The Handle

n nParker, the ruthless antihero of Richard Stark's eponymous mystery novels, is one of the most unforgettable characters in hardboiled noir. Lauded by critics for his taut realism, unapologetic amorality, and razor-sharp prose style--and adored by fans who turn each intoxicating page with increasing urgency--Stark is a master of crime writing, his books as influential as any in the genre. The University of Chicago Press has embarked on a project to return the early volumes of this series to print for a new generation of readers to discover--and become addicted to.n nIn The Handle, Parker is enlisted by the mob to knock off an island casino guarded by speedboats and heavies, forty miles from the Texas coast. n nParker . . . lumbers through the pages of Richard Stark's noir novels scattering dead bodies like peanut shells. . . . In a complex world he] makes things simple.--William Grimes, New York Timesn nWhatever Stark writes, I read. He's a stylist, a pro, and I thoroughly enjoy his attitude.--Elmore Leonardn nWestlake knows precisely how to grab a reader, draw him or her into the story, and then slowly tighten his grip until escape is impossible.--Washington Post Book Worldn nDonald Westlake's Parker novels are among the small number of books I read over and over. Forget all that crap you've been telling yourself about War and Peace and Proust--these are the books you'll want on that desert island.--Lawrence Blockn