Parker – Now a Major Motion Picture, Originally Published as "Flashfire"

Best book

Great novel, finished it in 2 days.

I bought this book because I have seen the film a couple of times and was curious to see if the film was close to the book. It is. My first experience of Rich Starks writing and a very enjoyable one too. Will now purchase a few more of his works to see if they are as enjoyable as this one. I like his style.

This is the third Parker "comeback" novel (Comeback, Backflash, Flashfire, Firebreak) and 17th overall. It may not be the best introduction to Parker. By this point in the series Westlake (or Stark) was clearly having fun doing everything backwards, or with a maestro's hand, and that is why I compare late Parker to late Beethoven. This book is PROFOUND.Consider the way the book starts: a gang wants Parker in on a big heist, and when he says no thanks they "rob" him of his share in the job they just pulled, which to them is a loan; to Parker, it's a double cross. At least twice before, in  The Sour Lemon Score: A Parker Novel  and in  Plunder Squad: A Parker Novel (Parker Novels) , Stark did novels where our "sympathies" are with Parker because the crooks who double-cross him are much more evil. Here, the gang is arguably nicer, and that is a twist.What next? Well, in Backflash, the heist itself was unusually long, three-quarters of the book. So, what we get in Flashfire is four heists in all by the end of part one. I won't call it "literally breathtaking," but it is pretty exhilarating. There are all sorts of twists and turnsI don't think we are supposed to sympathize with Parker. We can admire his toughness and resourcefulness, but he is a stone killer. It is Leslie, another amazing twist on the usual pulp heroinne, with whom we sympathize.I eventually saw the movie on DVD, and it may have been above average for a Jason Stratham vehicle, but they changed too much (compromised?) from a perfect book. The Sour Lemon Score: A Parker NovelPlunder Squad: A Parker Novel (Parker Novels)

You can not do with out a good cup and a Parker novel, to set you up for the day.

I normally read book series in the order in which they were written and am doing this for the Parker series, but I made an exception for "Flashfire"; ("Parker" staring Jason Statham)because I intend to see the movie. I won't say anything about the plot line except that Parker is an master thief anti-hero who does not belive in killing for the sake of it but don't try to double cross him. His heists are always well thought out but something always seeems to go wrong. How he gets out of tight spots and if he gets away with the loot, or not, makes all the Parker books a good read. The Parker books, which start with "The Hunter" are stand alone but they occasionally do reference events in the past (books) so if you have never read any of this series I recommend starting with "The Hunter" . Counting this book I have read 10 of the 24 Parker series books in the order written. "Richard Stark" is only one name under which Donald Westlake has written many books.