Dave's Reviews > The Sour Lemon Score

The Sour Lemon Score is the 12th book in the Parker series by Donald Westlake, published under the name Richard Stark. It is among the best of the Parker books. Parker is a thief, a heister, a hijacker. He is known as being cold, professional, emotionless. He is the best at what he does. But Parker has his own notions of morality and they include standing by your word and dividing the loot equally. He is not sadistic or vicious. He only does what he needs to get the job done. Knowing all this about Parker (and he's fairly well known in his circles), you'd think most folks would be hip to what happens when you double-cross him. Well, George Uhl apparently didn't get the memo. Following a well executed bank robbery, Uhl turns on his three accomplices and makes off with all the dough. This opening sequence that sets the premise of the book is terrific. There is a whole novel just
packed in that opening sequence. The balance of the book is devoted to Parker catching up with Uhl,
chasing him from Bew York to Virginia to Pennsylvania. Along the way, other bad guys get wind of what Uhl is carting around and the race is on. Despite what Parker does in this story, he's not the bad guy here. He's almost an angel compared to some others in this book. The plot, the pacing, everything just works in this book as does Westlake's uncanny ability to create characters in just a sentence or two.