In some ways, this is a typical Parker novel (good caper, wrong partners), it is also atypical as Parker gets involved with a woman before the theft vs. afterwards. This time around, he is recruited by to rob a coin convention by a collector, Billy Lebatard. Initially rejecting the idea and sending away a partner, he is convinced to stick around by Claire, a woman for whom Billy has a crush. As they often do for Parker, things go badly wrong, and he has to play along until he can regain control. ( )

Loved the planning of the job in this one ( )

2.5 but the Intro by Luc Sante is illuminating. ( )

“Parker spent two weeks on the white sand beach at Biloxi, and on a white sandy bitch named Belle, but he was restless,...”

First words of the first sentence of the book, and I’m already smiling! Another Parker story! The one where he first meets Claire! And they, along with a few others, are planning to knock over a coin convention.

This little paragraph is an example of why I like Parker so much:
“He was relieved, but didn’t show it. If she’d said yes he would have had to kill her, here and now. It would have bothered him; but it would have been necessary, so he would have done it.”
That’s Parker, 100%! Business, and survival first, everything else second.

Another solid book, short, sweet, and packed with fun! And, like most Parker novels, there is a double cross! But UNlike most Parker novels, this one has a happy ending, of sorts. One could almost call it sweet. But not to Parker's face... ( )

One of the best books in the Parker series by Richard Stark/Donald Westlake. Also, introduces the character Claire that becomes Parker's permanent love interest (if Parker can love?) ( )