Be they professionals or amateurs, criminals always make for interesting stories. And this time out, we’re covering a professional we’ve come to love, as well as a con man for an author we love. Then, finishing it up is a book from an author whose other book was made into a film I watched all the time growing up.

THE MAN WITH THE GETAWAY FACE by Richard Stark – This 1963 effort is a direct sequel to the first Parker book, POINT BLANK. After we left Parker in that one, he was on his way to Nebraska for some much-needed plastic surgery. This picks up after the operation, waiting for the bandages to come off. After getting his new face, Parker is given a letter with a job offer: ripping off a armored car in New Jersey, with the promise of 50 grand a man.

But once Parker makes contact with Skimm, the man with the plan, things start turning sour on this “easy” job. First, the money comes into question. Then there is a woman who has Skimm wrapped around her finger and really came up with the plan. Parker is none too pleased and sees the woman for what she is: a double-crosser who plans on taking the whole haul for herself. But Parker has other ideas and nobody is going to stand in the way of his money.

All of sudden, a man called Stubbs shows up to throw a monkey wrench into those plans, accusing Parker of killing the plastic surgeon and threatening to leak details of Parker’s new face to those looking for him.

Writing under his Stark pseudonym, Donald E. Westlake doesn’t pad his stories at all. This is why I’m a fan. Instead of pointless pages of nothing, not a word is wasted in his stories, making GETAWAY FACE a fun little read for all my noir needs. I can’t stress how much fun the Parker novels are. Sure, start with POINT BLANK, but you could easily pick up any and won’t really be lost.

ONLY WHEN I LARF by Len Deighton – The spy master switches gears in a big way to write of the criminal life in this 1968 tale of a trio of con men. This book is no GRIFTERS, but it tries hard and is enjoyable, told by all three members of the operation: Silas, the leader; Liz, his longtime girlfriend; and Bob, the up-and-comer who’s sick of taking orders.

Each chapter is told from one of these perspectives, giving us insight into what they really think of one another. The book opens with the team finishing up one of its long-term cons, swindling money from two men who run a toy company. After the cheat is complete, they run off to England to pull other cons, one involving a group of African revolutionaries buying weapons and another that would rob millions from a British investor.

Throughout the book, you see the group coming apart at the seams, with Bob tiring of the low-man role he’s been doing for years, and Silas realizing he’s getting too old for this shit. And then there’s Liz, who finds herself falling for Bob. It’s such a nice change of pace to read a non-spy book from such a great storyteller, even if no one is going to confuse him for Jim Thompson or Westlake. So grab this little-known book for a fun little read with some nice con jobs to give you that criminal fix.

COGAN’S TRADE by George V. Higgins – I think THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE played on my local channels every other month growing up. If you haven’t seen it, check it out – it’s total ’70s cinema with Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle and the Boston underworld, based on George V. Higgins’ novel.

This 1975 book takes place in Beantown as well, with two low-level thieves thinking it’s a bright idea to rip off a mob-controlled card game. Then Cogan is called into to take care of said theives. That’s pretty much the book in a nutshell.

If the plot seems fairly light, it is. TRADE is more like those moments in RESERVOIR DOGS where the crooks hang out to discuss daily things, and this is where the book excels. Higgins has done something here I’ve not seen in any other book: A page doesn’t go by without a curse word appearing at least once. I mean, the first page itself would make a Teamster blush. Ironically, I got my copy for a quarter at a church bazaar.

Next time: Cops, private eyes, mob justice and even a troll or two. –Bruce Grossman

Buy it at Amazon.
Discuss it in our forums.

OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THESE AUTHORS:
• ASK THE PARROT by Richard Stark
• THE BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN by Len Deighton
• AN EXPENSIVE PLACE TO DIE by Len Deighton
• FUNERAL IN BERLIN by Len Deighton
• HORSE UNDER WATER by Len Deighton
• LEMONS NEVER LIE by Richard Stark
• POINT BLANK by Richard Stark
• THE SOUR LEMON SCORE by Richard Stark
• 361 by Donald E. Westlake