Seriously, Read a Book!

We open to stage actor and sometimes bank robber, Grofield, performing his ritual nickel sacrifice upon his arrival in Las Vegas. When the game plan meeting turns out to be some sort of amateur hour pitch featuring glossy photos and poor planning, Grofield bows out. And, well, if that was the end of that, then this would be a very short story.

I picked this one up hoping for a little Richard Stark sustenance while waiting for my next Parker novel to arrive. And, while Grofield and Parker are purportedly pals, they’re also pretty different. Exhibit A: Grofield’s not exactly a fan of violence (which I would think might make an awkward moment or two when hanging with Parker). I tried not to hold Grofield’s lack of Parkerishness against him and enjoyed Stark/Westlake’s no nonsense, straightforward style.

I think what really kept me from sinking my teeth into this one was the name “Grofield,” which (especially given my concurrent presidential readings) just made me think of James Garfield and Grover Cleveland being the ultimate POTUS power couple.

Bonus points:
- Use of the word “blowhard,” which made me think of everyone’s favorite analrapist, Tobias Fünke