At the beginning of this excellent crime novel, Parker is actually runing uphill from the law dogs that have been chasing him since the authorities found his trail. Helicopters sweep overhead as he keeps moving. Parker and his crew had a bank robbery go bad in the last Parker novel 2004’s Nobody Runs Forever. At the top of the hill, his luck changes when he meets a townie who will help Parker get away if the criminal helps him with a job of his own.
The prose by Donald Westlake writing as Richard Stark is sharp and zips right along. Since Parker is the consummate professional and without emotion, the townie gets a lot of time to explain how the owners of the racetrack screwed him over and why he wants revenge on his former employer. He has a simple job planned which is complicated when a pair of local hicks want in on the big payday. The story really shines when Parker has a bad day.
The odd title comes from a silent parrot owned by the townie that bribes Parker into a partnership. Sure enough, there is a chapter from the bird’s point of view when the parrot finally chooses to speak. This is excellent work and Stark is a must read for noir fans.
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