Parker, the quintessential professional thief, finds himself in a desperate bind: a contract has been placed on his life by his former criminal associates, forcing him into an unprecedented act of self-preservation. To shed his past and evade certain death, he seeks out a disgraced plastic surgeon operating in a remote corner of Nebraska, protected by a dim-witted but formidable ex-fighter. Under the knife, Parker undergoes a radical transformation, emerging with a new face and a new, unidentifiable existence. But anonymity doesn't dampen his predatory instincts. He soon learns of an opportunity too lucrative to ignore: an armored car in New Jersey reportedly overflowing with cash, promising to be his largest score yet. As he meticulously plans and executes the audacious heist, a new complication arises in the form of Alma, a captivating and dangerous woman whose presence threatens to unravel his carefully constructed new identity and throw his escape into perilous disarray.
Critical Reception
"As the foundational second entry in the iconic Parker series, 'The Man with the Getaway Face' solidified Richard Stark's reputation for taut, uncompromising noir and established the anti-hero's enduring appeal in crime literature."
Adaptations
The novel served as the basis for the classic film 'Point Blank' (1967), starring Lee Marvin, and was later loosely adapted into 'Payback' (1999) with Mel Gibson.