The Mourner Audiobook By Richard Stark cover art

The Mourner

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The Mourner

By: Richard Stark
Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
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The heist was a piece of cake. It didn't bother Parker that the priceless statue was in a Russian diplomat's house… because he had no scruples about ripping off a Red. It didn't bother Parker that his ex-girlfriend had blackmailed him into pulling this job… because he figured out how to make an extra fifty grand on the deal. It did bother Parker that somebody else was trying to steal the statue first - because being second wasn't Parker's style. Whether he was up against the mob or the KGB, Parker intended to beat them all at the stealing game. Of course, he didn't count on a double cross, a two-timing blonde, and one lethal luger aimed at making him not only second, but last. Dead last.

©1963 Richard Stark (P)2011 BBC Audiobooks America Hard-Boiled Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Russia

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Engaging Plot Twists • Vivid Writing Style • Distinguishable Voices • Interesting Characters • Solid Heist Story
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This is a straight forward crime caper.
Parker is called on to steal a figurine, and you get to see how the heist is put together.
Taunt and well paced

Book 4 good stand alone plot

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If you could sum up The Mourner in three words, what would they be?

Good, Not Great

Would you recommend The Mourner to your friends? Why or why not?

I would not recommend this as the first Parker book to read. It ties up loose ends from the previous story but is not as good of a heist story as The Score. It's a solid read but with better Parker books to choose from, it's mainly for the hardcore Parker fans.

What about Stephen R. Thorne’s performance did you like?

He's straight forward, gives a universal voice without exaggerating very much.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not as much as previous Parker books.

Any additional comments?

This is solid, but not up to the level of the other Parker books I have read so far. It picks up where The Outfit lets off, but it doesn't expand much on that story which stands alone just fine, and it's not as good of a heist story as The Score which follows it.

A Good Read, But There Are Better Parker Stories

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This time, Parker did not hold my attention. I have a feeling it’s because of the narrator. He reads it like he doesn’t care. His accent is distracting and offputting. John Chancer is a much better narrator and have my attention the entire time. I’m interested in the character in the story, but the narrators delivery is really tough to work against..

Chancer is better

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The narrator does not sound as rugged as Parker would be, but the story moves along with its fair share of plot twists, turns, and betrayals that Parker must maneuver his way through. Looking forward to more stories!

The Parker Saga Continues

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but it was still good. My mind wandered at times.

KGB guy Menlo comes to the US to kill Kapor, a Russian diplomat who stole from the KGB. A woman blackmails Parker into stealing a statue from Kapor. Parker and Menlo end up working together.

I was surprised at what Parker did after he was shot. Those kind of surprises are why I like this author.

The narrator Stephen R. Thorne was ok. But I preferred John Chancer’s gravely voice for Parker. Stephen’s voice sounded too clean cut and normal for Parker, but he was good with the rest.

This is book 4 in the 24 book series. It’s about half the length of a typical novel.

Genre: noir crime fiction

It wasn’t as good as the first three books,

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This heist artist noir series us great. Listened to this one straight through. Highly recommended.

Anti hero heaven

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Parker is working and we are along for the ride. It’s good. Story is a little light.
My only real complaint is the new narrator. He is good, different voices and accents are distinguishable. My complaint is he does not bring the grit out of Parker like the previous narrator did. That’s a big part of Parker. He is a hard man, with not a lot of concern for others. This performance, was more of an accountant or librarian. Hurt the continuity, especially if you’re listening to these back-to-back.

Not as good as the first 3, but good.

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Thorne did a fair job of narration, but the rough depth of Parker's character didn't come across. This is a solid heist story, but it did not keep me as engaged as the first three did.

Solid Crime Caper That Missed The Mark

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This story is written by Donald E. Westlake as Richard Stark, a different narrator as well. After the Outfit aka Syndicate caper, Parker returned home to conclude business with Beth Harrow. If you recall, she had snatched the Bronson murder weapon before leaving, obviously wanting leverage over Parker. He needed to find out what she wanted. Beth showed up at his door with her father, Ralph in tow. After a long, exasperating background story from Dad, it came to pass that he wanted Parker to steal a priceless sixteen-inch statue called “The Mourner”. So much for the setup of the story. Now, we can return to the opening sequence of the story; burglars, “fat man” Agus Menlow, kidnapping, and rescue. Menlow’s interests were quite different than Parkers but when Parker found out, he was interested as well. Menlow, Parker, and Handy worked together on their combined interests. As we have discovered from other volumes, the business Parker pursues is ripe with the double-cross. As we have also discovered, Parker does not forgive such behavior. Another good story with interesting characters. I like this series.

The double!

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Like watching a great crime movie in your head.
In my mind’s eye Parker is played by Sterling Haydon.

Classic Parker

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