Backflash

A Parker Novel

By: Richard Stark

Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka

After the publication of Butcher’s Moon in 1974, Donald Westlake said, “Richard Stark proved to me that he had a life of his own by simply disappearing. He was gone.” And listeners waited.

But nothing bad is truly gone forever, and Parker’s as bad as they come. According to Westlake, one day in 1997, “suddenly, he came back from the dead, with a chalky prison pallor” - and the novels that followed showed that neither Parker nor Stark had lost a step.

Backflash finds Parker checking out the scene on a Hudson River gambling boat. Parker’s no fan of either relaxation or risk, however, so you can be sure he’s playing with house money - and he’s willing to do anything to tilt the odds in his favor. Featuring a great cast of heisters, a striking setting, and a new introduction by Westlake’s close friend and writing partner, Lawrence Block, this classic Parker adventure deserves a place of honor in any crime fan’s library.

©1997 Richard Stark; Foreword Lawrence Block (P)2013 AudioGO

Stark is a grnius.

Stark is a genius. Parker is a uniquely , practical bad guy. Parker's accomplices are so enjoyable. Dan is hilarious.

Characters loved it all

Loved it all . Another great Parker book. Don’t hesitate to listen. You won’t be sorry. Enjoy some .

Enjoyable, but illogical premise [minor spoiler]

I'm a Parker fan, for the series being "pur et dur," as the French would say.

This is the 18th in the series I've listened to.

Although I enjoyed this book, I found a key part of the premise to be illogical. [spoiler follows]

To get access to the money room aboard the gambling boat, one of the members of the "string" impersonates an actual New York Assemblyman conducting an inspection tour. A reporter doing an undercover story knew the actual Assemblyman and realizes that the member of the Parker crew is a fake. He's about to inform the captain when a member of the crew puts him out of action, non-lethally.

But the boat is based in Albany, the capital of New York, where the Assembly is also based. The crowd aboard the boat was bound to include many people involved in various ways with New York government. Not only the reporter, but many others, were sure to know the Assemblyman, and to have realized that the Parker "Assemblyman" was a fake.

It was just way too shaky of a scheme, that stood a good chance of being exposed and failing.

Gamble of a lifetime

Strong cast of characters, a nigh impossible robbery, and some surprise wrenches in the plans make this an enjoyable listen.

Another Excellent Parker Story

One of the things I love about the Parker books is the question: who is the wild card? What will be the monkey wrench in the machinery? As there almost always is one.

These wild cards often help make the story so interesting because of the strange turns it takes. And quite often we are given hints about this early on, making the books as much mysteries as thrillers. And this one follows that trope.

Great cast of characters, including a few of the “usual suspects” who have been in other books.

And another outstanding reading.

Plus, another worthwhile forward by Westlake’s good friend and fellow crime and thriller writer, Larry Block.

Highly recommended