DIRTY MONEY marks the return of Donald E. Westlake’s alter ego Richard Stark and his famous creation of Parker. This is a direct sequel to the events of NOBODY RUNS FOREVER, with ASK THE PARROT being an interlude between the two, and all three books taking place within a two-month period.

Again, we enter the dark and never-easygoing life of lifetime criminal Parker. For those who’ve read the previous books, you’re plopped right back into the action, but some new readers might feel a bit left out with talk of a bank job that went horribly wrong.

The events of NOBODY RUNS FOREVER dealt with a bank heist that was supposed to go off perfect, until a certain discovery was made. So in DIRTY MONEY, we pick up with Parker desperate to get the dough they stole from the hiding place they stashed it in: an old abandoned church in the middle of nowhere, Massachusetts. At the same time, he’s concerned that one of his former partners has escaped, killing a marshal in the process.

With a manhunt going full tilt and wanted posters plastered everywhere, things just never go smoothly for Parker in his tightly written noir underworld. But Parker has a plan using one of his teammates from the heist gone wrong, along with a woman who forces herself upon the scheme. And this is only the tip of the iceberg for this novel, as Stark has really outdone himself with this one, throwing in more trouble at every turn.

The story just glues your eyes to see how Parker will be able to pull through without being caught. He’s playing this one by ear throughout, dodging cops and trying to find a way to unload the hot money. To go into greater detail will just ruin the surprises, so I’ll just say that this book proudly sits with the early adventures of our professional criminal. Here’s hoping for more stories of this one-of-a-kind antihero. –Bruce Grossman

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OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF DONALD E. WESTLAKE:
• ASK THE PARROT by Richard Stark
• THE AX by Donald E. Westlake
• COPS AND ROBBERS by Donald E. Westlake
• KILLTOWN by Richard Stark
• LEMONS NEVER LIE by Richard Stark
• THE MAN WITH THE GETAWAY FACE by Richard Stark
• PITY HIM AFTERWARDS by Donald E. Westlake
• POINT BLANK by Richard Stark
• THE SOUR LEMON SCORE by Richard Stark
• 361 by Donald E. Westlake
• WHAT’S SO FUNNY? by Donald E. Westlake