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Quick answer: If you liked Garry Disher's Wyatt, read Richard Stark's The Hunter and The Outfit, then try The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Rum Punch and The Hot Rock. All feature professional thieves, tight plans and heists that go wrong.
Disher's Wyatt is a hard, cool Australian thriller about a career criminal who plans jobs and survives betrayals. It follows the tradition of tough heist novels. The books below share that dry voice, careful planning and violence. All are adult crime novels, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hunter | Richard Stark | Adult | the model for Wyatt |
| The Outfit | Richard Stark | Adult | Parker series |
| The Friends of Eddie Coyle | George V. Higgins | Adult | crime dialogue |
| Rum Punch | Elmore Leonard | Adult | clever crime |
| Out of Sight | Elmore Leonard | Adult | romance and crime |
| Get Shorty | Elmore Leonard | Adult | crime comedies |
| The Hot Rock | Donald E. Westlake | Adult | comic heists |
| The Broken Shore | Peter Temple | Adult | Australian noir |
| The Dry | Jane Harper | Adult | Australian mysteries |
| Force of Nature | Jane Harper | Adult | Australian suspense |
| Bitter Wash Road | Garry Disher | Adult | more Disher |
| Drive | James Sallis | Adult | noir cool |
| The Getaway | Jim Thompson | Adult | noir classics |
| Killing Floor | Lee Child | Adult | action thriller |
| The Long Goodbye | Raymond Chandler | Adult | detective classics |
1. The Hunter by Richard Stark
Parker, a professional thief, takes revenge on the gang that betrayed him. The cold ancestor of the heist genre.
Best for: the model for Wyatt.
2. The Outfit by Richard Stark
Parker goes to war against the Mob for ruining his jobs. Lean and fast.
Best for: Parker series.
3. The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins
A small-time gunrunner in Boston tries to survive. Dialogue-driven and bleak.
Best for: crime dialogue.
4. Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard
A flight attendant and a gun dealer plot a double cross. Witty and slick.
Best for: clever crime.
5. Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard
A bank robber and a US marshal share a spark. Cool and funny.
Best for: romance and crime.
6. Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard
A loan shark heads to Hollywood and finds the film business. Snappy dialogue.
Best for: crime comedies.
7. The Hot Rock by Donald E. Westlake
A gang of thieves keeps failing to steal a gem. Funny and neat.
Best for: comic heists.
8. The Broken Shore by Peter Temple
A wounded detective investigates a murder in rural Victoria. Australian crime at its best.
Best for: Australian noir.
9. The Dry by Jane Harper
A federal agent returns to his drought-hit hometown to investigate a death. Atmospheric Australian crime.
Best for: Australian mysteries.
10. Force of Nature by Jane Harper
A woman vanishes during a corporate hike in the Australian bush. Tense and atmospheric.
Best for: Australian suspense.
11. Bitter Wash Road by Garry Disher
A disgraced officer investigates a murder in a rural town. Dark and tough.
Best for: more Disher.
12. Drive by James Sallis
A stunt driver moonlights as a getaway driver. Short, poetic and brutal.
Best for: noir cool.
13. The Getaway by Jim Thompson
A bank robber and his wife flee to Mexico. Grim, fast and dark.
Best for: noir classics.
14. Killing Floor by Lee Child
Jack Reacher arrives in a Georgia town and finds trouble. Fast and violent.
Best for: action thriller.
15. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
Philip Marlowe befriends a drunk who becomes a suspect. Sad, witty and classic.
Best for: detective classics.
How to Choose
For more Disher, read Bitter Wash Road. For the classic heist style, begin with The Hunter. For witty crime, Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch. For Australian crime, The Broken Shore and The Dry. For noir classics, The Long Goodbye. Wyatt novels are lean, so they suit readers who like clean, tough prose. Crime novels like these are lean, so you can read several in a week. Try alternating between American and Australian authors to see how setting changes tone. Library lists on noir and heist fiction are a good place to find more. If you like the Australian settings, a local travel guide or a map of Victoria can add flavor.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wyatt about?
Wyatt, a professional thief, plans a robbery in Australia and faces betrayal and danger from partners and enemies.
Is Wyatt a series?
Yes. Disher wrote several Wyatt novels, including Kickback and Port Vila Blues.
Is Garry Disher a famous author?
He is a leading Australian crime writer, known for the Challis and Destry series.
Is Wyatt violent?
Yes. It has hard violence and morally gray characters.
Is it like Richard Stark's Parker books?
Yes. Disher has cited Stark as an influence.
Where is Wyatt set?
It is set in Australia, mainly Victoria, with trips to Melbourne and other regions.
Is Wyatt a hero?
No. He is a professional thief, but the author makes him compelling.
How many Parker novels are there?
Richard Stark wrote 24 Parker novels over several decades.
Is Wyatt a good first Disher?
It is a lean introduction to his crime fiction, though the Challis books are more varied.
What age is it for?
It is for adult readers.
Is there a Wyatt prequel?
Disher wrote several Wyatt novels in sequence, but each can be read on its own.
Is Wyatt on television?
There has been no widely known adaptation.
How long is the book?
About 260 pages, and it reads fast.
Is Disher's prose spare?
Yes. He writes short, plain sentences and avoids ornament, which suits the genre.