Four Parkers

I completed the first part of my Richard Stark collection. I now have all of the Parker books Stark wrote before his 23 year hiatus.

I found terrible, old paperback copies of Deadly Edge, Slayground, Plunder Squad and Butcher's Moon on eBay. In a way, this was a stupid thing to do. In September, three of these books will be republished and will be easily available for the first time since, I think, 1985. Which means the prices of these crappy old paperbacks will plummet. But I couldn't wait that long. Butcher's Moon will be reprinted in the spring of 2011 - and then no one will ever again pay $88 for an old paperback copy of it. (The art and design on these 1985 reprints is hideous. I understand shelling out good money for vintage paperbacks that look good. I'll be embarrassed to be seen reading these things in public.)

I really should have my head examined for spending so much on these books - but I don't have money left to pay for psychiatric treatment.