The Hunter

By: Richard Stark

Narrated by: John Chancer

Length: 5 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

You probably haven't noticed them. But they've noticed you. They notice everything. That's their job. Sitting quietly in a nondescript car outside a bank making note of the tellers' work habits. Lagging a few car lengths behind the Brinks truck on its daily rounds. Surreptitiously jiggling the handle of an unmarked service door at the racetrack. They're heisters. They're pros, and Parker is far and away the best of them. Tough, smart, hardworking, and relentlessly focused on his trade, he is the heister’s heister, the robber’s robber, the heavy’s heavy. You don’t want to cross him, and you don’t want to get in his way, because he’ll stop at nothing to get what he’s after.

In The Hunter, the first volume in the series, Parker roars into New York City, seeking revenge on the woman who betrayed him and on the man who took his money, stealing and scamming his way to redemption.

©1962 Richard Stark (P)2010 AudioGO

Wow! TWO movies made from this book!

How have I never heard of these series before?! This one is great and I’m about to start the second.

Good story with some terrible characters

This book series would more than certainly get an OD rating and rightfully so. It is a good example of a story with characters that just wouldn't make it nowadays.

Thanks Quentin!

Tarantino mentioned this in his “Cinema Speculation” book (a great read, by the way). Awesome, morally ambiguous hard boiled thriller with excellent performance and fun characterizations by the reader.

Dated

What did you like best about The Hunter? What did you like least?

Different twist on your normal book. This is set in the 30s and is from the perspective of a criminal. I think it was somewhat depressing overall. The author style is great and it is definitely not the run of the mill story.

Would you be willing to try another book from Richard Stark? Why or why not?

Yes, I want to see how the series is going to develop

Have you listened to any of John Chancer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was The Hunter worth the listening time?

Yes

Rare character, solid revenge story.

Wish this book was longer. It's very hard to find books that have main characters with no anxiety. Parker is a machine that moves forward with simple purpose. His introspection is simple yet interesting. The story is a bit dated, which can be good or bad depending on what your personal taste may be.

It was ok

Don’t know if main character was all that likable
But was an interesting story
To hear

Well written, but dark and carnal.

This was a well written story. But like a Quentin Terrentino story, be prepared for a dark world of greedy, selfish people doing what they do best. The narrator was top notch.

Story and narration moves steadily along

Story and narration moves steadily along, Well worth the listen, Will look for more of Stark's stories

Very Basic Crime

Fun to come across a book, no a series where you really aren't comfortable with any of the characters. This is that book, but it does hold your interest. First series where you really don't like anyone. But I'm hooked.

Hunted up a good book

Richard Stark was an author new to me. His character PARKER was supposed to die in the original draft of HUNTER,his 1st Parker novel but was persuaded by the publisher to not kill him off and he went on to write 24 novels in the series.
The character Parker is never going to win the "Good Man of the Year "award. He is flawed like Michael Corrlleone .This is his attraction but with much less polish. Parker is a smart robber with the brains to plan both heists and successful gettaways. He is definitely not someone you would want to double cross. If you are into crime/detective novels with a "film noir" flavor, the Parker series is for you.