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This page lists novels, short story collections, and non-fiction books published as by Donald E. Westlake and crime related novels and story collections written by Westlake but published using the pen names Richard Stark, Tucker Coe, Samuel Holt and Judson Jack Carmichael.

The page also includes books edited by Westlake.

Note that the cover image are for the first edition and for a recent paperback or digital edition.

By Donald E. Westlake
- novels and story collections
- omnibus editions
- non-fiction

Edited by Donald E. Westlake
- anthologies

- Tucker Coe page
- Samuel Holt page
- Richard Stark page

The Mercenaries

Donald E. Westlake

1960

Originally published as The Mercenaries. Westlake's preferred title was The Cutie - a title that was later used for some editions. Also published as The Smashers.

" Mavis St. Paul had been a rich man's mistress. Now she was a corpse. And every cop in New York City was hunting for the two-bit punk accused of putting a knife in her. But the punk was innocent. He'd been set up to take the fall by some cutie who was too clever by half. My job? Find that cutie - before the cutie found me."

Killing Time

Donald E. Westlake

1961

"This is the story of Winston - a nice, quiet town, an Average American town...except that everyone and everything in Winston was owned by one man - a man whose money and power turned Winston into a hot-bed of sin, violence and crime that made Murder, Inc. look like Disneyland on a sunny afternoon."

361

Donald E. Westlake

1962

"The men in the tan-and-cream Chrysler came with guns blazing. When Ray Kelly woke up in the hospital, it was a month later, he was missing an eye, and his father was dead. Then things started to get bad."

The Hunter

Richard Stark

1962

A Parker novel.

Also published as Point Blank and Payback following movies with these titles based on The Hunter.

"The Hunter, the first book in the Parker series, is the story of a man who hits New York head-on like a shotgun blast to the chest. Betrayed by the woman he loved and double-crossed by his partner in crime, Parker makes his way cross-country with only one thought burning in his mind — to coldly exact his revenge and reclaim what was taken from him!"

Killy

Donald E. Westlake

1963

The Man With the Getaway Face

Richard Stark

1963

A Parker novel.

Also published with the title The Steel Hit.

"Master thief Parker comes to a plastic surgeon in Nebraska with a face that the Outfit--the New York syndicate--wants to decorate with a bullet. But nothing can keep Parker away from his old life of crime--and the major heist of an armored car somewhere in New Jersey."

The Outfit

Richard Stark

1963

A Parker novel.

"When the Outfit tries to kill him, Parker declares war. Ripping off the syndicate is easy, but going one-on-one with Bronson, the Outfit's big boss, is the hard part. Hard for anyone but Parker, because the entire underworld understands that whatever Parker does -- he does for keep."

The Mourner

Richard Stark

1963

A Parker novel.

"The statue wore white and grieved. Parker wasn’t interested in its sentimental value. The thief cared more about retrieving a certain gun that came with it, the one he had used in a previous crime that could incriminate him. By the time Parker comes face to face with the 16-inch-tall alabaster figurine called The Mourner, he knows that stealing it for a rich man and his beautiful, amoral daughter is the least of his worries. New players are coming in every minute, from strutting syndicate boys to a fat man with a heavy accent who is lighter on his feet than he looks. Now in a deadly, treacherous endgame, Parker will find out who intends to bury whom — and why no one will be crying over his grave."

Pity Him Afterwards

Donald E. Westlake

1964

"Hiding in the darkness of the trees, he was waiting for the state police car to move on, but it would not. Red lights filled the road below, flashlights began to search the woods around him. But he would not go back to Doctor Chax. He could take no more shocks. No more dying, day after day, and coming to life in pain. Whatever it takes, he will be free."

The Score

Richard Stark

1964

A Parker novel.

Also published with the title Killtown.

"It was an impossible crime: knock off a huge plant payroll, all the banks, and all the stores in one entire city in one night. But there was one thief good enough to try — Parker. All he needed was the right men, the right plan, and the right kind of help from Lady Luck. The men and the plan were easy; Lady Luck was another story. She turned out to be a good-looking blonde with a taste for booze and eyes for Parker. And Parker knew this chilling caper could either be the perfect crime… or a set-up that would land him in jail — for life."

The Fugitive Pigeon

Donald E. Westlake

1965

"Charlie Poole has a serious case of ennui. Stuck tending bar at his gangster uncle's Brooklyn saloon, he awakens from his slumber only when two hit men threaten to kill him. While on the lam, Charlie has to handle his Mafia uncle, stand up for himself, and come to terms with the beautiful woman who saves his life."

The Jugger

Richard Stark

1965

A Parker novel.

"Not many men knew what Parker did for a living, because what he did was steal. But Joe Sheer, a retired safecracker — also known in the business as a jugger — knew. He knew Parker’s alias, his whereabouts, his plans… and because he knew too much, he knew to keep his mouth shut. Or die. But Joe was more than ready to trade what he knew for a soft mattress, windows without bars on them, and what every man needs — his freedom. So Parker had come to Nebraska to find the old jugger… and probably murder him. But what Parker found was trouble: Joe was already six feet under; something very valuable was missing; and somebody was planning a funeral… Parker’s. Too bad for somebody — that Parker wasn’t an easy man to kill."

The Busy Body

Donald E. Westlake

1966

"The corpse isn't anybody special -- a low-level drug courier -- but it has been so long since the organization's last grand funeral that Nick Rovito decides to give the departed a big send-off. He pays for a huge church, a procession of Cadillacs, and an ocean of flowers, and enjoys the affair until he learns the dead man is going to his grave wearing the blue suit. Rovito summons Engel, his right-hand man, and tells him to get a shovel. Inside the lining of the blue suit jacket is $250,000 worth of uncut heroin, smuggled back from Baltimore the day the courier died. When Engel's shovel strikes coffin, he braces himself for the encounter with the dead man. But the coffin is empty, the heroin gone, and Engel has no choice but to track down the missing body or face his boss's wrath."

The Spy in the Ointment

Donald E. Westlake

1966

The Seventh

Richard Stark

1966

A Parker novel.

Also published with the title The Split.

"In The Seventh, the heist of a college football game goes bad, and the take is stolen by a crazed, violent amateur. Parker must outrun the cops — and the killer — to retrieve his cash."

The Handle

Richard Stark

1966

A Parker novel.

"The Baron ran a gambling island off the Texas coast in the Gulf’s blue waters. To Parker, it was just a floating crap game with class. To the Big Boys, it was competition they couldn’t stomach. They wanted a specialist to rob the Baron blind, pluck him like a chicken, and burn this paradise island into the sea. That’s why they sent for Parker. His price was 200 grand in cash and Crystal — a beautiful little blonde. So the pot was sweet, but the heist soon had so many twists it smelled like a brand-new lemon — and Parker knew the line between success and failure on this score would be exactly the length of the barrel of a .38."

Kinds of Love, Kinds of Death

Tucker Coe

1966

A Mitch Tobin novel.

"Mitch Tobin is a hard-nosed, disgraced ex-cop who spends his days building a wall around his back yard-until Ernie Rembeck walks into his life. Rembeck is a suave, educated mobster whose mistress has vanished along with the money he had stashed in her apartment. Now Mitch is looking for Rembeck's missing possessions and the persons responsible for their disappearance, and he is in for a wild ride."

God Save the Mark

Donald E. Westlake

1967

"What happens to Fred Fitch when his long-lost Uncle Matt dies and leaves Fred three hundred thousand dollars shouldn't happen to the ball in a pinball machine. Fred Fitch with three hundred thousand dollars is like a mouse with a sack of catnip: He's likely to attract the wrong kind of attention. dd to this the fact that Uncle Matt was murdered, by person or persons unknown, and that someone now seems determined to murder Fred as well, mix in two daffily charming beauties of totally different types, and you have a perfect setup for the busiest fictional hero since the well-known one-armed paperhanger. As Fred Fitch careers across the New York City landscape-and sometimes skyline-in his meetings with cops, con men, beautiful girls, and (maybe) murderers, he takes on some of the loonier aspects of a Dante without a Virgil."

The Damsel

Richard Stark

1967

An Alan Grofield novel.

"Alan Grofield has a knack for attracting damsels in distress. When Ellen Marie Fitzgerald comes in through his window, he dismisses the tale she tells him, until hoods come to find her, and their escape route from political intrigue may well be their last!"

The Rare Coin Score

Richard Stark

1967

A Parker novel.

"When it comes to heists, Parker believes in some cardinal rules. On this job, he breaks two of them: never bring a dame along—especially not one you like—and never, ever, work with amateurs. Nevertheless, with the help of a creep named Billy, and the lure of a classy widow, he agrees to set up a heist of a coin convention. But Billy’s a rookie with no idea how to pull off a score, and the lady soon becomes a major distraction. The Rare Coin Score marks the first appearance of Claire, who will steal Parker’s heister’s heart—while together they steal two million dollars worth of coins."

The Green Eagle Score

Richard Stark

1967

A Parker novel.

"Here's Parker-planning to steal the entire payroll of an Air Force base in upstate New York, with help from Marty Fusco, fresh out of the pen, and a smart aleck finance clerk named Devers. Holed up with family in a scrappy little town, the hoisters prepare for the risky job by trying to shorten the odds. But the ice is thinner than Parker likes to think - and Marty's ex-wife is much more complicated."

Murder Among Children

Tucker Coe

1967

A Mitch Tobin novel.

"They were just kids really, too young to have adopted the requisite pretenses of adulthood. But they sensed a new age dawning so they dropped out, left home, and moved to New York City to do their own thing, which happened to be opening a Greenwich Village coffeehouse. All was going well until a cop stopped by with his hand out, and the partners freaked out-one of them remembered she had a cousin who was a former police officer, a certain Mitch Tobin. Tobin was a different kind of dropout; he'd been expelled from the NYPD and middle-aged cynicism had long ago replaced whatever youthful ideals he might have had. Awash in shame and self-pity, Tobin does his thing by building a wall around his house in Queens. Yet when his cousin, Robin Kennely, begs for his help, Tobin reluctantly agrees to take the long subway ride into the city. Arriving at the coffeehouse, Tobin is met with a grisly scene: there's been a double murder - Robin's boyfriend and a nameless prostitute have been brutally knifed. And Robin, covered in blood, is the police's prime suspect."

Philip

Donald E. Westlake

1967

Who Stole Sassi Manoon?

Donald E. Westlake

1968

The Curious Facts Preceding My Execution and Other Fictions

Donald E. Westlake

1968

A collection of short stories. The contents are:

• The Curious Facts Preceding My Execution
• You Put On Some Weight
• Sniff
• Good Night, Good Night
• Devilishly
• Murder in Outer Space
• No Story
• The Sincerest Form of Flattery
• Just One of Those Days
• Never Shake a Family Tree
• Just the Lady We’re Looking For
• Domestic Intrigue
• One Man on a Desert Island
• The Sweetest Man in the World
• The Mother of Invention is Worth a Pound of Cure

The Dame

Richard Stark

1968

An Alan Grofield novel.

"When his client is murdered, Grofield must take his chances against the mob in the perilous depths of the Puerto Rican rain forest. The client's husband, who thinks Grofield is the murderer, wants his revenge - in blood."

Somebody Owes Me Money

Donald E. Westlake

1969

"Cab driver Chet Conway was hoping for a good tip from his latest fare, the sort he could spend. But what he got was a tip on a horse race. Which might have turned out okay, except that when he went to collect his winnings Chet found his bookie lying dead on the living room floor. Chet knows he had nothing to do with it - but just try explaining that to the cops, to the two rival criminal gangs who each think Chet's working for the other, and to the dead man's beautiful sister, who has flown in from Las Vegas to avenge her brother's murder."

Up Your Banners: A Comedy Of Controversy

Donald E. Westlake

1969

"When Oliver Abbott (100 percent white) takes a teaching post at Schuyler Colfax High School (93 percent black) that the local community wanted filled by a black man, there just isn't going to be anything in front of our hero but trouble. The trouble starts normally enough with picket signs and a student strike, but it doesn't end there, not with well-meaning Oliver at the middle of the whirlpool. Oliver just can't get it through his non-woolly head that he's important enough to be the center of a controversy. He seeks explanations, and they are furnished by a beautiful black militant name Leona Roof. When the explanations begin to get more personal, Oliver compounds his interest in Leona, and troubles with the rest of the world. If you would like to know what really happens during a Black Caucus (not exactly the same as a Black Mass), if you'd like to meet a hero's mother who makes lemonade for the people picketing the house, then lift Up Your Banners and start to read a message novel whose message is: As Long As We're All This Foolish, There's Probably Still Hope."

The Black Ice Score

Richard Stark

1969

A Parker novel.

"A corrupt African colonel has converted half his country's wealth into diamonds and smuggled them to a Manhattan safe house. Four upstanding citizens plan to rescue their new nation by stealing the diamonds back-with the help of a 'specialist' - Parker, that is. He has the best references in town. Will Parker break his rule against working with amateurs and help them because his woman would be disappointed if he doesn't? Or because three hired morons have threatened to kill him and his woman if he does? They thought they were buying an advantage, but what they get is a predated death certificate."

The Sour Lemon Score

Richard Stark

1969

A Parker novel.

"Bank robberies should run like clockwork, right? If your name’s Parker, you expect nothing less. Until, that is, one of your partners gets too greedy for his own good. The four-way split following a job leaves too small a take for George Uhl, who begins to pick off his fellow hoisters, one by one. The first mistake? That he doesn’t begin things by putting a bullet in Parker. That means he won’t get the chance to make a second. One of the darkest novels in the series, this caper proves the adage that no one crosses Parker and lives."

Deadly Edge

Richard Stark

1969

A Parker novel.

"Deadly Edge bids a brutal adieu to the 1960s as Parker robs a rock concert, and the heist goes south. Soon Parker finds himself—and his woman, Claire—menaced by a pair of sadistic, drug-crazed hippies. Parker has a score to settle while Claire’s armed with her first rifle—and they’re both ready to usher in the end of the Age of Aquarius."

Adios Scheherazade

Donald E. Westlake

1970

"It all started when somebody said if you can write a grammatical letter, you can write a sex novel. The formula: ten chapters of 5,000 words or fifteen pages each, one sex scene per chapter. Ed swallowed the bait, $1,000 a book, and in two and a half years he churned out twenty-eight formula novels. But now Ed has problems–he can’t get opus twenty-nine off the ground, if he fails to produce on time his grotty publisher will fire him, he’s flat broke and the bills are mounting, his marriage is visibly crumbling as he sweats over the typewriter and he can’t, he really c-a-n-n-o-t thump out the next novel. Compulsively typing in fifteen page stints, he stumbles from aborted chapter to aborted chapter, punctuated by flashbacks and an up-to-the-minute chronicle of his furiously sliding, uncontrollable life. The end is a whirligig of fantasy, truth and disaster. It could be funny–it really is funny. But this ingeniously constructed novel is also terribly sad."

Wax Apple

Tucker Coe

1970

A Mitch Tobin novel.

"Mitch Tobin is about to be committed. Since his abrupt dismissal from the NYPD, Tobin’s nerves have been frayed, and if it wasn’t for his work as a private detective, he might well be in need of actual psychiatric care. But during his stay at the Midway, a halfway house for those recovering from mental illness, he’ll only be impersonating a patient while trying to uncover the identity of a particularly dangerous prankster. Four booby traps have been set on the grounds of this stately old institution, each one more dangerous than the last. Tobin has only just checked in when he finds trap number five: a tripwire that sends him tumbling down the stairs, snapping his arm. This prankster is not playing around. Tobin will be lucky to leave the Midway with his life intact; hanging onto his sanity may prove even tougher."

A Jade in Aries

Tucker Coe

1970

A Mitch Tobin novel.

"Mitch Tobin's latest case draws him into the world of astrology and homosexuality when he attempts to find the killer of Jamie Dearborn before he strikes against the Brooklyn Heights gay enclave again. Tobin has to win the trust of Dearborn's friends and protect his ex-lover from a cop."

I Gave at the Office

Donald E. Westlake

1971

"Is it still possible in this age of generation gap, counterculture, revolution and militancy to write a funny novel about Caribbean dictatorships, the FBI, American business, Women’s Lib, gun-running, Erwin Rommel, divorce, pot, police brutality, the New Morality and selling rifles to the Indians? The answer is a resounding “Yes” if you happen to be one of America’s funniest writers named Donald E. Westlake, and your new novel happens to be called I Gave at the Office."

The Blackbird

Richard Stark

1971

An Alan Grofield novel.

"The Blackbird shares its first chapter with Slayground: after a traumatic car crash, Parker eludes the police, but Grofield gets caught. Lying injured in the hospital, Grofield is visited by G-Men who offer him an alternative to jail, and he finds himself forced into a deadly situation involving international criminals and a political conspiracy."

Slayground

Richard Stark

1971

A Parker novel.

"The hunter becomes prey, as a heist goes sour and Parker finds himself trapped in a shuttered amusement park, besieged by a bevy of local mobsters. There are no exits from Fun Island. Outnumbered and outgunned, Parker can't afford a single miscalculation."

Lemons Never Lie

Richard Stark

1971

An Alan Grofield novel.

"When he's not pulling heists with his friend Parker, Alan Grofield runs a small theatre in Indiana. But putting on shows costs money and jobs have been thin, which is why Grofield agrees to listen to Andrew Myers' plan to knock over a brewery. Unfortunately, Myer's plan is insane - so Grofield walks out on him. And you don't walk out on Myers."

Cops and Robbers

Donald E. Westlake

1972

"Tom and Joe have been walking the beat on the mean streets of the Big Apple longer than they can remember--or care to. They've been good cops, protecting the public and holding the line against crime and chaos in a city that has plenty of both. And all they have to show for it is a whole lot of nothing. But now the partners have devised a scheme to make all their dreams come true: the perfect heist. Tom and Joe are going to rob the fat cats on Wall Street for millions and walk away clean. With the right connections and the proper execution, there's no way their plan can fail. And that's why they're so surprised when everything goes totally, hysterically wrong."

Plunder Squad

Richard Stark

1972

A Parker novel.

"When a job looks like amateur hour, Parker walks away. But even a squad of seasoned professionals can't guarantee against human error in a high-risk scam. Can an art dealer with issues unload a truck of paintings with Parker's aid? Or will the heist end up as too much of a human interest story, as luck runs out before Parker can get in on the score?"

Don’t Lie to Me

Tucker Coe

1972

A Mitch Tobin novel.

"Linda Campbell, the woman who brought about Mitch Tobin's downfall, was back - and just as he was getting it together as a museum security guard in New York. Then Tobin discovers a body in the museum, and comes under pressure from hostile cops and a group a small-time hoodlums with a grudge."

Gangway

Donald E. Westlake and Brian Garfield

1973

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times - 1874 - when Gabe Beauchamps, former Hell’s Kitchen gangster was ‘helped’ to leave New York by ‘Boss’ Twill. His destination, chosen by Twill, is San Francisco where he arrives penniless, seasick and almost friendless. Apart from Vangie, a ravishing female pickpocket, the only part of San Francisco that impresses Gabe is the Mint with its heavily guarded gold shipments. With Vangie’s reluctant help Gabe assembles a team of unlikely but unscrupulous associates to carry out the Great Mint Robbery."

Help I Am Being Held Prisoner

Donald E. Westlake

1974

"It isn't easy going to jail for being a practical joker. Of course, this particular joke left 20 cars wrecked on the highway and two politicians' careers in tatters so jail is where Harold landed. Now he's just trying to keep a low profile in the Big House. He wants no part of his fellow inmates' plan to use an escape tunnel to rob two banks. But it's too late: he's in it up to his neck. And that neck may just wind up in a noose."

Butcher’s Moon

Richard Stark

1974

A Parker novel.

"Back in the corrupt town where he lost his money, and nearly his life, in Slayground, Parker assembles a stunning cast of characters from throughout his career for one gigantic, blowout job: starting—and finishing—a gang war. It feels like the Parker novel to end all Parker novels, and for nearly twenty-five years that’s what it was."

Brothers Keepers

Donald E. Westlake

1975

"What will a group of monks do when their century-old monastery in New York City is threatened with demolition to make room for a new high-rise? Anything they have to. In this hilarious tale of the saintly facing off against the unscrupulous, Though Shalt Not Steal is only the first of the Commandments to be broken as good men tussle with bad over that most sacred of relics, a Park Avenue address."

Two Much

Donald E. Westlake

1975

"Art doesn't mean to tell Liz Kerwin that he has a twin. He's on Fire Island, and she's so beautiful that he's willing to say anything for a chance at getting rid of her clothes. So when Liz mentions an identical twin sister, Art blurts out that he has a twin too. His name is Bart, he says, and describes the most boring man he can dream up. Liz thinks he would be perfect for her sister Betty. When Art meets Betty - who is, of course, just as lovely as her twin - she asks about his brother. Hoping for a chance at the family fortune, Art dons a pair of glasses, slicks back his hair, and soon has 'Bart' engaged to the sister. As his simple lie spins out of control, Art learns that wooing sisters is never as easy as it seems."

Dancing Aztecs

Donald E. Westlake

1976

"A small South American republic has decided to capitalize on its national symbol: a prized gold statue of a dancing Aztec priest. The president asks a sculptor to make sixteen copies of it for sale abroad. The sculptor replaces the original with one of his fakes, and ships the real one to New York City for an under-the-table sale to a museum. The statues travel to America spread out among five crates, labeled to ensure that delivery goes as planned. But it doesn't work. Asked to pick up the crate marked 'E' at the airport, delivery man Jerry Manelli, confused by his client's Spanish accent, takes crate 'A' instead. The statue disappears into the city, leading him on a baffling chase, which -- if he comes up with the wrong Aztec -- could cost him his life."

Enough

Donald E. Westlake

1977

Comprises the novel A Travesty and a novelette Ordo.

Castle in the Air

Donald E. Westlake

1980

"A South American dictator conceals millions of dollars worth of valuables in a dismantled castle being flown to Paris and a quickly assembled, international gang of thieves--each with national eccentricities--set out to steal the entire castle."

Kahawa

Donald E. Westlake

1981

"In Uganda in 1977, a particular trainload of coffee, mostly belonging to dictator Idi Amin, is worth six million dollars. As a group of scoundrels and international financiers hijack the train, the double and triple crosses pile up and the comic tension escalates in a brawling brew of buffoons, bumblers, beans and boxcars."

A Likely Story

Donald E. Westlake

1984

"Supporting one and a half families is not the ideal situation for a man who makes his living as a writer...unless he comes up with a book so certain to be a bestseller that he doesn't have to worry about money ever again. (Or maybe Mary will find a fella of her own who can start contributing to the support.) So Tom's surefire bestseller, The Christmas Book is begun, and Tom's troubles begin. His editor quits, Ginger doesn't want to get married, Mary won't give him a divorce, his new editor announces she's pregnant (and quits), the woman in an iron lung enters his life, and a third editor begins work on the book. Then things really get complicated."

Levine

Donald E. Westlake

1984

"Levine is an episodic saga, a series of six novellas (including one written expressly for this volume) laying open for examination the life of a Brooklyn cop, a man dedicated to his job and living in constant fear of the moment when his ailing heart will finally stop. Each of the stories is a gem of police procedure and pits Levine against the full assortment of activities which makes up a policeman’s lot - from talking a jumper off a ledge to dealing with a child who believes her mother to be a murderer to facing a mob gunman on a deserted spit of land."

• The Best-Friend Murder
• Come Back, Come Back
• The Feel of the Trigger
• The Sound of Murder
• The Death of a Bum
• After I’m Gone

High Adventure

Donald E. Westlake

1985

"Kirby Galway's plan to sell Mayan artifacts to unscrupulous collectors in the U.S. is nearly disrupted when he meets Valerie Greene, an earnest young archaeologist."

One Of Us Is Wrong

Samuel Holt

1986

A Sam Holt novel.

"Actor Sam Holt has packed in Packard, the TV detective he played for several years to much acclaim and lots and lots of money. But success has had its downside: Holt is so closely identified with Packard that he can't get hired to play anyone else. Suddenly, though, someone seems to have a new role for Holt: the role of Dead Body. Years of having watched stunt-drivers do their stuff help Holt avoid becoming a grease-spot on the San Diego Freeway, but his Volvo will never play the violin again. And if Holt can't figure out where the screenwriters are going with this one, he's not going to get a chance for a second take."

I Know A Trick Worth Two Of That

Samuel Holt

1986

A Sam Holt novel.

"Sam Holt spent years playing Packard, everyone's favorite TV-detective; he's got no desire to play sleuth in real life. But when a long-lost pal calls with a rant about conspiracies, sinister cargo ships and hit men - and then gets poisoned at a party full of Holt's closest friends - there doesn't seem to be a lot of choice. Sure, Holt could leave it to the cops and cross his fingers. But Packard would never have taken such a weenie's way out. And Holt, to his astonishment, finds that he can't take it, either."

High Jinx

Donald and Abby Westlake

1987

"Every year, high on a mountaintop in upstate New York, 300 or more people gather together to confront and solve a murder. A mysterious murder, a baffling and bewildering murder, surrounded by suspects and clues. There, in Mohonk Mountain House, they interrogate the suspects, they follow the trail, they compare notes and at last they learn the Truth. ..... This time, our mountain becomes a Swiss Alp, the year becomes 1938, and Mohonk Mountain House turns itself into the Hotel Kuckkkuckuhr, crammed with spies, refugees, Nazis and...murder"

Transylvania Station

Donald and Abby Westlake

1987

"Every year, high on a mountaintop in upstate New York, 300 or more people gather to confront and solve a murder. A mysterious murder, a baffling and bewildering murder, surrounded by suspects and clues. There, in Mohonk Mountain House, they interrogate the suspects, they follow the trail, they compare notes and at last they learn the Truth .... This time, our mountain becomes a bleak peak high in the Carpathians, deep in vampire country, and just beyond the end of the line. The year is 189--, and Mohonk Mountain House turns itself into the Castle Alucard, full of mystery, dark shadows, and ... sudden death."

What I Tell You Three Times Is False

Samuel Holt

1987

A Sam Holt novel.

"Sam Holt played TV-detective Jack Packard for five years, and he doesn't want to do it again. Not in a movie, not in dinner theater, not even in a commercial for the American Cancer Society. But his tough-minded girlfriend (It's not about you) has carried the day, and now he's stuck on an isolated island, hunting clues to a cancer cure alongside Charlie Chan, Miss Marple, and Sherlock Holmes. The script says they're doomed to failure (translation: Donate money to cancer research). And when a genuine murder crops up, their sleuthing isn't likely to my much more successful; after all, these folks are not famous detectives, they just play'em on TV. But with the cops cut off by a storm and a killer stalking the island, Holt and Co. must play detective for real."

Trust Me on This

Donald E. Westlake

1988

"Sara Joslyn is fresh from journalism school and ready to take on the world. Unfortunately, she has to settle for the galaxy—the Weekly Galaxy, to be precise, the sensational gossip rag where no low is too low, and no story is too outlandish to print. From finding a dead body in a car before she even finds her desk to making her bones by interviewing a pair of one-hundred-year-old twins (never mind that one of them is dead) and jockeying for brownie points against a crew of ruthless fellow reporters who will do literally anything to make the front page, Sara soon learns the ropes—how to climb them, and how to use them to strangle the competition. But when Sara gets tapped to cover the clandestine wedding of TV idol Johnny Mercer, she will have to fight tooth and nail—and pen—for every scoop and picture if she wants to stay at the top of the bottom."

Sacred Monster

Donald E. Westlake

1989

"Jack Pine was born to be a Hollywood star. He has no morals, no scruples; he will not hesitate to do anything or love anyone if it might advance his career, get him the best roles, or project him ever more firmly into the spotlight. And success does come, beyond the imagination of Jack's agents and co-stars- even beyond the hopes of his boyhood friend Buddy Pal, a man who carries with him the dark secrets of Jack's past. Buddy stands apart, aloof: he alone truly benefits from Jack's careening ambition and his artful, charming conniving. Others who depend on Jack may fall by the wayside, but how can the affable star be blamed? In fact, Jack Pine can be excused anything-until he carries out the final sin, for which there can be no pardon."

Tomorrow’s Crimes

Donald E. Westlake

1989

"A collection of crime stories set in the future blends science fiction and mystery and features the novella "Anarchaos," about a man who travels to a hellish, chaotic planet to find his brother's murderer."

• The Girls of My Dreams
• Nackles
• The Ultimate Caper
• The Spy in the Elevator
• The Risk Profession
• The Winner
• Dream a Dream
• In at the Death
• Hydra
• Anarchaos

The Fourth Dimension Is Death

Samuel Holt

1989

A Sam Holt novel.

"He's got buckets of money and two gorgeous girlfriends, but actor Sam Holt nevertheless deserves a little sympathy. He's no longer playing Packard, the TV-detective who made him famous, but he can't drum up another gig. And now some joker who looks like Holt is playing Packard in commercials for a chain of cut-rate grocery stores. No wonder Holt's a little peeved. Peevishness slides into paranoia when the joker gets his head bashed in just steps from Holt's front door. Holt may never have been a real private-eye, but with bad guys gunning for him, he's got to channel Packard and ride to his own rescue."

The Perfect Murder: Five Great Mystery Writers Create the Perfect Crime

Lawrence Block, Sarah Caudwell, Tony Hillerman, Peter Lovesey and Donald E. Westlake

Editor: Jack Hitt

1991

A collaborative novel in which five crime fiction authors provide a character with methods for committing the perfect murder.

Humans

Donald E. Westlake

1992

"A one-of-a-kind fantasy thriller, an epic struggle of good versus evil. Heaven and hell and everything in-between get in on the act, for the stakes are high, and the outcome is out of this world."

Baby, Would I Lie?

Donald E. Westlake

1994

"Branson just got a little bit more crowded. Because the murder trial of country and western star Ray Jones is about to begin, and the media has come loaded for bear. The press presence ranges from the Weekly Galaxy, the most unethical news rag in the universe, to New York City's Trend: The Magazine for the Way We Live This Instant. In the middle of the melee stands Ray Jones himself, an inscrutable good ol' boy who croons like an angel but just may be as guilty as sin - of the rape and murder of a 31-year-old theater cashier. Sara Joslyn, of Trend, isn't sure about Ray. The sardonic Jack Ingersoll, her editor and lover, is sure of this much: this time he's going to do an expose that will nail the Weekly Galaxy to the wall. A phalanx of reporters and editors from the Galaxy are breaking every rule, and a few laws, to get the inside story on Ray Jones's trial. Meanwhile, the IRS is there, too. They want all of Ray Jones's money, no matter what the jury decides. Set to the beat of America's down-home music, as raucous as a smoke-filled honky-tonk, as funny as grown men in snakeskin boots, Baby, Would I Lie? is a murder mystery, a courtroom thriller, a caper novel, and a classic Westlake gem."

Smoke

Donald E. Westlake

1995

"Due to a foiled burglary in a high-tech lab doing research for cigarette manufacturers, Freddie Noon, the thief, is now invisible. This condition has clear-cut advantages for a man in Freddie's profession, but now everybody wants a glimpse of Freddie. But Freddie doesn't dare show his face, his shadow, anything. Because Freddie Noon has gotten a taste of invisibility--and he can't quit now."

The Ax

Donald E. Westlake

1997

"Burke Devore is a middle-aged manager at a paper company when the cost-cutting ax falls, and he is laid off. Eighteen months later and still unemployed, he puts a new spin on his job search -- with agonizing care, Devore finds the seven men in the surrounding area who could take the job that rightfully should be his, and systematically kills them. Transforming himself from mild-mannered middle manager to ruthless murderer, he discovers skills he never knew ne had -- and that come to him far too easily."

Comeback

Richard Stark

1997

A Parker novel.

"The heist went down while the people prayed. An angel walked with sagging shoulders - he was Parker's inside man, dressed in wings and robes and destined to be a problem. An hour later, Parker, Liss, and Mackey were out in the shimmering heat of a stadium parking lot with four duffel bags full of cash. Then the double cross began. Now the half-million-dollar robbery of a Christian crusade is drawing a crowd of cops, crooks, and the evangelist's own unrelenting security man, a tough ex-Marine who trusts nobody and nothing. What began at a gathering of the faithful has moved into the realm of night. Here every move has a countermove, every man is on his own, and every lie leads to the deadliest moments of truth."

Backflash

Richard Stark

1998

A Parker novel.

"When the steel-nerved crook Parker receives a tip about a floating casino stuffed with cash on the Hudson River, the job is too tempting to pass up. With his usual meticulous precision, he plans every detail of the heist, from the guns to the getaway boat. His team is ready. But somebody finds out about the scheme, and soon Parker finds himself at the center of a maelstrom of greed, lies, and bullets. With no one to trust but himself, Parker must do what he does best: punch, shoot, and kill his way out of the night."

A Good Story and Other Stories

Donald E. Westlake

1999

"This collection of short fiction, selected by the author, spans a writing career of more than 40 years and illuminates the heart and soul of the antihero. A lone castaway on a desert island commits a murder for which he is the sole suspect. A genealogist learns just how far rotten apples fall from the family tree. A con man, impersonating a minister, finds religion. A tabloid journalist must solve a murder to complete his story on the death of a major television star, who happens to be a dog. A self-made widower discovers how hard it is to get rid of a wife, especially when she's dead."

• Sinner or Saint
• One on a Desert Island
• You Put On Some Weight
• The Curious Facts Preceding My Execution
• Good Night, Good Night
• The Risk Profession
• Never Shake a Family Tree
• The Mother of Invention is Worth a Pound of Cure
• Sniff
• Devilishly
• The Sweetest Man in the World
• A Good Story
• Breathe Deep
• Love in the Lean Years
• Last-Minute Shopping
• The Burglar and the Whatsit
• Skeeks
• Take It Away

The Hook

Donald E. Westlake

2000

"Wayne Prentice is a midlist author who must face the hard fact that the world no longer values his work. He has watched a pseudonym, two careers, and his sales disappear and feels like it may be time to quit writing for good. On the other hand, Bryce Proctorr fires out one bestseller after the next and has a multi-million dollar deal for his next book. Unfortunately, his divorce has given him writer's block and Bryce cannot solve his dilemma as his deadline rapidly approaches. So, Bryce proposes a partnership to Wayne: give Bryce his unpublished manuscript and the two of them can split the advance 50/50. There's just one small catch -- Wayne has to put Mrs. Proctorr six feet under."

Flashfire

Richard Stark

2000

A Parker novel.

"In Flashfire, Parker’s in West Palm Beach, competing with a crew that has an unhealthy love of explosions; when things go sour, Parker finds himself shot and trapped - and - forced to rely on a civilian to survive."

Firebreak

Richard Stark

2001

A Parker novel.

"When the telephone rang, Parker was out in the garage killing a man. Someone from his past had hired a soon-to-be-departed assassin -- and Parker wasn't one to give a guy a second chance. But where there's one cockroach, a whole nest isn't far behind. Now, with one eye over his shoulder, Parker's gotta keep focused on the project at hand: breaking into a computer mogul's compound to retrieve some priceless, purloined works of art. With new hit men on his tail and his cronies turning up the heat, Parker is feeling the pressure. Thankfully, he's always at his dead-on best when he's got a deadline."

Breakout

Richard Stark

2001

A Parker novel.

"One Way in. No Way Out. Even master criminals make mistakes. Parker's most recent sin has landed him in prison, where it's only a matter of time before the law uncovers his real name-and the extent of his astounding criminal career. To escape, Parker must ignore one of his cardinal rules and take on the only partners he can find. Yet his fellow convicts demand a price: the moment they get free, they want Parker to help them break into a former armory now storing a mother lode of precious gems. For Parker, the plan includes too many people, too many complications, and too many weak links. But with a potential big payoff just ahead, Parker is willing to jump-out of the frying pan, into the fire, and onto a scheme that will soon pit every man against every other."

Put a Lid on It

Donald E. Westlake

2002

"While awaiting sentencing at the Manhattan Correctional Center, Meehan, a career thief, is approached by a man, posing as his lawyer, who represents the presidential re-election campaign and offers to have all criminal charges against Meehan dropped if he does them one favour - steal a compromising video tape before it wreaks havoc on the president's life."

The Scared Stiff

Judson Jack Carmichael

2002

Later editions are as by Donald E. Westlake.

"Some days you just might be better off dead. At least, that's what smart-alec Barry Lee decides when yet another of his get-rich-quick schemes falls short of perfect and he finds he has only one asset left: his life. Or rather, the insurance on it. Collecting the benefits of life insurance, however, involves some painfully ultimate realities that Barry Lee would sooner avoid. So it is that Barry and Lola, his beautiful South American wife and partner in con-artistry, set out to play the globalization of the insurance industry to their advantage. The story of their journey to Lola's native Guerrera and their sure-fire scheme to pull off the perfect con, which begins with the staging of Barry's spectacular and very public accidental death, becomes increasingly perilous as he attempts to negotiate his afterlife in a world he in no way understands. To his surprise, some of Lola's more blunt-minded and ham-fisted cousins are figuring that if the whole family's going to get rich with Barry Lee dead, he's not dead enough."

Money for Nothing

Donald E. Westlake

2003

"Josh Redmont was 27 when the first check arrived, and he had absolutely no idea what it was for. Issued by "United States Agent" through an unnamed bank with an indeterminate address in D.C., someone seemed to think Josh was owed $1,000. One month later, another check arrived, and then another, and another...and Josh cashed them all. Month after month, year after year, never a peep from the IRS, never an explanation for all this seemingly found money; the checks even followed Josh from one address to another as he moved through life. Now, after a full seven years, we find him on his way to meet the wife and kids for a summer vacation. Puzzled by the approach of a smiling stranger, Josh's stomach seizes with dread when the unwanted greeting begins with, 'I am from United States Agent.' Dumbstruck, Josh attempts to feign ignorance until he hears the words, 'You are now active.'."

Nobody Runs Forever

Richard Stark

2004

A Parker novel.

"Seven men came to a meeting in Cincinnati. One wore a wire, and another didn't hesitate to kill him-fast and hard. Now Parker has left that meeting and the murder behind, and gotten involved in a scheme that is stuffed with money and trouble. In the rural northwestern corner of Massachusetts, Parker and a pal plan to steal an armored car. But the human element gets in the way. From a nervous ex-con and his well-intentioned sister to a bank manager's two-timing wife and a beautiful, relentless cop, too many people have their hands too close to Parker's pie. Then a bounty hunter, who just happens to be hunting the man who never left the Cincinnati meeting, joins the fray. Parker can see this job turning bad, yet he can't let go of the score. And when guns go off and the heist goes down, the perfect plan will explode with a sound and fury all its own."

Ask the Parrot

Richard Stark

2006

A Parker novel.

"In Ask the Parrot, Parker’s back on the run, dodging dogs, cops, and even a helicopter. Forced to work with a small-town recluse and a group of fools at a gun club in rural Massachusetts, Parker focuses on getting the cash and getting out. It'll be a deadly day at the races."

Dirty Money

Richard Stark

2008

A Parker novel.

"Master criminal Parker takes another turn for the worse as he tries to recover loot from a heist gone terribly wrong. In Nobody Runs Forever, Parker and two cohorts stole the assets of a bank in transit, but the police heat was so great they could only escape if they left the money behind. In this follow-up novel, Parker and his associates plot to reclaim the loot, which they hid in the choir loft of an unused country church. As they implement the plan, people on both sides of the law use the forces at their command to stop Parker and grab the goods for themselves. Though Parker's new getaway van is an old Ford Econoline with Holy Redeemer Choir on its doors, his gang is anything but holy, and Parker will do whatever it takes to redeem his prize, no matter who gets hurt in the process."

Memory

Donald E. Westlake

2010

Written in the early 1960s but not published until after the author's death.

"Hospitalized after a liaison with another man's wife ends in violence, Paul Cole has just one goal: to rebuild his shattered life. But with his memory damaged, the police hounding him, and no way even to get home, Paul's facing steep odds - and a bleak fate if he fails."

The Comedy is Finished

Donald E. Westlake

2012

"The year is 1977, and America is finally getting over the nightmares of Watergate and Vietnam. But not everyone is ready to let it go. Not aging comedian Koo Davis, friend to generals and presidents and veteran of countless USO tours. And not the five remaining members of the Peoples Revolutionary Army, whove decided that kidnapping Koo would be the perfect way to bring their cause back to life."

Donald Westlake Omnibus

Donald E. Westlake

1995

An omnibus edition that brings the two novels 361 and Killy.

The Parker Omnibus: Volume 1

Richard Stark

1997

A Parker omnibus.

An omnibus that brings together the three early Parker novels: Man with the Getaway Face; The Outfit; and Deadly Edge.

The Parker Omnibus: Volume 2

Richard Stark

1999

A Parker omnibus.

An omnibus that brings together the three more 1960's Parker novels: The Split (first published as The Seventh); The Score; and The Handle.

Comeback, Backflash, Flashfire: A Parker Omnibus

Richard Stark

2007

A Parker omnibus.

An omnibus that brings together the three 1990s Parker novels: Comeback; Backflash; and Flashfire.

Comeback, Flashfire: Omnibus

Richard Stark

2009

A Parker omnibus.

An omnibus that brings together the two 1990s Parker novels: Comeback and Flashfire.

Hellcats and Honeygirls

Lawrence Block and Donald E. Westlake

2010

An omnibus edition that brings back into print three collaborative novels that have been out of print for nearly five decades. These "sleaze" novels were originally published using the pen names Sheldon Lord and Alan Marshall.

The contents are:

• Introduction by Lawrence Block
• A Girl Called Honey
• So Willing
• Sin Hellcat

Murder Off the Rack: Critical Studies of Ten Paperback Masters

Editor: Jon L. Breen and Martin Harry Greenberg

1989

Includes a chapter on Peter Rabe by Donald E. Westlake.

"The surge in paperback book production in the 1950s created a market for pulp-style crime fiction written by fast-fingered authors who could pound out potboilers on tight deadlines. These are the stories of ten genre pioneers whose work still packs a punch today. Noted mystery fiction scholars analyze each author's major works and provide insight into his background, commercial success (or lack thereof), and writing style."

• Introduction (Jon L. Breen)
• Harry Whittington (Bill Crider)
• Ed Lacy (Marvin Lachman)
• Jim Thompson (Max Allan Collins)
• The novels of Vin Packer (Jon L. Breen)
• Marvin H. Albert (George Kelley)
• Fifteen impressions of Charles Williams (Ed Gorman)
• Donald Hamilton (Loren D. Estleman)
• Peter Rabe (Donald E. Westlake)
• The executioner phenomenon (Will Murray)
• Warren Murphy and his heroic oddballs (Dick Lochte)

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Once Against The Law

Editor: William Fenn & Donald E. Westlake

1968

"22 master tales of mystery and suspense dedicated to the proposition that "great writers" when they write mystery stories, write great mystery stories."

• How Mr. Hogan Robbed A Bank (John Steinbeck)
• The Garden Of Forking Paths (Jorge Luis Borges)
• The Willow Walk (Sinclair Lewis)
• The Pardoner's Tale (Geoffrey Chaucer)
• The Strange Case Of The Dead Divorce'e (Ogden Nash)
• An Illusion In Red And White (Stephen Crane)
• The Fate Of A Hero (James T. Farrell)
• The Flight Of Sikes (Charles Dickens)
• My Last Duchess (Robert Browning)
• The Burglars And The Boy (Herbert Gold)
• The Succubus (Homore' De Balzac)
• Incident On A Street Corner (Albert Maltz)
• Rendezvous (Robert M. Coates)
• Sergeant's Song (W.S. Gilbert)
• God Sees The Truth, But Waits (Leo N. Tolstoy)
• The Terror Of Rome (Alberto Moravia)
• The Ballad Of Reading Gaol (Oscar Wilde)
• The Return Of Imray (Rudyard Kipling)
• The Sheep (Joyce Cary)
• There Are 43,200 Seconds In A Day (Peter Ustinov)
• The Captive (Luigi Pirandello)

Murderous Schemes: An Anthology of Classic Detective Stories

Editor: Donald E. Westlake

1996

In association with the International Association Of Crime Writers.

"When plotting a murder (figuratively speaking), the mystery writer has at hand any number of M.O.s, including such tried and true conventions as the locked room, the unbreakable alibi, the double bluff, and the mistaken identity. Murderous Schemes offers an illuminating look at eight such mystery conventions, illustrating each with four short stories written by some of the masters of the form. The resulting collection of thirty-two tales spans a hundred and fifty years of crime fiction and includes virtually every style imaginable, from the hard-boiled detective story to the cozy armchair mystery. the differences between American and British detective fiction, and they illuminate the evolution of crime writing over time."

• Introduction (Donald E. Westlake)
• The Shadow Of The Goat (John Dickson Carr)
• What, No Butler? (Damon Runyon)
• The Leopold Locked Room (Edward D. Hoch)
• The Man Who Read John Dickson Carr (William Brittain)
• The Secret Garden (G. K. Chesterton)
• The Necklace Of Pearls (Dorothy L. Sayers)
• They Can Only Hang You Once (Dashiell Hammett)
• Busted Blossoms (Stuart M. Kaminsky)
• A Costume Piece (E. W. Hornung)
• The Impossible Theft (John F. Suter)
• Don’t Know Much About Art (Simon Brett)
• The Ultimate Caper (Donald E. Westlake)
• The Mysterious Death On The Underground Railway (Baroness Orczy)
• The Blue Geranium (Agatha Christie)
• The Adventure Of Abraham Lincoln’s Clue (Ellery Queen)
• The Affair Of The Twisted Scarf (Rex Stout)
• The Landlady (Roald Dahl)
• The Orderly World Of Mr. Appleby (Stanley Ellin)
• Bless This House (Christianna Brand)
• Someday I’ll Plant More Walnut Trees (Lawrence Block)
• “Thou Art The Man” (Edgar Allan Poe)
• The Adventure Of The Dying Detective (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
• The Master Of Mystery (Jack London)
• The Fat Man (Isak Dinesen)
• Midnight In Beauchamp Row (Anna Katharine Green)
• I’ll Be Waiting (Raymond Chandler)
• The Possibility Of Evil (Shirley Jackson)
• The Secret Lover (Peter Lovesey)
• A Jury Of Her Peers (Susan Glaspell)
• The Hands Of Mr. Ottermole (Thomas Burke)
• Tang (Chester Himes)
• Little Apple Hard To Peel (Fredric Brown)

The Best American Mystery Stories 2000

Editor: Donald E. Westlake

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

2000

"The acclaimed author of The Hook serves as guest editor for this new collection of the finest mystery tales of 1999, in an anthology that incorporates fifty pieces of short fiction by Jeffery Deaver, Shel Silverstein, Dennis Lehane, Tom Franklin, and other notable authors."

• Miracles! Happen! (Doug Allyn)
• Ghosts (David Beaty)
• Spring Right (Tom Berdine)
• Annie's Dream (Bentley Dadmun)
• Motel 66 (Barbara D'Amato)
• Jumping With Jim (Geary Danihy)
• Triangle (Jeffery Deaver)
• The Instruments of Peace (Edward Falco)
• Grit (Tom Franklin)
• Compass Rose (David Edgerley Gates)
• The Defenestration of Aba Sid (Robert Girardi)
• The Island in the River (Chad Holley)
• ICU (Edward Lee)
• Running out of Dog (Dennis Lehane)
• Sheep (Thomas H. McNeely)
• Dead Rock Singer (Martha Moffett)
• Wrong Numbers (Josh Pryor)
• The Guilty Party (Shel Silverstein)
• Forgetting the Girl (Peter Moore Smith)
• Water the Dog (Brad Watson)