns and non-involved scumbags wanting to belly up to the trough to keep the novel going at full speed just on its own without state trooper conference room banter. (Although these maybe returning characters, idk)
Another highly impressive point was that Stark ends the novel at the absolute perfect place. I mean *perfect*. Not a scene too much, not a scene too little. It's a rare thing to see an author so in control of their material that they have the chops to end like that. A round of applause there!
Even though I caught the series caboose, it was still a great ride.
Next time a Parker novel washes up on my LFL shores, I'll be taking it home with me and diving in to Stark's world again. 4.5 stars.
June 26, 2022
[Read in May 2020; Reviewed May 2022]
Dirty Money is the final entry in a series novels about a professional thief named Parker that Donald E. Westlake wrote as Richard Stark. It also wraps up the trilogy that started with Nobody Runs Forever and continued in Ask the Parrot. Perhaps. I seem to be the one who sees these books as a trilogy. Certainly it’s never been advertised as such. Maybe Part 2 was simply picking up where the last book left off, and by the time Westlake realized it would lead to a third part, Nobody Runs Forever had already been released into the wild. Or my favorite theory: crime novels come with the expectation of a conclusion--best to do nothing to insinuate otherwise. But that would not be a detriment here. If Dirty Money had been promoted as the finale of a trilogy, I suspect more people would be encouraged to pick up the first two than would be alienated by the revelation. Now, having read all three, a new theory has emerged.
What to name the damn thing. No character beside Parker is prominent in all three. Only two books spotlight the same heist. The focus is mostly on the same general area in all three but it is a location where three different states meet. And so: the bulk of the action in Nobody Runs Forever takes place in Massachusetts, Parrott uses Vermont, and Dirty Money brings in New York and even New Jersey. You can’t even use a prominent landmark common to all three, such as calling it “The Green Mountain Trilogy.” The same mountain range is referred to by a different name in each state.
Or maybe it’s not a trilogy, maybe I’m wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time and far from the last. But it’s more fun to theorize.
Dirty Money finds Parker running short of funds, the same predicament that got him involved in this mess back in Nobody Runs Forever. While he had just made a big score in the previous book, he also had burned all his fake IDs in avoiding the police back in Massachusetts, and impenetrable fake IDs are not cheap. Other factors contributing to the “mess”: the stolen money had to be left behind, safely hidden for now but not indefinitely; the authorities have all the serial numbers--thus making it “dirty money”--and one of the crew had been captured but escaped, and the only thing he has to trade if recaptured is the location of the loot. Circumstances force Parker and the other remaining robber to go back for the money, even knowing there is still a heavy police presence and that if they succeed they will have to sell it in bulk overseas--and will only see ten cents on the dollar.
Westlake has always kept our interest by introducing one-off characters to provide situations and obstacles for Parker to circumvent, and that’s what he continues to delivers here. But he also brings back a couple characters from the previous two books to help fill in the blanks that happened “off-screen” since the initial robbery. Every event feeds perfectly into the next, smoothly moving from Parker’s quest to retrieve the money to a new goal that drives the back half of the book. So it is somewhat surprising that the most fascinating scene occurs when Parker takes a brief but necessary detour from this path. Post 9/11, buying a fake ID became much more difficult. By 2008, when the internet could connect almost everybody almost instantly, it was closer to impossible. The man Parker engages to do this chore and his explanation as to he plans to go about it makes me wish we could see more of this character. Unfortunately, not to be.
Donald E. Westlake died on December 31st of 2008. This book had been released at the beginning of that year and unless I missed something in my research everything published posthumously was either previously undiscovered manuscripts or dusted-off older works. Considering the time between manuscript completion and actual publication, it begs a question: Did Westlake retire? Was this meant to be Parker’s final novel? The first time Westlake concluded the series in Butcher’s Moon, it felt like it was planned but turned out not to be. This time I believe it was. He left Parker in a good place--if you can leave a remorseless killer in a good place. Which leads to the other question that intermittently resurfaces: Is Parker a psychopath? Westlake apparently didn’t think so. Early in the series it is stated that one of Parker’s rules is to avoid killing when possible; it brings on extra heat form the cops. That bodies tended to pile up, well, that’s what happens when changing circumstances dictate a more drastic course of action. Then there is this more recent exchange with a nervous amateur after they’d completed a two-person job (and slightly edited by me to emphasize the dialogue):
A writer can’t ask for a much better legacy.
Dirty Money is the final entry in a series novels about a professional thief named Parker that Donald E. Westlake wrote as Richard Stark. It also wraps up the trilogy that started with Nobody Runs Forever and continued in Ask the Parrot. Perhaps. I seem to be the one who sees these books as a trilogy. Certainly it’s never been advertised as such. Maybe Part 2 was simply picking up where the last book left off, and by the time Westlake realized it would lead to a third part, Nobody Runs Forever had already been released into the wild. Or my favorite theory: crime novels come with the expectation of a conclusion--best to do nothing to insinuate otherwise. But that would not be a detriment here. If Dirty Money had been promoted as the finale of a trilogy, I suspect more people would be encouraged to pick up the first two than would be alienated by the revelation. Now, having read all three, a new theory has emerged.
What to name the damn thing. No character beside Parker is prominent in all three. Only two books spotlight the same heist. The focus is mostly on the same general area in all three but it is a location where three different states meet. And so: the bulk of the action in Nobody Runs Forever takes place in Massachusetts, Parrott uses Vermont, and Dirty Money brings in New York and even New Jersey. You can’t even use a prominent landmark common to all three, such as calling it “The Green Mountain Trilogy.” The same mountain range is referred to by a different name in each state.
Or maybe it’s not a trilogy, maybe I’m wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time and far from the last. But it’s more fun to theorize.
Dirty Money finds Parker running short of funds, the same predicament that got him involved in this mess back in Nobody Runs Forever. While he had just made a big score in the previous book, he also had burned all his fake IDs in avoiding the police back in Massachusetts, and impenetrable fake IDs are not cheap. Other factors contributing to the “mess”: the stolen money had to be left behind, safely hidden for now but not indefinitely; the authorities have all the serial numbers--thus making it “dirty money”--and one of the crew had been captured but escaped, and the only thing he has to trade if recaptured is the location of the loot. Circumstances force Parker and the other remaining robber to go back for the money, even knowing there is still a heavy police presence and that if they succeed they will have to sell it in bulk overseas--and will only see ten cents on the dollar.
Westlake has always kept our interest by introducing one-off characters to provide situations and obstacles for Parker to circumvent, and that’s what he continues to delivers here. But he also brings back a couple characters from the previous two books to help fill in the blanks that happened “off-screen” since the initial robbery. Every event feeds perfectly into the next, smoothly moving from Parker’s quest to retrieve the money to a new goal that drives the back half of the book. So it is somewhat surprising that the most fascinating scene occurs when Parker takes a brief but necessary detour from this path. Post 9/11, buying a fake ID became much more difficult. By 2008, when the internet could connect almost everybody almost instantly, it was closer to impossible. The man Parker engages to do this chore and his explanation as to he plans to go about it makes me wish we could see more of this character. Unfortunately, not to be.
Donald E. Westlake died on December 31st of 2008. This book had been released at the beginning of that year and unless I missed something in my research everything published posthumously was either previously undiscovered manuscripts or dusted-off older works. Considering the time between manuscript completion and actual publication, it begs a question: Did Westlake retire? Was this meant to be Parker’s final novel? The first time Westlake concluded the series in Butcher’s Moon, it felt like it was planned but turned out not to be. This time I believe it was. He left Parker in a good place--if you can leave a remorseless killer in a good place. Which leads to the other question that intermittently resurfaces: Is Parker a psychopath? Westlake apparently didn’t think so. Early in the series it is stated that one of Parker’s rules is to avoid killing when possible; it brings on extra heat form the cops. That bodies tended to pile up, well, that’s what happens when changing circumstances dictate a more drastic course of action. Then there is this more recent exchange with a nervous amateur after they’d completed a two-person job (and slightly edited by me to emphasize the dialogue):
Lindahl said, "Half the time, I was sure, if we ever got [the money]--and I never thought we'd get it--but I was sure . . ." His voice trailed off, with a little vague hand gesture.Westlake saw a Parker as a professional just going about his work. And to continuously bring this off, he used the same trick that Donald Hamilton did in his Matt Helm series. Helm has never killed anyone that didn’t deserve to die. And to my knowledge--admitting that my memory is getting spotty in regards to this type of thing--Parker has never killed an innocent. That doesn’t justify his murders of course. But it does allow the reader a certain distance from these acts, but without losing their engagement. You’re not rooting for Parker; instead you find yourself interested in how he is going to work his way out of this one. It was a balancing act of considerable skill. The kind of skill Westlake displayed his entire professional life.
"You were sure I'd shoot you," Parker said. "I know."
"You could have, anytime."
"You brought me the job, you went in on the job with me, that [half is] yours."
"You mean," he said, "like, honor among thieves?"
"No," Parker said. “I mean a professional is a professional."
A writer can’t ask for a much better legacy.
April 28, 2015
Dear Mr. Parker.
I was saddened to hear of the death of your chronicler Mr Stark. Over the years I’ve become a big fan of your exploits and so now feel bereaved that there will be no more. Of course another writer might pick up the mantle, but we both know it just wouldn’t be the same.
What I’ve enjoyed most about your work is your professionalism and adaptability. The first one goes without saying, you’ve always prided yourself on how professional you are. But I like how in any given situation, no matter how fluid it is, you always look to the end game and find the simplest – if most ruthless – way out.
Your lack of sentimentality has also always impressed me. Not for you the dashing back to save a fallen comrade or young lady you’ve become entangled with (unless of course they could give you problems later on by identifying you, then I’d fear for their life expectancy). You’re a focused individual who thinks only of his survival – preferably with as much loot as possible.
Mr Parker, I’m not embarrassed to admit that if I was a professional crook, I’d want to be you.
This last adventure of yours would not be the best place for a neophyte to start examining the brilliance of your work (and anyway you’d sneer at someone who wanted to begin at the end). It ties up a lot of loose ends from previous adventures and so is more a treat for fans like myself than anyone else. Mr Stark does a good job of bringing the complex strands around you together, to produce a book which is twisty, thrilling and often very tense. Should a person have read your previous exploits in ‘Nobody Runs Forever’ and ‘Ask the Parrot’ they will not be disappointed with this.
Whether you will ever read this missive I don’t know, obviously a postal address for you has been hard to find. But I hope you and Claire have a happy life together and that your next job is, of course, a lucrative one.
Thank you again.
Yours sincerely.
F.R. Jameson.
I was saddened to hear of the death of your chronicler Mr Stark. Over the years I’ve become a big fan of your exploits and so now feel bereaved that there will be no more. Of course another writer might pick up the mantle, but we both know it just wouldn’t be the same.
What I’ve enjoyed most about your work is your professionalism and adaptability. The first one goes without saying, you’ve always prided yourself on how professional you are. But I like how in any given situation, no matter how fluid it is, you always look to the end game and find the simplest – if most ruthless – way out.
Your lack of sentimentality has also always impressed me. Not for you the dashing back to save a fallen comrade or young lady you’ve become entangled with (unless of course they could give you problems later on by identifying you, then I’d fear for their life expectancy). You’re a focused individual who thinks only of his survival – preferably with as much loot as possible.
Mr Parker, I’m not embarrassed to admit that if I was a professional crook, I’d want to be you.
This last adventure of yours would not be the best place for a neophyte to start examining the brilliance of your work (and anyway you’d sneer at someone who wanted to begin at the end). It ties up a lot of loose ends from previous adventures and so is more a treat for fans like myself than anyone else. Mr Stark does a good job of bringing the complex strands around you together, to produce a book which is twisty, thrilling and often very tense. Should a person have read your previous exploits in ‘Nobody Runs Forever’ and ‘Ask the Parrot’ they will not be disappointed with this.
Whether you will ever read this missive I don’t know, obviously a postal address for you has been hard to find. But I hope you and Claire have a happy life together and that your next job is, of course, a lucrative one.
Thank you again.
Yours sincerely.
F.R. Jameson.
May 31, 2018
Perfect ending to an amazing series.
I've pretty much reviewed this final entry in the Parker series as I read it.
As most crime-thriller fans familiar with the Richard Stark "Parker" series know, Donald E. Westlake writing as Richard Stark originally wrote 16 Parker novels. Slim entries that ran about 200 pages each. Each entry concerned Parker going in with cronies to commit a major heist.
Parker is a "professional" thief.
There isn't a bad read in that original lot of 16 titles.
The last entry was published in 1974.
In 1997 Westlake/Stark revived the series with 8 more novels. These were all a bit longer in length.
They at least matched the high quality writing of the original 16. I would argue that these final 8 entries are superior. But I won't.
I loved them every bit as much as I loved the 1st 16.
But in Dirty Money he may have written the greatest Parker novel of them all.
You can't pick this up and read it cold ...it requires reading the previous 7 first. You can always go back and read the 1st 16 novels and you should.
I hate having read the final Parker entry. No one could write a crime-thriller as tight as Richard Stark.
Highest Possible Recommendation!
I've pretty much reviewed this final entry in the Parker series as I read it.
As most crime-thriller fans familiar with the Richard Stark "Parker" series know, Donald E. Westlake writing as Richard Stark originally wrote 16 Parker novels. Slim entries that ran about 200 pages each. Each entry concerned Parker going in with cronies to commit a major heist.
Parker is a "professional" thief.
There isn't a bad read in that original lot of 16 titles.
The last entry was published in 1974.
In 1997 Westlake/Stark revived the series with 8 more novels. These were all a bit longer in length.
They at least matched the high quality writing of the original 16. I would argue that these final 8 entries are superior. But I won't.
I loved them every bit as much as I loved the 1st 16.
But in Dirty Money he may have written the greatest Parker novel of them all.
You can't pick this up and read it cold ...it requires reading the previous 7 first. You can always go back and read the 1st 16 novels and you should.
I hate having read the final Parker entry. No one could write a crime-thriller as tight as Richard Stark.
Highest Possible Recommendation!
August 29, 2021
Parker and the Loot Laundry
Review of the University of Chicago Press paperback edition (September 2017) of the original Mysterious Press hardcover (2008)
Richard Stark was one of the many pseudonyms of the prolific crime author Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008), who wrote over 100 books. The Stark pseudonym was used primarily for the Parker novels, an antihero criminal who is usually betrayed or ensnared in some manner and who spends each book getting revenge or escaping the circumstances.
Dirty Money is the conclusion to the 3-book saga of Nobody Runs Forever (2004) and Ask the Parrot (2006) and finds Parker trying to retrieve the cached loot from the armoured car heist in the 1st book. He is partnered with bar owner Nelson McWhitney and bounty hunter Sandra Loscalzo and somewhat surprisingly Parker's partner Claire plays a more significant role in the proceedings. The object is not only to retrieve the cash but also find a way to launder it as the bills are marked and not useable otherwise.
Although the plans seem to move along efficiently, the crew are constantly subject to identification from the police who are still on the hunt. Their escaped heister Nick Delasio also presents a threat as he has become a cop killer with nothing to lose. Various possible betrayals seem to be hinted at and McWhitney sets up his own possible money fence without telling the others. That brings an entirely new heist crew into the mix. As always, Parker has to salvage the best that he can out of the deal and the ending is abrupt but in typical ice-cold Parker mode. One is only left to wonder what an unwritten Parker #25 might have been, as Parker's face is now known to the authorities and is on wanted posters from several witness IDs. No continuation writer was chosen and no further series has ever been made, which is somewhat surprising these days in genre fiction.
These final Parker novels from #17 to #24 are stronger and more complex than the original run which was probably due to Westlake/Stark's development as a writer over the years and during the 23 year hiatus. Several of these are strong 4's to 5's (I've actually read or listened to all of them now and am just parceling out the reviews over time). #21 and #22 are my favourites of the Parker novels now that I've read them all. Ironically, they are the only ones not available as audiobooks for some reason.
Dirty Money (Parker #24) is the 3rd book of the final trio of Parker novels which are all tied together by the loot and the escape from one heist. This final Parker book was issued in 2008 and Donald Westlake (Richard Stark) passed at the end of that year.
I had never previously read the Stark/Parker novels but became curious when they came up in my recent reading of The Writer's Library: The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives (Sept. 2020) by Nancy Pearl & Jeff Schwager. Here is a (perhaps surprising) excerpt from their discussion with Amor Towles:
The 24 Parker books are almost all available for free on Audible Plus, except for #21 & #22 which aren't available at all.
Other Reviews
There is an extremely detailed review and plot summary (in 3 parts) of Dirty Money (with spoilers obviously) at The Westlake Review, October 29, 2017.
Trivia and Links
The Dirty Money page at The Violent World of Parker website is not as complete as those for the earlier books, and only shows a few of the edition covers.
This paperback is part of the University of Chicago Press 2009-2017 series of reprints of the Parker novels and includes a new Foreword by author Laura Lippman .
Review of the University of Chicago Press paperback edition (September 2017) of the original Mysterious Press hardcover (2008)
Richard Stark was one of the many pseudonyms of the prolific crime author Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008), who wrote over 100 books. The Stark pseudonym was used primarily for the Parker novels, an antihero criminal who is usually betrayed or ensnared in some manner and who spends each book getting revenge or escaping the circumstances.
Dirty Money is the conclusion to the 3-book saga of Nobody Runs Forever (2004) and Ask the Parrot (2006) and finds Parker trying to retrieve the cached loot from the armoured car heist in the 1st book. He is partnered with bar owner Nelson McWhitney and bounty hunter Sandra Loscalzo and somewhat surprisingly Parker's partner Claire plays a more significant role in the proceedings. The object is not only to retrieve the cash but also find a way to launder it as the bills are marked and not useable otherwise.
Although the plans seem to move along efficiently, the crew are constantly subject to identification from the police who are still on the hunt. Their escaped heister Nick Delasio also presents a threat as he has become a cop killer with nothing to lose. Various possible betrayals seem to be hinted at and McWhitney sets up his own possible money fence without telling the others. That brings an entirely new heist crew into the mix. As always, Parker has to salvage the best that he can out of the deal and the ending is abrupt but in typical ice-cold Parker mode. One is only left to wonder what an unwritten Parker #25 might have been, as Parker's face is now known to the authorities and is on wanted posters from several witness IDs. No continuation writer was chosen and no further series has ever been made, which is somewhat surprising these days in genre fiction.
These final Parker novels from #17 to #24 are stronger and more complex than the original run which was probably due to Westlake/Stark's development as a writer over the years and during the 23 year hiatus. Several of these are strong 4's to 5's (I've actually read or listened to all of them now and am just parceling out the reviews over time). #21 and #22 are my favourites of the Parker novels now that I've read them all. Ironically, they are the only ones not available as audiobooks for some reason.
Dirty Money (Parker #24) is the 3rd book of the final trio of Parker novels which are all tied together by the loot and the escape from one heist. This final Parker book was issued in 2008 and Donald Westlake (Richard Stark) passed at the end of that year.
I had never previously read the Stark/Parker novels but became curious when they came up in my recent reading of The Writer's Library: The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives (Sept. 2020) by Nancy Pearl & Jeff Schwager. Here is a (perhaps surprising) excerpt from their discussion with Amor Towles:
Nancy: Do you read Lee Child?
Amor: I know Lee. I had never read his books until I met him, but now I read them whenever they come out. I think some of the decisions he makes are ingenious.
Jeff: Have you read the Parker books by Donald Westlake [writing as Richard Stark]?
Amor: I think the Parker books are an extraordinary series.
Jeff: They feel like a big influence on Reacher, right down to the name. Both Reacher and Parker have a singular focus on the task in front of them.
Amor: But Parker is amoral. Reacher is just dangerous.
Jeff: Right. Reacher doesn't have a conventional morality, but he has his own morality. Parker will do anything he has to do to achieve his goal.
Amor: But to your point, Westlake's staccato style with its great twists at the end of the paragraphs, and his mesmerizing central character - these attributes are clearly shared by the Reacher books.
The 24 Parker books are almost all available for free on Audible Plus, except for #21 & #22 which aren't available at all.
Other Reviews
There is an extremely detailed review and plot summary (in 3 parts) of Dirty Money (with spoilers obviously) at The Westlake Review, October 29, 2017.
Trivia and Links
The Dirty Money page at The Violent World of Parker website is not as complete as those for the earlier books, and only shows a few of the edition covers.
This paperback is part of the University of Chicago Press 2009-2017 series of reprints of the Parker novels and includes a new Foreword by author Laura Lippman .
May 8, 2019
Richard Stark's final Parker book (#24) and also the end of what was really a trilogy: Nobody Runs Forever, an armored car robbery, Ask The Parrot, Parker's narrow escape from the robbery, and Dirty Money, trying to recover the stolen loot. Nick Dalesia is arrested trying to spend some of the identified money, but manages to escape by killing a U.S. marshal. This motivates Parker and McWhitney to head back to the site of the crime, and recover the money stashed in an abandoned church mixed in with old hymnals. They team up with Sandra Loscalzo, whose P.I. partner was killed, who is an unknown quantity. Their clever plan begins to unravel when Dalesia shows up, Parker is identified, and McWhitney is double crossed. Yet, they pull off the recovery, forcing Parker to call some old pals to help clean the dirty money.
Sadly, the series ended prematurely with author Stark's death, leaving readers wondering about Parker's next escapade. Like others, I think the last books were all too long, with Stark having moved beyond his 200 page hard hitting thrillers to a longer, meandering format. I liked that Claire played a meaningful role in the finale.
Sadly, the series ended prematurely with author Stark's death, leaving readers wondering about Parker's next escapade. Like others, I think the last books were all too long, with Stark having moved beyond his 200 page hard hitting thrillers to a longer, meandering format. I liked that Claire played a meaningful role in the finale.
May 17, 2022
I LOVED (just about) EVERY BOOK IN THIS DAMN SERIES AND I AM SUPER BUMMED IT HAS COME TO AN END!! BLURG!!
RIP RICHARD STARK!!
5 Stupendously Shinning Starky Stars
RIP RICHARD STARK!!
5 Stupendously Shinning Starky Stars
October 23, 2014
Another good Parker, better than the last. I was surprised by how good it was because the newer ones have taken a beating by us older fans. I'm really happy with my library for getting it. I see they've finally gotten #15, too. I'll be listening to that next.
The reader was good EXCEPT in conversations. The lowered voices were far too low. I couldn't hear them properly at times. I guess that's actually the mixer who does that. Who ever, it sucked.
The reader was good EXCEPT in conversations. The lowered voices were far too low. I couldn't hear them properly at times. I guess that's actually the mixer who does that. Who ever, it sucked.
March 13, 2015
For me, this lagged in the middle but this guy Parker, excuse me, this crook Parker, is so easy to love.
I love this series although I'm not reading the books in the order. Just reading them when I can find them.
Stark, of course, is Donald Westlake and what a writer in any name he wants to use. Five stars for Westlake and four stars for this book, only because it lagged. The storyline was great...what an imagination.
I love this series although I'm not reading the books in the order. Just reading them when I can find them.
Stark, of course, is Donald Westlake and what a writer in any name he wants to use. Five stars for Westlake and four stars for this book, only because it lagged. The storyline was great...what an imagination.
December 23, 2021
Final Parker
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (2008) of the original Mysterious Press hardcover (2008)
Richard Stark was one of the many pseudonyms of the prolific crime author Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008), who wrote over 100 books. The Stark pseudonym was used primarily for the Parker novels, an antihero criminal who is usually betrayed or ensnared in some manner and who spends each book either getting revenge or escaping the circumstances.
Dirty Money was the final Parker book and was also the conclusion to the 3-book arc of Nobody Runs Forever (2004) and Ask the Parrot (2006). It finds Parker trying to retrieve the cached loot from the armoured car heist in the 1st book of the trilogy. He is partnered with bar owner Nelson McWhitney and bounty hunter Sandra Loscalzo and somewhat surprisingly Parker's partner Claire plays a more significant role in the proceedings. The object is not only to retrieve the cash but also find a way to launder it as the bills are marked and not useable otherwise.
Although the plans seem to move along efficiently, the crew are constantly subject to identification from the police who are still on the hunt. Their escaped heister Nick Delasio also presents a threat as he has become a cop killer with nothing to lose. Various possible betrayals seem to be hinted at and McWhitney sets up his own possible money fence without telling the others. That brings an entirely new heist crew into the mix. As always, Parker has to salvage the best that he can out of the deal and the ending is abrupt but in typical ice-cold Parker mode. One is only left to wonder what an unwritten Parker #25 might have been, as Parker's face is now known to the authorities and is on wanted posters from several witness IDs. No continuation writer was chosen and no further series has ever been made, which is somewhat surprising these days in genre fiction.
These final Parker novels from #17 to #24 are stronger and more complex than the original run which was probably due to Westlake/Stark's development as a writer over the years and during the 23 year hiatus. Several of these are strong 4's to 5's (I've read or listened to all of them now and am parceling out the reviews over time). #21 and #22 are my favourites of the Parker novels now that I've read them all. Ironically, they are the only ones not available as audiobooks for some reason.
The narration in this audiobook was by Stephen Thorne who delivers a very matter of fact performance. It didn't have quite the sly or gruff character that one might expect in a hard-boiled noir novel, but it was certainly adequate.
This final Parker book was issued in 2008 and Donald Westlake (Richard Stark) passed at the end of that year. The 24 Parker books are almost all available for free on Audible Plus.
Other Reviews
There is an extremely detailed review and plot summary (in 3 parts) of Dirty Money (with spoilers obviously) at The Westlake Review, October 29, 2017.
Trivia and Links
The Dirty Money page at The Violent World of Parker website is not as complete as those for the earlier books, and only shows a few of the edition covers.
This 2008 audiobook predated the most recent paperback edition which was part of the University of Chicago Press 2009-2017 series of reprints of the Parker novels. It therefore does not include the latest Foreword by author Laura Lippman written for the new releases.
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (2008) of the original Mysterious Press hardcover (2008)
Richard Stark was one of the many pseudonyms of the prolific crime author Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008), who wrote over 100 books. The Stark pseudonym was used primarily for the Parker novels, an antihero criminal who is usually betrayed or ensnared in some manner and who spends each book either getting revenge or escaping the circumstances.
Dirty Money was the final Parker book and was also the conclusion to the 3-book arc of Nobody Runs Forever (2004) and Ask the Parrot (2006). It finds Parker trying to retrieve the cached loot from the armoured car heist in the 1st book of the trilogy. He is partnered with bar owner Nelson McWhitney and bounty hunter Sandra Loscalzo and somewhat surprisingly Parker's partner Claire plays a more significant role in the proceedings. The object is not only to retrieve the cash but also find a way to launder it as the bills are marked and not useable otherwise.
Although the plans seem to move along efficiently, the crew are constantly subject to identification from the police who are still on the hunt. Their escaped heister Nick Delasio also presents a threat as he has become a cop killer with nothing to lose. Various possible betrayals seem to be hinted at and McWhitney sets up his own possible money fence without telling the others. That brings an entirely new heist crew into the mix. As always, Parker has to salvage the best that he can out of the deal and the ending is abrupt but in typical ice-cold Parker mode. One is only left to wonder what an unwritten Parker #25 might have been, as Parker's face is now known to the authorities and is on wanted posters from several witness IDs. No continuation writer was chosen and no further series has ever been made, which is somewhat surprising these days in genre fiction.
These final Parker novels from #17 to #24 are stronger and more complex than the original run which was probably due to Westlake/Stark's development as a writer over the years and during the 23 year hiatus. Several of these are strong 4's to 5's (I've read or listened to all of them now and am parceling out the reviews over time). #21 and #22 are my favourites of the Parker novels now that I've read them all. Ironically, they are the only ones not available as audiobooks for some reason.
The narration in this audiobook was by Stephen Thorne who delivers a very matter of fact performance. It didn't have quite the sly or gruff character that one might expect in a hard-boiled noir novel, but it was certainly adequate.
This final Parker book was issued in 2008 and Donald Westlake (Richard Stark) passed at the end of that year. The 24 Parker books are almost all available for free on Audible Plus.
Other Reviews
There is an extremely detailed review and plot summary (in 3 parts) of Dirty Money (with spoilers obviously) at The Westlake Review, October 29, 2017.
Trivia and Links
The Dirty Money page at The Violent World of Parker website is not as complete as those for the earlier books, and only shows a few of the edition covers.
This 2008 audiobook predated the most recent paperback edition which was part of the University of Chicago Press 2009-2017 series of reprints of the Parker novels. It therefore does not include the latest Foreword by author Laura Lippman written for the new releases.
July 13, 2017
I'm sad this was the last in the Parker series. It was 18 months of adventure to read these books every couple of weeks. I don't imagine there's much to compare with this series, but I'll keep reading for a stoic, professional bad guy to replace him.
January 7, 2013
The final Parker novel, Dirty Money, is good in the ways that all Parker novels are good, but there is nothing otherwise remarkable about it. It picks up right where the previous Parker novel leaves off: Our antihero wants to retrieve the $2 million dollars that his gang left hidden at the end of Ask the Parrot. He wants this money even though he knows that it is marked and therefore useless in the United States. This is a desperate Parker, running low on cash and working without I.D. Thus, his larger goal in the novel is to become a fully functional Parker again, flush and not fearful of an ordinary traffic stop. When Parker achieves this goal, however, the victory feels unavoidably sad, and I’m not too noir to admit it: I felt choked up at the end, sentimental about the exit of a character whose great charm is that he never feels sentimental.
October 13, 2017
Wow! I'm sorry to get to the end of this series. It had me totally hooked. Literally anytime I interrupted my reading of Parker I itched to get back. I've read the last 19 books since the first of the year. I don't think I've ever done that before. that's how good they are. I gave them a uniform 4 stars but as much as I enjoyed them perhaps five would be more accurate.
August 24, 2015
Follow up to "Ask the Parrot" Must read before "Dirty Money" The last book in the 24 book series and definitely a 5 star book!
August 7, 2025
A decent end to the series as this entry ends a storyline that started a couple books ago. Most of the books in the series are about 3 stars, but they are an enjoyable easy read, i will round this final one up to 4 stars.
May 17, 2013
2 ½ stars. It was hard to stay interested. My mind wandered. The ending was good for Parker but abrupt.
Prior to this book three guys rob an armored car and hide the money in a church. That story is told in “Nobody Runs Forever” Bk #22. I did not read that book but others say it’s important to this story. The guys can’t spend the money because the serial numbers are known. This story is about how to get the money out of the church and launder it. The authorities have roadblocks and pictures of the guys. Parker is one of the guys. Others find out about the money and try for it.
I was surprised with who Parker contacted to solve the money problem. It’s important to read Firebreak before this book to appreciate this part.
The narrator Stephen R. Thorne was good, but I wish he had a rougher, darker, more menacing voice for Parker. His Parker voice was too clean cut and normal sounding.
THE SERIES:
This is book 24 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.
If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.
The first three books in order:
4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)
3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)
4 stars. The Outfit.
Read these two in order:
5 stars. Slayground (Bk #14)
5 stars. Butcher’s Moon (Bk #16)
Read these four in order:
4 ½ stars. The Sour Lemon Score (Bk #12)
2 ½ stars. Firebreak (Bk #20)
(not read) Nobody Runs Forever (Bk #22)
2 ½ stars. Dirty Money (Bk #24)
Others that I gave 4 or more stars to:
The Jugger (Bk #6), The Seventh (Bk#7), The Handle (Bk #8), Deadly Edge (Bk#13), Flashfire (Bk#19)
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 5 hrs and 12 mins. Swearing language: mild rarely used. Sexual content: none. Setting: around 2008 east coast U.S. Book copyright: 2008. Genre: noir crime fiction.
Prior to this book three guys rob an armored car and hide the money in a church. That story is told in “Nobody Runs Forever” Bk #22. I did not read that book but others say it’s important to this story. The guys can’t spend the money because the serial numbers are known. This story is about how to get the money out of the church and launder it. The authorities have roadblocks and pictures of the guys. Parker is one of the guys. Others find out about the money and try for it.
I was surprised with who Parker contacted to solve the money problem. It’s important to read Firebreak before this book to appreciate this part.
The narrator Stephen R. Thorne was good, but I wish he had a rougher, darker, more menacing voice for Parker. His Parker voice was too clean cut and normal sounding.
THE SERIES:
This is book 24 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.
If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.
The first three books in order:
4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)
3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)
4 stars. The Outfit.
Read these two in order:
5 stars. Slayground (Bk #14)
5 stars. Butcher’s Moon (Bk #16)
Read these four in order:
4 ½ stars. The Sour Lemon Score (Bk #12)
2 ½ stars. Firebreak (Bk #20)
(not read) Nobody Runs Forever (Bk #22)
2 ½ stars. Dirty Money (Bk #24)
Others that I gave 4 or more stars to:
The Jugger (Bk #6), The Seventh (Bk#7), The Handle (Bk #8), Deadly Edge (Bk#13), Flashfire (Bk#19)
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 5 hrs and 12 mins. Swearing language: mild rarely used. Sexual content: none. Setting: around 2008 east coast U.S. Book copyright: 2008. Genre: noir crime fiction.
July 21, 2017
Dirty Money is number twenty four of Richard Stark's Parker series. It is the final Parker novel since Donald Westlake (aka Richard Stark) is gone and won't be writing any more.
Parker is a thief. Together with other professionals, he robs banks, armored cars, and casinos. He is ruthless, but not casually cruel. He kills when he has to, but doesn't like the extra heat that will draw.
In this novel, the story began in Nobody Runs Forever and continued in Ask the Parrot draws to a conclusion. It's not necessary to read the prior novels although it is helpful.
Parker and a few accomplices pulled off a daring bank robbery, pulling in over $2 million. However, the robbery went wrong, one of his partners got captured, and they had to leave the cash behind as the manhunt for the robbers tightened. This story is about returning for the cash and disposing of the tainted, numbered bills to an overseas buyer. And to top it off, Parker's identity has been blown and his likeness is plastered on wanted posters all over New England.
Get ready to be introduced to a multitude of characters whose paths keep crisscrossing. This includes the partner who was arrested and then escaped, killing an officer in the process, officers who have chased Parker in two other jurisdictions and know his face, a nosy reporter, and various persons who want either a cut of the money or the whole kit and caboodle.
There is plenty of action and humor as well, including the getaway vehicle being a van with "Holy Redeemer Choir" plastered on the side and Parker and his girlfriend Claire staying at the same B & B as various law enforcement types hunting for the bank robbers.
With Westlake's smooth writing style, this is a great read. Go for it.
Parker is a thief. Together with other professionals, he robs banks, armored cars, and casinos. He is ruthless, but not casually cruel. He kills when he has to, but doesn't like the extra heat that will draw.
In this novel, the story began in Nobody Runs Forever and continued in Ask the Parrot draws to a conclusion. It's not necessary to read the prior novels although it is helpful.
Parker and a few accomplices pulled off a daring bank robbery, pulling in over $2 million. However, the robbery went wrong, one of his partners got captured, and they had to leave the cash behind as the manhunt for the robbers tightened. This story is about returning for the cash and disposing of the tainted, numbered bills to an overseas buyer. And to top it off, Parker's identity has been blown and his likeness is plastered on wanted posters all over New England.
Get ready to be introduced to a multitude of characters whose paths keep crisscrossing. This includes the partner who was arrested and then escaped, killing an officer in the process, officers who have chased Parker in two other jurisdictions and know his face, a nosy reporter, and various persons who want either a cut of the money or the whole kit and caboodle.
There is plenty of action and humor as well, including the getaway vehicle being a van with "Holy Redeemer Choir" plastered on the side and Parker and his girlfriend Claire staying at the same B & B as various law enforcement types hunting for the bank robbers.
With Westlake's smooth writing style, this is a great read. Go for it.
March 20, 2018
"When the silver Toyota Avalon bumped down the dirt road out of the woods and across the railroad tracks, Parker put the Infiniti into low and stepped out onto the gravel."
February 26, 2022
Notes:
Currently on Audible Plus
The wrap up knocked the rating down to 3.5 for this one. Still, it was a good story. =)
Currently on Audible Plus
The wrap up knocked the rating down to 3.5 for this one. Still, it was a good story. =)
November 30, 2025
Where the previous "final" episode of the Parker series, "Butcher's Moon" in 1974 had a feel of a good, wrap-it-up finale, even for those of us readers who knew he'd be back in "Comeback" in 1997, it felt like an end of an era kind of read, one that was going to be a lot of fun but also going to be like saying farewell to something awesome.
Getting ready to read this actual final episode of the Parker series, "Dirty Money" (2008) being the actual last one written before Stark/Westlake's passing, it felt a little different. It felt like the final chapter of a three-book closing, this coming right on the heels of cliffhangers set up in "No One Runs Forever" (book 22 of the series) and "Ask the Parrot" (book 23). This is the 24th and final for-real-this-time episode of the series and it felt like it was about time to perhaps be okay with this one running its course; a very different place than the "Butcher's Moon" end that was happily foiled by Parker's return 20 years later.
Anyways, let's talk "Dirty Money."
Parker enlists his legit girl Claire's help in scouting out the place where the big armored car loot was hidden, knowing cops and tourists are still crawling all over the place looking for the thieves, and knowing that some of the money is marked so it can't be easily spent. Staying hidden in plain sight is the name of the game, but some loose ends from those prior two books are going to make things complicated for our favorite professional heister. Parker's new partnership dealings with two former adversaries of his, a funny bounty hunter and a mob money guy, show that past grudges can be simply set aside if the price is right.
This is a great series of books and I recommend trying at least one of them if you haven't. The rights to publish all of them have been collected by the University of Chicago Press and are now all in print.
Here's the full list of Parker books. The ones noted with Gs in the "Order" column are the four Grofield novels and I placed them in the sequence you would want to read them among the Parkers if you ever have the gumption to read them all in order.
Order Title Jeff's Rating
1 The Hunter 1
2 The Man with the Getaway Face 4
3 The Outfit 5
4 The Mourner 4
5 The Score 3
6 The Jugger 4
7 The Seventh 4
8 The Handle 3
G1 The Damsel 2
9 The Rare Coin Score 4
10 The Green Eagle Score 4
11 The Black Ice Score 4
12 The Sour Lemon Score 4
G2 The Dame 4
13 Deadly Edge 3
G3 The Blackbird 3
14 Slayground 4
G4 Lemons Never Lie 4
15 Plunder Squad 5
16 Butcher's Moon 5
17 Comeback 5
18 Backflash 4
19 Flashfire 5
20 Firebreak 2
21 Breakout 3
22 Nobody Runs Forever 4
23 Ask the Parrot 3
24 Dirty Money 3
Verdict: A good end to a classic series, "Dirty Money" is a smart twist-and-turny crime procedural with some annoying hurdles to cross that end up being bigger complications than Parker expects but with entertaining results.
Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13
Getting ready to read this actual final episode of the Parker series, "Dirty Money" (2008) being the actual last one written before Stark/Westlake's passing, it felt a little different. It felt like the final chapter of a three-book closing, this coming right on the heels of cliffhangers set up in "No One Runs Forever" (book 22 of the series) and "Ask the Parrot" (book 23). This is the 24th and final for-real-this-time episode of the series and it felt like it was about time to perhaps be okay with this one running its course; a very different place than the "Butcher's Moon" end that was happily foiled by Parker's return 20 years later.
Anyways, let's talk "Dirty Money."
Parker enlists his legit girl Claire's help in scouting out the place where the big armored car loot was hidden, knowing cops and tourists are still crawling all over the place looking for the thieves, and knowing that some of the money is marked so it can't be easily spent. Staying hidden in plain sight is the name of the game, but some loose ends from those prior two books are going to make things complicated for our favorite professional heister. Parker's new partnership dealings with two former adversaries of his, a funny bounty hunter and a mob money guy, show that past grudges can be simply set aside if the price is right.
This is a great series of books and I recommend trying at least one of them if you haven't. The rights to publish all of them have been collected by the University of Chicago Press and are now all in print.
Here's the full list of Parker books. The ones noted with Gs in the "Order" column are the four Grofield novels and I placed them in the sequence you would want to read them among the Parkers if you ever have the gumption to read them all in order.
Order Title Jeff's Rating
1 The Hunter 1
2 The Man with the Getaway Face 4
3 The Outfit 5
4 The Mourner 4
5 The Score 3
6 The Jugger 4
7 The Seventh 4
8 The Handle 3
G1 The Damsel 2
9 The Rare Coin Score 4
10 The Green Eagle Score 4
11 The Black Ice Score 4
12 The Sour Lemon Score 4
G2 The Dame 4
13 Deadly Edge 3
G3 The Blackbird 3
14 Slayground 4
G4 Lemons Never Lie 4
15 Plunder Squad 5
16 Butcher's Moon 5
17 Comeback 5
18 Backflash 4
19 Flashfire 5
20 Firebreak 2
21 Breakout 3
22 Nobody Runs Forever 4
23 Ask the Parrot 3
24 Dirty Money 3
Verdict: A good end to a classic series, "Dirty Money" is a smart twist-and-turny crime procedural with some annoying hurdles to cross that end up being bigger complications than Parker expects but with entertaining results.
Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13
July 23, 2021
Parker and his partners had to leave the money from a heist behind because there was too much "heat" in the area. This is one of the later Parker novels and includes modernizations such as cell phones and Lexus get away cars. Still, it's the cold and logical (for a criminal) way that Parker and the gang go about retrieving the money that holds your attention. The very end was a little abrupt and disappointing or it would have been four stars.
January 25, 2019
This is sadly the last Parker book. There's no closure at the end of the book or sense of finality, but perhaps that's apt as Parker's not one for sentimentality. This has been a highly enjoyable series and would very much recommend it to anyone who enjoys a no-nonsense thief as their main protagonist.
July 20, 2017
Great Parker book and sadly his last
March 11, 2025
I put this last Parker novel off as long as I could because I didn’t want this journey to end. It was great to see Parker being Parker one last time. I’m sure that after a little time has passed I can jump into a reread. It was an amazing ride.
June 5, 2018
Dirty Money concludes the 'trilogy' started in 'Nobody Runs Forever', continued through 'Ask the Parrot' and of course concluding with Dirty Money, the final Parker instalment and the finale to the wonderful Parker series.
Parker and his cohorts knock off an armoured car, one in a convoy of four, transferring funds from one bank to another. The heist itself is successful, but one of their number gets himself arrested when he attempts to spend a twenty dollar note from the proceeds. All the notes serial numbers have been recorded. Still they manage to stash the now very hot cash in a church and decide to leave it till the heat dies down.
This is my second reading of the two Parker Series; 1-16 and 17-24. I last read them some ten years ago and I’m pleasantly and somewhat surprised to find I like them even more on their second reading. That was so unexpected. I knew I would enjoy rereading them but not to the extent that I did. Why is that? I think the main reason is this time I read the series in order and although it's possible to read most of the Parker novels without having recourse to a previous instalment, it's much better to read them consecutively. When I read them 10 years or so ago, I borrowed them from my local library and so the order they were made available was the order I read them.
Another observation; the second series is more complex than the first series. In the first series (1-16), in most cases there's the heist. Often things go wrong and there's always the possibility of a double cross. In the second series (17-24), there's the heist and any number of double crosses, attempts at revenge and multiple characters wanting to muscle in on Parker's ill-gotten gains. What was really amazing to me, Stark/Westlake still manages these more complex story lines in his usual economical style, with most of his books barely 200 pages, one feels like one's read a much longer book.
I usually don't like series. My problem with series is that imo the author is just being lazy. After all you are presented with the same character/characters with a slightly altered scenario. In fact the Parker series is the only one I’ve read from beginning to end. TWICE!! And who knows? Ten years from now I may read them all again.
P.S; Parker's age? Parker's age is never mentioned in any of the Parker novels. Except it is. In 'Deadly Edge' we're told he's 38 yo. AND it's “… the end of the Age of Aquarius”. Meaning 1969-70. If you read these novels you will notice Stark/Westlake writes very much in the present. By the time we get to the second series, Parker is firmly ensconced in the 2000's; mobile phones, PCs, the internet, hacking of the same (in the case of 'Plunder Squad' #15). So if Parker is 38 at the end of the 60's, by the year 2000 and beyond he's 68+. Not ma man's most vital years and Parker is still physically still very much a hard man right through the final Parker book. It doesn't detract from brilliance of the Parker novels, merely a relaxation of logic.
I can't recommend the Parker series enough!! Ten stars!!
Favourite quotes;
“Jesus, Parker,” Meany said, shaking his head. “I never thought I’d say this, but you're easier to put up with when you have a gun in your hand.”
“A gun is just something that helps make things happen.”
and;
“You're a strange guy to partner with,” she said.
“So are you.”
“Do me a favour. Don't kill anybody.”
“We'll see.” he said.
And the last word goes to Parker;
“If you leave me here,” the guy on the floor said, “he'll kill me tomorrow morning.”
Parker looked at him. “So you've still got tonight,” he said.
Parker and his cohorts knock off an armoured car, one in a convoy of four, transferring funds from one bank to another. The heist itself is successful, but one of their number gets himself arrested when he attempts to spend a twenty dollar note from the proceeds. All the notes serial numbers have been recorded. Still they manage to stash the now very hot cash in a church and decide to leave it till the heat dies down.
This is my second reading of the two Parker Series; 1-16 and 17-24. I last read them some ten years ago and I’m pleasantly and somewhat surprised to find I like them even more on their second reading. That was so unexpected. I knew I would enjoy rereading them but not to the extent that I did. Why is that? I think the main reason is this time I read the series in order and although it's possible to read most of the Parker novels without having recourse to a previous instalment, it's much better to read them consecutively. When I read them 10 years or so ago, I borrowed them from my local library and so the order they were made available was the order I read them.
Another observation; the second series is more complex than the first series. In the first series (1-16), in most cases there's the heist. Often things go wrong and there's always the possibility of a double cross. In the second series (17-24), there's the heist and any number of double crosses, attempts at revenge and multiple characters wanting to muscle in on Parker's ill-gotten gains. What was really amazing to me, Stark/Westlake still manages these more complex story lines in his usual economical style, with most of his books barely 200 pages, one feels like one's read a much longer book.
I usually don't like series. My problem with series is that imo the author is just being lazy. After all you are presented with the same character/characters with a slightly altered scenario. In fact the Parker series is the only one I’ve read from beginning to end. TWICE!! And who knows? Ten years from now I may read them all again.
P.S; Parker's age? Parker's age is never mentioned in any of the Parker novels. Except it is. In 'Deadly Edge' we're told he's 38 yo. AND it's “… the end of the Age of Aquarius”. Meaning 1969-70. If you read these novels you will notice Stark/Westlake writes very much in the present. By the time we get to the second series, Parker is firmly ensconced in the 2000's; mobile phones, PCs, the internet, hacking of the same (in the case of 'Plunder Squad' #15). So if Parker is 38 at the end of the 60's, by the year 2000 and beyond he's 68+. Not ma man's most vital years and Parker is still physically still very much a hard man right through the final Parker book. It doesn't detract from brilliance of the Parker novels, merely a relaxation of logic.
I can't recommend the Parker series enough!! Ten stars!!
Favourite quotes;
“Jesus, Parker,” Meany said, shaking his head. “I never thought I’d say this, but you're easier to put up with when you have a gun in your hand.”
“A gun is just something that helps make things happen.”
and;
“You're a strange guy to partner with,” she said.
“So are you.”
“Do me a favour. Don't kill anybody.”
“We'll see.” he said.
And the last word goes to Parker;
“If you leave me here,” the guy on the floor said, “he'll kill me tomorrow morning.”
Parker looked at him. “So you've still got tonight,” he said.
May 5, 2008
"A deal is what people say is gonna happen. It isn't always what happens."
That line from Dirty Money sums up Richard Stark's entire Parker series, now at 26 books. Plans are made, plans go awry, and only Parker the thief (and murderer when necessary) seems to understand that this is the nature of life. He's a direct descendant of Sam Spade, only he works the other side of the law and has no code other than pragmatism. Parker steals because he can, and deals with the complications that invariably arise because he must. And reading Stark's cool, taut descriptions of this amoral predator is such a joy.
Dirty Money is the third in a loose trilogy that began with Nobody Runs Forever and continued with Ask The Parrot. Parker and cronies attempt to rob a western Massachusetts bank in Nobody Runs Forever, and after that goes bad, Parker gets sucked into another heist in Ask the Parrot. In Dirty Money, he attempts to reclaim the proceeds from the bank robbery. Stark effectively sums up what the reader needs to know from the prior two books, so reading them is not necessary. But a reader coming to Dirty Money should read them anyway, not just because they are excellent in their own right, but because it enriches the story to know Parker's background.
Dirty Money calls out to other books in the series as well, bringing back a minor character from Firebreak and alluding to events from Deadly Edge, one of the older Parker novels. This makes the novel extra savory for longtime readers, whom Stark trusts to fill in the blanks, but doesn't leave new readers in the dark.
Any Parker book is packed with sketches of supporting players that capture their character with biting accuracy. A crime reporter's inconsequential nature is defined by the ridiculous title he comes up with for his book. The proprietor of an inn imagines backgrounds for her visitors and can't handle their reality. A counterfeiter paints portraits where, "in all the pictures, the eyes were wary as his own."
Parker moves through these and other characters, killing some, playing straight with others, all to the end of getting his stolen money. Stark never overplays his hand, letting his spare descriptions (a major character is dispatched with no fanfare) increase the tension throughout the book. But what would seem to be an obvious point of anxiety -- making the reader root for a sociopath -- is never an issue. We want Parker to succeed because he never has qualms, he acts without regard for anything but his needs -- and he understands that this will have repercussions.
Parker doesn't have the ego and pomposity of a Hannibal Lecter or any number of "charismatic" anti-heroes, and his cold-blooded ruthlessness never invites identification from the reader. He just recognizes the world for what it is and tries to bend it to his will, while we so often delude ourselves that we have our lives figured out and are still surprised when things fall apart. Following a character with no such limitations is thrilling and oddly comforting, and Dirty Money is one of Stark's best evocations of his hero's existential ferocity. Parker knows that nothing is certain and there are no guarantees, but his unblinking will in the face of chaos is something readers can always count on.
That line from Dirty Money sums up Richard Stark's entire Parker series, now at 26 books. Plans are made, plans go awry, and only Parker the thief (and murderer when necessary) seems to understand that this is the nature of life. He's a direct descendant of Sam Spade, only he works the other side of the law and has no code other than pragmatism. Parker steals because he can, and deals with the complications that invariably arise because he must. And reading Stark's cool, taut descriptions of this amoral predator is such a joy.
Dirty Money is the third in a loose trilogy that began with Nobody Runs Forever and continued with Ask The Parrot. Parker and cronies attempt to rob a western Massachusetts bank in Nobody Runs Forever, and after that goes bad, Parker gets sucked into another heist in Ask the Parrot. In Dirty Money, he attempts to reclaim the proceeds from the bank robbery. Stark effectively sums up what the reader needs to know from the prior two books, so reading them is not necessary. But a reader coming to Dirty Money should read them anyway, not just because they are excellent in their own right, but because it enriches the story to know Parker's background.
Dirty Money calls out to other books in the series as well, bringing back a minor character from Firebreak and alluding to events from Deadly Edge, one of the older Parker novels. This makes the novel extra savory for longtime readers, whom Stark trusts to fill in the blanks, but doesn't leave new readers in the dark.
Any Parker book is packed with sketches of supporting players that capture their character with biting accuracy. A crime reporter's inconsequential nature is defined by the ridiculous title he comes up with for his book. The proprietor of an inn imagines backgrounds for her visitors and can't handle their reality. A counterfeiter paints portraits where, "in all the pictures, the eyes were wary as his own."
Parker moves through these and other characters, killing some, playing straight with others, all to the end of getting his stolen money. Stark never overplays his hand, letting his spare descriptions (a major character is dispatched with no fanfare) increase the tension throughout the book. But what would seem to be an obvious point of anxiety -- making the reader root for a sociopath -- is never an issue. We want Parker to succeed because he never has qualms, he acts without regard for anything but his needs -- and he understands that this will have repercussions.
Parker doesn't have the ego and pomposity of a Hannibal Lecter or any number of "charismatic" anti-heroes, and his cold-blooded ruthlessness never invites identification from the reader. He just recognizes the world for what it is and tries to bend it to his will, while we so often delude ourselves that we have our lives figured out and are still surprised when things fall apart. Following a character with no such limitations is thrilling and oddly comforting, and Dirty Money is one of Stark's best evocations of his hero's existential ferocity. Parker knows that nothing is certain and there are no guarantees, but his unblinking will in the face of chaos is something readers can always count on.
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