I’ve read all Donald E. Westlake’s Parker novels and Slayground is my favorite. Parker is a professional thief and the series describes a sequence of capers where Parker steals stuff. But Slayground is different. Parker accidentally witnesses a drug transaction and flees into an abandoned amusement park. The drug dealers enter the amusement park intent on killing Parker. But they don’t know who they’re dealing with. Surprises abound.
Back in the early 1980s, Westlake gave a talk at the downtown Buffalo Library. I listened to the speech and got in line for the book signing. Westlake kindly signed the dozen books I’d brought. At that time, it had been years since he’d written a Parker novel so I asked him about that. Westlake said, “I started writing a Parker novel, but it turned out funny. It turned out to be The Hot Rock.”
Now that Westlake is gone, there won’t be any more Parker novels. And the world is poorer for that.
I agree Slayground is excellent, as is the sequel, Butcher’s Moon.
I got the first four Stark Pocket originals signed by Westlake many years ago, possibly at the Bouchercon where he gave his infamous “mysteries are finished” speech.
I bet those signed Stark Pocket Book originals are worth a mint now.