Product Description
'A straightforward, unrelenting, shamelessly romantic novel that's about a two-year obsession...It works...[and] love stories that work are almost an extinct breed . Almost.' --Santa Cruz ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Early Parker
This is apparently one of Parker's early books.It is enjoyable but not the more polished of his later works.I have been a Parker fan for many years and have read almost all of his Spenser and westerns.I will miss the new ones that he would have written.

The "Perfect" Love Story
This small love story is a deeply satisfying read, sharp-boned and achingly tender. Love stories run the spectrum from soup to nuts, bawdy to ethereal. Mr. Parker's Love and Glory seems to me to be a worthy archetype of the best of breed of a middle ground for the young and not so young reader. At its core it concerns itself with the male character's recognition of and efforts toward becoming the best man possible for the woman he loves. He works to release self pity and the arrogance and short-sightedness of youth. At the novel's end he again offers his mature love as a gift to his beloved. The icing on this luscious cake is his willingness beforehand to accept both a final rejection and the certainty that his love will occupy his heart for the rest of his life. Mr. Parker accomplishes this with the reader's great thanks: there is just enough prose to create three dimensional characters worth caring for. He does this within a relatively small book, whose story line fluidly brings us to a emotionally satisfying conclusion and whose meaning echoes in our lives. For me, after multiple readings, that's as good as it gets.

Robert B. Parker
As always Parkers Mysteries are well -written, &keep you interested. We lost a good writer of light entertainment !

big fan of parker
im a big fan of his and this was a book I didnt know he wrote so it was a pleasant surprise. I got it in a timely fashion.

Early Parker without Spenser
As a long time Parker fan I found this book to completely different from his usual books.
His usage of just 2 characters allows you to get involved in their lives even though the end of the book is somewhat farfetched.
Since it is more of a love story than his other writings it has you rooting for the poor guy who gets a Dear John letter when he is in the Army and then has you cheering for him as he is pulling himself from a "lost" life of drunkeness and despair as he strives to win back his former girl friend
I found it an enjoyable book and lets you see another aspect of Parker's writing. ... Read more

Product Description
Spenser creator Robert B. Parker returns with his newest heroine, Boston P.I. Sunny Randall, coming to the aid of three very different women in three very dangerous situations. One is for business. One is for a friend. One is for family. And all could be fatal...Amazon.com Review
What mystery fan hasn't heard by now that Robert B. Parker created his Sunny Randall series expressly for good friend Helen Hunt, with an eye toward the actress playing the petite blonde investigator on the silver screen? Although the series has been touted as a radical departure for Parker (a woman in the lead, by gum!), so strongly do Boston PI Sunny and her cohorts resemble Boston PI Spenser and his pals that the movie's casting director might prefer a blond-wigged Robert Urich. But Parker's quick quips, droll wit, and staccato dialogue are all on display in the latest Randall novel, Perish Twice, so in spite of the reworked characters, there's still plenty to enjoy.

When radical feminist Mary Lou Goddard hires Sunny to protect her from a stalker, Sunny accepts the case with some reluctance. After all, Goddard detests Rosie, Sunny's bull terrier, canine vacuum, and stakeout companion ("Rosie was in the passenger seat, staring out the side window, alert for the appearance of a strange dog at whom she could gargle ferociously."). It doesn't take Sunny long to track down and confront Lawrence Reeves, a particularly pestilential human being. But pestilence is no excuse for murder, so when Reeves and Gretchen Crane, one of Goddard's colleagues, are both found dead, Sunny dives into the murky waters of Boston's prostitution industry, where Reeves was a client and Gretchen was trying to unionize the workers. Politics and sexuality can be a nasty tangle, and the unraveling threads lead straight to mobster Tony Marcus's door. Tony may appreciate Sunny's sharp wit, but business is business: interference can--and does--lead to a bullet with her name on it. And as if all of this weren't enough, Sunny's sister and her best friend are in the throes of nasty divorces. Luckily, the leap from PI to marital counselor is well within Sunny's abilities.

While there's no doubt that rabid Parker fans will snap up anything the author turns out (and with reason), Perish Twice may be more appealing to new readers, for whom Sunny's charm will carry none of the uneasy echoes of private investigators past. --Kelly Flynn ... Read more

Customer Reviews (67)

Spenser in drag?
Really, this is Parker's male persona stuffed into a petite female form. It was like reading Spenser as a weird female impersonator. This may have been my own limitation as a reader, after enjoying so many "Spenser" novels -- but it was frankly unsettling and unsavory. Yuck. Parker is not convincing, writing in the female "voice."

Women Sleuths
I read the first three books in the Sunny Randall Series and liked them all...maybe #1 and #3 a little better than this one. I will read the next one as well. Love the characters and dialog. Easy read. Good mystery.

Smooth and intriguing
The novel perish twice was a very interesting read for me. I read it in 10 days. I was that interested. Robert B. Parker was very clever in his writingfor this. As I read it, I knew that it would end with a bang. A must read.

Perish Twice
If you like Robert B. Parker--you will like this book.I enjoyed reading Perish Twice but it was not as good as Family Honor or Melancholy Baby. I love the character Sunny Randall!I am anxious to read the rest of the series featuring her.

High Heels Hang Out. Three Limbs Crack. Reading Spice.
Having sped through the first 4 chapters of PERISH TWICE, # 2 in Parker's Sunny Randall series, I forced a pause.I had intended to read only a couple paragraphs, as I usually do for a treat when receiving new books from Amazon.Finishing the first couple paragraphs, I said, "Just a couple more."I don't know where I forgot my promise.All I know was I didn't quit reading.Each time I paused, "... few more paragraphs."

Periodically I surfaced to notice how the book was holding me captive.With that awareness percolating, I began itching to open a PC file for review notes, to avoid losing some of my thoughts about how Sunny's snarky voice and approach to problems relentlessly re-kidnaped my focus.

Beginning chapter 5, I remembered the paperback back flap describing Sunny aiding three women, one business, one friendship, the other family.The family rescue was set up in the first 4 chapters. Sunny's sister Elizabeth had stopped by Sunny's loft, quickly snagging my attention with her puzzling, unappealing stupidity, in diametric contrast to Sunny, and as evidenced by Rosie's response to Elizabeth's self-centeredness reigning as the "Queen of doesn't get it" (quoting Elizabeth's Ivy League husband, Hal Reagan).It seemed like nothing in the universe could rescue Elizabeth from stuck prissiness... except, possibly, to get a nickname like "Bunny"? (Her new job as an divorced, single woman could be a high class call girl working for Xavier, specializing in handling Ivy League men.)

I craved to keep reading until I came naturally to a point at which I actually wanted to take a break and do something else (lots of else's needed doing).Maybe if I paused to type a few first reading responses, I'd be okay with allowing a full fall into PERISH TWICE.

Was I fighting perishing twice myself? First in fire, then in ice, per the Robert Frost poem prefacing the plot.To make sense out of that question, read Parker's dedication to Joan in this one, along with the opening lines from Frost.

Was Sunny fire; Elizabeth ice? I was hoping that Sunny could pull a Spenser and save Elizabeth, even though the first few chapters made a logic-tight case against the ice thawing, and retaining anything of a self beyond an amorphous puddle of stagnant fluid.

To think there would be two more female issues Sunny would be juggling in this plot knot.I was there.

Okay, enough. Don't be Elizabeth.Get it.

After writing this much of a first draft for a review, I got myself immediately back to reading.This book was too good to get out of, and too good to avoid pausing to explain why.

What about the aid Sunny provided for friendship and business?What entertaining contrasts of female angst those provided to the corruption of Elizabeth's stagnation. Julie's marriage shakedown temporarily took away her professional aura as an MSW and sanctioned a space for a short journey into insanity.A hard core feminist hired Sunny to stop a stalker.The situation trilogy was woven together with the perfection of a master of the relationship game as it played out into murder and pleas of insanity, hot and cold.Sunny sweats to get the acts on track in a cool "Who done what to whom."And, of course, we get bonus hints on "why."

Was Frost somehow prescient of mother earth juggling an Ice Age with a hot house to improve the human temperature?Is the big SHE using that puzzling contrast to help humans see she knows her job? But, is she a good mother, Sunny might want to know.

How might enigmatic Tony Marcus have answered that, as he fanned the flames of a fascinating role in PERISH TWICE. At a prime plot point, Sunny sagely observed, "Tony didn't seem to want to hear my theories of love, anger, and ambivalence.In truth I didn't either."But, I was compelled to read them... laughing heartily here and there. I'm thanking God (Goddess?) that Robert B. Parker understands, to a large degree, what it's like to be a woman (even if he doesn't relish walking in high heels).

Respectfully Submitted,
Linda Shelnutt
Author of several Kindle books and Amazon Shorts, including:
Molasses Moon
Myrtle's Ultimate Mystery
Full Moon Rising (The Books of Gem) ... Read more

Product Description
Parker and Stone-back with another New York Times bestseller

When the sun sets in Paradise, the women get nervous. A Peeping Tom is on the loose. According to the notes he sends Police Chief Jesse Stone, he's about to take his obsession one step further.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (79)

Excellent series
I love the Jesse Stone series and read half this book in the first sitting...

A good mistake.
I ordered this book late at night, it was not the auther my grandmother asked for but, she likes this auther also.It was sent fast, with my personal note and gift wrapping.I did order another book for her, she was pleased with them.I am please with how fast and nice the books arived.
Beverly

More Trouble in Paradise
This is an entry in Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series. A Peeping Tom is on the prowl in Paradise, and Jesse and his team must hunt him down before the perp graduates to more serious criminal activity. In the meantime, Jesse also has to deal with the case of a school principal who has decided that it would be a good idea to inspect the underwear of the young female students. And, on top of all of that, Jesse must sort out his love life, which continues to be a confusing mess.

Like much of Parker's later work, this is a fairly light book that doesn't take itself too seriously. The plot is very thin, and serves mainly as a device that allows Jesse Stone and the other characters to trade witty banter for a little over three hundred pages. That said, it's not a bad book, and it's a fun way to spend an afternoon relaxing by the pool. But it's not a book that most readers will remember and still be thinking about for very long after they've finished it.

Parker wrote at least one other Jesse Stone novel before his untimely death, and in a way, that's almost too bad. "Night and Day" ends on a note of apparent resolution that would have been a fine way to close the file on these characters.

Weak storyline but the subplot works well
The late, great Robert B. Parker was one of my favorite writers.His most recent books were hit-and-miss but usually enjoyable.This one is no exception.It's a fairly mediocre main plot with only the snappy dialog of Parker's characters holding it together.But the subplot of Jesse's ex-wife is woven into this book much more cohesively than usual.The book is about obsession and control.The Peeping Tom's obsession with watching and controlling his victims.Jesse's obssession with his ex-wife and her control over him.In the end, there is resolution on both levels.

Parker fans, like me, will enjoy this book.Those just looking for a thrilling ride will not.

Night And Day
Unfortunately, after many excellent
Jesse Stone books by Parker, this one
is 80% a rehash of neurotic problems
with former lovers, A disappointment ... Read more

Product Description
Spenser's girlfriend Susan goes away with another man, Jerry Costigan, the son of a very rich and dangerous criminal. Spenser and his friend, Hawk, go to find Susan. Soon they are in the world of the CIA, guns and murder. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Too Cool, So Warm
Parker's surprising sense of humor, his knack for dialogue and his emotional and intellectual depth help to tenderly weave the classic damsel and knight theme into a hard boiled, action packed adventure. Or perhaps he hard boiled the classic them. Either way, it was refreshing for me to read the adult manner in which Spenser deals with the reality of Susan with another man. One could argue that the manner in which he goes about retrieving her is lacking in moderation but the sentiments expressed are sane, selfless, admirable and refreshing to read amidst the rushing testosterone. It's the balance of tender and hard, brain and brawn that makes Parker's work so rich. And how cool is Hawk. Great book.

Not up to par
I've read about fifteen Spenser novels, enjoyed the series thoroughly, and this is the first one I've found disappointing. The story line is more unbelievable than the rest of the series, and Spenser is out of character when he murders a pimp just to get some working capital and hires on as an assassin to get out of trouble with the feds. Worst of all is the endlessly repetitive descriptions of his angst over Susan's affair (and a lot of similar angst from Susan), which read like something Woody Allen would have churned out. Other reviewers have praised this as showing his sensitive side, but to me it was mostly tiresome psychobabble. On the plus side, his smart mouth is still present, and the jailbreak sequence was right up to snuff. If you're reading the Spenser novels in chronological order you need this as a bridge to later (and better) ones, but otherwise it's expendable.

a young and troubled Spencer
Having read most of the more recent Spencer novels, this wasnot as much fun to read as Spencer tries to reconcile his relationship with his better half.Most of the book is classic Spencer and I enjoyed it a great deal.

Catskill Eagle enlightening.
I got hooked on Parker with his Jesse Stone series and then read a couple of the latest Spencer books. I am now going back and reading them from first to latest. In later books there were references to Susan in SF but nothing really clear about the other man.I find that after finishing this book, I have a whole different prospective of Susan than I had from just reading the latest books.I think in the later books, without knowing her history, she came off as the perfect, level headed, educated, above it all, kind of woman.With this book you see a home wrecker, who didn't seem to have a conscience about it, a self centered person that wants both men and just kind of a weak personality.Really surprised me. Through out the book, I said to myself many times:"Walk away, Spencer.If she doesn't know what she wants, let her hang."Hawk and Spenser still make me laugh out loud with their banter, but I was more relieved to get through this book than anything else.

A Catskill Eagle, a Spenser Novel
Spenser is looking for Susan, has to break Hawk out of jail and become an assassin for the Government to find her. This is Parker at his best! ... Read more

Product Description
When two people are shot outside of a housing project, Spenser and Hawk must battle street gangs and lethal drug dealers in order to track the killer. By the author of Playmates. Reprint. PW. K. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Moron, wake up!
On page 31 of the paperback, a woman is described as being addicted to PCP. Her babies are described as being born addicted to PCP.

Dunce! Moron! Check out wikipedia or any other source. PCP is not addictive.

Wake up!

Classic Spenser, Classic Parker
For the loyal Spenser fans DOUBLE DEUCE is classic Spenser with Parker at the top of his game. We get Spenser, Hawk, the lovely and brilliant Susan and gang problems in the inner city. Parker gave us witty and intelligent dialogue, literary quotes, occasional good beers to try and a tough guy character many of us like hanging out with from time to time.
I'm on my second read through the entire Spenser series and am constantly impressed by his writing style, the finely tuned ear he had for dialogue, and for offering up a literate Private Eye.
It was nice too seeing him dedicate his books to his wife and kids. Family matters and it shows in the series.

a study in contrasts
When a teenage girl and her baby are killed in a drive-by shooting at the Double Deuce housing project, a group of the residents hire Hawk to solve their murders and to drive the gang out of the project. Hawk, naturally, asks Spenser to join him.

The story is a study in contrasts. While Hawk and Spenser are spending their days in the poverty-stricken, crime-ridden ghetto, Spenser's taking a stab at living with Susan in clean, comfortable relative luxury, and Hawk is dating a beautiful television reporter. The contrasts build up as Hawk and Spencer's showdown with the gang escalates, until the reporter is taken hostage and the two worlds collide.

There's also a wonderful contrast between the reporter's view of how to help the people of the Double Deuce--a well-meaning but unworkable plan that comes from a privileged point of view--and the limited but real help provided by an ex-nun who knows and understands the environment.

The eventual outcome is never really in any doubt, but this is one of those cases where it's not where you're going that's important, but how you get there. The relationships--between Hawk & Spenser and between Spenser & Susan--are intense and solid, even if Spenser and Susan's relationship is a work in progress. And the dialogue is unsurpassed. I absolutely love the dialogue.

It's a feel-good, good guys vs. bad guys story, and on one level, it's like a Steven Seagal movie, which I'll confess I have a weakness for, but its excellence is in the execution. The pacing: in particular, the elegant meshing of the two main plot threads; the characters; the action...it's all done so precisely that the work is invisible, and the story is real.

It's a first-person story, like the rest of the series, and it's very dependent on the personality of Spenser. I love the character, so I love the books. But if the character grates on you--and I can see how he could--I imagine that the whole book will, too.

Spenser and Hawk Tackle Gang Violence
DOUBLE DEUCE is an okay Spenser novel.In this book, Spenser and Hawk deal with a gang killing of a fourteen year old girl and her baby daughter.As they do so, they are forced to deal with the stark day-to-day realities of the black underclass in Boston, and how many of its children are alienated and disenfranchised from society.

I respect what Parker tried to do here -- DOUBLE DEUCE is a gritty read, designed to provokes thought about racial and class division in America.It is not, however, that great of a story.The plotline is way too short and stale, and largely boils down to a lot of macho posturing between Hawk and the main gang leader.The resolution of the plot is also quite predictable.

That being said, DOUBLE DEUCE is highly readable, and I enjoyed it enough to finish.There are much better Spenser novels out there, but if you enjoy Robert Parker's writing style, you should find this one entertaining enough to spend a few hours on.

When 2 worlds collide, no one is the winner
When 14-year-old Devona Jefferson and her three-month-old baby Crystal are shot down near the projects at 22 Hobart St (thus called Double Deuce), a committee of the residents comprised of women, old men and the reverend Orestes Tillis contact Hawk and ask him to help weed out the gangs who have taken over the neighborhood.Hawk agrees to help and brings in Spenser.Understandably suspicious of Spenser, many of the residents outright state that they do not want him there - the most outspoken being Tillis, who calls Spenser the White Satan and says that he will not support Spenser being there.Hawk says that Spenser is there with him and if anyone has a problem with that, then both he and Spenser will be on their way.

Spenser and Hawk spend a lot of time around the Double Deuce, trying to work out who runs the Hobarts (the local gang) as well as who spiked (shot) Devona and her baby.As they investigate, connections to their old "friend" Tony Marcus pops up - it seems that Marcus has been using the Hobarts to run drugs through the area.

In many ways, this was a very difficult book to read - not to say I did not enjoy it, but it was full of uncomfortable truths about the disenfranchised who surround us every day.It paints a very bleak picture of life in the projects.I would recommend this book to just about anyone - read it and think about it. ... Read more

Product Description
"Sometimes you have to wonder how Robert B. Parker keeps his mojo working. . . . There is a trick to keeping the faith with an old hero.In an age of shifty heroes with shaky values, he has created a hero who can still stand up for himself-and us." (The New York Times Book Review)

When fifty-one-year-old Nathan Smith, a once-confirmed bachelor, is found in his bed with a hole in his head made by a .38-caliber slug, it's hard not to imagine Nathan's young bride as the one with her finger on the trigger. Even her lawyer thinks she's guilty. But given that Mary Smith is entitled to the best defense she can afford-and thanks to Nathan's millions, she can afford plenty-Spenser hires on to investigate Mary's bona fides.Mary's alibi is a bit on the flimsy side: She claims she was watching television in the other room when the murder occurred. But the couple was seen fighting at a high-profile cocktail party earlier that evening, and the prosecution has a witness who says Mary once tried to hire him to kill Nathan. What's more, she's too pretty, too made-up, too blonde, and sleeps around-just the kind of person a jury loves to hate.

Spenser's up against a wall; leads go nowhere, no one knows a thing.Then a young woman, recently fired from her position at Smith's bank, turns up dead. Mary's vacant past suddenly starts looking meaner and darker-and Spenser's suddenly got to watch his back.

With lean, crackling dialogue, crisp action, and razor-sharp characters, Widow's Walk is another triumph.Amazon.com Review
It's good to see private eye Spenser back in Boston, after his ludicrous imitation of a frontier lawman in Robert B. Parker's Potshot. But he's getting nowhere investigating the gunshot murder of banker Nathan Smith in Widow's Walk. The cops figure Smith's ingenuous but unfaithful young wife, Mary, pulled the trigger. She denies it. Spenser, hired by former prosecutor Rita Fiore to help build Mary Smith the best defense her money can buy, isn't sure either way, and the more time he spends on this case (dense with business and sexual deceptions), the more perplexed he becomes.

Of course, our poetry-spouting hero finally catches a break by linking Smith's demise to a convoluted real-estate scam. The rest of the novel offers plenty of Parker's characteristically witty dialogue, the slayings of several informants that you know from the get-go are toast, and ample opportunities for Spenser and his robustly menacing sidekick, Hawk, to intimidate lesser thugs. Unfortunately, the author isn't as attentive to the needs of other series regulars, including Spenser inamorata Susan Silverman, whose restrained jealousy toward lawyer Fiore ("Rita is sexually rapacious and perfectly amoral about it. I'm merely acknowledging that") and self-flagellation over a gay client's suicide somehow add no new depth to her character.

Parker has a propulsive prose style and can still concoct engrossing stories; his 2001 standalone Western, Gunman's Rhapsody, is a fine example. Widow's Walk doesn't quite meet that standard. Though entertaining, it's an unsatisfying chapter in a series that's become too predictable. --J. Kingston Pierce ... Read more

Customer Reviews (87)

Hardboiled thriller, anyone?
This was an enjoyable enough listen, but nothing to get excited over.It is pretty standard hardboiled private eye stuff.Spenser, Parker's hero, is a tough but decent private eye and ex-cop.He seems like he could be played by Bogart.He trades quips with his even tougher Black sidekick, Hawk, as the two of theminvestigate the murder of a prominent banker.This is one of these "unravel the web" type mysteries.Not enough information is provided to solve the crime, but you could take an intelligent guess.The reader follows along with the hero as he begins to go down some mean streets and tries to force a nasty situation into the daylight.New characters are introduced, and hidden forces clearly want to shut down the inquiry.

In this case, a banker turns up dead in his bedroom, and his much younger, and seemingly dimwitted, wife is the only suspect.Spenser is hired to try to clear her.A series of intrigues appears that involves the dead man's business associates, and possibly the old pals of the young lady (who are not exactly from the posh side of town.)There are revelations of homosexuality, fraud, violence, et cetera.There is a nice twist near the end that involves the behavior of the widow.

There is a slightly stale air around this mystery.I was surprised to find that this was written in 2002, since the dialogue and attitudes struck me as being more 1970s or early 80s.For example, hotshot Spenser flirts openly, and in a somewhat sexist manner, with the ladies that he works with, something that would be unlikely to occur in the 2000s.Parker sometimes steps back to show Spenser at home with his lady, Susan.They have lunch, play with their dog, and discuss their work.It is not very interesting.Nor are the dialogue and character particularly attention-grabbing.And neither is the local color, surprisingly enough, since Parker is known for being a Boston writer.He certainly knows the town, but he does not paint an interesting picture of it.What is good here is the plotting and structure of the story - that, along with Joe Mantegna's able narration, kept me in it to the end.Mantegna is a good choice, but he is a Chicago guy - I did wonder how it might have sounded with a real Boston actor reading it.

a good read
This was a good, easy, readable book and enjoyable.Could hardly find the time to put it down.This is a Spencer book and it is good.


J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

Complex plot, personalities, violence blended with humor
My sudden interest in Robert Parker's books continues to rule my latest reading habits. Diving into Widow's Walk and reading it in a short time, I found the book to be entertaining in many respects but also rather confusing in detail. Once again master detective and cynic with an odd brand of moral fiber, Spenser, is employed to investigate the death of banker Nathan Smith. While all signs point to his widow Mary as being the murderer, Spenser is not convinced. He begins unearthing various sideline factors in the unusual Mary Smith and her entourage of acquaintances. Following a few key meetings, dead bodies and attacks begin to show up, prompting Spenser to involve Hawk, his lifelong friend and protector. As the story progresses, we find a land development scheme, homosexual behavior, criminal activities, affairs, and false information. The story ends well and everything is more or less resolved.

Parker's smooth and direct dialog coupled with a precise narrative provide the reader with an accurate framework for the complicated plot. The characters are well-defined and the events are plausible although a little extreme at times (did we really need that many murders for this story to fly?). The dialogs with Mary are quite entertaining as are the action scenes with Spenser. Using his sarcastic wit and fearless approach to solving problems, Spenser keeps the police on their toes.

Yet even though there were several murders, we never really know who the perpetrator was. The final scene implies that one person was behind it all, but we never really met the person in the book. The overly complex plot with odd connecting points seemed too geometrical and contrived. In many ways the book started well, developed nicely, and then seemed to fizzle in unnecessary complexity and confusing moments. Almost as though it were written in separate installments. Not one of my favorite Parker books, but still worth reading if only for the amusing dialogs with Mary. Several psychological insights also carried the story along and readers might not feel as connected to the main events as to the ancillary challenges.

Onward to more Parker books. A nice reading adventure for sure.

Terrible
This book reads like a poor Spenser pastiche. It is banal and most unusually for Parker it meanders all over the place. Spenser novels used to be witty light reads with pretty good mysteries. This has a really silly plot and also way too much heavy handed sermonising ,yet again ,which slows things down enormously.
I agree that the author should retire as ,although easy money for him, this is beyond embarrassing.

"Mr. Spenser, you are a little man in a big arena. You simply don't matter." (a review of the audiobook)
"Mr. Spenser, you are a little man in a big arena. You simply don't matter."

With that comment fans of Spenser know that he's going to be digging in his heels and pull even harder at all of the loose ends until he finds something he can use. That is both the beauty and the weakness of the Spenser novels - they are formulaic. Spenser has a routine and this one touches all points (help from Hawk with a tail? Check. Vinny Morris brought in to back up Hawk? Check. Bounce his case off of Susan for a new perspective? Check. Witty commentary? Check. Both the cops and the bad guys irritated with Spenser? Check. It's predictable but quite enjoyable.

The case is interesting and goes all over the place. The only real problem I had with this audiobook presentation is Joe Mantegna as the reader. Mantegna does a solid job of reading - his diction is impeccable, he can deliver a smart-aleck comment pretty well but his range of different voices is limited and his Susan Silverman voice sounded like Carey Grant to me. A four-star book is reduced to a total of three stars by the narration. ... Read more

Product Description
"Robert B. Parker has taken his place beside Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Ross MacDonald".--The Boston Globe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

Tremendous fun
A friend has been bugging me to read the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker. I resisted. I am of the generation that watched and loved the Spenser series on TV and tend to resist the written material once a movie or TV series is out. Fortunately that friend persisted and I decided to start reading.

I am a person who, when beginning a series, always starts with book one, no matter how old it is or when it came out. This book did not disappoint. Though it is a bit dated, having been published in the 70s, it still carries the air of authenticity of character that transcends the passage of time. Spenser is a wisecracking, smart PI on the hunt for a stolen manuscript and on a mission to prove the innocence of a framed girl. The story is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing. He is the imperfect hero that readers long for. I nearly finished it on my bus commute home - so transfixed that I nearly missed my stop.

Now that I've read book one, I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I have now turned into that friend insisting that another read Robert B. Parker's Spenser series.

Good Start to this Series
First in the Spenser series - funny how the genre has changed over theyears.How often do we find 200 page novels these days?Mysteries/thrillers these days are much longer and involve all types of protagonists - cops, detectives, agents, ex-military cops, etc. Spenser?Stereo-typical private eye, but Parker does it right.

While short in length, this was a solid introduction to Spenser and a couple of the recurring characters.The rating is three stars, but it probably is more like 3.5 or 3.75.Just not enough there to get it to a four star level.I am doing more and more "series" reading from the beginning (Camel Club, Jack Reacher, Lucas Davenport, Harry Bosch, etc.) and I'm glad I started the Spenser series.This first outing leaves me wanting more - so I'm jumping right into book #2, God Save the Child.

Spenser - the beginning
First Sentence:The office of the university president looked like the front parlor of a successful Victorian whorehouse.

Boston PI Spenser (with an "s" like the poet) has been hired by a university president to recover a 14th century illuminated manuscript. He is directed to a SCARE, the Student committee Against Capitalist Exploitation and Terry Orchard, one of the members, whom he finds along with her aggressive boyfriend, Dennis.Spenser receives a 2 a.m. call and finds Terry drugged. Dennis dead and the evidence of a professional hit.

I've not read this book since the 1970s and it is an interesting cultural look back.I am very happy fashions have changed away from white vinyl boots and leisure suits and that technology has advanced from mimeographsand typewriters.As silly as some of the slang sounds today, at least it wasn't as profane as today's speech.

It is also interesting looking at Spenser in his later 30s.He still thought he was funnier than anyone else did.This is a pre-Hawk, pre-Susan Spencer.As annoying as Susan can be, the one thing she did bring to the series was Spenser's monogamy.

What hasn't changed is Spenser's doggedness, determination to see the case through, dedication to the innocent and his cooking.I am always amazed that he has just the right ingredients in his kitchen to make a wonderful meal.

What Parker did extremely well was description, dialogue and plot.With a very few words, you knew where you were and the other characters in the scene.He often employed analogies--"The wet wool smelled like a grammar room coatroom."--which put you right into his scene.His dialogue, even with the slang of the period, was always tight, crisp and real.As to plot, the story started a bit light and annoying.However, once it took hold, it hit its stride and I was completely engrossed.

Re-reading this very first book makes it clear as to why I have read every other book Parker wrote.

THE GODWULF MANUSCRIPT (PI-Spenser-Boston-Cont/1973) - VG
Parker, Robert B. - 1st of series
A Dell Book, ©1973, US Paperback - ISBN:04401129613

The Writer Behind The Manuscript
Author Robert B. Parker recently passed away and with that passing all of us lost a little something as well. But then with his books we all gained something too which is why I'm starting over again with The Godwulf Manuscript. It has been years since I read it and two days into the book I remembered why I came to be a fan.
There is more behind Spenser than the wise cracking Private Detective and there was more behind Mr. Parker than just the mystery writer. There is good social commentary, good dialogue and wit, and a strong sense of the need and hope for justice.
This is the first book in the Spenser series and it is well written, entertaining, and a brilliant look at the times (1970s.) So if you're fan and haven't read this one or perhaps haven't read it in awhile pick it up again, start over and rekindle that passion, warmth or overall good feeling you get when finding a 'good read.'
You'll be missed Robert B. Parker but you will not be soon forgotten.

THE BEGINNING
Ok so I am old enough to admit watching SPENSER FOR HIRE on television.Somehow I have never read any of the many Spenser books.I like to start at the beginning so here was THE GODWULF MANUSCRIPT.I enjoyed it very much, it is a one day almost one sitting read.Pretty normal detective stuff but Spenser is so funny, its great.Looking forward to the second novel.Recommended, what else? ... Read more

Product Description
Stone investigates a shocking double murder-that of a controversial radio talk-show host and his pregnant mistress. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (91)

Not a good book..
I'm sorry. I'm a big Parker fan, both of his Spenser series and his Westerns.I read a few early Jesse Stone books and wasn't too impressed, but whnn I saw this at a discount store,I thought I'd give it a try.

Not worth it. A salient feature of most good books is that you like or least can empathize with the character. Some character, anyway. But Jesse Stone is just a sucker, a total dope who is admittedly a decent cop. The minimalist dialogue seems draggy because you really don't like Stone the sucker much. Feel sorry for him, yes. Like him, no. Or anyone else in this slow and stupid book. OK, maybe Sonny Randall's dog. But that's not enough.

A poor book. Even at a discount..

Robert Parker Books
Great story and love the TV stories, from Parker's books, about Jesse Stone. (Tom Selick)

a good read
This is another Jesse Stone book and as always they are good books to read.Hard to put down because you want to find out what is happening and how Jesse is able to solve the problems that arise.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

Well-crafted, finely written, but unoriginal story
Having seen several Jesse Stone movies on television, I decided it would be entertaining to read about him rather than see him. Unfortunately or perhaps accurately, it is hard to escape seeing Tom Selleck when reading a Jesse Stone book! The story begins with a double murder, one of which is a high profile writer and television star. His murder brings attention to the town of Paradise with the Governor of Massachusetts getting involved.

As Stone investigates he discovers a womanizer with two ex-wives, a wife, and a current girlfriend plus a suspicious bodyguard and an assortment of lawyers. With a large estate at stake, Stone intuitively knows that greed and passion are likely motives behind the murders. Uncovering lies, manipulations, adultery, and apathy toward the deceased, Jesse Stone forces the killer to reveal himself. In the midst of the investigation Stone continues to be confused about his own alcoholism and the unhealthy power his ex-wife has over him.

Enters Sunny Randall, Stone's latest interest, to protect his ex-wife from a supposed rapist. She does so only to discover more lies and deceit. Confronting Jenn, Jesse knows he should reject her permanently but is unable to do so. Several psychological insights abound referencing the complexity of relationships, sex, and power making High Profile read like a Raymond Chandler or John D. MacDonald book of old.

Aside from the unoriginal story--wife and former lover plan the demise of a wealthy television personality--High Profile is a fine mystery demonstrating the anguish of people's lives. Although flawed, Jesse Stone is an excellent chief of police determined to ferret out the killer. Smooth prose, terse dialog, clever craftsmanship, and perceptive human insights come together to give an exciting and engaging reading experience.

High Rockford File Murder
Another in the long line of Jesse Stone stories set in comfortable Cape Cod.It is amazing how much crime takes place in Paradise but here is another one, this time a egomaniacal radio host and his girlfriend are murdered. These are not particularly good books, probably took as long to write as it did to read. The best part is it reminds me of my youth, watching the Rockford Files every afternoon, because this would have made a good episode if Parker was able to work in a few jokes about fishing or answering machines.At least they dont frame up Jesse Stone for the murder and let him cool off in the joint for a few days.

In this story we have a not so bright murderer who assumes he will cross paths with a small town drunk-by-lunch police chief who will be completely stymied by some of the basic subterfuges that the criminal mind invents to make this look like something else.Instead he finds himself cast as a one armed man in a battle of wits with Jesse Stone, former LA detective.Stone is distracted by former and present girlfriends, and their real and imagined victimization, so it takes him a few chapters to put this story together.

As is usually the case with Parker, this is good beach reading. Parker also makes the victim out to be a most unusual radio host in that he is not a right wing idealogue, but just a guy who wants to help. The victim also has some unusual issues in his love life which never get resolved. ... Read more

Product Description
Investigating a case of infidelity sounds simple—until it plunges Spenser and his beloved Susan into a politically charged murder plot that’s already left three people dead. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (77)

I am going to miss him greatly
Often in life, I need something to take my mind off things or to put my mind into something that is comfortable.Robert Parker has been delivering to me that type of book for many years.Spenser and Gang are comfortable.While one might argue that the series has become too formulaic and too "the same old thing" (I have done that also), I know there are no more books coming off his pen, and this time, it was different.

I sat down with Now and Then, needing a book where I didn't have to think, or remember, but I could just relax and let it engage me.And it did.I want to thank Parker for providing that time and space for me to forget about everything and let Spenser, Hawk, Susan, Chollo, and Vinnie comfort me in laughter and their friendship.

Of course the plot is irrelevant in this book as it is in most of Spenser's books.Spenser gets a client that is more than it seems.He and Hawk team up and bring in Vinnie and Chollo - so you know it is not a routine small time crime.The writing was good, the humor always there and the camaraderie ever present.The plot was little involved, but not complex.The story was the characters as it is most of the time.

I was undecided between a 3 and 4 star rating, but with a lifetime of service and much enjoyment from Parker over the years, sentimental me is rounding up.

a good read
Now this is a good read by Robert B. Parker. This is another Spenser novel and that is about enough said.He manages to engage us and writes in a way that is simple reading but enjoyable.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

For a Spenser fan, not at all a great one...
I have bought all of the Spenser series from the start, and have definitely been a great fan of the series .I bought this book recently as a clearanced item from Barnes & Noble, and I'm sad to say that I'm glad I did, but not because it's a great book.It's just priced now as what it's worth, which is another way to say, not much.

At first, the start seemed promising - the characters introduced had some interest, and Spenser, of course, had his opening witticisms.But as the plot progressed, it seemed all of the secondary characters were really just so much background.There is now a "formula", and it isn't good anymore.There wasn't enough action to go around, nor anything that made me think the antagonist was truly that dangerous, especially if he was supposedly very familiar with "counterculture".If the supposed profession of the guy was that heavily associated with terrorists, he should have been much more of a heavy hitter.At the end, it just seemed that he was only a wannabe, without any real substance whatsoever, save being a common, creepy murderer.More of a paper tiger than anything.It also seems that Parker is taking his apparent love of Hemingway's style a little too much to heart in his later books - this is not a very densely written book at all, and I'm including the plot in that statement.If he gets any more taciturn in his phrases, leaving so much for us to imagine, then we might as well imagine a more complex Spenser story, and actually write it up ourselves.

As has been already mentioned, there are still some nice parts, but the thin plot and plotting of the secondary characters and the somewhat chugged out, lame ending leaves me wondering if he's just fufilling a publishing contract, without having the time to flesh out his ideas and prose.Very sad.

A Little Too Much
I love Robert Parker's writing especially the "Spenser" novels and I'm beginning to enjoy the Jesse Stone novels equally as well.The only complaint I may have is the banter between Spenser and Susan.It gets to the point of being plumb silly at times.Susan is a great character but less is more in her case.I wish Parker would have them marry. That would end the silly sugarness.

Too Full of Itself
Though not difficult to get a feel for the characters in this book, since I am not a regular Spenser fan it felt like I landed in the middle of an episode of a popular show everyone has been watching but me.It wasn't uncomfortable or confusing, just a trifle unusual for a series novel not to have any back story on any of the characters.

PI Spenser takes a case from a distressed husband who wants his wife followed.Spenser gets evidence of her affair on tape, but he gets more than he bargained for when he overhears some very interesting pillow talk.The FBI also finds it interesting, especially when both Spenser's client and his cheating wife are murdered.That Professor Perry Alderson, the woman's lover, seems to have no past is of interest to Spenser, and he is determined he will find out who the man really is and bring him to justice.

Wisecracking Spenser is joined by his vibrant and beautiful lover, Susan Silverman, a psychiatrist who becomes intimately involved in the case, a very lenient FBI agent friend, and a racial mishmash of thug friends who shoot to kill on reflex:Vinnie, Hawk, and Chollo.They cruise through the story trading witty banter and being too cool for their bad selves in a way that is downright smarmy.Spenser is Mr. Slick, directing both the FBI and the local cops to do his bidding, and don't worry your pretty little head over the number of bodies that pile up.They all had it coming, after all.

This is the lightest mystery I have ever read.Nancy Drew's adventures are total nail biters compared to this.Neither Spenser nor his leading lady were ever in the least amount of danger, and Spenser didn't so much as catch a stray piece of lint on his suit, much less suffer anything as traumatizing as a broken nail.I have a feeling all of this could be forgiven by Spenser fans, who might lose themselves in the flurry of clever banter among the characters, but to me it was nothing but a bit of fluff.I also tired of Spenser and Susan's incessant blase conversations about an infidelity that came off like they were discussing nothing more emotionally fraught than golf scores.The most annoying problem, however, is the fact that the author has not bothered to find another verb to use in place of SAID, and every quotation ends in he said or she said or someone said, which was more than a trifle annoying.Though I didn't think it was horrible, a book needs to have a lot more depth, a little danger, and some thrills to be worth reading.This one failed on all counts.
... Read more

Product Description
Someone's making death threats in Dixie - against a thoroughbred horse destined to be the next Secretariat.At the owner's request, Boston P.I. Spenser hoofs it down South - where the lies are buzzing...and the dying is easy.

Brisk...crackling...Hugger Mugger finishes strong, just like a thoroughbred should. (Entertainment Weekly)

A winner...the famous dialogue is polished to a high shine...terrific. (Kirkus Reviews)

Snappy. (Chicago Tribune)Amazon.com Review
Why is somebody shooting Walter Clive's horses at Three Fillies Stables in Lamarr, Georgia? That's what toothy, patrician Walter wants the droll, hulking Boston detective Spenser to find out. Walter worries that his racetrack phenomenon Hugger Mugger, worth millions, is next. So Spenser goes south to a place where "the heat felt like it could be cut into squares and used to build a wall," as he puts it in the crisp Chandleresque lingo that made him famous in dozens of novels.

The Clive clan is one weird bunch. Take Walter's daughters, his three "fillies." Penny is like her dad, all impeccable looks and icy efficiency. Stonie and SueSue take after their sinister mom, who left the family to live with a guitarist in San Francisco and changed her name to Sherry Lark. Penny helps Dad run the business, while her soused sisters cheat on their pathetic husbands, Cord and Pud. (Pud's short for Puddle; his dad was named Poole.) As unsightly family secrets spill, Spenser feels like he's in a Tennessee Williams play. Then someone on two legs takes a bullet, and the mystery gets tense. Spenser gets plenty of sarcastic mileage out of upper-class horse-country twits, crooked security guards, dumb jocks gone to seed, and wily Southern lawyers, and the story saunters well. What's best are the endless wisecracks, the unflattering thumbnail character sketches, and sharp sentences like this one: "Like all jockeys, he was about the size of a ham sandwich, except for his hands, which appeared to be those of a stonemason." --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (96)

a good read
Now this is an excellent Robert B. Parker novel about Spenser.I enjoyed it very much and could not put it down.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

A typical mystery in the horse racing world
Dabbling in the horse racing world, Parker's Hugger Mugger is an entertaining mystery with a typical, yet enjoyable plot. Spenser is employed to discover who is shooting horses, and put an end to the activity. An early run-in with a security company followed by encounters with several dysfunctional family members lead him to realize that the shootings are not what they appear. Suspecting that the shootings are possibly a diversion, confirmed when the father and owner of the race horses is found dead, Spenser uncovers the truth about the security company, the sister currently running the show, and the family secrets long buried. Passion and greed contribute to the story, and Spenser fleshes out the culprits, righting the wrongs and fixing the inheritance as designed by the father.

Along the journey we meet a hippie, a couple needing jobs, several homosexuals, a pedophile, some tough guys, and some people from Spenser's past. Several chapters involving his significant other, Susan, show Spenser's sensitive side and provide a romantic slant to the otherwise tough guy story. Robert Parker's smooth prose, terse and direct dialog, carefully crafted plot, and assortment of quirky people come together for another solid and entertaining read. Without extraneous characterizations or rhetorical descriptions, Parker gets right to the heart of the story and presents the situation accurately. We discover the same truths as the detective and are not privy to any information not received by Spenser. This gives the book, and all Parker books, a decidely connected feeling to the events as they unfold. We share Spenser's fears and celebrate his victories.

Yet this book seemed rather mundane in many ways. A man is killed before the truth of his heirs is discovered and the darkness of the family members comes to light. Punching, shooting, and sex are the aside events and the story ends in a rather predictable fashion. The excessive times with Susan (lots of flashing of each other and lots of sexual banter) became superfluous and did not add to anything in the story. The horse racing environment was fun but not tension filled or emotionally involved.

Excellent writing and a well-crafted story make up for what is essentially an unoriginal plot. An enjoyable, relaxed read but nothing profound or emotionally moving. Parker fans will enjoy Hugger Mugger but anyone searching for great depth of story may need to go elsewhere this time.

Typical Spenser...
Hugger Mugger by Robert B. Parker is a mystery from his Spenser series.Unlike many of the Spenser books, Hugger Mugger has a little surprise in that it does not take place in Boston.In fact, the private eye finds himself in the horse country of Lamarr, Georgia.

Walter Clive is the rich owner of Three Fillies Stables, named after his three daughters.Although he has a security company guarding his spread, three horses have been shot by an unknown assailant, one fatally.Another Clive horse, Hugger Mugger, has the potential to be a world-class champion.Clive hires Spenser to discover who is doing the shooting before someone kills Hugger Mugger.So Spenser drives down to Georgia, only to find that the Clive's resemble a family from a Tennessee Williams play--only with more high drama.Spenser suspects that someone in the Clive family is responsible for the shootings.But when the shooter kills a human, the stakes are raised.

Spenser is his usual self, and Parker's dialogue and observations are first-rate.In describing a Georgia lawyer, Parker writes "He had on a gray seersucker suit and a very bright floral tie.His white hair was long and brushed back.His white Vandyke beard was neatly trimmed, and there was about his person the faint aura of bay rum and good cigars and satisfying fees."But what makes Hugger Mugger really click are the quirky characters.In addition to the Clive family, there's Dalton Becker, the black sheriff's deputy from Lamarr.Then there's Tedy Sapp, a gay bouncer and body builder.And southern-lawyer Rudolph Vallone could have walked out of a Faulkner novel.You can just feel the humidity and the Southern-charm (which might be used to hide a killer).

Hugger Mugger is like most Spenser books--fast, fun and entertaining.When I read them, I wish the television series was still in production.

Quick and entertaining
My first intro to the Spencer character in this book came via the television series, Spencer for Hire.What fun it was to get a more in depth picture of Spencer.In the book he is both more complex and more sexual than portrayed on tv.Plus, his sense of humor comes across betterand the quips between he and Susan are great.

This story of Spencer's investigation of horse shootings was formulaic in the sense that there were no extraordinary feats of daring, no complicated codes to decipher or international trails to follow.Just a straight-forward, whodunit, with a little humanitarian subplot.It was perfectly entertaining and lasted as long as a made for tv movie...but with no commercial interruption.

I will definitely read more of Parker's books.

Another hit by Parker!
A perfect read for any Robert Parker fans out there, Hugger Mugger features Spencer down south, meeting some very interesting characters both enemy and friend. Parker's ability to spin a tale is always impressive and this book is no exception! ... Read more

Product Description
Someone's making death threats in Dixie - against a thoroughbred horse destined to be the next Secretariat.At the owner's request, Boston P.I. Spenser hoofs it down South - where the lies are buzzing...and the dying is easy.

Brisk...crackling...Hugger Mugger finishes strong, just like a thoroughbred should. (Entertainment Weekly)

A winner...the famous dialogue is polished to a high shine...terrific. (Kirkus Reviews)

Snappy. (Chicago Tribune)Amazon.com Review
Why is somebody shooting Walter Clive's horses at Three Fillies Stables in Lamarr, Georgia? That's what toothy, patrician Walter wants the droll, hulking Boston detective Spenser to find out. Walter worries that his racetrack phenomenon Hugger Mugger, worth millions, is next. So Spenser goes south to a place where "the heat felt like it could be cut into squares and used to build a wall," as he puts it in the crisp Chandleresque lingo that made him famous in dozens of novels.

The Clive clan is one weird bunch. Take Walter's daughters, his three "fillies." Penny is like her dad, all impeccable looks and icy efficiency. Stonie and SueSue take after their sinister mom, who left the family to live with a guitarist in San Francisco and changed her name to Sherry Lark. Penny helps Dad run the business, while her soused sisters cheat on their pathetic husbands, Cord and Pud. (Pud's short for Puddle; his dad was named Poole.) As unsightly family secrets spill, Spenser feels like he's in a Tennessee Williams play. Then someone on two legs takes a bullet, and the mystery gets tense. Spenser gets plenty of sarcastic mileage out of upper-class horse-country twits, crooked security guards, dumb jocks gone to seed, and wily Southern lawyers, and the story saunters well. What's best are the endless wisecracks, the unflattering thumbnail character sketches, and sharp sentences like this one: "Like all jockeys, he was about the size of a ham sandwich, except for his hands, which appeared to be those of a stonemason." --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (96)

a good read
Now this is an excellent Robert B. Parker novel about Spenser.I enjoyed it very much and could not put it down.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

A typical mystery in the horse racing world
Dabbling in the horse racing world, Parker's Hugger Mugger is an entertaining mystery with a typical, yet enjoyable plot. Spenser is employed to discover who is shooting horses, and put an end to the activity. An early run-in with a security company followed by encounters with several dysfunctional family members lead him to realize that the shootings are not what they appear. Suspecting that the shootings are possibly a diversion, confirmed when the father and owner of the race horses is found dead, Spenser uncovers the truth about the security company, the sister currently running the show, and the family secrets long buried. Passion and greed contribute to the story, and Spenser fleshes out the culprits, righting the wrongs and fixing the inheritance as designed by the father.

Along the journey we meet a hippie, a couple needing jobs, several homosexuals, a pedophile, some tough guys, and some people from Spenser's past. Several chapters involving his significant other, Susan, show Spenser's sensitive side and provide a romantic slant to the otherwise tough guy story. Robert Parker's smooth prose, terse and direct dialog, carefully crafted plot, and assortment of quirky people come together for another solid and entertaining read. Without extraneous characterizations or rhetorical descriptions, Parker gets right to the heart of the story and presents the situation accurately. We discover the same truths as the detective and are not privy to any information not received by Spenser. This gives the book, and all Parker books, a decidely connected feeling to the events as they unfold. We share Spenser's fears and celebrate his victories.

Yet this book seemed rather mundane in many ways. A man is killed before the truth of his heirs is discovered and the darkness of the family members comes to light. Punching, shooting, and sex are the aside events and the story ends in a rather predictable fashion. The excessive times with Susan (lots of flashing of each other and lots of sexual banter) became superfluous and did not add to anything in the story. The horse racing environment was fun but not tension filled or emotionally involved.

Excellent writing and a well-crafted story make up for what is essentially an unoriginal plot. An enjoyable, relaxed read but nothing profound or emotionally moving. Parker fans will enjoy Hugger Mugger but anyone searching for great depth of story may need to go elsewhere this time.

Typical Spenser...
Hugger Mugger by Robert B. Parker is a mystery from his Spenser series.Unlike many of the Spenser books, Hugger Mugger has a little surprise in that it does not take place in Boston.In fact, the private eye finds himself in the horse country of Lamarr, Georgia.

Walter Clive is the rich owner of Three Fillies Stables, named after his three daughters.Although he has a security company guarding his spread, three horses have been shot by an unknown assailant, one fatally.Another Clive horse, Hugger Mugger, has the potential to be a world-class champion.Clive hires Spenser to discover who is doing the shooting before someone kills Hugger Mugger.So Spenser drives down to Georgia, only to find that the Clive's resemble a family from a Tennessee Williams play--only with more high drama.Spenser suspects that someone in the Clive family is responsible for the shootings.But when the shooter kills a human, the stakes are raised.

Spenser is his usual self, and Parker's dialogue and observations are first-rate.In describing a Georgia lawyer, Parker writes "He had on a gray seersucker suit and a very bright floral tie.His white hair was long and brushed back.His white Vandyke beard was neatly trimmed, and there was about his person the faint aura of bay rum and good cigars and satisfying fees."But what makes Hugger Mugger really click are the quirky characters.In addition to the Clive family, there's Dalton Becker, the black sheriff's deputy from Lamarr.Then there's Tedy Sapp, a gay bouncer and body builder.And southern-lawyer Rudolph Vallone could have walked out of a Faulkner novel.You can just feel the humidity and the Southern-charm (which might be used to hide a killer).

Hugger Mugger is like most Spenser books--fast, fun and entertaining.When I read them, I wish the television series was still in production.

Quick and entertaining
My first intro to the Spencer character in this book came via the television series, Spencer for Hire.What fun it was to get a more in depth picture of Spencer.In the book he is both more complex and more sexual than portrayed on tv.Plus, his sense of humor comes across betterand the quips between he and Susan are great.

This story of Spencer's investigation of horse shootings was formulaic in the sense that there were no extraordinary feats of daring, no complicated codes to decipher or international trails to follow.Just a straight-forward, whodunit, with a little humanitarian subplot.It was perfectly entertaining and lasted as long as a made for tv movie...but with no commercial interruption.

I will definitely read more of Parker's books.

Another hit by Parker!
A perfect read for any Robert Parker fans out there, Hugger Mugger features Spencer down south, meeting some very interesting characters both enemy and friend. Parker's ability to spin a tale is always impressive and this book is no exception! ... Read more

Product Description
THREE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SPENSER NOVELS TOGETHER IN ONE TRADE OMNIBUS.

A first-ever, triple-shot omnibus of the classic New York Times bestsellers featuring "THE WORLD'S MOST PERFECT PRIVATE EYE."-Los Angeles Times Book Review

In Pastime, the Boston PI revisits a crime from his past, and a young victim who wants answers. InDouble Deuce, when Spenser is drawn into a war against a Boston street gang. And in Paper Doll, a perfect suburban wife and mother is found murdered. A random act? Spenser's isn't convinced. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

No Bad Spensers
It doesn't matter which Spenser novel you read--I suggest you start with the first one, Godwulf Manuscript. They all draw you into the fascinating, quick-moving world of Spenser, the PI. They're all short, easily read in a few days (in no small part because you won't want to stop). The early books introduce we the reader to the world of Spenser the PI, where he makes the rules, is honest and caring, but razor-edge sharp, where he was kicked out of the police force because he didn't take direction well, but as a PI, gets along well with his local police.

He's like a dog with a bone when he sinks his prodigious will into a case. Nothing stops him. The client may fire him, stop paying him. Bad guys can threaten him, but he won't stop until he's ready to stop. He's funny, clever, full of one-liners I had to write down. For example: "Pearl loped around my apartment, alert for something to chew." Pearl's his dog. "Pearl ran to the couch and got a pillow and shook it violently until it was dead, and came back to show us."

The early part of the series was pre-Susan (his forever girlfriend) and Hawk (his erstwhile sidekick). I didn't miss them until I met them, and then, for several of the books that I read out of order, the story was a little flat without their involvement.

Parker's Spenser has been called "the toughest funniest, wisest private eye in the field these days" and "one of the most engaging characters in contemporary American fiction." It's true. Read any of them--or all--and you'll agree.

Triple Shot of Spenser
The first two novellas in the trilogy were interesting and informative insights into the early lives and backgrounds of Spenser, and to a lesser degree, Hawk.All three stories are well paced and typical Parker, always keeps you guessing.

Good Reads
This is a great book for Spencer lovers. Three books in one make it great the only fly is I already had one of the books so Let me spell out what books are in it Pasttime, Double Deuce, and Paper Doll

first shot of spenser
Thought i would really immerse myself in this author and start with a triple dose.Fortunately, i really enjoyed it.plots do not overwhelm the characters.not too complex but highly readable. I liked "double deuce" the most.I will now try one of Parker's other characters, probably Stone.

tri-fecta
Three times as much reading pleasure, all in one book: I was sad to finish it. ... Read more

Product Description
Sunny Randall, "Boston's leading lady gumshoe" (New York Daily News), returns as hired bodyguard for the spoiled, and possibly dangerous, prize female client of a sleazy producer. This time, she gets a little help from Parker's popular character Jesse Stone, making a guest appearance here ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

Terrible Boston accent

I am a Bostonian born and bred and that "Boston" accent that Kate Burton does in the reading of "Blue Screen" is so off the mark and distracting that I could not listen to it.
Oh I wish when a character is supposed to be from Boston, the actor would just read the lines normally and not try for the JFK accent.

Blue Screen
This was a great book,as I have watched the Jesse Stone movies with Tom Selleck, I can picture him
during the reading of this book.I hope to download a read all the Jesse Stone book
that Robert Parker wrote.

Robert Parker will surely be missed.

Sunny strikes again
Another greatly enjoyable Sunny Randall mystery. I was a little surprised by the ending, but as always, I enjoyed Sunny's conversations with her shrink (Susan Silverman from the Spenser books, by the same author) and her burgeoning romance with Jesse Stone. Too bad there are only 6 books in the Sunny Randall series...

sunny meets jesse
This is one of my favorite Robert B. Parker books...and I like them all.This is the one where Sunny Randall meets Jesse Stone.It is part of the Sunny Randall series and it gives background to their relationship.Don't miss it.

Blue Screen lives up to Parker's reputation!
I usually purchase one of Robert Parker's novels to take on vacation.They are easy reading and always a pleasure.I purchased this one for a trip to Cabo, Mexico.It did not let me down.I easily read the book in three days of vacation lounging on a chair over looking the Sea of Cortez.

I recommend the book, the author and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! ... Read more

Product Description

... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Human
Parker is clearly espousing a bit of philosophy with this story, as he always does. We are human, vulnerable, we don't always know why we do things and that doesn't mean we are bad. Spenser is a badass character but very human and logical and good where it counts. I love this PI series. There is no duo out there as bad, bright and witty as Spenser and Hawk. This is a great Spenser book.

SPENSEREIGHTH BOOK
The eighth book in the Spenser series is THE SAVAGE PLACE and it takes place in Los Angeles.Spenser is hired to be the body guard for Candy Sloan, investigative reporter for a major television station. Committed to Susan Silverman, Spenser is still attractive to the beautiful Sloan.Good plot twists and the usual great, witty dialogue that are normal for Parker's series make the book enjoyable to read.RECOMMENDED

never recieved item

Never recieved item. I can't believe you are asking fora review on something I didn't recieve. Your service sucks.

Easy, Fun ,Read
Spenser is hired by a California television jopurlnalist to protect her while she investigates mob involvmentin the film industry.Spenser is very funny as usual. The plot is fast moving and the story is a little over 180 pages.The tv journalist wants to be taken seriouslybut, she doesn't hestitant to use sex to get what she wants. The story is told in such a light hearted way that the endingloses alot of its poignancy.
Parker understands the people in his novels, but something gets lost.

Solid Spenser with One of the Best Endings in the Series
A SAVAGE PLACE is the eighth Spenser novel, and it's a very solid entry.

In this book, Spenser is hired to act as a bodyguard for Candy Sloan, a Los Angeles television newscaster who is on the verge of breaking a story involving the mob.Needless to say, Sloan's life is in constant danger, and Spenser has his hands full in trying to protect her while she aggressively pursues the story that could make her career.

A SAVAGE PLACE is rather unique for a Spenser book.The novel takes place in LA instead of Boston, which means that Spenser is completely on his own.Hawk and Susan Silverman do not make appearances, and Spenser has no connections with the local police force.This makes for fresher, more exciting story overall, since Spenser acts much more like a lone wolf.

I also found the ending of A SAVAGE PLACE to be surprising and terrifically dark.The final "showdown" in the book is absolutely gripping, and it's one of my favorite moments in any Spenser book.

The only slight downside of this book is the character of Candy Sloan.She is not a particularly admirable character, and speaks more like a psychologist than a reporter in many scenes. As another reviewer pointed out, she's kind of a watered-down version of Rachel Wallace, a character from a previous Spenser novel.Unfortunately, I didn't find her particularly likable or believable for the most part.

Overall, though, this is a solid entry in the series and I highly recommend it.

... Read more

Product Description
One of the great series in the history of the American detective story gets even better when Spenser is hired by a jilted bride to follow a cheating husband, only to cross paths with a detective hired to tail the two-timing wife. They aren't the most trusting couple in town, but as it turns out, they are the most dangerous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

"D" AS IN DISAPPOINTING
As a long-time Spenser fan, I am sorry to report that BAD BUSINESS is itself "bad business." It is a shoddy piece of work.

The writing is so "thin" it seems as if Parker triple-spaced it. Almost any short story in any issue of ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE will have more substance to it.

Many of the chapters (so-called) are only 2 or 3 pages long. Another thing that irritated me is neither Parker nor the publisher cared enough to bother proofreading this book! It is FULL of typos of all sorts. And did I mention yet that the "characters" are one-dimensional? They are as fleshed out as a row of pencil dots . . . .Would you believe that one of the main villains actually hisses? Repeatedly? Like a reptile?! And bites both Hawk and Spenser?!

As for plot holes, they are abundant: nobody in a huge company that sells electrical power (like ENRON) seems to be doing anything to earn money (and only two people in management notice this); a pistol is found with a man who was killed by a shot in the head, but the police do not check whether it actually fired either of the two bullets found in the room (nor is anyone concerned about the number of bullets left in the gun); the police (and Spenser) never think about checking the keys of the dead man's computer for fingerprints, although a suicide note has supposedly been typed on it by him; police in two counties seem content to let a private eye do all the work of solving two murders for them; worst of all, the private eye gathers evidence illegally on MULTIPLE occasions, and yet we are to believe that the main villains will be convicted.

Finally and quite incredibly, it is clear that Spenser has no computer in his own office, let alone one with Internet access (nor, apparently, does his genius psychiatrist girlfriend), and yet on several occasions he has questions about public figures that could easily have been at least partly answered by Googling their names.

But that is just the bad news. The good news is that anyone can read this book at lightning speed, so that very little of the valuable time of anyone's life will be wasted by it.

As far as constructive criticism is concerned, I can think of two suggestions. (1) Follow the path of Ruth Rendell in her short story "The Case of the Shaggy Caps" (1977). This is a well written Puzzle Story which ends inconclusively despite having a solution that is convincing: the detectives agree that very possibly the guilty person cannot be convicted--and Rendell takes the story no further. Or (2) make the story a Full Monte case of vigilante justice (why just stop at having the "Saints with Guns" commit only blackmail, robbery, breaking & entering, assault & battery, and kidnapping?)--have Spenser end BAD BUSINESS by implying that his helper Hawk "disposed of" the worst two villains without bothering to involve the cops or the courts.

Audio book with Joe Mantegna
This is my first Robert B. Parker novel, and I'm listening to it in the car.My attention has been spotty, as I get distracted by my driving and thoughts, so I won't review the story.I will say that the reading is very well done.Joe Montegna handles both men's and women's voices well and attempts to give each character a distinctive voice.He's not always completely successful at this as there are many characters, but he brings out the subtleties of the dialogue nicely.I thought his characterization of Hawk was especially well done.The only thing I didn't like was all the "he said" "I said" and "she saids."This is easy to filter out when you are reading; a little harder when listening.But if you like audio books, this is definitely good quality.

One quibble:I wish all audio books would add a statement like "end of CD number 1."It's just a courtesy that I would appreciate.

Eek
As a Spencerphile, I hate to write this review but, like Spencer, I just can't let things go. "Bad Business" may be good financial business for Robert Parker, but it's just bad writing.

It's as if all the quirks and typical Spencerian comments, such as "We'd be fools not to," Hawk's "Shore nuff," and Susan sipping an ethereal gram of her drink ad nauseum, are tossed into a computer and spat out at random. There are no relationship connections or progressions, no insights into human nature, no side details to catch our eye, and not even a tentative grip on a plotline.

The only additions are these fretful questions: How many "knockout" women can throw themselves at Spencer in a few pages? How annoying can the doting dog talk become? How many times can we re-emphasize Susan's lack of commitment? And - here's something new - how many times can you read the term "wife-swapping" without choking on even a miniscule femminist feeling? Plus how can the stereotyped dull accounting drone be the only interesting point in the book?

As Spencer would say, "Eek."
In sum, "Bad Business" is plotless, charmless, and character-free. Please come back Spencer; we miss you.

Many plots
First, I read a lot of mysteries and I'ma very strong, long term fan of the modern semi-hard-boiled, yet sensitive, Spenser series by Robert B. Parker.

But ... Bad Business is different from most of Parker's - it doesn't seem quite "fair" in the sense the reader could not have put it all together before the end (at least THIS reader certainly couldn't!).Spenser is fine, Susan is fine, Hawk is fine, just too many other characters, too many plots, too many hard-to-believe circumstances - the ending seems contrived ... one of numerous possible scenarios, most hard to believe.

Sorry, it was OK, but far from his best ... which are REALLY good!!If you're new to the series start with another one, i.e., better and more representative.If you're committed to reading them all, maybe you'll do better with this one than I did ... :>)

Bad Business is Pretty Bad
I listened to this book; Joe Mantegna narrates. Either Parker can't write or Mantegna can't read. The combination made for a very annoying experience as the two-dimensional characters were made even flatter by Mantegna's choppy reading. Every syllable is too clearly enunciated: I do-not-like-what-I-see; you-are-not-a-nice-man. It's ghastly. It's like listening to a nervous 5th grader reading aloud in front of his classmates. Joe Mantegna is truly terrible.

Robert B. Parker thinks that we're going to get a frisson of sexual excitement reading about the "depraved" businessman and his hijinks. Yawn! The cover of Vogue magazine is racier than this ridiculous, phoney-baloney story of money, power and sex.

I still don't understand what makes Susan Silverman so interesting. I still don't understand why Spenser's bullying is supposed to be cute. Hawk is a virtual caricature of the tough black dude but in the end, he does his master's bidding. Spenser's still his boss.

I think I have started whining so I'd better stop now.

After listening to this book, I vow never to read another "Spenser" novel and never, ever to listen to anything narrated by the wooden Joe Mantegna.
... Read more

Product Description
New York Times bestselling author Robert B. ParkerÂ’s first novel for young readers

There is something evil in the air ; Bobby senses it. Who is that man he saw arguing with his pretty new English teacher? Bobby knows he should mind his own business, but times are confusing. World War II just ended, and the world is changing— Bobby’s world, especially. There’s Joanie, for one—why does being her friend feel awkward? And then there are his buddies, the junior varsity Edenville Owls—basketball players in need of a leader. Can they help each other off the court as well as they can on it? They will need to. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Edenville Owls
This was a great read, as always.
Good for young readers or those who just
love Robert B. Parker

another excellent book
although this is a "young adult" book I ordered it because I am such a Robert Parker fan. It's a great read and the setting is a time in which I can relate as a "mature adult".

A realistic bunch of kids
My folks would have been older than Bobby, but I could hear echoes of their young lives in this.I was a last child in a big family, so my own fourteen came in the latter half of the 70's.In a way, the thought that all the early news Bobby heard was war news did resonate, because the Vietnam War loomed over my childhood years.Not as much as World War II would have, though.I'm sure of that.

There was something about the times that made people stronger, and yet . . . I'm sure some came back warped, too.The villain of the piece was a good example.Bobby's voice, in a way, is a little too clean.He's a little too sure.A young hero might have greater clarity than most fourteen year olds, though.It makes for a better story.

For the most part, these are realistic kids, though.The confusion and the different pressures and pulls are there. Fourteen is a special time.In a couple of years, they would think a lot more like adults.A couple of years earlier, and they'd have been too much children to handle what they had to do.They're kids of the era, too.I imagine they were more independent, because they had to be.I like that.The sports aspect gave it a nice focus, too.I could enjoy their achievements, and the way they overcame obstacles, even though I don't like basketball.Oops, sorry Bobby and the rest of the Owls.;-)

All around, it was a good story.I'd have liked a longer one, and I do hope there are sequels.If not, it's still a good stand alone.I know it's meant for young readers, but I'd recommend it for all ages.I really enjoyed it.

Edenville Owls
"Edenville Owls" is a book for young people written by Robert B. Parker who is best known as the author of the Spenser novels as well as the Jesse Stone novels. The book is set in 1946. Fourteen year old Bobby Murphy and four of his friends form a basketball team, the Owls, who play against JV teams from schools in their state. Bobby's best friend is a girl named Joanie Gibson. There is a mystery element too that revolves around Bobby's teacher, Miss Delaney, and a suspicious man. The Owls win at basketball and solve a mystery. I wonder if this book is somewhat autobiographical. The boy (Bobby/Robert), the girl (Joanie/Parker's wife is Joan), and the time frame (Parker would have been 14 in 1946) all lead me to wonder about this. "Edenville Owls" is an enjoyable book for the young and the young at heart.

Thank you Parker for Branching out to Teen Readers (and still great reading for older people!
Because Robert Parker is one of the most "thinking" authors I am aware of, I was thrilled to see that he has specifically addressed a book to younger readers.

Part of my daily work responsibilities is to match books to teens, not always easy - especially for the huge % that are not Potter Enthusiasts.Edenville Owls further has the twist of exposing young readers to a time period that is probably not familiar to them - or even their parents!

Quick, absorbing read. ... Read more

Product Description
Spenser has gone to London -- and not to see the Queen. He's gone to track down a bunch of bombers who've blown away his client's wife and kids. His job is to catch them. Or kill them. His client isn't choosy.

But there are nine killers to one Spenser -- long odds. Hawk helps balance the equation. The rest depends on a wild plan. Spenser will get one of the terrorists to play Judas Goat -- to lead him to others. Trouble is, he hasn't counted on her being very blond, very beautiful and very dangerous.

"Spenser is Boston's answer to James Bond...with a little Sam Spade and Nero Wolfe thrown in...Irreverent, witty, worldly...makes for fast, amusing reading." (Pittsburgh Press) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

FIFTHSPENSERNOVEL
This is the fifth novel and the fifth read for me in the Spenser series from Robert B. Parker, JUDAS GOAT.This takes place mostly in Europe or at least out of Boston.This story Spenser is out for revenge for a client.Things get rough and Hawk is hired as a backup.Great story and probably the best of the first five.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Judas Goat

Product recived promptly and as advertised.Would definitely use this company again.

One of the best Spensers - not just because of Hawk
I LOVE Robert B. Parker - with my favorite being the Spenser series.
His witty dialogue, the action, the humor, Susan and the other babes, Pearl the wonder dog - but before all that, looooong before comes Hawk. One man, one gun, a few words and a car. That's all there is to Spense's best friend. But whenever he turns up the action gets to be non stop with as an added bonus some of the funniest dialogue in crime writing.
Spense is tough. Hawk is tougher. Both box and both like babes. Spense has one (Susan), Hawk, well let's say he takes it as it comes.
In this story (fifth in the series and my favorite) it comes down hard and violent as Spense is asked to get a group of terrorists who bombed a restaurant in London. With a few exceptions most of the series' other books take place in or around Boston. This one takes Spense, Hawk and you around the world in a day (or how long it will take you to read the book).
Spensers are addictive and usually read in one session. You can't stop - they're that good. Just get it and enjoy the roller coaster ride.

Hawk steals the show
This is the fifth of many novels featuring the private detective known only as Spenser.A man hires him to track down terrorists who bombed a restaurant in London and killed his wife and daughters in the process.Spenser goes to London and manages to bait the terrorists into attacking him to get things going.Before long, he arranges to have a leg breaker named Hawk come over from Boston to help with the job.I won't give away any more of the plot, but once these two are on the case together, things get even wilder.

The highlight of this book is the presence of Hawk.He seems larger than life and steals the show in most of the scenes he occupies.Spenser actually suffers in comparison as he seems flat and dull next to Hawk.The first half of the book is pretty dry, descriptions of London amount to little more than street names and a small list of landmarks.Thankfully, once Hawk comes in things pick up.The highlight of the book is a major fight at the end with one of the terrorists.

This book is a good read.Established fans of the series will almost certainly enjoy it and it wouldn't be a bad start for someone new to Spenser either.I can't say that it's a great detective novel but it moves along at a pretty good pace and has some strong actions scenes.

Another Good Early Spenser
THE JUDAS GOAT is the fifth Spenser novel, and it's the first book where Spenser and his friend Hawk work as a team in solving a case.Some people consider this the best Spenser book of all time.Although I wouldn't go that far, it's still a very enjoyable read.

The plot of THE JUDAS GOAT is unique, because it involves Spenser chasing after terrorists in Europe.This sounds more exciting than it really is, because much of the book is devoted to Spenser shadowing the terrorists instead of confronting them.The terrorists also have surprisingly bland personalities -- I didn't really feel they were very strong villains for the most part.

Still, this book has great dialogue (mostly between Spenser and Hawk) and some great action scenes once things get rolling.I think the major reason to read THE JUDAS GOAT is to enjoy the fun Spenser/Hawk chemistry, which makes them one of the great teams in crime fiction.Their partnership became somewhat stale in the later Spenser books, but it's really fresh and exciting in this early novel.

Three and a half stars.

... Read more

Product Description
An otherwise washed-up LAPD cop with a drinking problem gets a job offer from a small Massachusetts town that is too good to be true, and Jesse Stone finds himself with no one to trust and a town full of moral and political corruption. 125,000 first printing. BOMC Main. Tour."Amazon.com Review
Fans often feel uneasy when the creator of a popular character ventures into new turf, and sometimes their trepidation is justified. But readers of Robert B. Parker's immensely popular Spenser series can breathe a sigh of relief: while Night Passage doesn't feature Spenser, his usual gang of associates, or a Boston setting, it's vintage Parker--fast, witty, suspenseful, and engaging. Told in short, crisp chapters, it's the story of Jesse Stone, a 34-year-old ex-cop who just lost his L.A. policeman's job and his marriage due to a drinking problem. The book opens as Stone leaves California for his new job as chief of police in the picturesque town of Paradise, Massachusetts.

But Paradise isn't as placid as it seems--in fact, it's a festering mass of petty corruption, right-wing militia, sexual scandal, and bad guys who favor strong-arm tactics. Night Passage boasts a delicious, classic setup: the lone lawman, new in town, must make his stand to clean the place up. Stone has been picked for the job because the town fathers figured he'd be weak and malleable; as he gradually pulls himself together, it turns out they have a surprise in store. Stone's qualities may remind you of Spenser's--he's taciturn, fearless, good-looking, and compassionate--and in the end the plot's pleasing complexities get resolved a bit simply. But Robert B. Parker is in fine form in Night Passage, with his smart-aleck wit under control and his prose at its economical best. Spenser fans and Parker neophytes alike will find plenty to enjoy here. And the setting is, after all, not far from Boston--dare we hope for a Spenser-Stone meeting in future books? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (78)

Night Passage
I've watched the Jesse Stone series on television and am interested in the "rest of the story". So far, so good.

Night Passage book
The book came much faster than expected, and I was super pleased. The book was in excellent condition, I love ordering from Amazon. Everything I have ever ordered from them has been just right and shipment is always quick.

Robert Parker's Night Passage
This was the first Jesse Stone and was thoroughly enjoyed as well as other novels by Robert Parker.He will be greatly missed.

great,fast paced read!
Fast paced, short chapters,story just flies along-which is good and bad, good- it keeps your interest and doesn't lag. Bad- you've finished the book, and are left wanting more! At least there are ten books in the series and a bunch more by Robert Parker. He left us too soon!

Great story and characters!!
I'm never been a fan of Robert Parker or his Spenser novels, but the Jesse Stone movels are another matter. The character is real-human:likeable, yet flawed. He's offered a job as Chief of Police in a small town, which is last chance. He has been kicked off the LAPD, he's divorced his wife for cheating on him. Paradise, MA is a chance to start over, except that he finds out that he was hired by a crooked council member. Stone was hired in the hope that he wouldn't make waves. Another problem is Stone can't get over his ex-wife. He's obsessed with her.
The book is a good suspenseful read. The ending isn't too good, in compared to the film version, the book version leaves a great deal to be desired.
The characters are miscast in the film version. If you're a fan of a good suspense novel, you'll enjoy this one. ... Read more

Product Description
When the star of a poorly rated stage production is shot mid-scene, Spenser and his sidekick, Hawk, comb the shabby waterfront town and find a cast of likely suspects among the underworld. Reprint. K. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Walking Shadow
Chinatown & stage actors in a waterfront town.So-so plot.Entertaining repartee, characteristic of Parker.

Spenser at his usual best
Robert B. Parker and Spenser are at their usual best.
Amazon provides quality product at their usual best price.

a fun read with good banter between Spenser and his mates
Parker knows his devoted followers well;ignoring the usual set up descriptions for scenes and
characters preferring to move the story along with brevity and expedition. Spenser's witty repartee
with his Susan and his sidekick Hawk is worth the price of the book. The plot becomes secondary.
Tucked in is always a little lesson for life and few bon mots of French and English lit.

great ending
Susan is on the board of directors of a local theater, so when the theater owner says he's being followed, Spenser agrees to investigate as a favor to her. Between Spenser and Hawk, however, they can't find anyone following him.

Then during a performance of an exceedingly long, boring, and pointless play, one of the actors is shot dead with a .22 to the heart, and things start getting more exciting, with the involvement of a Chinese gang and the reappearance (or not) of the stalker.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The mystery was convoluted and complex, yet everything got tied up in the end, and the ending was.... (trying hard to avoid spoilers) .... dark and surprising. I love, love, loved the ending. In a way it was unsatisfying, but that just made me like it more. Gah. I can't explain without giving it away. Suffice to say it's not your usual mystery novel climax.

It was also a relief to read a book from a bit later in the series, with Spenser and Susan more comfortable in their relationship--they've just bought a house in the country, where they live together on weekends, maintaining their separate lives during the week.

Pure Parker, as always
Pure Spencer, crisp and witty in dialogue, exciting in plot, delightful to read. And, as always, full of action, suspense, and excellent plot. It's always hard to put down a Robert Parker book. This one is another of his masterpieces. Don't miss it. ... Read more

Product Description
In his latest highly acclaimed Spenser novel, Robert B. Parker takes readers into the murky big-city underground where Spenser undertakes an intense search for a beautiful, missing prostitute, and finds himself traveling amidst the sleaze of Times Square where sex is a commodity, and young girls are the currency. This phenomenal bestseller, with a million-copy paperback first printing is supported by national TV advertising and a 6-month backlist reissue program. HC:Delacorte. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

great writer
Enjoy Robert Parker books a lot.Spenser is wonderful and so is Hawk.This was not my favorite story line it was fun and a good read.I am a big fan of Parker and am sorry for his death and the loss of his characters, humor and stories.

Taming a Seahorse
Big fan but I didn't like all the '' fluff'' description.It didn't add to the story, it just added more pages to the book.Not RBP's tried & true style.

Literary Mystery
This is a good mystery and page-turner by a very literate author.The book is
fast-paced and interesting.I liked that Parker brought in the names of historical
figures such as Frederic Law Olmsted and Elinor Smeal.It makes the reading a
lot of fun.

Classic Spenser
Another Robert B. Parker classic. His Spenser is original, entertaining and always leaves you wanting more. Highly recommend this author for great reading.

The Greatest
Robert B Parker is the greatest author of all time as measured by quality and quantity. Hemingway, Dostoyevski, Faulkner, et. al. wrote 2 or 3 great books, each of which even Mr. Parker would acknowledge superior to any of his works. But no author has ever consistently produced high quality entertainment virtually every year for over 30 years! No one. This book is not his best, but it is a good example of how he can call upon old characters from former books and weave a new tale of humor, suspense and just plain entertainment. Raymond Chandler said his objective was to write mystery novels that readers could enjoy even if the last ten pages were missing. Parker has acheived that objective more than 30 times. ... Read more