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The Damsel

Alan Grofield, Book 1

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The Damsel

Written by: Richard Stark
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
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About this listen

Donald E. Westlake is one of the greats of crime fiction. Under the pseudonym Richard Stark, he wrote twenty-four fast-paced, hardboiled novels featuring Parker, a shrewd career criminal with a talent for heists. Using the same nom de plume, Westlake also completed a separate series in the Parker universe, starring Alan Grofield, an occasional colleague of Parker. While he shares events and characters with several Parker novels, Grofield is less calculating and more hot-blooded than Parker; think fewer guns, more dames.

Not that there isn’t violence and adventure aplenty. The Damsel begins directly after the Parker novel The Handle. Following a wounded Grofield and his damsel on a scenic, action-packed road trip from Mexico City to Acapulco, The Damsel is full of wit, adrenaline, and political intrigue.

©2012 Richard Stark (P)2013 AudioGO Hard-Boiled Mystery Crime Fiction Mexico Latin America Exciting Suspense
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It came as no surprise that the tone was lighter in an Alan Grofield novel than in a Parker novel. Lots of twists and turns to keep you interested.

Lighter than Parker

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I love Parker and his sidekick, Grofield, is a fun character. This first book with Grofield as leading man was clunky in spots, but overall a lot of fun. R.C. Bray did an excellent job.

Fun little distraction.

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In this admittedly enjoyable scenario, a criminal colleague of famed antihero 'Parker' teams up with a mysterious girl to escape some politically-motivated goons. The Richard Stark offering is well-conceived, written well, and oddly captivating. 'Alan Grofield' is an actor/gangster with a fascinating background, ingenious cleverness, and a sharp wit. The plot is both complicated and superficial, but paced beautifully and full of action.
Unfortunately, the dialogue is far too lighthearted (given the potential life & death consequences of abductions and gun-battles) - to the point where there is literally No tension. I enjoyed the book but couldn't care less what happened to any of the characters. I eventually decided to just sit back and let myself get distracted.

More fortuitously, Blackstone Audio cast R.C. Bray to read the book - which he does with typical excellence. Bray's diction, timbre, cadence, tone, and voice-acting are spot-on. Bray never ceases to impress - likely the best in the business.

I must admit that if I were given a choice of Richard Stark options: I like 'Alan Grofeld' more than the Sociopathic 'Parker'.. and the author clearly enjoys writing this character - but the book feels a little too jovial for a Crime Thriller matrix.
'The Damsel' was offered for free with my Audible membership - and that's appropriate. I rate it a fairly solid 8/10 stars, but wouldn't spend a Credit on it unless I were a diehard Stark/Westlake fan. You aren't crazy to give it a try if you haven't read him before, however. Who knows? You might become enamored.

A Bit Too Laid-Back.. But Entertaining

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