# Is "The Handle (Parker #8)" by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Handle (Parker #8) by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) (Pocket Books, 1966) is identified by: Pocket Books paperback original, 1966, with Harry Bennett cover art. Paperback original; true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pocket Books paperback original, 1966, with Harry Bennett cover art
- Parker #8
- Last of the eight Perma/Pocket Books Parkers before the series moved to Fawcett Gold Medal
- Publisher imprint reads Pocket Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) |
| Publisher | Pocket Books |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Pocket Books paperback original, 1966, with Harry Bennett cover art |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Pocket Books paperback original, 1966, with Harry Bennett cover art. Parker #8. Last of the eight Perma/Pocket Books Parkers before the series moved to Fawcett Gold Medal.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original; true first. No prior hardcover edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Confirm the Pocket Books imprint on the copyright page and the Harry Bennett cover. Later printings and reissues under other imprints exist.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Handle (Parker #8)* by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-handle-parker-8
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.