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Parker #2
The Man with the Getaway Face
Master thief Parker comes to a plastic surgeon in Nebraska with a face that the Outfit--the New York syndicate--wants to decorate with a bullet. But nothing can keep Parker away from his old life of crime--and the major heist of an armored car somewhere in New Jersey.
225 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
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May 4, 2011
4.0 stars. After settling a vendetta against his former crew and starting a big, juicy new one against the entire Outfit in the The Hunter....PARKER (aka Mr. Badass MoFo)....IS …..BACK!! He has a brand new face thanks to some nifty plastic surgery performed by an “off the books” doctor and is now in need of some quick cash to tide him over while he looks for his next big score.
In order to solve his fiscal crisis, Parker reluctantly agrees to team up with an old associate and his new woman in order to plan and carry out an armored car heist. That is basically all you need to know about the plot other then:
1. Nothing goes exactly as planned;
2. Everyone is not who they seem to be;
3. There are crosses, double-crosses***, and a number of left and right crosses;
4. A sub-plot has Parker having to deal with a man named Stubbs who I thought was one of the more interesting supporting characters from the first two books;
5. Booze will be drunk, hookers will be paid, cars will be stolen; guns will be fired and lives will be lost;
AND FINALLY...
6. PARKER is the man and he will TCB and settle all scores in the end.
***A quick comment about the crosses and double-crosses. Now I am only two books into this series and I have already learned the FIRST COMMANDMENT OF THE BOOK OF PARKER which reads: Though shalt not fucketh with THE MAN lest ye be smoted and smoted tilleth ye be dead and thence shalt THE MAN pisseth on thy bloody corpse....Amen. Why oh why oh WHY do the characters in these books continue to beleive that they can pull one over on him.
I mean, the trail of bodies leading away from the last double-cross hasn't even gotten cold yet. Not that I am complaining mind you as this is one of the best parts of the stories. I am just saying
Anyway, another great example of noir crime-fiction done right and another excellent Parker story. Can’t wait to read the next one. Highly Recommended!!!
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November 6, 2020
The Man with the Getaway Face - Second Parker book but the first time Donald E. Westlake writing as Richard Stark sat down to write a Parker novel knowing he'd be writing a series of Parker novels.
Here's the scoop: Bucklin Moon at Pocket Books told Mr. Westlake he wanted to buy The Hunter (the first and only Parker novel at the time back in 1962) on the condition Parker would live, not die, at the end, and Pocket Books would be given more Parker novels.
Mr. Westlake signed the contract and the Parker series was born - and by the time 2008 rolled around, crime fiction fans could read and relish twenty-four Parker novels. Lucky us! - the longest crime series on record featuring one character who isn't a detective.
Since he was now writing an entire series, Mr. Westlake faced three prime challenges:
1) make each Parker book complete unto itself so it can be read as a stand-alone novel (one need not have read the other Parker novels);
2) each new Parker novel should build on previous books within the series, with occasional direct references to enrich the story for those readers familiar with other Parker novels;
3) since there's no question Parker will live at the end so he can star in the next novel, to create drama and tension in other ways.
Let me assure you, gang, all challenges exceeded - each and every Parker novel is a jewel. By the way, after reading and writing a review for Butcher's Moon, Parker #16, I became a new, enthusiastic fan. I plan to read and review all 24 Parker novels in sequence.
"When the bandages came off, Parker looked in the mirror at a stranger." The first line for the novel under review. Why the bandages? Parker needs a new face, a face not recognized by a highly organized, nationwide syndicate calling itself the Outfit. The details of how and why Parker crossed the Outfit are at the heart of The Hunter. (Again, you can read Getaway Face without having read The Hunter but having read Parker #1 makes Parker #2 a much richer experience).
Parker leaves the doctor's office in Nebraska and after a couple quick stops is in New Jersey to eyeball for himself a possible armored car job at a diner along Route 9. Sidebar: Parker doesn't give a second thought about his new face - for Parker, a face is a face; Parker knows what he's all about has nothing to do with his face.
Fellow heister Skimm outlined the plan for Parker back in Cincinnati, a plan cooked up by his new lover, Alma the waitress: the driver and two guards of an armored car always stop at the diner every Monday at a set time. Alma could block off that part of the diner facing the armored car and we could blah, blah, blah, blah. Parker knows very well Alma's plan reeks like Jersey cow manure but he needs the money so he tells Skimm he'll meet them in New Jersey.
On a Saturday, several days prior to their meeting, Parker takes a seat in the crowded diner, orders coffee, and tries to figure out which one of the four waitresses is Alma. We're given the colorful details of Parker's thought process as he carefully studies each waitress. Within minutes he know the German barmaid type with her sullen eyes and fat arms must be Alma.
Of course Parker is right - and for good reason. As Luc Sante notes: "As brilliant as he is as a strategist, he is nothing short of phenomenal at instantly grasping character." Such Philip Marlowe-like perceptiveness proves critical in Parker's line of work where the double-cross forever looms and a mistake on or after the job could mean years in prison.
We follow Parker, the brilliant strategist, as he scopes out the situation. It's Monday morning and Parker sits at the wheel of his car, a stolen car he nabbed back in Cincinnati, sits in the furniture store's parking lot across the street from the diner where Alma works. By this time he knows Route 9 both north and south and the exact location of all the various roads and highways in the area, particularly 440 East leading to Staten Island via the Outerbridge Crossing.
Parker watches as the red armored car pulls in at 10:43. He observes how the men take turns going into the diner. Then, when they're finished, he follows the red car south on Route 9, pulls over, waits for the men to make their bank stop and when they drive back north on 9 he follows them until he's satisfied he has all the information he needs.
Parker then has his meeting with Skimm and Alma along with Handy McKay, a heister both Skimm and Parker have worked with on prior jobs, a guy they can trust. One of the great strengths of Richard Stark novels - character portraits compressed in few words. Here's a couple lines on Handy: "He was long and thin and made of gristle, and his stiff dark hair was gray over the ears. He lipped his cigarette so badly the brown tobacco showed through the paper for half an inch, and he used wooden matches, the little ones, not the big kitchen matches."
Alma demands Parker tell her why he doesn't like her plan. "We need five men," she said. "We can't do it with less. For God's sake, it's an armored car." To which Parker replies, "You want to lay a siege and starve them out?"
There you have it, one of the highlights of the novel - Parker's sarcastic remark that might qualify as a laugh line. But damn Alma and her big mouth. "This Alma was a busher, a new fish, she didn't know how this kind of operation was handled. Parker knew this, because this was his line of work, but he didn't say anything about it." You bet he knew, after all, supersharp Parker has been working heists for eighteen years.
Following the meeting, riding with Handy McKay in the Ford, the boys notice they're being tailed by another car. Turns out, the guy in the car, a black Lincoln, is following them for a reason having to do with the doc who gave Parker his new face.
Aha, we have ourselves a subplot. Another moving part for Mr. Westlake/Richard Stark to work with. For, as per Luc Sante: "Like all machines but unlike lesser thrillers the Parker novels have numerous moving parts, and the more the better - more subplots, more businesslike detail, more glimpses of marginal lives."
The Man with the Getaway Face makes for a crackerjack novel. Richard Stark sets down the four part structure common to all future Parker novels: planning the heist, assembling the crew, the heist itself, the escape - with betrayal, ineptitude and/or the double-cross as real possibilities at every step.
My recommendation: read The Hunter first and then The Man with the Getaway Face second. You'll get hooked. Then on to the other Parker novels you go.
American author Donald E. Westlake, 1933-2008
December 21, 2020
Parker es un personaje genial. Y esta novela es fantástica. Creo que me gustó un poco más "A quemarropa" por la novedad del personaje y por la crudeza, pero ésta no está nada mal. Muy entretenida. El elenco de personajes es variado y original y la trama está bien tratada. Hay tramos de la novela que pierden intensidad, pero, en general, me ha gustado mucho.
Seguiré leyendo esta saga.
Parker is a great character. And this novel is fantastic. I think I liked it a little more "The hunter" because of the novelty of the character and the rawness, but this one is not bad at all. Very entertaining. The cast of characters is varied and original and the plot is well treated. There are sections of the novel that lose intensity, but overall, I liked it very much.
I will continue reading this saga.
Seguiré leyendo esta saga.
Parker is a great character. And this novel is fantastic. I think I liked it a little more "The hunter" because of the novelty of the character and the rawness, but this one is not bad at all. Very entertaining. The cast of characters is varied and original and the plot is well treated. There are sections of the novel that lose intensity, but overall, I liked it very much.
I will continue reading this saga.
May 3, 2023
The second in the Parker series from Richard Stark, a pseudonym for Donald Westlake. In the first, The Hunter, Parker makes The Outfit mad, thus creating the condition for the title. He gets plastic surgery to make a “getaway face” though a few people realize this new guy is actually Parker, including one principal one, a guy named Stubbs whom Parker keeps in a cellar until a job is done. Why not just kill him?
“It was dangerous to kill when there wasn't enough reason, because after a while killing became the solution to everything, and when you got to thinking that way you were only one step from the chair.”
Though we see him kill plenty in book one, here we go, tough guy Parker's a killer with principles.
In the first half of the book, Parker is broke and so pulls off an armored car heist (that aforementioned job) with several dopes, including a woman named Alma.
“It sounds like a good set-up. The way you talked about it, it sounds fine. But there’s this Alma. There’s always an Alma. Every damn time. Why can’t we put together a job without an Alma in it?”
While some of the dopes create a kind of comic relief or foil for the tough guy Parker, this is not a funny story; it is almost elegant in its clean, straightforward style. A heist, nothing special, but it’s a kind of model of storytelling efficiency.
Just to show he knows how to complicate his storytelling, the second half of the book features Stark's depicting Stubbs getting loose to let The Outfit know Parker has a new identity, with Parker following him. This tale is told first from Stubbs’s angle, then Parker’s. Sure, people die! This is a Parker novel, what do you expect?
Stark in his style is as methodical as Parker, in a way, lean and mean and straightforward, straight, no chaser, which is really interesting, because as Donald Westlake, this guy wrote a string of goofy, madcap crime capers mostly for laughs, a (stark) contrast.
This trail to the mob I know is a set up for the third book, The Outfit, which makes it a bit of a trilogy to kick off the series. I would rate this 3.5, expecting even more from the next book. Awhile ago, I read Darwyn Cooke’s cool sixties-style condensed comics adaptation of this tale, featured in a 24-page first chapter of The Outfit, since the second half of the book is essentially the prelude to that book. And I liked that adaptation, too, quite a bit.
“It was dangerous to kill when there wasn't enough reason, because after a while killing became the solution to everything, and when you got to thinking that way you were only one step from the chair.”
Though we see him kill plenty in book one, here we go, tough guy Parker's a killer with principles.
In the first half of the book, Parker is broke and so pulls off an armored car heist (that aforementioned job) with several dopes, including a woman named Alma.
“It sounds like a good set-up. The way you talked about it, it sounds fine. But there’s this Alma. There’s always an Alma. Every damn time. Why can’t we put together a job without an Alma in it?”
While some of the dopes create a kind of comic relief or foil for the tough guy Parker, this is not a funny story; it is almost elegant in its clean, straightforward style. A heist, nothing special, but it’s a kind of model of storytelling efficiency.
Just to show he knows how to complicate his storytelling, the second half of the book features Stark's depicting Stubbs getting loose to let The Outfit know Parker has a new identity, with Parker following him. This tale is told first from Stubbs’s angle, then Parker’s. Sure, people die! This is a Parker novel, what do you expect?
Stark in his style is as methodical as Parker, in a way, lean and mean and straightforward, straight, no chaser, which is really interesting, because as Donald Westlake, this guy wrote a string of goofy, madcap crime capers mostly for laughs, a (stark) contrast.
This trail to the mob I know is a set up for the third book, The Outfit, which makes it a bit of a trilogy to kick off the series. I would rate this 3.5, expecting even more from the next book. Awhile ago, I read Darwyn Cooke’s cool sixties-style condensed comics adaptation of this tale, featured in a 24-page first chapter of The Outfit, since the second half of the book is essentially the prelude to that book. And I liked that adaptation, too, quite a bit.
August 24, 2015
When Parker gets plastic surgery from a crooked doctor to change his appearance, he hopes that it will help hide him from the Outfit since they‘re still slightly peeved at him after the last book. With funds running low, Parker has to quickly sign on for a job robbing an armored car. However, the set-up involves a grouchy waitress named Alma, and she’s showing every sign of wanting to pull something cute and keep the money for herself. Plus, the doctor who did Parker’s surgery has been murdered and his people have sent a punch-drunk thug after him to see if Parker was the killer. There’s a lot of complications, and if there’s one thing that Parker can’t stand, it’s seeing a simple plan get complicated.
While a self-contained story, this picks up from The Hunter and leads well into the third book, essentially making the first three of the series a trilogy. One of the nice things about this is that while there’s an overall arc to the stories that make them rewarding if you read them all, they can also be enjoyed just as individual books.
This one also establishes the tone for the rest of the Parker series. There’s usually a job with someone who can’t be trusted along with some kind of outside circumstance screwing with Parker’s well laid plans. One of Parker’s partners sums it up nicely:
“It sounds like a good set-up. The way you talked about it, it sounds fine. But there’s this Alma. There’s always an Alma. Every damn time. Why can’t we put together a job without an Alma in it?
Unfortunately for Parker, there always will be an Alma around to muck up his schemes.
While a self-contained story, this picks up from The Hunter and leads well into the third book, essentially making the first three of the series a trilogy. One of the nice things about this is that while there’s an overall arc to the stories that make them rewarding if you read them all, they can also be enjoyed just as individual books.
This one also establishes the tone for the rest of the Parker series. There’s usually a job with someone who can’t be trusted along with some kind of outside circumstance screwing with Parker’s well laid plans. One of Parker’s partners sums it up nicely:
“It sounds like a good set-up. The way you talked about it, it sounds fine. But there’s this Alma. There’s always an Alma. Every damn time. Why can’t we put together a job without an Alma in it?
Unfortunately for Parker, there always will be an Alma around to muck up his schemes.
December 4, 2013
Parker leaves Nebraska with a new face and a distinct lack of funds. He gets involved in a scheme to rob an armored car but there are complications. The plastic surgeon who operated on Parker winds up dead and people think Parker pulled the trigger. The armored car scheme is dodgy at best and one of the partners is planning a double cross. Can Parker figure out who the trigger man was and clear his name,pull off the armored car robbery, and avoid the double cross?
Westlake does it again. Parker is less a human being than an unstoppable force of nature. Stark's writing is as powerful as in the first book and the heist is well-planned and logical. Parker is as merciless as ever. Even though he's a killer, I was glad he came out of the double cross the way he did. The ending dovetails nicely into the next book, where I'm assuming Parker will settle things with the mob.
So why not five stars? The whole subplot with Stubbs going to New York to find Wells dragged a little. Other than that, it was a great example of what crime fiction should be. I'm eagerly watching my mailbox in anticipation of the next volume, The Outfit.
Westlake does it again. Parker is less a human being than an unstoppable force of nature. Stark's writing is as powerful as in the first book and the heist is well-planned and logical. Parker is as merciless as ever. Even though he's a killer, I was glad he came out of the double cross the way he did. The ending dovetails nicely into the next book, where I'm assuming Parker will settle things with the mob.
So why not five stars? The whole subplot with Stubbs going to New York to find Wells dragged a little. Other than that, it was a great example of what crime fiction should be. I'm eagerly watching my mailbox in anticipation of the next volume, The Outfit.
April 20, 2023
even better than the first parker book “the hunter”
both darker and sharper.
i’m hooked.
both darker and sharper.
i’m hooked.
March 4, 2014
Parker novels are unapologetic pulpy goodness. The lingo alone makes the read worthwhile. I’m not sure how I’m going to work a line like Who’s the bird dog on this one? into casual conversation. Nor will I be 100% sure what I’m saying if I call someone a frill and/or a busher, but by god, by the end of the work week I intend to find out.
Parker has simple rules for life (he’d be pretty easy to program as far as artificial intelligence goes: if whore responsive, proceed; else, choke). He doesn’t want too many moving pieces, and he knows how to get a job done. Now if he could just keep the rest of the other rubes in line, things wouldn’t be so damn complicated!
In addition to dealing with an armored car heist featuring that irritating frill/busher, Parker has Stubbs to handle who, due to an incident involving a migrant farm worker strike, scabs and a two-by-four, is a bit of a simpleton. I feel like my vision of Opie from Family Guy was pretty dead on with that one.
It’s a dark and enjoyable ride.
Judging a book by its cover:
I know they say you’re not supposed to do that, but since not everyone will get their mitts on the 1984 vintage copy of Parker #2, I’m sharing my thoughts.
First off, what is up with Parker’s profile? Between the jacket and the, well, puffy pseudo-fro hair, a mashup of Frankie Avalon and Michael Jackson from Thriller came to mind. Also, the mock turtleneck...really?*
I thought I’d include the summary according to the back cover, which is just beyond cheesy.
*Additionally, as Kemper pointed out in the comments, he ['84 cover Parker, not Kemper] may be donning a Member's Only jacket...
Parker has simple rules for life (he’d be pretty easy to program as far as artificial intelligence goes: if whore responsive, proceed; else, choke). He doesn’t want too many moving pieces, and he knows how to get a job done. Now if he could just keep the rest of the other rubes in line, things wouldn’t be so damn complicated!
In addition to dealing with an armored car heist featuring that irritating frill/busher, Parker has Stubbs to handle who, due to an incident involving a migrant farm worker strike, scabs and a two-by-four, is a bit of a simpleton. I feel like my vision of Opie from Family Guy was pretty dead on with that one.
It’s a dark and enjoyable ride.
Judging a book by its cover:
I know they say you’re not supposed to do that, but since not everyone will get their mitts on the 1984 vintage copy of Parker #2, I’m sharing my thoughts.
First off, what is up with Parker’s profile? Between the jacket and the, well, puffy pseudo-fro hair, a mashup of Frankie Avalon and Michael Jackson from Thriller came to mind. Also, the mock turtleneck...really?*
I thought I’d include the summary according to the back cover, which is just beyond cheesy.
*Additionally, as Kemper pointed out in the comments, he ['84 cover Parker, not Kemper] may be donning a Member's Only jacket...
May 3, 2023
Donald Westlake, under his alter ego, Richard Stark has penned 24 Parker novels, beginning with 1962's the Hunter, continuing with The Man With The Getaway Face (1963), The Outfit (1963), The Mourner (1963), and up until 2008's Dirty Money. Parker is a thief, pure and simple, but he is not a gentleman burglar. He is not a frustrated ordinary man on the run from the law. Rather, he is a ruthless thug, who has little warmth for anyone and simply wants to get the job done. It is not necessary to read the Parker novels in order, although it helps to understand some of the context.
In the first novel, Parker was robbed by his wife and partner, shot, and left for dead. They didn't count on his survival ability and he came back after them with a vengeance. His money that Mal had stolen from him had been paid to the Outfit (also known as the Syndicate) because Mal had owed a significant debt. Although the Outfit has a staff numbering in the hundreds (like the post office) and they are coast to coast, Parker is not deterred and is determined to get his money. No amount of tough guys seems able to stand in his way, although he leaves behind some enemies who, one of these days, mean to take him out- if they can.
At the end of the first book (the Hunter), Parker metaphorically rides off into the sunset, knowing that a lot of people have their eyes out for him. As the second book ("The Man With the Getaway Face") begins, Parker has gone to Nebraska because he heard of a doctor who could change people's faces. Remember, this is a 1963 novel when plastic surgery was such an amazing concept that it was assumed you could become completely unrecognizable after such surgery. On leaving the doctor's office, Parker is warned by Stubbs (the shofar, etc for the doctor) that his secret is safe, but he better not think about coming after the doctor or the entire world will learn about his new identity. Let's call this foreshadowing because it becomes hugely significant later in the story. Most of the Man with the Getaway Face is consumed with Parker's efforts to pull of a heist of an armored car. He is not entirely sure of the loyalty of his accomplices and has some doubts if this heist is going sour. Some of the doubts are about his accomplices, particularly Alma, but the real bugaboo is when Stubbs shows up, saying that the doctor is dead and Parker is one of only three suspects and Stubbs may not be a lot of things, but he is going to avenge the doctor.
Parker is the same tough, no-nonsense hombre from the first book, but the pace and the level of violence is not quite as frenetic in this volume. It's a good, tight plot that just hums along without a break. Parker here is not a barbarian back from the dead hell-bent for revenge. Nah, he just wants this armored car robbery to go off without a hitch. Parker's not cruel. He just wants to get the job done.
The story here feels a bit minor compared to the great ball busting burst of energy that was the first book, but a good solid crime caper story.
In the first novel, Parker was robbed by his wife and partner, shot, and left for dead. They didn't count on his survival ability and he came back after them with a vengeance. His money that Mal had stolen from him had been paid to the Outfit (also known as the Syndicate) because Mal had owed a significant debt. Although the Outfit has a staff numbering in the hundreds (like the post office) and they are coast to coast, Parker is not deterred and is determined to get his money. No amount of tough guys seems able to stand in his way, although he leaves behind some enemies who, one of these days, mean to take him out- if they can.
At the end of the first book (the Hunter), Parker metaphorically rides off into the sunset, knowing that a lot of people have their eyes out for him. As the second book ("The Man With the Getaway Face") begins, Parker has gone to Nebraska because he heard of a doctor who could change people's faces. Remember, this is a 1963 novel when plastic surgery was such an amazing concept that it was assumed you could become completely unrecognizable after such surgery. On leaving the doctor's office, Parker is warned by Stubbs (the shofar, etc for the doctor) that his secret is safe, but he better not think about coming after the doctor or the entire world will learn about his new identity. Let's call this foreshadowing because it becomes hugely significant later in the story. Most of the Man with the Getaway Face is consumed with Parker's efforts to pull of a heist of an armored car. He is not entirely sure of the loyalty of his accomplices and has some doubts if this heist is going sour. Some of the doubts are about his accomplices, particularly Alma, but the real bugaboo is when Stubbs shows up, saying that the doctor is dead and Parker is one of only three suspects and Stubbs may not be a lot of things, but he is going to avenge the doctor.
Parker is the same tough, no-nonsense hombre from the first book, but the pace and the level of violence is not quite as frenetic in this volume. It's a good, tight plot that just hums along without a break. Parker here is not a barbarian back from the dead hell-bent for revenge. Nah, he just wants this armored car robbery to go off without a hitch. Parker's not cruel. He just wants to get the job done.
The story here feels a bit minor compared to the great ball busting burst of energy that was the first book, but a good solid crime caper story.
July 7, 2018
In this sequel our amoral protagonist goes through another plastic surgery to start fresh and anew , the death of the plastic surgeon creates a series of unfortunate albeit funny events that ultimately fucks things up for Parker and will potentially expose him to the "outfit" .
January 25, 2012
This is the second book in Richard Stark's series about the amoral criminal, Parker. At the end of the first, The Hunter, Parker is on the run from the organized crime syndicate, the Outfit. At the opening of this book, he has made his way to Nebraska, where he successfully undergoes surgery to change his face to such an extent that even his old associates don't recognize him.
At the conclusion of the operation, Parker returns to the East, desperately in need of a score. An old acquaintance proposes an armored car heist, but Parker is extremely leary of the job. He's not all that confident in the old acquaintance and he likes even less the fact that the job is the bright idea of a waitress that the old acquaintance is living with. Parker's even more discouraged once he meets the woman in question, but he really needs the money and so agrees to the plan. He brings in another old friend, one in whom he has complete confidence, and redesigns the plan in the hope that he can get away with the loot before everything turns to crap.
As readers of this series will well know, that's never going to happen. Complications arise at nearly every turn and, as always, much of the fun in reading these books is watching the way in which Parker deals with one crisis after another. At this point, Stark, a pseudonym for Donald Westlake, was just beginning to hit his stride with this character. Happily, the series would run for a good number of years and nearly twenty-five books. This one, though, contains perhaps the best description of Parker, who "looked like a man who'd made money, but who'd made it without sitting behind a desk."
This book will appeal to any fan of crime fiction who likes his or her books lean, mean and captivating.
At the conclusion of the operation, Parker returns to the East, desperately in need of a score. An old acquaintance proposes an armored car heist, but Parker is extremely leary of the job. He's not all that confident in the old acquaintance and he likes even less the fact that the job is the bright idea of a waitress that the old acquaintance is living with. Parker's even more discouraged once he meets the woman in question, but he really needs the money and so agrees to the plan. He brings in another old friend, one in whom he has complete confidence, and redesigns the plan in the hope that he can get away with the loot before everything turns to crap.
As readers of this series will well know, that's never going to happen. Complications arise at nearly every turn and, as always, much of the fun in reading these books is watching the way in which Parker deals with one crisis after another. At this point, Stark, a pseudonym for Donald Westlake, was just beginning to hit his stride with this character. Happily, the series would run for a good number of years and nearly twenty-five books. This one, though, contains perhaps the best description of Parker, who "looked like a man who'd made money, but who'd made it without sitting behind a desk."
This book will appeal to any fan of crime fiction who likes his or her books lean, mean and captivating.
October 5, 2024
3.5 stars
"[Parker] didn't like sloppiness, loose ends that unraveled, complications of things that ought to have been simple . . . So [he] did what he always tried to do - keep it simple, keep close to the plan, and don't let yourself get knocked off balance." -- the pondering of a professional thief, on page 176
I get the sense that author Stark - pen name of Donald E. Westlake - was still hammering out the tone for the character Parker and the felonious plots with the early books in his long-running series. This sophomore effort features the singularly-named antihero - recovering after plastic surgery at secret hospital in the Midwest to protect his identity from organized-crime factions - immediately jumping into an armored-car robbery scheme with three confederates in suburban New Jersey. I especially appreciated the way Stark / Westlake used the tri-state area of NJ / Pennsylvania / New York as the primary setting, plus did his research for the geography of said region. There was even the effective complication of a revenge-minded punch-drunk former boxer serving as a monkey-wrench antagonist thrown into the careful plans. Yet somehow this book did not seem quite as good as the next several efforts - I'm reading the series a bit out of order, depending on availability from my favorite local used book shop - but it still worked as a nice slice of early 1960's crime fiction.
"[Parker] didn't like sloppiness, loose ends that unraveled, complications of things that ought to have been simple . . . So [he] did what he always tried to do - keep it simple, keep close to the plan, and don't let yourself get knocked off balance." -- the pondering of a professional thief, on page 176
I get the sense that author Stark - pen name of Donald E. Westlake - was still hammering out the tone for the character Parker and the felonious plots with the early books in his long-running series. This sophomore effort features the singularly-named antihero - recovering after plastic surgery at secret hospital in the Midwest to protect his identity from organized-crime factions - immediately jumping into an armored-car robbery scheme with three confederates in suburban New Jersey. I especially appreciated the way Stark / Westlake used the tri-state area of NJ / Pennsylvania / New York as the primary setting, plus did his research for the geography of said region. There was even the effective complication of a revenge-minded punch-drunk former boxer serving as a monkey-wrench antagonist thrown into the careful plans. Yet somehow this book did not seem quite as good as the next several efforts - I'm reading the series a bit out of order, depending on availability from my favorite local used book shop - but it still worked as a nice slice of early 1960's crime fiction.
January 11, 2011
parker offers something very attractive to the reader: a proxy by which she can exact revenge on this world in a logical, sensible manner; one in which the brain totally overpowers the heart; one in which he can charge forward with the cool determination of an animal on the hunt. the clerk at the DMV won't renew your license? wait till she's alone, shiv her in the chest, drop the body in a dumpster, and get back in line. the drunken frat boy ain't moving outta the way and you really have to pee? lure him to the bathroom with the promise of some cheap bathroom sex, deliver a chop to the groin and as he folds over deliver a pistol shot to the back of the head. and so on... parker appeals to that cold maniacal part in all of us which civilized society works to tamp down.
a dual storyline: the one concerns a pretty conventional but extremely well-told armored car robbery; the other flips clean off the rails: the only guy who knows about parker's face-change surgery could reveal his identity and parker essentially shoves the guy in a sensory deprivation tank for two weeks -- when the guy breaks out his brains are all scrambled and he's on a mission. and parker's gotta put an end to it.
there's an interesting moment in which one of parker's team gives the guy in the tank (it's actually an underground fruit cellar, but might as well be a sensory deprivation tank) a flashlight to break the monotony. the guy wonders if parker allowed him the flashlight only to take it back -- as some kind of cruel joke. he then realizes that parker does nothing to be cruel: he doesn't care enough. he understands that parker hasn't even considered what it must be like alone in the fruit cellar for two weeks and the sole reason he lets the guy out a few minutes per day for air and sunlight is that if the man croaks, it provides more complications for parker than allowing the man to live. parker is all logic. if parker tortures a guy for information, he stops as soon as he gets what he needs. then he decides if its more worth his while to kill the guy or let him live. parker can only see a situation insofar as it directly impacts his life and his chances for survival and/or gain. and yeah, as stated: this kinda life would be lonely and ridden with guilt and horror for most of us... but there's something clean and pure and attractive there, as well... y'know?
i'd love to see some kinda buddy cop movie with parker and f. nietzsche. those two'd yuk it up pretty nice, eh?
next up: the handle
a dual storyline: the one concerns a pretty conventional but extremely well-told armored car robbery; the other flips clean off the rails: the only guy who knows about parker's face-change surgery could reveal his identity and parker essentially shoves the guy in a sensory deprivation tank for two weeks -- when the guy breaks out his brains are all scrambled and he's on a mission. and parker's gotta put an end to it.
there's an interesting moment in which one of parker's team gives the guy in the tank (it's actually an underground fruit cellar, but might as well be a sensory deprivation tank) a flashlight to break the monotony. the guy wonders if parker allowed him the flashlight only to take it back -- as some kind of cruel joke. he then realizes that parker does nothing to be cruel: he doesn't care enough. he understands that parker hasn't even considered what it must be like alone in the fruit cellar for two weeks and the sole reason he lets the guy out a few minutes per day for air and sunlight is that if the man croaks, it provides more complications for parker than allowing the man to live. parker is all logic. if parker tortures a guy for information, he stops as soon as he gets what he needs. then he decides if its more worth his while to kill the guy or let him live. parker can only see a situation insofar as it directly impacts his life and his chances for survival and/or gain. and yeah, as stated: this kinda life would be lonely and ridden with guilt and horror for most of us... but there's something clean and pure and attractive there, as well... y'know?
i'd love to see some kinda buddy cop movie with parker and f. nietzsche. those two'd yuk it up pretty nice, eh?
next up: the handle
February 26, 2017
Parker is a bad man. So, shouldn't I feel bad for rooting for him?.....NAH!
Cold-blooded crook in the first degree, Parker has just undergone a necessary face change when he is drawn into a heist for the quick cash prospect. Of course, once he gets the real details of the job he discovers his take won't be a fraction of what he thought it was. And that's not even the bad part about it! But hell, he goes along with it anyway, and I'm glad he did. Otherwise it wouldn't have been much of a book...
In this, the second book in the series, our "hero" doesn't come off as quite so psychotic. It's a little easier to pull for a guy who isn't torturing women. He's far from lovable, but at least he isn't almost completely repellent like I felt he was in book one.
There's a side story to The Man With The Getaway Face that drags a little bit. Mainly it's slow because the side character is slow, as in stupid. One too many knocks to the head have left him dimwitted. That's fine, but having to follow a character who doesn't understand what's going on means as a reader you are forced to endure repetition or long, drawn out passages in which you know exactly what's going on and where it's going. This gets boring real quick.
All in all though, this was a solid read at just the right length for this kind of mean-spirited stuff. I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time with these dickholes and twatwads, so I'm glad author Richard Stark kept it short.
Cold-blooded crook in the first degree, Parker has just undergone a necessary face change when he is drawn into a heist for the quick cash prospect. Of course, once he gets the real details of the job he discovers his take won't be a fraction of what he thought it was. And that's not even the bad part about it! But hell, he goes along with it anyway, and I'm glad he did. Otherwise it wouldn't have been much of a book...
In this, the second book in the series, our "hero" doesn't come off as quite so psychotic. It's a little easier to pull for a guy who isn't torturing women. He's far from lovable, but at least he isn't almost completely repellent like I felt he was in book one.
There's a side story to The Man With The Getaway Face that drags a little bit. Mainly it's slow because the side character is slow, as in stupid. One too many knocks to the head have left him dimwitted. That's fine, but having to follow a character who doesn't understand what's going on means as a reader you are forced to endure repetition or long, drawn out passages in which you know exactly what's going on and where it's going. This gets boring real quick.
All in all though, this was a solid read at just the right length for this kind of mean-spirited stuff. I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time with these dickholes and twatwads, so I'm glad author Richard Stark kept it short.
November 14, 2019
Nov2019 Review: Gibson's "Payback" & Mitchum's "Point Blank" are based the first book, The Hunter & the third book, The Outfit. They're great, but so is this one in the middle. It's actually the first one where Parker is in the series groove. The first was written as a standalone & then edited quickly to make a series at the insistence of the editor. (Thank you, editor!!!) That means starting with this book is a good idea. It & the next one fill in the story for the first without some of the discordant notes.
I was in a bit of a reading funk. I'd just read Liars' Paradox, a recently written thriller similar to this, but the genre has lost something. Authors today jump the shark too often & use up twice as many pages to write half the story. I don't know how Stark (Donald E. Westlake) managed it. There are twists & a great amoral character with plenty of action, an entire novel in what would be 'Part 1' today.
Anyway, this was a great palate cleanser. On to "The Outfit" & then I'll probably stop.
Dec2012 Review: My edition was a download from the library produced by Audio Go, read by John Chancer, an edition not listed on GR. It's about 300 minutes long & was worth every minute.
I kept waiting to get the first in this series, but it keeps being checked out, so I finally just listened to this one. I do know sort of what happened in the first one because of the 2 movies based on the first book. I hear the 2d, Payback with Mel Gibson, wasn't great, but I liked it.
Anyway, I had no problem fitting right into Parker's world & following his thinking. He's a perfectly self-centered SOB, no doubt about it, but I liked him. While he can be ruthless, he's also smart & doesn't look for trouble if he can avoid it. Considering the company he keeps, that's not possible, so he makes the best of things & if that means shooting a person or two, he does it without any frills or sadism, just gets the job done as if he's killing a rodent. Very cool.
I can't wait to listen to the next, The Outfit. I'm refurbishing a bunch of wood planes - tedious, exacting hand work - & these books help make it a pleasure.
I was in a bit of a reading funk. I'd just read Liars' Paradox, a recently written thriller similar to this, but the genre has lost something. Authors today jump the shark too often & use up twice as many pages to write half the story. I don't know how Stark (Donald E. Westlake) managed it. There are twists & a great amoral character with plenty of action, an entire novel in what would be 'Part 1' today.
Anyway, this was a great palate cleanser. On to "The Outfit" & then I'll probably stop.
Dec2012 Review: My edition was a download from the library produced by Audio Go, read by John Chancer, an edition not listed on GR. It's about 300 minutes long & was worth every minute.
I kept waiting to get the first in this series, but it keeps being checked out, so I finally just listened to this one. I do know sort of what happened in the first one because of the 2 movies based on the first book. I hear the 2d, Payback with Mel Gibson, wasn't great, but I liked it.
Anyway, I had no problem fitting right into Parker's world & following his thinking. He's a perfectly self-centered SOB, no doubt about it, but I liked him. While he can be ruthless, he's also smart & doesn't look for trouble if he can avoid it. Considering the company he keeps, that's not possible, so he makes the best of things & if that means shooting a person or two, he does it without any frills or sadism, just gets the job done as if he's killing a rodent. Very cool.
I can't wait to listen to the next, The Outfit. I'm refurbishing a bunch of wood planes - tedious, exacting hand work - & these books help make it a pleasure.
September 6, 2016
*3.5 Stars*
This takes up shortly after The Hunter left off, and Parker has just gotten a new face from a plastic surgeon so he can hide from the Outfit and do his dirty deeds in peace. But because he is still low on dough, he reluctantly agrees to a shakily-planned armored car hold up that might not be worth it.
This might sound like a generic plot for your run-of-the-mill crime thriller, but what makes this one unique is that Parker knows from the get-go that a member of the crew will try to pull a double-cross. So on top of whether or not they'll be able to pull the job off, he has to also worry about staying one step ahead of the two-timing teammate.
It's a fun little heist caper in which we now get to see Parker interact with a team. Though this book feels a little like a pit stop on the way to an inevitable showdown with the Outfit, it's entertaining enough and left me wanting to know what happens next! Plus, it has the most awesome title of all the Parker books.
This takes up shortly after The Hunter left off, and Parker has just gotten a new face from a plastic surgeon so he can hide from the Outfit and do his dirty deeds in peace. But because he is still low on dough, he reluctantly agrees to a shakily-planned armored car hold up that might not be worth it.
This might sound like a generic plot for your run-of-the-mill crime thriller, but what makes this one unique is that Parker knows from the get-go that a member of the crew will try to pull a double-cross. So on top of whether or not they'll be able to pull the job off, he has to also worry about staying one step ahead of the two-timing teammate.
It's a fun little heist caper in which we now get to see Parker interact with a team. Though this book feels a little like a pit stop on the way to an inevitable showdown with the Outfit, it's entertaining enough and left me wanting to know what happens next! Plus, it has the most awesome title of all the Parker books.
November 25, 2024
"𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳."
Another good entry, but if I'm being honest, the ending had me more excited for what's to come than the rest of the story did. I found the first to be more intriguing, and kept me more on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing, whereas this was mostly intense towards the end.
I'm still excited to read more and I look forward to what else this series brings to the table!
"𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘥."
Another good entry, but if I'm being honest, the ending had me more excited for what's to come than the rest of the story did. I found the first to be more intriguing, and kept me more on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing, whereas this was mostly intense towards the end.
I'm still excited to read more and I look forward to what else this series brings to the table!
"𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘥."
January 26, 2011
I don't have much for this one.
The story was a lot stronger than for the first Parker novel. In a lot of ways this might be the best of the Parker novels I've read so far, as a coherent story it surpasses The Outfit, which I gave an extra star for being more over the top and appealing to imaginary bad-ass that I would probably want to be if I had no morals or inhibitions or whatever you want to call it.
This story involves Parker getting a plastic surgery to hide from the Mob, robbing and armored car and the set up for the big confrontation he has with the Mob in the next novel.
The formula to the Parker novels is pretty straight forward, and I don't know how they are going to keep reading, like if I'll get bored with them or whatnot as I read through the first 18 or so, but after reading the last two I'm thinking they are the literary equivalent of The Ramones, they are simple and straight forward and at least when Dee Dee is writing the songs and he isn't too whacked out on smack and his own delusions they are borderline fun genius. And really the beauty of the early Ramones songs isn't apparent though until you listen to the post-Dee Dee songs and you realize how Johnny and Joey can't write a decent song even using the basic structures from the early songs. And then you hear Ramones knock off bands you hear how eh they sound and you realize that there is something almost magical but simple that just works and how it seems like it should be easy to duplicate but apparently it isn't.
But next, The Mourner, and hopefully my Ramones analogy won't be too literal, because that would mean The Outfit was Rocket to Russia and it's all downhill from here.
The story was a lot stronger than for the first Parker novel. In a lot of ways this might be the best of the Parker novels I've read so far, as a coherent story it surpasses The Outfit, which I gave an extra star for being more over the top and appealing to imaginary bad-ass that I would probably want to be if I had no morals or inhibitions or whatever you want to call it.
This story involves Parker getting a plastic surgery to hide from the Mob, robbing and armored car and the set up for the big confrontation he has with the Mob in the next novel.
The formula to the Parker novels is pretty straight forward, and I don't know how they are going to keep reading, like if I'll get bored with them or whatnot as I read through the first 18 or so, but after reading the last two I'm thinking they are the literary equivalent of The Ramones, they are simple and straight forward and at least when Dee Dee is writing the songs and he isn't too whacked out on smack and his own delusions they are borderline fun genius. And really the beauty of the early Ramones songs isn't apparent though until you listen to the post-Dee Dee songs and you realize how Johnny and Joey can't write a decent song even using the basic structures from the early songs. And then you hear Ramones knock off bands you hear how eh they sound and you realize that there is something almost magical but simple that just works and how it seems like it should be easy to duplicate but apparently it isn't.
But next, The Mourner, and hopefully my Ramones analogy won't be too literal, because that would mean The Outfit was Rocket to Russia and it's all downhill from here.
May 18, 2023
01/2023
1964
Great use of plastic surgery, a noir trope employed in Dark Passage by David Goodis from 1946.
1964
Great use of plastic surgery, a noir trope employed in Dark Passage by David Goodis from 1946.
May 13, 2015
After his dust-up with the syndicate, Parker heads to Nebraska to see a doctor about a new face. After his features are flip-flopped, Parker heads north and falls in with a few felons planning an armoured truck robbery. Being a perfectionist, Parker doesn’t like the plan and after making a few adjustments, he comes to suspect one of the players isn’t on the level.
On top of all this, the doctor who played Mr. Potato Head with Parker’s mug winds up taking a dirt nap and Parker is the prime suspect. Will the robbery succeed? Will Parker prove his innocence in the doc’s death? Will Parker punch someone in the kidney? Probably.
Westlake’s (Richard Stark is a pseudonym for Donald Westlake) Parker is such a well-written character; his methods are straightforward and brutal – simply put, Parker doesn’t have time for your nonsense. He’s been living a life of crime long enough that he can smell a rat from a mile away, so when a scheme seems fishy, Parker doesn’t sweat it, he simply comes up with his own game plan.
My only complaint is in regards to the amount of time Westlake’s devoted to hashing and rehashing the plan. It felt at times like I was reading blueprints rather than a story. Would the story still have worked without such detail? Hard to say. However, Westlake could have moved it along a little faster.
Two down, twenty two to go!
Also posted @ Every Read Thing.
On top of all this, the doctor who played Mr. Potato Head with Parker’s mug winds up taking a dirt nap and Parker is the prime suspect. Will the robbery succeed? Will Parker prove his innocence in the doc’s death? Will Parker punch someone in the kidney? Probably.
Westlake’s (Richard Stark is a pseudonym for Donald Westlake) Parker is such a well-written character; his methods are straightforward and brutal – simply put, Parker doesn’t have time for your nonsense. He’s been living a life of crime long enough that he can smell a rat from a mile away, so when a scheme seems fishy, Parker doesn’t sweat it, he simply comes up with his own game plan.
My only complaint is in regards to the amount of time Westlake’s devoted to hashing and rehashing the plan. It felt at times like I was reading blueprints rather than a story. Would the story still have worked without such detail? Hard to say. However, Westlake could have moved it along a little faster.
Two down, twenty two to go!
Also posted @ Every Read Thing.
December 1, 2024
This installment picks up right where the last left off. Parker, now known and wanted by the 'outfit', e.g., the mob, pulls a heist with some pals (hits an outfit 'bank') and then gets a new face curtesy of a black-balled doc in Nebraska (the Doc was a member of the Communist party before WWII and got 'outed' during the red scare). With money running out, he gets a message from a former criminal partner about a possible gig.
One the one hand, this is a classic caper novel, as we follow Stark and a few buds as they plan the heist (an armored truck). This aspect, however, only sheds light onto the obvious. On a deeper level, Stark gives us much more depth regarding Parker and a life of crime. Again, Parker shines as the protagonist as we follow his exploits and cunning as the novel unfolds. Seems like crime just isn't the same anymore, with always someone looking to double-cross. The caper, however, only constitutes a little more than half of the novel with the rest concerning various 'loose ends' from the prior novel and ones that came loose during this one. Not as strong or focused as the previous installment, but satisfyingly nonetheless. 3.5 hard stars, rounding up!
One the one hand, this is a classic caper novel, as we follow Stark and a few buds as they plan the heist (an armored truck). This aspect, however, only sheds light onto the obvious. On a deeper level, Stark gives us much more depth regarding Parker and a life of crime. Again, Parker shines as the protagonist as we follow his exploits and cunning as the novel unfolds. Seems like crime just isn't the same anymore, with always someone looking to double-cross. The caper, however, only constitutes a little more than half of the novel with the rest concerning various 'loose ends' from the prior novel and ones that came loose during this one. Not as strong or focused as the previous installment, but satisfyingly nonetheless. 3.5 hard stars, rounding up!
April 27, 2017
So this is a Goodreads re-read, as opposed to ‘The Hunter’ which I last read when I was still young and innocent of book-review related social-networks. But glancing back over my thoughts from the halcyon, long ago days of 2008, I find that I basically still agree with what I said. ‘The Man with the Getaway Face’ is a fantastic title, but merely a good book and a distinct drop off in quality from its predecessor. But reading it again with a greater appreciation of its place in the cycle, one can’t help but be fascinated as to how this embryonic series is developing.
Most of the Parker novels focus on Parker working a heist and using his no-nonsense, no-compromise skillset to get over and fight back against any hitches which arise. That is exactly what we have here, and so since ‘The Hunter’ isn’t that plot at all, this is the first time the soon to be trademarked formula of a Parker story is actually used. Except the hitches we have here are so ridiculously easy for Parker to manage. He sees what they are and works out his way around them almost instantaneously. As such the first time out, Westlake/Stark manages to write this plot without tension or jeopardy. Instead the jeopardy and tension comes from the sub-plot, which is the part connected to the last book and feeding into the next. But since that doesn’t really kick off until the last fifth of ‘The Man with the Getaway Face’, we’re left with a perfectly functional – but not as engaging as it should be – thriller.
Still it’s always fun to read about Parker doing what Parker does, and he really is at his efficient best here. Those entering the series may be tempted to skip straight from ‘The Hunter’ to ‘The Outfit’ as those are the two giants of the early Parker books, but that would be a mistake as there is a lot here to admire, even though the most ardent Richard Stark fan might find this a difficult novel to actually love.
Review from November 2008
I really like the Parker books, they have a brutal amorality that you don't often read. And even though Parker himself is not a character you can warm to, I do find myself warming to him.
This is actually the second book, after 'The Hunter' (or 'Point Blank') and picks up where that book left off, with Parker having beaten the syndicate and getting a new face. From there it's the usual tale of a violent robbery, a double cross and Parker picking up the pieces as everything goes wrong.
Although enjoyable this is far from my favourite Parker novel. It precedes - and leads directly to - 'The Outfit', which has Parker up against the syndicate again, and this book feels like a shaggy dog story between two more substantial and entertaining stories.
It's not a bad book by any means, but - and I'm judging by very high standards here - there are better Parker novels out there.
Most of the Parker novels focus on Parker working a heist and using his no-nonsense, no-compromise skillset to get over and fight back against any hitches which arise. That is exactly what we have here, and so since ‘The Hunter’ isn’t that plot at all, this is the first time the soon to be trademarked formula of a Parker story is actually used. Except the hitches we have here are so ridiculously easy for Parker to manage. He sees what they are and works out his way around them almost instantaneously. As such the first time out, Westlake/Stark manages to write this plot without tension or jeopardy. Instead the jeopardy and tension comes from the sub-plot, which is the part connected to the last book and feeding into the next. But since that doesn’t really kick off until the last fifth of ‘The Man with the Getaway Face’, we’re left with a perfectly functional – but not as engaging as it should be – thriller.
Still it’s always fun to read about Parker doing what Parker does, and he really is at his efficient best here. Those entering the series may be tempted to skip straight from ‘The Hunter’ to ‘The Outfit’ as those are the two giants of the early Parker books, but that would be a mistake as there is a lot here to admire, even though the most ardent Richard Stark fan might find this a difficult novel to actually love.
Review from November 2008
I really like the Parker books, they have a brutal amorality that you don't often read. And even though Parker himself is not a character you can warm to, I do find myself warming to him.
This is actually the second book, after 'The Hunter' (or 'Point Blank') and picks up where that book left off, with Parker having beaten the syndicate and getting a new face. From there it's the usual tale of a violent robbery, a double cross and Parker picking up the pieces as everything goes wrong.
Although enjoyable this is far from my favourite Parker novel. It precedes - and leads directly to - 'The Outfit', which has Parker up against the syndicate again, and this book feels like a shaggy dog story between two more substantial and entertaining stories.
It's not a bad book by any means, but - and I'm judging by very high standards here - there are better Parker novels out there.
February 16, 2021
My second Parker book. This was a detailed crime procedural about the planning and execution of a heist. That is after Parker gets a new face through plastic surgery to escape The Outfit, the criminal organization from which he took money. He might have a new face, but Parker is as cold and calculating as he was in The Hunter. No swell criminals in this one. All very working class and even ex-communist, except for one Florida land developer guy who kills the doctor who did the surgery on Parker. There is a femme fatale waitress called Alma, who is one of the planners but Parker is not your typical weak American crime fiction hero who falls for a woman while a heist is being planned. Both these characters make things a little tougher for Parker. Very thrilling and intense. Makes me feel good that there are many more Parker books to be read.
November 17, 2017
I liked this book much better than the first one: in retrospect, I am not sure why I gave The Hunter 4 stars. Anyway, I digress. Book #2 opens with Parker having had plastic surgery to escape the clutches of the Outfit. He immediately is contacted about a armored car robbery, and heads off to New Jersey. After his due diligence, he approves the plan, but worries about one of the partners. Meanwhile, the plastic surgeon is killed and his aide de camp comes looking for Parker, not realizing Parker was such a bad ass. After he escapes, the guy goes off looking for another patient, satisfied with Parker's alibi, and Parker intervenes because of the threat of being out'ed. Liking the series better.
February 5, 2016
Stark's writing style is as methodical as a police procedural, but this crime novel is a sharp and thrilling read. I was anticipating a lot of violence after the first book, but the reporterly writing deemphasizes it. It happens of course, but it's dispassionate and understated. I'm going to burn through this series in a flash.....and I just discovered my local library has graphic novel renditions of Parker 1 and 3. I feel like I've got treasure waiting for me at the library.
April 28, 2021
Many unnecessary complications that didn't sound believable and pointless details that just stretched out the story. The robbery part was good but after that the story slows down and hobbles to the end.
April 30, 2018
"He was a big man, flat and squared-off, with boxy shoulders and a narrow waist. He had big hands, corrugated with veins, and long hard arms. He looked like a man who'd made money, but who'd made it without sitting behind a desk."
This is my second reading of The Man With The Getaway Face (Parker, #2). The first time i read it was about 10 years ago and at that time i read all the 'Parker' books. But because i was borrowing them from my library, i read them as they became available, rather than in order. You can do that but since i now have the whole series in the kindle format, i've decided to reread them in their order.
The great thing about re-reading this, the second of the 'Parker' novels is that i didn't remember the story very well so it was like reading it for the first time. In this story there are references back to events and characters in The Hunter, so if you are contemplating reading this, i would suggest reading The Hunter first.
Can't recommend this enough. 5 stars.
This is my second reading of The Man With The Getaway Face (Parker, #2). The first time i read it was about 10 years ago and at that time i read all the 'Parker' books. But because i was borrowing them from my library, i read them as they became available, rather than in order. You can do that but since i now have the whole series in the kindle format, i've decided to reread them in their order.
The great thing about re-reading this, the second of the 'Parker' novels is that i didn't remember the story very well so it was like reading it for the first time. In this story there are references back to events and characters in The Hunter, so if you are contemplating reading this, i would suggest reading The Hunter first.
Can't recommend this enough. 5 stars.
October 6, 2015
You know...I think Parker may be mellowing. There were a few cases here where he didn't kill someone I was sure he would.
What's gotten into the man. This is no way for a self respecting completely self absorbed, totally selfish homicidal psychopath to behave.
Well anyway another disturbing (because I liked the book) outing with our premier, "look out for #1" non-hero Parker.
having just gotten a new face from a plastic surgeon recommended by one of the people Parker trusts he's all set.
Until he gets roped into a questionable job with questionable partners...again.
In spite of all his rules about hot working with people he doesn't trust he seems to do it a lot, you know?
Lots of blood, plenty of action not a bad read st all...
But it still disturbs me a bit I like these.
What's gotten into the man. This is no way for a self respecting completely self absorbed, totally selfish homicidal psychopath to behave.
Well anyway another disturbing (because I liked the book) outing with our premier, "look out for #1" non-hero Parker.
having just gotten a new face from a plastic surgeon recommended by one of the people Parker trusts he's all set.
Until he gets roped into a questionable job with questionable partners...again.
In spite of all his rules about hot working with people he doesn't trust he seems to do it a lot, you know?
Lots of blood, plenty of action not a bad read st all...
But it still disturbs me a bit I like these.
January 24, 2024
Super exciting crime story.
Parker is the ultimate badass criminal. Very self-centered but thoughtful.
After the events of the last book Parker changes his face with plastic surgery then heads out to try and make some cash with an armoured truck heist. The woman who suggested the crime is giving Parker bad vibes. Plus the plastic surgeon's assistant comes to town accusing Parker of murdering the doctor!
Parker is the ultimate badass criminal. Very self-centered but thoughtful.
After the events of the last book Parker changes his face with plastic surgery then heads out to try and make some cash with an armoured truck heist. The woman who suggested the crime is giving Parker bad vibes. Plus the plastic surgeon's assistant comes to town accusing Parker of murdering the doctor!
December 21, 2017
I wish I could explain why I like this guy. It’s complicated. He’s not nice, get in his way and he’ll kill you without giving it a second thought. He slaps women around, sometimes because they like it, sometimes because they need it. (His sentiments, not mine.) i think it’s a real testiment to Stark’s writing skills that he is able to have Parker walk this really thin line between what’s okay and what’s not, all the while with the reader rooting him on.
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