Westlake wrote under many pseudonyms as well as his own name, but the Richard Stark pseudonym was notable both for the sheer amount of writing credited to it (far more than any other … See more

While in 1966's The Handle, Parker's age is explicitly stated to be 38, Parker is, essentially, an ageless character—in the various Parker … See more

Novels by Richard Stark
The first novel in Parker's series is The Hunter (adapted to film twice: as Point Blank in 1967, and as Payback in 1999), in which he chases a past associate who betrayed him in a heist and left him for dead. He survives, … See more

Films
• Made in USA (1966) was based on the novel The Jugger and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. It starred Anna Karina as a journalist investigating the disappearance of her boyfriend. Characters were named after the writer See more

A ruthless career criminal, Parker has almost no traditional redeeming qualities, aside from efficiency and professionalism. Parker lives by one ethical principle: he will not double-cross another professional criminal with whom he is working, unless they try to double … See more

Westlake used the same structure for many of the Parker novels, a method that Library Review described as "clever."
Each book is divided … See more

Literary spinoffs and crossovers
The Westlake novel The Hot Rock (1970) was originally intended to feature Parker, but the plot, which involves a precious gem that is stolen, … See more