I've been slowly reading these books, at a rate of a couple a year or so, for a while. They're always enjoyable - sleazy but well crafted, short and punchy. Of course, some books have been better than others, but Butcher's Moon is something pretty different. It serves as a climax for the entire series, or at least did, until Westlake decided to revisit the character some 20 years after the release of this book. Characters return, Parker breaks some of his own rules, significantly longer page count, and a wild set of heists, and a rescue mission.

Westlake is not what I would call an indulgent author, but Butcher's Moon is him giving himself more room to play and flex his muscles. Butcher's Moon is an absolute blast and would have been a worthy ending to the long running series.