CRIME FICTION ALPHABET: P IS FOR..... PARKER, PHILADELPHIA, PAYDIRT

Week 16 on my Crime Fiction Alphabet journey and its time for a P.

P is for....

Parker....... Robert ? Robert B. ? T. Jefferson ? Norman ?
Plenty of choice

I'll go for the series character created by Donald E. Westlake and published as Richard Stark, which endured for 24 books. The first 16 published between 1962 and 1974, before a 23 year sabbatical and another 8 entries.

I read the first wave years ago and enjoyed them, but never got around to the second batch. Comeback is the first of the second wave.

Comeback (1997)
Before there was Pulp Fiction, before Elmore Leonard was a household name, Richard Stark was the American master of noir - telling tales of bad men and bad moves that were hailed for their cutting edge realism. Now Richard Stark, one of the most acclaimed American crime writers, is back. And so is the unforgettable character of Parker, a man who lives for the perfect crime, and refuses to die committing it. The heist went down while the people prayed. An angel walked with sagging shoulders - he was Parker's inside man, dressed in wings and robes and destined to be a problem. An hour later, Parker, Liss and Mackey were out in the shimmering heat of a stadium parking lot with four duffel bags full of cash. Then the double-cross began. Now the half-million-dollar robbery of a Christian crusade is drawing a crowd of cops, crooks and the evangelist's own unrelenting security man, a tough ex-Marine who trusts nothing and nobody. What began at a gathering of the faithful has moved into the realm of night. Here every move has a countermove, every man is on his own and every lie leads to the deadliest moments of truth.


P is for.....

Samuel Parker and one from the kindle. He's the author of 3 novels, the third of which Border Son was published last year.

Samuel Parker - Border Son (2019)

It's been years since Edward Kazmierski has seen his wayward son. In fact, it's been years since he has allowed thoughts of Tyler to even enter his mind. The last place he knew Tyler to be was in an El Paso jail six years ago. Then, in one day, he receives a cryptic phone call telling him that his son needs him in Mexico, another from a federal agent searching for Tyler, and a visit from two men he hopes to never meet again.

South of the border, the chain of events set into motion by an impulsive act will almost certainly lead to death--for Tyler and for those who try to help him. But before Ed can recover his son, he will have to tear down the wall that has been built up between them.


With insight and artistry, Samuel Parker brings the dusty and dangerous streets of a Mexican border town into sharp focus in this suspenseful reimagining of the Prodigal Son story.

P is for.....

Philadelphia - the setting for a few Duane Swierczynski books, including Revolver

Revolver (2016)

Three generations torn apart -- by bullets fired fifty years ago.

Philadelphia, 1965: Two street cops -- one black, one white -- are gunned down in a corner bar. One of the fallen officers, Stan Walczak, leaves behind a 12-year-old boy, Jimmy.

Philadelphia, 1995: Homicide detective Jim Walczak learns that his father's alleged killer, Terrill Lee Stanton, has been sprung from prison. Jim stalks the ex-con, hoping to finally learn the truth.


Philadelphia, 2015: Jim's daughter Audrey, a forensic science student, re-opens her grandfather's murder for a research paper. But as Audrey digs deeper, she comes to realize that Stanton probably didn't pull the trigger -- and her father may have made a horrible mistake...


P is for......

Paydirt from Australian author Garry Disher. Paydirt is the second in Disher's 9 book series with professional villain Wyatt.

Paydirt (1993)

Set in the South Australian outback, this novel continues the adventures of master thief Wyatt, first introduced in the author's earlier novel, "Kickback". In this novel, the Sydney mob has hired a bitter ex-policeman to kill Wyatt.


Previous Alphabet entries.....

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - A IS FOR.... AX, ABBOTT, ABERDEEN

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - B IS FOR ....... BOSTON, BIRD, BONES

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - C IS FOR.........CAPE TOWN, CONFIDENCE MEN, CROSS

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - D IS FOR ....... DETROIT, DISHER, DEAD

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - E IS FOR ....... EDINBURGH, EXCESS, ELLIS

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - F IS FOR ....... FLORIDA, FRANCIS, FLOATERS

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - G IS FOR ....... GALWAY, GUNS, GRAFTON

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - H IS FOR ....... HAMBURG, HAMMETT, HIDDEN RIVER

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - I IS FOR ....... ICE, ICELAND, IZZO

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - J IS FOR ....... JAPAN, JACK CARTER. JELLO SALAD

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - K IS FOR ....... KING, KOREA, KEEPER

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - L IS FOR ........ LE CRIME, LEONARD, LOS ANGELES 

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - M IS FOR ........ MIAMI, MACKAY, MUCHO MOJO 

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - N IS FOR ........ NORWAY, NISBET, NEMESIS

CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - O IS FOR ........ OWEN, ONE NIGHT STANDS AND LOST WEEKENDS, OXFORD