History Literature / Parker

* CrazyAwesome: Larry Lloyd by the end of ''Firebeak'', when, after the heist is foiled, he drives up to the crime scene, posing as a civilian employee of the house's owner, then hijacks the truck with the stolen artwork being kept as evidence.

* HazyFeelTurn: sometimes, Parker is willing to make truces with people who were trying to kill him few books ago [[spoiler: like Al Lozini and Frank Meaney]] if there's something in it for both of them.

** In ''The Hunter'', Parker's wife, Lynn, tries to kill him(and thought she did) and becomes wrought with guilt. When Parker comes back to find her, she is relieved at first. Considering it's Parker who comes back though, it doesn't last long. He doesn't even say a word to her before smacking her across her face. He doesn't care about her anymore, and only wants to find the man who betrayed him(and made Lynn try to kill him). She still loves him. She tells him that she can't sleep at night without taking pills. She thinks about how she killed him, and wished it was her. Parker offers a single piece of advice. "Take Too Many Pills." In the morning, when he finds her with an empty container in hand, he says "You always were dumb."

* CrazyAwesome: Larry Lloyd by the end of ''Firebeak'', when, after the heist is foiled, he drives up to the crime scene, posing as a civilian employee of the house's owner, then hijakcs the truck with the stolen artwork being kept as evidence.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Even the most AffablyEvil heisters are generally capable of cold-blooded murder. In ''The Black Ice Score'' the same is true of Manado, Fortumesca and Gonor; the three well-mannered, somewhat idealistic Africans Parker works with to rob their corrupt soon-to-be FormerRegimePersonnel of the country's looted treasury. Antagonits who fit this trope include Auguste Menlo and, at least in his first appearance, Adolf Lozini.

* ShootTheBuilder: In ''The Man With the Getaway Face'', a criminal on the run returns to the underworld plastic surgeon who changed his face and murders him, as the surgeon was the only one to know what his new face looks like. This causes problems for Parker, who is another client of the surgeon, as the surgeon's staff start hunting down past clients for revenge.

* ActionGirlfriend: Ed Mackey's wife Brenda doesn't take an active part in the heists but is at least as reliable and competent as Ed himself in other areas. Brenda once followed Ed to a meeting out of concern for his safety and dragged him out of a burning building after Ed was ambushed and shot by a gangster and LeftForDead by Parker. In another book, she manages to escape from a double-cross by Parker and Ed's partner and spends the rest of the book showing resourcefulness on the run.

* PunchClockVillain: Frequently. It's most notable in ''The Outfit'' where Bronson's employee Mr. Quill explains to him that most of their people view themselves as simple working stiffs, rationalizing their crimes by saying that all big corporations break the law. He says that if they were persuaded that they were in fact criminals, utterly divorced form society, then nine out of ten of them would quit on the spot and find a legitimate job. Bronson is not pleased to hear this, especially when advised that [[YouHaveFailedMe killing the employees who screwed up]] would be viewed as excessive itself and cause mass resignations.

* TheTheTitle:
** ''The Hunter''
** ''The Man With the Getaway Face''
** ''The Outfit''
** ''The Mourner''
** ''The Score''
** ''The Jugger''
** ''The Seventh''
** ''The Handle''
** ''The Rare Coin Score''
** ''The Green Eagle Score''
** ''The Black Ice Score''
** ''The Sour Lemon Score''

* PunchClockVillain: Frequently. It's most notable in ''The Outfit'' where Bronson's employee Mr. Quill explains to him that mot of their people view themselves as simple working stiffs, rationalizing their crimes by saying that all big corporations break the law. He says that if they were persuaded that they were in fact criminals, utterly divorced form society, then nine out of ten of them would quit on the spot and find a legitimate job. Bronson is not pleased to hear this, especially when advised that [[YouHaveFailedMe killing the employees who screwed up]] would be viewed as excessive itself and cause mass resignations.

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: occasionally. Notably, [[spoiler: Chambers]] in ''The Score'', who is one of the least likable group members but dies trying to keep the PsychoPartyMember from killing a bunch of innocent firemen.

* HazyFeelTurn: sometimes, Parker is willing to make truces with people who were trying to kill him few books ago [[spoiler: like Al Lozini and Frank Meaney]]. if there's something in it for both of them.

* RobbingTheMobBank: In ''The Outfit'', Parker gets sick of the contract TheMafia has placed on him. He contacts all of his independent operator associates and asks them to put into effect any plans they might have had for robbing outfit operations (which is something he had threatened to do at the end of the first novel ''The Hunter''). The third section of the novel details several of these robberies being carried out. The result is so costly to the outfit that they are willing to make peace with Parker and call off the contract.

* SympatheticInspectorAntagonist: most of the non-corrupt cops who chase Parker with any chance of success. Gwen Reversa in ''Nobody Runs Forever'' and ''Dirty Money'', Turley in ''Breakout'', Dougherty in ''The Seventh'' (although it’s undermined a bit as he lets it get personal), Captain Mondale and his men in the last two books, Sheriff Farley in ''Flashfire'', and Moxon in ''Firebreak'' ( although its zigzagged in that the subject of his attention is the heist target and his contact with Parker and his partners is more incidental). Calevecci from ''Comeback'' is a hard subversion, being honest, but an incompetent sadist.

Parker is a fictional character created by Creator/DonaldEWestlake. He is the main protagonist of 24 of the 28 novels Westlake wrote under the [[PenName pseudonym]] Richard Stark.

* DrivenToSuicide: Poor Joe Sheer, after being tortured by a CorruptHick after the loot from his heist (which he'd blown on luxuries years ago), and the clients/fingers in [[spoiler: ''Plunder Squad'' and ''Backflash'']].

* OutlawCouple: Ed and Brenda Mackey are among Parker's more recurring and reliable companions and work together well. Tommy and Noelle from ''The Sour Lemon Score'' as well, although Tommy quits after that novel while Noelle keeps at it.

Parker is a fictional character created by Donald E. Westlake. He is the main protagonist of 24 of the 28 novels Westlake wrote under the pseudonym Richard Stark.

* AmoralAfrikaner: Several of the villains from ''the Black Ice Score'' while not actual Afrikaners, are from another colonized African country that recently through out the Europeans, with these characters trying to steal the money that could fund a candidate who might let them back in.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: even the most AffablyEvil heisters are generally capable of cold-blooded murder. IN ''The Black Ice Score'' the same is true ofManado, Fortumesca and Gonor, the three well-mannered, somewhat idealistic Africans Parker works with to rob their corrupt soon-to-be FormerRegimePersonnel of the country's looted treasury. Antagonits who fit this trope include Auguste Menlo and, at least in his first appearance, Adolf Lozini.

* DevelopingDoomedCharacters: Many of the POV characters for a single chapter of the AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent sections of each book, especially members of Parker's gangs. Most notable is ''The Seventh'' where only [[spoiler: five]]. of Parker's six partners die and all but one of them had a POV section and some good scenes through other characters eyes.

* EvilCounterpart: well, eviler counterpart. Quittner, a member of the Tyler mob heavily involved in drug-trafficking is eerily similar to Parker in both personality and demeanor, and one of the few organized crime figures who really seems to understand what makes him tick. They never interact though, and Quittner only shows up in the last thirty pages of the book.

* GoKartingWithBrowser: Near the end of ''Butcher's Moon'', Dan Wycza gets distracted from the job for a while when he discovers that the casino manager he's holding hostage is a fellow health nut and they spend a while comparing opinions before it's time to go.
* GoodSamaritan: a slightly more morally gray version than usual comes from Marty form ''Breakout'', who gives a hitch-hiking Parker a ride [[spoiler: and due to being an ex-con himself lies for him when they stop at road block]].

* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Several times. Notable example include Melander's gang (who take Parker's share of the money but do plan to return it after it helps them finance a bigger score), Menlo from ''The Mourner'' and [[spoiler: Nick Dalesia]]. in the opinion of the others after he kills a cop while breaking out of custody.

* LackOfEmpathy: not always but Parker can display this pretty harshly. Notably in [[spoiler:''The Seventh'']]. after being angrily told by [[spoiler: Little Bob Negli]]. who is chasing and shooting at how his (flawed) strategy to recover the money just got the rest of their partners killed or arrested, rather than feel any concern or guilt, all Parker seizes on from that statement is that they’re the last two and he won’t have to split with the others once he kills [[spoiler: Little Bob]]. which won't violate his not-betraying-partners rule since [[spoiler: Little Bob]]. is trying to kill him.

* MurderIsTheBestSolution: both enemies and allies of Parker can use this (sometimes this turns into a RevealingCoverup). Zulf Masters in ''Flashfire'' stands out as the worst offender. To quote Parker,

* PrefersRocksToPillows: arguably Joe Skimm from the second book, who buries most of his money and lives in cheap motels.

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: occasionally. Notably, [[spoiler: Chambers]]. in ''The Score'', who is one of the least likable group members but dies trying to keep the PsychoPartyMember from killing a bunch of innocent firemen.

* TyrantTakesTheHelm: happens several times in [[spoiler: ''Butcher's Moon'']]. after the mob boss who Parker is able to work with gets murdered in a coup. First the new boss, then TheDragon, then another member of the gang all wrestle power from each other and all come across as this trope.

* ThoseTwoGuys: Wiss and Elkins, although, interestingly, they aren't explicitly this in the first book and only seem to have started working together so much afterwards. By their final appearance, it's prominent enough that its mentioned their children are dating.

* MurderIsTheBestSolution: both enemies and allies of Parker can use this but Zulf Masters in ''Flashfire'' stands out as the worst offender. To quote Parker,

Sometimes this turns into a reavealing coverup.* TheNapoleon: Little Bob Zelig in ''The Seventh''. Less than five feet tall, Zelig has a serious case of 'small man's syndrome', and Parker notes that he deliberately says things that no taller man could ever get away with. He even picks fights with Parker which, as his boyfriend points out, is tantamount to suicide. After he finally snaps and starts trying to kill Parker, [[spoiler:Parker dispassionately shoots him in the back of the head]].

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: occasionally. Notably, [[spoiler: Chambers]]. in ''The Score'', who is one of the least likablee group members but dies trying to keep the PsychoPartyMember from killing a bunch of innocent firemen.

* CrazyAwesome: Larrl Lloyd by the end of ''Firebeak'', when, after the heist is foiled, he drives up to the crime scene, posing as a civilian employee of the house's owner, then hijakcs the truck with the stolen artwork being kept as evidence.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: even the most AffablyEvil heisters are generally capable of cold-blooded murder. IN ''The Black Ice Score'' the same is true ofManado, Fortumesca and Gonor, the three well-mannered, somewhat idealistic Africans Parker works with to rob their corrupt soon-to-be FormerRegimePersonal of the country's looted treasury. Antagonits who fit this trope include Auguste Menlo and, at least in his first appearance, Adolf Lozini.

* DevelopingDoomedCharacters: Many of the POV characters for a single chapter of the NowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent sections of each book, especially members of Parker's gangs. Most notable is ''The Seventh'' where only [[spoiler: five]]. of Parker's six partners die and all but one of them had a POV section and some good scenes through other characters eyes.

* JumpingOffASlipperySlope: Several times. Notable example include Melander's gang (who take Parker's share of the money but do plan to return it after it helps them finance a bigger score), Menlo from ''The Mourner'' and [[spoiler: Nick Dalesia]]. in the opinion of the others after he kills a cop while breaking out of custody.

** Morris going to warn Parker and Claire about the men picking off members of their latest heist crew in ''Deadly Edge'' has him walking right in on those men.

* CrazyAwesome: Larrl Lloy by the end of ''Firebeak'', when, after the heist is foiled, he drives up to the crime scene, posing as a civilian employee of the house's owner, then hijakcs the truck with the stolen artwork being kept as evidence.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: even the most AffablyEvil heistersare generally capable of cold-blooded murder. IN ''The Black Ice Score'' the same is true ofManado, Fortumesca and Gonor, the three well-mannered, somewhat idealistic Africans Parker works with to rob their corrupt soon-to-be FormerRegimePersonal of the country's looted treasury. Antagonits who fit this trope include Auguste Menlo and, at least in his first appearance, Adolf Lozini.