Biography
Donald E. Westlake was an American writer of crime fiction. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he published more than one hundred novels and non-fiction books, often under pseudonyms including Richard Stark. He specialised in comic capers and hardboiled thrillers, creating long-running series featuring the criminal Parker and the hapless Dortmunder.
Westlake wrote the screenplay for the 1990 film The Grifters, adapted from Jim Thompson’s novel; the script earned an Academy Award nomination and an Edgar Award. His 1997 novel The Ax was the source for the 2025 film No Other Choice. He received three Edgar Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1993.
