Book Review: The Hunter

    Hey, everyone. Friday, I went to see Parker, the movie. I then bought a book by Richard Stark, the dude who wrote the story which the film is based on. I went ahead and bought the first book about the character, Parker; it is called The Hunter.
     The funny thing is, this book was also made into a movie, several years ago. They titled that film Payback, and it starred Mel Gibson. I loved that movie and the quick way it moved along, without a lot of wasted motion. Hey, I dig gritty crime drama, and I don't mind a bit if there is some sex or bad language thrown in.
    Don't get me wrong, The Hunter has a minimum of stuff that might offend you. It is just a good, interesting story. Here's the recipe.
     A guy known only as Parker is the central figure. It might be stretching a point to call him the hero. Why? I am glad you asked. He is a professional thief, has a moral compass like an alley cat and will kill or maim people if need be. Yet, he has a code he lives by and betrayal really ticks him off.
     While on a heist with some buddies associates, Parker is betrayed by a guy named Mal Resnick. Mal plans to kill Parker and talks Parker's wife into shooting her husband while the dude is in bed with her. Then they set fire to the building and leave with all the loot. Parker survives, though he lands in prison for a while. When he escapes, you can imagine his first and only goal in life. He plans to kill those who betrayed him.
     Parker trails the duo to New York, where Mal Resnick has gone to work for the mob called The Outfit. He and the former Mrs. Parker have had a falling out and they no longer live together. So, Parker finds her first. Since she believed that he was dead, she is pretty freaked out by his appearance. Parker refrains from killing her, but she is an addict and dies of an overdose the next day. It was suicide. Yes, in answer to your thought, it is a dark tale.
    The ruthless, tough and resourceful Parker goes around the city, abusing the criminal element until he finds out where Resnick is. He has a simple ruse. He finds someone with info. Then he gets their help or kills them. Or both. He begins to work his way up the corporate ladder of The Outfit, demanding his money and Resnick. Even after he finds and kills Mal, he still torments the mob to get back his money. He figures they owe him because Mal used the money stolen from Parker to buy his way into the outfit.
      Speaking of money...This book is pricey. I bought it as an e-book and paid $13.99 for it. I am still kicking myself for that. To me, no e-book should be more than $7 or maybe $8. I don't mean that the book isn't good or worth the money, it just irritates me. So now I have to make up my mind if I want the second book in the series, called Parker. Since I saw the flick, I may go right to #3.
    I enjoyed this book and I'd rate it as 4 stars out of 5. It is not a long novel. I'd guess that it is around 40,000 to 50,000 words, though I haven't checked it.
    From the author's green retreat, I'm CE Wills.