cover image The Seventh: A Parker Novel

The Seventh: A Parker Novel

Richard Stark, read by Stephen R. Thorne. AudioGO, unabridged, library edition, four CDs, 4.5 hrs., $54.95 ISBN 978-0-7927-8087-8

Originally published in 1966, Stark's novel is a classic noir crime thriller (replete with complex double-crosses within double-crosses) in which antihero Parker is looking to reclaim his share of the cash from a recent stadium robbery and find the man who murdered his woman. In this audio edition, narrator Stephen R. Thorne does an effective job rendering the thrilling game of cat and mouse, particularly Parker's cool handling of the cops working both the murder case and the stadium robbery. Yet contemporary audiences new to the noir genre may find it challenging to stay on top of the plot points, as the action and dialogue often move too quickly for casual listeners to digest. A University of Chicago paperback. (Nov.)