RARA-AVIS: Stark & Disher...

From: Ron Clinton ( r-and-jclinton@email.msn.com)
Date: 28 Nov 2000


>Has anyone read Garry Disher? He's an Australian writer whom
> Westlake recommends to those who like the Parker books. Pretty clean,
> tight, hard-boiled books with a lead character thief named Wyatt.

I have a friend in Australia who's the nephew of Gary Disher and who's secured me signed copies of all six Wyatt books.

I've become quite an admirer of this series, though to a slightly lesser extent than the Parker books. The Wyatt books tend to meander and expound more than the leaner, meaner Parker novels. More plot, less focus on the protagonist. However, one element I found a bit refreshing was that the Wyatt character found his luck and fortune dwindling steadily throughout the six-book series while Parker's tend to remain somewhat constant. While one couldn't mistake Wyatt for a "kinder, gentler" Parker, he does come off as perhaps a bit more human at times.

For the most part, however, the Wyatt / Parker similarities are startling and endless, making the Wyatt series much more than a simple "homage" to the Parker legacy - and if that's okay with Westlake, it's okay with me...'cause they're terrific reads and truly shouldn't be missed by any Parker fan.

Ron Clinton

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