The Seventh

A great one! In his introduction, Luc Sante says that the books "all but read themselves." That's pretty good, and true--I read the first 40 pages on a Friday night and the rest on Saturday morning. I found myself covering the last sentences of chapters with my hand, so my eyes wouldn't light upon the terrific sentences that propel the plot. This one is especially good and the first in the series (I think) in which Parker laughs. Of course, it has a perfect last sentence.

Ever hear mathematicians go on about "the beauty of calculus?" The Parker books seem to be beautiful for the same reasons: there's perfect economy, without a wasted syllable, and all the complexities move and work out towards an elegant solution.

I've been slowly reading the Parker novels in order of publication. Donald J. Westlake is one of my writer heroes. "The Seventh" is unlike the previous novels in the series, though. Instead of walking us through the planning of a heist--just like the Dortmunder novels--The Seventh takes place during the aftermath of one. Indeed, the nature of the heist doesn't really matter; it's just preamble.

There is honor among thieves, at least to a certain extent. Unlike the previous six novels, where Parker and his gang face the standard rogues’ gallery (the Mafia, cops, etc.), Parker comes face to face with a psychopath. (Though, it should be said, Parker is clearly a sociopath himself.) It’s not the most believable setup; a “psycho show more killer” has always seemed to me to be a lazy writers’ room device to goose up an episode. Nonetheless, a fun read, right down to the last sentence. (The first sentence is gripping and economical: “When he didn’t get any answer the second time he knocked, Parker kicked the door in.”) show less

Seven cities. Seven brides for seven brothers. Seven dwarfs. Seven sisters. Seven cities. Seven deadly sins. The Seventh. The seventh book of the 24 (or 28 if you count the Grofields) books in the Parker series. Seven shares of the loot Parker and six accomplices got by robbing a college football game. A seventh.
This book is a short 156 pages of excellent hardboiled crime fiction. It opens in a crazy scene with Parker returning from a ten-minute trip to the liquor store for beer and cigarettes only to return to Ellie’s apartment (some girl he was staying with) to find her still sitting naked and cross-legged on the bed, but now with a long sword through her chest and pinned to the wall behind her. All the loot that has not yet been show more divided into sevenths is gone. Within thirty seconds as he takes in the scene, the police arrive and, not only see the body, but see the closet filled with machine guns. In the few brief moments he was gone, someone killed the girl, took the loot, and set Parker up to take the fall with the cops and fall with his six partners who aren’t going to believe that Parker lost the loot just like that.

Thus begins a taut, nasty little thriller with Parker racing around time trying to find the killer and the loot while the killer plays sniper and takes potshots at Parker from nearby locations. The whole setup for the football game robbery is played out and it is a doozy. There are great scenes in this one as Parker works to convince his partners of his innocence and nearly succeeds. There are great scenes of where his partners have holed up. And, Parker trying to cooperate with the homicide detective, a mutual interest in finding the real killer, you know.

This book feels just like a movie as it unfolds and it would not be surprising if it was planned to be one. Usually by the seventh book most series start to go stale and peter out. Not this one. Westlake (Stark) is at his best here even when it gets a bit comical. Well, comical for a Parker novel. The only fault with this one is that it is such a quick read, leaving the reader wanting for more. show less

"Parker...lumbers through the pages of Richard Stark's noir novels scattering dead bodies like peanut shells..." - William Grimes
"Richard Stark's Parker... is refreshingly amoral, a thief who always gets away with the swag." - Stephen King

Well, maybe not always, but I do love me some Parker! For reasons like this - “Parker didn’t give a damn who’d killed her, or why. It aggravated him because his plans were loused up now.” :-)

This is book #7, involving a heist of a college football game. 7th book, 7 men pull it off. But then, the loot gets stolen from them! "Somewhere in this dirty city there was a guy who had stolen two suitcases full of money from Parker. And shot at Parker twice. And killed the girl Parker was living with. show more And tried to set Parker up to take the fall." From what I know, from the first 6 books, that man is in BIG trouble!

Very much enjoyed the shootout at the Vimorama! Very much enjoyed the whole book! Book 6 wasn't my cup of tea, so it's nice to see Parker, and the author, back to his regular doings! Not sure which one I'll read next, but I do know that another Parker novel is in my future! show less

Another Parker heist has been successfully completed--all that remains is to divide the loot. The gang members are in their individual hideaways waiting for things to cool down a bit before coming together to each take their share. Parker is hanging out at Ellie's, and he has possession of the haul, stashed in Ellie's closet. One evening, late, he goes out to pick up beer, and returns ten minutes later to find Ellie stabbed to death and the money gone.

While at first, Parker thinks one of the other gang members has pulled a double-cross, he soon suspects that an outsider, probably connected to Ellie, is the culprit. In an upside-down, topsy-turvy reversal of perspective from the usual Parker novel, the bulk of the book consists of Parker show more investigating who killed Ellie, or more accurately who took the loot, after killing Ellie.

Another Parker I enjoyed.

3 1/2 stars show less

Donald Westlake, a.k.a. Richard Stark, is having more fun, even with the title, as this has several meanings in the context of the book: seventh in the series, it’s the seventh split of the take, etc. Anyone familiar with the Parker series will certainly enjoy this book, as did I, with a couple of caveats. Unlike most of his other Parker novels, this one has multiple points-of-view, that of the killer as well as the detective on the case. I don’t remember that in the other Parker novels I have read. I found it a bit disconcerting.

Parker, short on cash, has allied himself with six other career criminals in the heist of a football game’s receipts. He shacks up with Ellen to hide until the heat from the robbery dies down, only to show more come back from getting some cigs and find her dead in the apartment and the entire stash from the robbery gone. (I found it odd they would have trusted one person with the entire take.) He insists he’ll find the killer and the money. The robber in the meantime, an amateur, has decided he needs to take out Parker.

Some fine twists to bollix things up a bit. Fine entertainment.

I'm very pleased that Chicago has decided to reissue all the Parker series both in trade paperback and ebook formats.

One complaint: On the Kindle version, every occurrence of "tly" becomes "dy" They need to fix that. show less

Parker is lying low, in his usual way with a woman, after a successful heist where his team of seven has stolen gate receipts from a non-conference college football game. When he goes out for cigarettes and beer after three days, he returns to find her skewered, and someone has grabbed the loot. Naturally, Parker thinks it's someone from the crew and starts his investigation, but the perp is someone else. Clever title, but I prefer the capers to the aftermath.