More Westlake

Given yesterday's sad news, I thought it might be appropriate to revisit some of my recent posts on Westlake's work as Richard Stark. First off, there was already a significant surge of interest in his older Parker novels before his death. The U of Chicago Press has already reprinted the first three in the series; The Hunter, The Man with the Getaway Face, and The Outfit. The next three, The Jugger, The Mourner and The Score are being released in May. The new editions will have a foreward by John Banville, who has called Westlake one of the greatest writers of the 20th Century.

Darwyn Cook is also working on a graphic novel adaptation of the first four Parker novels, and Hard Case Crime will soon reprint his first novel under his own name.


If there's any such thing as a silver lining to someone's death, in this case it's the fact that the world loves a dead artist. Their should be an even greater interest in Westlake's work now that he's gone, so hopefully these projects will get the attention they deserve.


I ponder the appeal of a bastard like Parker here.

And, for the record, this is my favorite non-Stark Westlake novel.