When I sent ASK THE PARROT, the previous Parker novel in the series, to Stephen Moore, my west coast agent, he said, "Oh, does that mean it's going to be a trilogy?" "No, no," I said, "This is just the next book in the series." But his question stuck in my mind. Although ASK THE PARROT had nothing to do with the book before that, NOBODY RUNS FOREVER, except that it starts one second after the previous book ends, and although ASK THE PARROT does close out its own story and characters pretty satisfactorily, it was true there were some messy strings hanging out of NOBODY RUNS FOREVER and some cash up there in New England that Parker and his associates thought they had a right to. So, thanks to Stephen Moore, DIRTY MONEY started to grow in my mind. Maybe it's more a triptych than a trilogy, where the side panels reflect on one story and the center panel reflects on something else. At any rate, it closes out the triplet, tercet, triangle, and the job is done. And no, it won't be a tetralogy. Herewith, an excerp: Chapter One

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A COMMON INTRODUCTORY PHRASE for the might-have-been conditional sentence is "I bet..." I bet if this had happened, then that wouldn't have happened; that sort of thing. It came into my head one day that the guy saying that phrase was a gambler, which would mean he would have a gambler's tale of woe to tell. Come over here, I told him, not yet knowing him, I'll listen to your tale of woe. The result was SOMEBODY OWES ME MONEY, a story toward which I've always had a soft spot. I'm delighted to see it back in the world. And the girl on the cover is just exactly what I had in mind. I bet...
(To be pulished June 2008. Chapter One)

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I SEEM TO BE SPENDING more time with John Dortmunder than I used to, and we know what our mothers told us about bad companions. I should have posted a word or two about my latest cavort with John, WHAT'S SO FUNNY? in April, when it was published, but here I am spreading the news in May. He's
obviously a pernicious influence, John, and I can only recommend you let him ruin your morals as well. WHAT'S SO FUNNY? You'll find the answer, I promise, inside the book.
(Chapter One)

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Parker returns in November, after a two year absence. He begins the new book, ASK THE PARROT, exactly where he was and in just as much trouble as in the previous NOBODY RUNS FOREVER. But does Parker run forever? Part of the answer is here.

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OBVIOUSLY, when I started LEMONS NEVER LIE, I had no idea it would be the last appearance of Alan Grofield, who had ridden shotgun in six Parker novels, THE SCORE, THE HANDLE, SLAYGROUND, DEADLY EDGE, PLUNDER SQUAD and BUTCHER'S MOON, as well as taking the wheel himself three other times, in THE DAMSEL, THE DAME and THE BLACKBIRD. He was good company, and then he went away.

I'd brought him aboard in the first place to try to lighten up Parker, which was clearly not going to happen. Still, might Parker find the need for his presence again, some time down the road? Don't ask me.

What pleases me most about LEMONS NEVER LIE is that it was the only time I can think of where I invented a plot structure. That structure, which is not an arc but three bounces, each one higher, was new, I believe. And Alan Grofield was the perfect unruffled guy to do it. Enjoy.(Sample Chapter)

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MANY YEARS AGO, I made a mighty vow that I would never write two novels about John Dortmunder in a row, but would always write at least two books about other people and other things in between. The reason was, I didn't want to overwork John, me or the reader. So far, I think the system has worked pretty well.

So what happened? After THE ROAD TO RUIN, clearly, I was supposed to write two non-John novels, and yet, WATCH YOUR BACK! is absolutely about Dortmunder, Kelp and all the rest of them. And what happened was, this was the only story I could think about. I resisted, I tried to come up with something else, but the brain refused to move until I had cleared it of this idea. So I hope it's gonna be all right. I leave it to the reader to judge.

A word about that exclamation point. Generally speaking, I don't much hold with exclamation points, and certainly not in titles, but some time after I decided this book was called WATCH YOUR BACK!, it occurred to me that there are two meanings for that phrase, the American meaning and the New York meaning (America and New York are always at odds, so why not here?), and it was the New York meaning I meant. In America, "watch your back" means be careful, someone means to do you harm. In New York, it means, "Comin' through!" Move over, in other words, or get hurt. I added the exclamation point in an attempt to juke the reader toward the New York meaning. But whatever you think the title means, I hope you like the story. (Chapter One)

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THIS WAS A VERY early novel, and the first one in which I did any experimenting. There were writers I admired -- Dashiell Hammett, Vladimir Nabokov, Peter Rabe -- who could do something I very much envied, which was to make you feel the emotion in a scene without ever referring to it directly. It all roils below the surface while the surface remains apparently calm. In 361, I set out to learn if I could do that. I enjoyed the process and enjoyed the result, and I find I still do. I'm delighted to see it back in print. (Chapter One)

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WALKING AROUND MONEY

A COUPLE YEARS AGO, Evan Hunter asked some writers, including me, to write 20,000 word novelettes to be assembled in an anthology edited by him. That's such a strange length that almost nobody ever uses it, and nor is there a market for it. Except Evan.

So okay, what the heck. Many years ago I'd heard the true story of the guy who printed tons of actual Portuguese money, planning to go to Portugal and buy the place, except that he was caught as he and the bills were leaving England. I've always wanted to use that idea somehow, but never could figure out how, until 20,000 words beckoned. And who would be involved in such a scheme if not John Dortmunder and Andy Kelp? Evan may think he just had an idea, but I think it was fate. And I thank him for being fate's emissary. TRANSGRESSIONS is the anthology title, and Evan didn't call upon no bums.

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When I have a new book coming out, I'm happy to put its first chapter here, to give a sample, help you decide if this is the special timewaster you've been searching for.
But THIEVES' DOZEN is a collection of short stories. Run the first story? Run the introduction?(go here)