Parker as a dark agent of revenge is always compelling. This novel was brutal even by the standards of this series. An unnerving read -ugly and unpleasant elements. Parker does something seemingly out of character, the only reason I can think is to put him in contrast to his hideous adversaries in the story. ( )

“Now to find Uhl.”

Probably the four scariest words in this book - if you are Uhl, and Parker is the one looking for you! When will people learn? NEVER DOUBLE CROSS PARKER!!! (see book #1!)

A very good Parker adventure, short and sweet! Just like I like them! And a great last line too: "I'm going to leave you to Saugherty's wife." Muah, hah, ha... ( )

I enjoy the capers most, and this one was not focused on the job, but on the betrayal. Parker is wary of George Uhl, the driver on the job. He'd never worked with him before and he seemed nervous and fidgety. When they get back to the safe house, Uhl decides it's every man for himself, but misses Parker. Bad mistake. With only the thinnest of leads, Parker goes searching for Uhl and finds himself competing for the loot. At the end, Parker does something completely out of character too. ( )

Parker and the Greedy Heist Partner
Review of the Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook edition (March, 2012) of the Fawcett Gold Medal paperback (1969)

Richard Stark was one of the many pseudonyms of the prolific crime author Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008), who wrote over 100 books. The Stark pseudonym was used primarily for the Parker novels, an antihero criminal who is usually betrayed or ensnared in some manner and who spends each book getting revenge or escaping the circumstances.

The Sour Lemon Score finds Parker on the run after being betrayed by one of the crew after a bank heist. Per the formula of the series, Parker regroups to seek revenge and to recover his money.

Narrator Stephen Thorne does a good job in all voices in this audiobook edition.

I had never previously read the Stark/Parker novels but became curious when they came up in my recent reading of The Writer's Library: The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives (Sept. 2020) by Nancy Pearl & Jeff Schwager. Here is a (perhaps surprising) excerpt from their discussion with author Amor Towles:

Nancy: Do you read Lee Child?
Amor: I know Lee. I had never read his books until I met him, but now I read them whenever they come out. I think some of the decisions he makes are ingenious.
Jeff: Have you read the Parker books by Donald Westlake [writing as Richard Stark]?
Amor: I think the Parker books are an extraordinary series.
Jeff: They feel like a big influence on Reacher, right down to the name. Both Reacher and Parker have a singular focus on the task in front of them.
Amor: But Parker is amoral. Reacher is just dangerous.
Jeff: Right. Reacher doesn't have a conventional morality, but he has his own morality. Parker will do anything he has to do to achieve his goal.
Amor: But to your point, Westlake's staccato style with its great twists at the end of the paragraphs, and his mesmerizing central character - these attributes are clearly shared by the Reacher books.

The 24 Parker books are almost all available for free on Audible Plus, except for #21 & #22 which aren't available at all.

Trivia and Links
The movie City of Industry (1997) dir. John Irvin has a very similar plotline to The Sour Lemon Score but Richard Stark is not credited and instead the screenplay is by Ken Solarz. Harvey Keitel plays the role of the Parker equivalent character and a jewelry store is the focus of the movie heist rather than the bank heist of the book.

There is a brief plot summary of The Sour Lemon Score and of all the Parker books and adaptations at The Violent World of Parker website.

Like many of the 2010-2013 Blackstone Audio Inc. audiobook editions which share the same cover art as the University of Chicago Press 2009-2010 reprints, this audiobook DOES NOT include the Foreword by author Dennis Lehane. ( )

A good read from a master story teller: Richard Stark aka Donald Westlake. Small paperback with only 160 pages is a quick read, but plot and characters are all well drawn and satisfying. ( )