The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 38 books · 1962 to 2009 · Often set in New York

Donald E. Westlake

Crime and mysteryCosy and comicNoir and hardboiled

Donald E. Westlake wrote two great crime series from opposite ends. As Richard Stark he wrote the cold professional thief Parker; under his own name he wrote John Dortmunder, a gloomy genius whose perfect heists always go comically wrong.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. Many standalone novels and other pen names are left out.

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Who appears in which book

Click a name to follow that character from book to book, or a book title to see its cast.

LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Donald E. Westlake books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Parker

24 books · Set in various placesNoir and hardboiled
  1. 1The Hunter1962With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Man with the Getaway Face1963With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  3. 3The Outfit1963With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  4. 4The Mourner1963With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  5. 5The Score1964With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  6. 6The Jugger1965With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  7. 7The Seventh1966With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  8. 8The Handle1966With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  9. 9The Rare Coin Score1967With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  10. 10The Green Eagle Score1967With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  11. 11The Black Ice Score1968With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  12. 12The Sour Lemon Score1969With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  13. 13Deadly Edge1971With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  14. 14Slayground1971With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  15. 15Plunder Squad1972With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  16. 16Butcher's Moon1974With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  17. 17Comeback1997With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  18. 18Backflash1998With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  19. 19Flashfire2000With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  20. 20Firebreak2001With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  21. 21Breakout2002With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  22. 22Nobody Runs Forever2004With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  23. 23Ask the Parrot2006With ParkerBuy on Amazon
  24. 24Dirty Money2008With ParkerBuy on Amazon

Dortmunder

14 books · Set in New YorkCosy and comicNoir and hardboiled
  1. 1The Hot Rock1970With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Bank Shot1972With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Jimmy the Kid1974With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Nobody's Perfect1977With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  5. 5Why Me?1983With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  6. 6Good Behavior1986With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  7. 7Drowned Hopes1990With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  8. 8Don't Ask1993With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  9. 9What's the Worst That Could Happen?1996With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  10. 10Bad News2001With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  11. 11The Road to Ruin2004With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  12. 12Watch Your Back!2005With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  13. 13What's So Funny?2007With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon
  14. 14Get Real2009With John DortmunderBuy on Amazon

Characters

9 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

Parker's crews

The Dortmunder gang