Reading order · 24 books · 1962 to 2008 · Set in various places
Parker Books in Order
Writing as Richard Stark, Donald Westlake created Parker, a cold, professional thief who plans heists with precision and deals ruthlessly with anyone who betrays him. Lean, hard and brilliantly plotted.
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Series facts
- Books
- 24
- Published
- 1962 to 2008
- First book
- The Hunter
- Latest
- Dirty Money (2008)
- Setting
- Set in various places
The reading order
Every Parker book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
24 books · Set in various places
- 1The Hunter1962With ParkerParker is betrayed by his wife and his partner after a robbery and left for dead.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Man with the Getaway Face1963With ParkerWith a new face from a plastic surgeon, Parker joins a crew planning to rob an armoured car in New Jersey.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Outfit1963With ParkerParker takes on the Outfit, the crime syndicate that wants him dead.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Mourner1963With ParkerParker is hired to steal a valuable silver statuette.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Score1964With ParkerParker and a crew of professionals plan to rob an entire mining town in North Dakota.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Jugger1965With ParkerParker travels to a small town in Nebraska after an old associate dies, to protect his own secrets.Buy on Amazon
- 7The Seventh1966With ParkerAfter a robbery at a college football game, Parker’s share of the money is stolen and his girlfriend is killed.Buy on Amazon
- 8The Handle1966With ParkerParker is hired to rob a casino on an island off the coast of Texas.Buy on Amazon
- 9The Rare Coin Score1967With ParkerParker plans to rob a coin collectors’ convention, and meets Claire.Buy on Amazon
- 10The Green Eagle Score1967With ParkerParker plans to steal the payroll from an Air Force base.Buy on Amazon
- 11The Black Ice Score1968With ParkerParker is hired to steal a cache of diamonds on display in New York.Buy on Amazon
- 12The Sour Lemon Score1969With ParkerA partner turns on Parker after a bank robbery, and Parker goes after him.Buy on Amazon
- 13Deadly Edge1971With ParkerAfter a robbery at a rock concert, killers come after Parker and Claire.Buy on Amazon
- 14Slayground1971With ParkerAfter a robbery goes wrong, Parker hides in an amusement park closed for the winter, where gangsters are hunting him.Buy on Amazon
- 15Plunder Squad1972With ParkerParker joins a crew planning to steal paintings.Buy on Amazon
- 16Butcher's Moon1974With ParkerParker returns to a city where he once hid money, and goes to war with the local mob.Buy on Amazon
- 17Comeback1997With ParkerParker plans to rob a religious revival meeting in a stadium.Buy on Amazon
- 18Backflash1998With ParkerParker plans to rob a riverboat casino.Buy on Amazon
- 19Flashfire2000With ParkerParker plans a jewel robbery in Palm Beach.Buy on Amazon
- 20Firebreak2001With ParkerParker plans to steal paintings from a millionaire’s lodge in Montana.Buy on Amazon
- 21Breakout2002With ParkerParker breaks out of jail, and then has to break into a warehouse.Buy on Amazon
- 22Nobody Runs Forever2004With ParkerParker plans to rob an armoured car in Massachusetts, while a bounty hunter is on his trail.Buy on Amazon
- 23Ask the Parrot2006With ParkerOn the run, Parker is taken in by a lonely man with a parrot, who has plans of his own.Buy on Amazon
- 24Dirty Money2008With ParkerParker goes back for the money he hid after a robbery, and finds he is not the only one looking for it.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with The Hunter, although each book stands alone.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Parker | Claire | Handy McKay | Alan Grofield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Hunter | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 2 The Man with the Getaway Face | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 3 The Outfit | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 4 The Mourner | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 5 The Score | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 6 The Jugger | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 7 The Seventh | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 8 The Handle | LLead | MMajor | ||
| 9 The Rare Coin Score | LLead | MMajor | ||
| 10 The Green Eagle Score | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 11 The Black Ice Score | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 12 The Sour Lemon Score | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 13 Deadly Edge | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 14 Slayground | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 15 Plunder Squad | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 16 Butcher's Moon | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 17 Comeback | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 18 Backflash | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 19 Flashfire | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 20 Firebreak | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 21 Breakout | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 22 Nobody Runs Forever | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 23 Ask the Parrot | LLead | ·Minor | ||
| 24 Dirty Money | LLead | ·Minor |
Characters in the Parker books
4 characters from Donald E. Westlake’s chart, with the number of Parker books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| ParkerProfessional thief | 24 | The Hunter 1962 |
| ClaireParker's partner | 16 | The Rare Coin Score 1967 |
| Handy McKayParker's friend from early jobs | 7 | The Hunter 1962 |
| Alan GrofieldActor and thief who works with Parker | 4 | The Score 1964 |