Payback

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: I found about Westlake recently from the "Resevoir Dogs" DVD Bonus disc. I read "Hot Rock" and enjoyed it. So, I decided to tryout Stark. I'd seen both "Point Blank" and "Payback." So, I knew the gist of what was going to happen in the book. I was blown away, though, by how much better this was than either movie version. I'm glad Stark was talked out of killing Parker off at the end of this book. I cannot get enough of this character. Stark's up there with Walter Mosely and James Ellroy, in my opinion.

Rating:
Summary: Couldnt put it down
Review: I read this in two short days. This book is great and makes you want to read more Parker novels. Parker is as hard boiled as it gets. Even in a world of killers, hookers, robbers, etc. He is hard boiled even to them.

One thing that amazed me was how faithful the Mel Gibson movie is to this book. Read this and see the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Fans of Burke take notice!
Review: My first exposure to the character of Parker was the 1960's movie "Point Blank." Great film and the Mel Gibson version, "Payback" isn't bad either. (Tough as Mel is, he's still no Lee Marvin.) Having said that, neither of these movies correctly depicts Parker as the mean cat he truly is. There is a whole series of these books, and I have begun the task of collecting all of them, not easy since many are out of print. If you like hard boiled fiction like Andrew Vachss or Jim Thompson I highly reccomend the Parker series.

Rating:
Summary: You will root for the bad guy...
Review: One tough, nasty little novel. Parker kills, maims and steals without second thought in his quest to avenge a double cross and recover his cut of a score gone bad. In the wake of this book, and its many sequels, there have been a lot of violent, remorseless heroes in popular fiction. But none of them come close to the cold, vicious cunning and machine-like detachment of Stark's Parker. This is crime fiction's dirtiest, and best, leading character, and The Hunter/Point Blank/Payback is the genre's ultimate yarn.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent,Parker means business
Review: Parker's,the real thing.The book is a reprint of the original classic,"the hunter".It's true crime noir.If you re tired of the goody two shoes guys,with ethical dilemas,Parker is your man.He has no emotions,he is cold ruthless,totally focused.Knows what he does and why he is doing it.I've read all of Parker novels,since there were first published,some of them 2 and 3 times.Guess what, there are always a great read.Stark delivers.A must buy.

Rating:
Summary: Power violence from Parker
Review: So, here's where it all began. The Parker books. When this was first published it was called THE HUNTER. Then John Boorman made it into a movie starring Lee Marvin and it was re-titled POINT BLANK (read this book, then see this movie), then it was made into a Mel Gibson movie and re-titled yet again as PAYBACK. Who cares? This is a great novel. Parker is the most rue character in all the hardboiled genre. Even Vachss' Burke pales a bit in comparison. I mean, Burke in nowhere near as remorseless as Parker. though I think maybe Vachss had been reading some Parker novels before writing his excellent DEAD AND GONE. Also a great revenge novel. So, Parker is double-crossed (which happens quite a lot in his world), shot and left for dead. Lucky for us, he doesn't die. He then heads out on a violent trail for vengeance. This book remains the best in the Parker series, but each and every one, old and new (and thanks Mr. Stark for bringing back Parker!) is a great read. if you like your fiction hardboiled, search no further than Parker!