Review: The Hot Rock by Donald Westlake

The Hot Rock began life as an attempt at a Parker novel:

One day in 1967 I was wearing my Richard Stark hat, looking for a story to tell about my man Parker, and I thought, he reacts badly to frustration, what if he had to steal the same thing four or […]

Chronology blues and a note on tables

I found an error (thanks to Charles Ardai’s excellent introduction to Deadly Edge, Slayground, and Plunder Squad), that’s likely been here since this site went up in rudimentary form eleven years ago.

The Blackbird was not published in 1971. It was published in 1969. It predates Deadly Edge and Slayground.

This will […]

U of C reprints: Slayground

The forewords for this batch are by Charles Ardai, editor of Hard Case Crime and an accomplished crime fiction writer in his own right.

Lineup changes to Darwyn Cooke’s Parker series

[Darwyn Cooke] explains that while the original plan was to adapt the first four books, he found himself hungry to adapt two later books in the series, volumes that would “lend themselves to graphic adaptation in unique and exciting ways.” He decided to cut “The Mourner,” which he describes as […]

Thoughts on Slayground (the movie)

I have just updated the Slayground movie page with my thoughts. What I wrote is below.

(The DVD contains the trailer, which I would like to upload to YouTube so I can embed it in the Slayground movie page. If anyone knows an easy, free way for me […]

Thoughts on Slayground

There are no chicks in Slayground

I have finally written up my thoughts on Slayground over on the Slayground page (natch).

Here’s what I wrote:

Parker jumped out of the Ford with a gun in one hand and the packet of explosives in the […]

Thoughts on The Blackbird

Right after I tell you all that posting will be light for awhile, I rack up several posts in short succession. Let me modify that to say that posting may be light for awhile.

I have finally fleshed out the page on the Alan Grofield adventure, The Blackbird. […]

Slayground in 100 Must-Read Books for Men

Stephen E. Andrews writes to note that he has included Slayground in his new book, 100 Must-Read Books for Men.

100 Must Read Books For Men was published in the United Kingdom on 16th September 2008 and in the USA on 1st February 2009). […]