Flashfire

A Parker Novel

By: Richard Stark

Narrated by: Michael Kramer

In a Midwestern city, Parker calmly tosses a firebomb through a plate-glass window, while some newfound partners in crime take down a nearby bank. Making their getaway in the confusion, the bank robbers tell him two things: that this heist was only seed money for a much gaudier one, and that Parker has to loan them his share of the take.

Now Parker is rampaging through the American South, taking on a new identity as he goes, and planning his own assault on his former partners' next target, a spectacular jewelry heist in Palm Beach. But Parker didn't count on one unfortunate detail. A very bad and very stupid man knows his true identity, and wants him dead.

©2000 Richard Stark (P)2001 Books on Tape, Inc.

Entertaining and Well-Written

Good pacing, well written and entertianing. Many unabridged audiobooks seem to plod along and have much unneeded and uninteresting descrptive, this book is an excellent treat as it has none of those defects. The lead character is interesting and believable and the story which could have been slightly unbelievable in an another authors hands was perfect as written by Stark. All-in-all an excellent use of one credit!

Keep 'em coming!

Fast paced and raw. This was my first Parker novel and now I want them all. Too bad so few are available in audiobook format. The narration was fantastic, exactly matched the mood of the characters. Five stars. Keep these gems coming!

On-target, stripped-down noir

Flashfire is wonderful noir, stripped of purple prose and affectation.

The protagonist may be cold, but he's tough and smart, and he adheres at least to some criminals' code of honor. (Basically: Don't screw your partners.)

The dialogue and the propulsive plot are smart, too. Stark writes with economy and accuracy, like a boxer throwing stinging jabs or crisp combinations.

For the most part Stark avoids stereotypes like kinky serial killers, moronic small-time criminals and renegade detectives who argue with their superiors. His minor characters, like the real estate saleswoman, the small-town lawman and the Palm Beach socialites, are briefly drawn, but well-limned.

I also enjoyed Stark's matter-of-fact use of criminal tradecraft, and the leavening, on-target humor he aims at the wealthy menagerie that occupies Palm Beach.

Fun. Interesting. Exciting. Refreshing.

I loved every minute of this book. It moves effortlessly through each event....seamless. Without bombs, guns always shooting and fights, it relied on good story telling and great characters

Truly horrible protagonist

Can't image who might like this. The story is truly horrible with a nauseating, inhumane protagonist. (When a hostage tries to reach for his gun, trying to defend himself, the protagonist shoots the hostage in the gut, then throws him down the stairs. All of this even though he could have easily disarm him instead. If that's not inhumane, then I don't know what is.)

Donals Westlake wrote funny crime novels full of heart and soul as well, the complete opposite of whatever this is supposed to be. Some of those, known as the "Dortmunder novels", are brilliant. Compared to what Westlake apparently wrote under the pseudonym "Richard Stark" ... makes it hard to imagine this was actually the same author.