Parker, Robert B.
Average customer rating:
- A Laborious task to Read
- Great Parker dialogue, characters who just won't get over their problems
- 3.5 stars - Love Parker's dialogue, bored with the relationships
- Another Stone novel please! Jesse gets better with each book.
- Suck in again...don't I ever learn?
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High Profile
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0399154043
Release Date: 2007-02-06 |
Book Description
The murder of a notorious public figure places Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone in the harsh glare of the media spotlight. <br/><br/> When the body of controversial talk-show host Walton Weeks is discovered hanging from a tree on the outskirts of Paradise, police chief Jesse Stone finds himself at the center of a highly public case, forcing him to deal with small-minded local officials and national media scrutiny. When another dead body-that of a young woman-is discovered just a few days later, the pressure becomes almost unbearable. <br/><br/> Two victims in less than a week should provide a host of clues, but all Jesse runs into are dead ends. But what may be the most disturbing aspect of these murders is the fact that no one seems to care-not a single one of Weeks's ex-wives, not the family of the girl. And when the medical examiner reveals a heartbreaking link between the two departed souls, the mystery only deepens. <br/><br/> Despite Weeks's reputation and the girl's tender age, Jesse is hard-pressed to find legitimate suspects. Though the crimes are perhaps the most gruesome Jesse has ever witnessed, it is the malevolence behind them that makes them all the more frightening. Forced to delve into a world of stormy relationships, Jesse soon comes to realize that knowing whom he can trust is indeed a matter of life and death.
Customer Reviews:
A Laborious task to Read.......2007-06-19
In this novel, High Profile, I thought that Mr. Parker had lost his abilities to create a decent story. In the past I considered him an excellent writer and read many of his books, but this novel was such a laborious task for me to finish that I couldn't believe I was reading a story by Mr. Parker.
The plot itself was loose, but interesting enough to maintain my interest, but I kept waiting for the story to pull me into it, however that never happened. The characters were weak and not fully developed, although I found Sunny to be an interesting character. I'm glad the novel was given to me my neighbor. If you are a real Parker fan I would guess that you would enjoy this novel, however I was disappointed in it and I expected more from Mr. Parker.
Great Parker dialogue, characters who just won't get over their problems.......2007-06-15
Two bodies, one deliberately hung and one hidden in a trash dumpster, turn up in Paradise, MA police chief Jesse Stone's jurisdiction, both shot with the same gun. Jesse investigates, but it seems that every potential suspect has a perfect alibi. Could a deranged fan have killed the well-known and controversial radio talk show commentor? Or perhaps it was one of his current or past wives? Then again, what, exactly, did the dead man's bodyguard do--and why wasn't he doing it when his client was killed?
Stone's investigation is disturbed when his ex-wife forces herself into the scene with a story of rape and stalking. Busy with the double murder, Stone asks his semi-girlfriend, private detective Sunny Randall, to protect his ex-wife and to investigate her story.
Author Robert B. Parker delivers his trademark high-zing dialogue, coupled with his typically psychologically damaged characters. Stone is distracted by his ex-wife's problems, and continues to be obsessed with her, unable to complete the break he needs to move forward in his life. Jenn, the ex-wife makes things tougher for him by pushing herself at him while remaining completely unwilling to offer him the kind of commitment he demands.
With Parker, you can depend on an engaging, fast-paced read. His dialogue runs, with short phrases, single words, and clever zings let our eyes fly down the page, stopping occasionally to enjoy an especially cute bit of reparte. The mystery itself is interesting although relatively uncomplicated with little sense of danger. With Jesse more worried about his wife than about the two dead people, it's hard for us to care too much whether their killer is ever caught.
The underlying theme of this novel, that love is irrational and causes people to do irrational things, doesn't sit well with me and I confess that my enjoyment of the book was limited by this message. In my opinion, Jesse needs a new psychologist--one who'll tell him to grow up and stop jerking himself around, or letting the sexy Jenn jerk him around. Clearly Jenn is disturbed. But Jesse's attraction to her indicates that he's got problems also--and although he's seeing a psychologist, the guy doesn't seem to be helping much. So, switch psychologists and find yourself a woman who's not sick. Sunny won't do--she's got the same damned problems you do, Jesse--which is probably why you were attracted to her.
3.5 stars - Love Parker's dialogue, bored with the relationships.......2007-06-12
First Sentence: Each spring surprised Jesse.
A high-profile talk-show host is found hanged in the park. His assistant/girlfriend is found dead in a dumpster. As if Police Chief Jesse Stone doesn't have enough with two murders, his ex-wife, Jenn, calls to say she was raped and is being stalked. While Jesse investigates the murders, Sunny Randall, with whom he has been building a relationship, agrees to stay with Jenn and find the stalker.
I love Parker's writing but his stories are starting to bore me, which is a shame. I will always say he is the master of dialogue, even the laconic Jesse, whom Parker offsets with Suit, the young policeman and the best character in the story. The murders and their investigation is interesting. But I could do completely without the can't-live-with, can't-live-without relationships. It wasn't a great book, but there was still enough of Parker's classic style that I enjoyed it.
Another Stone novel please! Jesse gets better with each book. .......2007-06-11
I have to admit that I just began reading the Jesse Stone novels a more than a week ago and I have almost breezed through all six (Trouble in Paradise is the only one I haven't read yet.)
Mix one dead controversial talk-show host and his female companion, an ex-wife who you still love but can't trust, a private eye, who you have a relationship with to keep an eye on her because someone is stalking her and pressure from all sides to solve the murders on your lap and you have "High Profile", the latest Jesse Stone novel. Jesse Stone the troubled ex LAPD homicide detective turned Chief of Police in Paradise, Massachusetts, is in the middle of a complex murder investigation that has serious political implications as well as dealing with his feelings for his ex-wife that stand in the way of any other relationships and exacerbates his drinking problems. With each novel, Parker brings the same common elements found in each book featuring Jesse; excellent prose, that helps the reader go through the book with a breeze, interesting characters that you grow to love in each book and of course, the always complex and vulnerable hero Jesse, who in spite of his struggles proves that he is a good cop. What's gonna happen to Jesse next? I, for one, look forward to the next turn in Jesse's life.
Suck in again...don't I ever learn?.......2007-05-21
Yes, the Jesse Stone novels are easy to read...they almost read themselves. But that does not a great mystery make. Doesn't Jesse ever meet anybody who doesn't have a quip or humorous anecdote? The chapters are short and sweet but Jesse needs a wake-up call, baby.
Dump the ex-wife already. She's just gonna cheat on you and make your life miserable and, therefore, our reading experience the same. Not to say I won't continue reading Jesse Stone...but I'm not going to take it as seriously as some of the other authors who I REALLY look forward to. A Jesse Stone is a 2 day read and you move on. If that's what you're after, great! A fast read for a roundtrip from New York to LA via air and you're done. And get some better jokes, too.
Average customer rating:
- I Love Spenser and Hawk
- Bought it twice
- Audio CD Review; Always Good
- April Kile is back in Spenser's life and going down for the third time
- okay to read along but not quite exciting
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Hundred-Dollar Baby
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0399153764
Release Date: 2006-10-24 |
Book Description
A client from a decades-old case reaches out to Boston PI Spenser-but can he rescue troubled April Kyle once more?
Longtime Spenser fans will remember that once upon a time, though not so long ago, there was a girl named April Kyle-a beautiful teenage runaway who turned to prostitution to escape her terrible family life. The book was 1982's Ceremony, and, thanks to Spenser, April escaped Boston's "Combat Zone" for the relative safety of a high-class New York City bordello. April resurfaced in Taming a Sea-Horse, again in dire need of Spenser's rescue-this time from the clutches of a controlling lover. But April Kyle's return in Hundred-Dollar Baby is nothing short of shocking.
When a mature, beautiful, and composed April strides into Spenser's office, the Boston PI barely hesitates before recognizing his once and future client. Now a well-established madam herself, April oversees an upscale call-girl operation in Boston's Back Bay. Still looking for Spenser's approval, it takes her a moment before she can ask him, again, for his assistance. Her business is a success; what's more, it's an all-female enterprise. Now that some men are trying to take it away from her, she needs Spenser.
April claims to be in the dark about who it is that's trying to shake her down, but with a bit of legwork and a bit more muscle, Spenser and Hawk find ties to organized crime and local kingpin Tony Marcus, as well as a scheme to franchise the operation across the country. As Spenser again plays the gallant knight, it becomes clear that April's not as innocent as she seems. In fact, she may be her own worst enemy.
Customer Reviews:
I Love Spenser and Hawk.......2007-06-15
I've loved every one of Parker's Spenser books (I'm not as wild about the Jesse Stone books ....) and this is no exception. What a delight it is to settle down with one of these books. For those who know Spenser, this is another comfortable pleasure of a book. Usual witty repartee (best line this time -- Spenser's "The game is afoot," said to, um, Hawk). God love Spenser and Hawk. Long may they wave.
Bought it twice.......2007-06-08
I first bought when it was titled "Dream Girl". When I ordered Hundred-Dollar Baby from Amazon, I later found it to be the same book, just a different title
Audio CD Review; Always Good.......2007-05-16
I have yet to read any of the Spenser series (or any of Robert B. Parker's books) in print; I listen to the audio CDs. Joe Mantegna IS Spenser, and can deliver his lines with perfection. His performance is polished and very enjoyable.
The story is solid, predictable as some have said; I think that's one of the things I enjoy about this series, and this narrator. It's like meeting up with old friends and catching up on what's been happening lately. It's a pleasure to hear their voices again and be in their company even if their latest adventures aren't as exciting as they've been in the past. You know further adventures are ahead.
And yes, I think the ending will give one pause. It's not the usual knock-down, drag out excitement we've seen before. All-in-all, a good story.
April Kile is back in Spenser's life and going down for the third time.......2007-05-07
"Hundred-Dollar Baby" is the 34th Spenser novel and the good news is that everything you expect from one of these novels by Robert B. Parker is here. However, that would also be the bad news in that everything you have come to expect from the most recent Spenser novels is here. After all, we are up to almost three dozen of these stories and for a while there is a decided sense that Parker is doing these by the numbers. To put it another way, these stories now smack of style more than substance. That being said, "Hundred-Dollar Baby" is the most enjoyable Spenser novel I have read for a while. It is not a great Spenser novel, but when I was a bit more than halfway through this 2006 story I got to the following paragraph: "Susan nibbled on her donut. I'd never seen anyone else nibble a donut. Sometimes she bought a single donut hole and nibbled on it." From that point on I had decided the glass was half full rather than half empty, because while I might lament the absence of substance, I love Parker's style, especially when he is making a concerted effort to be engaging. .
The best Spenser novels have been the ones where things have been the most personal, which is a relative consideration because part of Spenser's ethos is that he makes things personal when he takes a case, which is why his payment so often consists of non-monetary remuneration. "Hundred-Dollar Baby" has a leg up on things getting personal because back for the third time is April Kyle, the beautiful teenage who ran away from a brutal family situation and turned to prostitution back in 1982's "Ceremony." Spenser got April off of the streets of Boston by hooking her up with Patricia Utley and her elegant escort service in New York City. In "Taming a Sea-Horse" April returned, needing Spenser's help when she feel in love with the wrong man. Now April is suddenly back in Boston, the madam at her own high-class call girl operation in the Back Bay. Her all-female business is dong well, but now some men are trying to take it away from her and once again she needs Spenser's help, which happens to be his particular forte.
At this point I read the Spenser novels more for Parker's dialogue than for the action, which is just as well because there is relatively little action in "Hundred-Dollar Baby" (this one ends with a bang, but it is one that has the sense of a whimper about it). You will probably figure out the "who" part long before the "what" is explained in this one, but there are additional constraints on our hero this time around that simply finding out what everybody is lying about (Spenser is not as cynical as Dr. Gregory House when it comes to the assumption that everyone is always lying, but he is simpatico with the notion). Hawk and Susan are both around in almost equal measure (Susan says more, but when has that not been the case?), and there is some involvement by some other familiar faces. Still, this one comes down to Spenser and April, and those who think the third time is the charm are being overly optimistic. As always, Parker writes a novel well suited to the commuter lifestyle, with each chapter a mini-break from your vocation, education, or whatever (which is why you may well feel you are getting a better deal if you read this one in paperback form rather than the hardback).
okay to read along but not quite exciting.......2007-04-11
this one, like all the other spenser series, readable but not very exciting and always so predictable, like watching ants crawling along an abstract path. the edge of this series has long gone. the structure of this one is just like the others, a very formulaic storyline with overly pretentious coolness of spenser and his peers with wisecracking dialogs, sometimes throwing in some spelling bee contest uncommon and rarely used difficult words. again, every chapter with susan is like a quick summary of all the chapters's development after the last chapter when spenser talked to susan to summarize what the most pretentious woman on earth happened in between. actually, all the chapters with susan, like always, could be omitted to speed up the tempo a little bit.
Average customer rating:
- The sea may change, but don't let Jesse change.
- Good to the last drop
- To have a good time
- Robert B. Parker can't write a bad book.
- Parker's in fine form
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Sea Change (Jesse Stone)
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Berkley
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ASIN: 0425214427 |
Book Description
After the body of a divorced Florida heiress washes ashore in Paradise, Jesse Stone discovers her kinky secrets-and a sordid past that casts suspicion on everyone she knew, from friends to family. Unfortunately no one is talking, so it's up to Stone to speak for the dead...
Customer Reviews:
The sea may change, but don't let Jesse change. .......2007-06-11
Jesse Stone, the former LAPD robbery homicide detective, now the chief of police for Paradise Massachusetts finds himself in the middle of a case that involves a sad and sordid tale of incest and a sex ring in the midst of a murder investigation during a yachting competition in his town. It all begins when the body of a young woman is found floating in the bay near Paradise. Jesse, and his officers, Suitcase Simpson, and Molly Crane and the other inhabitants of Paradise deal with the murder as well as other events that take place in the small town. In the midst of learning about the sad life story of the victim, Jesse must still deal with the demons of his drinking problem (although by this time he has tried to go sober)and his ambiguous feelings for his ex-wife Jenn, whom has proven to be rather untrustworthy.
"Sea Change" is in fact the first Jesse Stone novel that I read, and I have to admit that I am hooked into this series by Parker. I hope that we see more of Jesse and how he deals with life in Paradise.
Good to the last drop.......2007-06-01
I recently viewed the TV movie Sea Change starring Tom Selleck. Although I enjoyed the movie, Selleck has finally found a character that suits him, the plot of the book is almost completely different. This is nothing new. Very few of the James Bond books written by Ian Fleming resemble the movies of the same name. Even so, it is a distraction. Don't feel that you need to complete the book before seeing the screen adaptation. Only the title and the character names, those not dropped, reamain the same.
This is a review of the novel and it is quite good. Jesse Stone obviously has a history. Guys who drink hard and mostly alone usually do. Unlike the movie version, he's on the wagon for this go round. The plot involves the possible murder of a floater which will leave you guessing until the end. Makes one wonder what police chiefs have to go thru, even in small towns like Paradise, MA.
To have a good time.......2007-04-17
Albeit this is my first RP's book and so I can't compare it with others Jesse Stone's novels, I can tell you that this book'll let you read it. Is not an excellent thriller but is very fast to read. The investigation had a lot of luck to be solved. The shrink part is just to waste pages and ink. But you'll have a good time reading it.
Robert B. Parker can't write a bad book........2007-04-10
I have not read every book by Robert Parker but I've read all the Spencer books and now pretty much all the Jesse Stone books. I admit I do enjoy putting Tom Selleck in when I'm reading them. But if you are a fan of Parker, you just know you can't go wrong with one of his books. No one will ever match Spencer but Jesse Stone is doing a fine job of working up to it. I enjoy seeing him develop with each book. This book's subject matter is fairly nasty but the reactions of the regular characters makes them so very real. Jesse Stone is a flawed but good man and I look forward to each new outing. There are certain authors you know you can recommend and if the person isn't weird, they'll love them, Parker is always on that list.
Parker's in fine form.......2007-03-26
Parker is God, and even if this book isn't his finest, it still earns five stars from me. There's plenty of Parker's trademark witty dialog, dry humor, solid plotting, and ongoing character development. Scott Sowers does a nice job reading the audio version, livening up the action with a range of accents.
Average customer rating:
- Much, much better
- Blue Screen
- Sunny *and* Stone together
- Parker does it again
- two--two--two protagonists in one!
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Blue Screen
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0399153519 |
Book Description
Buddy Bollen is a C-list movie mogul who made his fortune producing films of questionable artistic merit. When Buddy hires Sunny Randall to protect his rising star and girlfriend, Erin Flint, Sunny knows from the start that the prickly, spoiled beauty won't make her job easy. And when Erin's sister, Misty, is found dead in the lavish home they share with sugar daddy Bollen, there doesn't seem to be a single lead worth pursuing.
But then Sunny meets Jesse Stone, chief of police in Paradise, Massachusetts, under whose jurisdiction the case falls. It immediately becomes clear that Jesse and Sunny have much in common. While searching for the killer, they learn an awful lot about each other-and themselves.
Tracking Misty's murderer reveals a host of seedy complications behind Erin's glamorous lifestyle as well as Buddy Bollen's entertainment empire, made up of shady film deals and mobsters out for revenge. But in a world where there's little difference between the good guys and the bad, exposing the killer could prove to be Sunny's undoing.
Customer Reviews:
Much, much better.......2007-06-20
I wasn't especially thrilled with the previous mysteries in the Sunny Randall series, but this one is a winner. Sunny seems to have grown up considerably. And Parker seems to fluctuate between really bad and really good. At his best(i.e. in too few novels), he is equal to Lawrence Block, and that's a compliment indeed.
The chemistry works in this book. There's a sort of romance, although the lovers can't quite decide what sort it is or where it is likely to lead. The romance is also hilarious at one point. And there is a dog, a wonderful dog with the soul of a poet. In fact, all the characters are interesting and well drawn--not just the dog. The plot kept me intrigued. The atmosphere of Boston environs and Los Angeles environs felt real. The dialogue was quirky, funny, real. If all of Parker's books were this good, he'd be a first class writer. Alas, a good many of his works just don't measure up to "Blue Screen."
Blue Screen.......2007-05-21
"Blue Screen" is the 5th Sunny Randall novel by Robert B. Parker who is best known for his Spenser novels. It was only my 2nd Sunny Randall novel, but when I read a review, I discovered that one of the major characters in "Blue Screen" is Jesse Stone, Parker's other series character. Stone is police chief of Paradise, Massachusetts. The review also indicated that Sunny and Jesse have some kind of a relationship, and since I knew from having read all of the Stone novels that Jesse was trying to reconcile with his ex-wife, Jenn. Sunny, a Boston P.I. is hired by Buddy Bollen, a resident of Stiles Island which is a part of Paradise, to be a bodyguard for his girlfriend Erin Flint. Flint is an actress and aspires to be the first female major league baseball player. She and her sister Misty live with Bollen. When Misty is found murdered, Erin asks Sunny to investigate. Sunny and Jesse work to track down the murderer discovering that both Erin and Misty had been hookers and that Bollen had mob ties through some of his movie deals. I enjoyed the teaming of 2 of Parker's major characters and I was able to keep up with Jesse before I read "High Profile". There is even a character from the Spenser novels here. "Blue Screen" is a very entertaining novel.
Sunny *and* Stone together.......2007-05-11
Robert B. Parker is almost alone these days in how much he writes, how many characters he has, and what he does. The Spenser novels, the Sunny Randall novels, and the Jesse Stone novels together are three of the best series in mystery fiction today: frankly, in some ways the Spenser books are the weakest of the three.
This current book follows Sunny Randall. She's hired by an internet billionaire named Buddy Bollen to bodyguard his girlfriend. Parker continues his homage to Chandler: when Sunny arrives at the gate to Buddy's estate, she tells you she's "calling on twenty trillion dollars." Those who've read The Big Sleep will get the reference, and the sarcastic note.
Buddy's girlfriend is a blonde bombshell Amazon named Erin Flint, who stars in bad movies (she's OK until she has to act) and Buddy thinks he's going to put her on his baseball team, which improbably plays in Connecticut. The team is awful, but Buddy thinks if he puts his girl in center field, his attendance will improve and so will the team's value. He also, unfortunately, thinks that someone's trying to kill her, or maybe it's him. Anyway, he summons Sunny, and Erin hires her to provide protection.
Then things get interesting. Erin's personal assistant gets killed, and since Buddy lives on the island near Paradise Mass., Jesse Stone is the one investigating her death. Sunny and Jesse work the case together, and things get really interesting as they do that. There are even some sidetrips to Los Angeles, which Parker apparently knows better than the other guy whose book I read a little while ago (the one where the one character took the subway to Beverly Hills!) so that's fun.
I really enjoyed this book. I like Parker, I like Sunny, I like Jesse, I especially enjoy Sunny's friend Spike, who's gay and not exactly a stereotype, to say the least. I had fun with this whole book, and the plot, while not exactly a new version of the Hound of the Baskervilles, is fun and entertaining. With Parker, the plot's always secondary to the action and the characters anyway. I enjoyed this book, and will recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries.
Parker does it again.......2007-02-22
If you are a Spenser fan, you'll love Sunny Randall, Parker's female Private detective character. She's tough, witty, well basically a female Spenser. Blue Screen is the best Sunny Randall book thus far, with her character being more fully developed.
Parker does it again! This book is a must read for Robert Parker fans!
two--two--two protagonists in one!.......2007-02-13
Now, if we could just have gotten Spenser and Hawk in here, we'd have had a nice little BBQ going. Or maybe a gourmet feast. If Spenser's doing the cooking. A grape and cube of cheese if Susan has anything to say about it. Heh.
If you like Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall in their respective series, you'll like this book wherein they come together for the first time. I like Jesse as a protagonist in his own series, but I must admit to wanting to throttle him when it comes to his drinking and his relationship with his ex. I like Sunny Randall, too, but I admit to wanting to throttle her, too.
Two protagonists with exes. What are the odds that they'll hit it off and have us laughing along the way? Good odds. And that's what this book is--a nice, humorous ride with two smart but damaged protagonists.
Average customer rating:
- Not bad
- Cold Case
- Unfinished Ending
- The Dishonorable Behavior Wore Me Down
- Parker is capable of better.
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Spare Change
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0399154256
Release Date: 2007-06-05 |
Book Description
Boston P.I. Sunny Randall joins forces with the most important man in her life-her father-to crack a thirty-year-old case.
Hi Phil, You miss me? I got bored, so I thought I'd reestablish our relationship. Give us both something to do in our later years. Stay tuned. Spare Change
When a serial murderer dubbed "The Spare Change Killer" by the Boston press surfaces after three decades in hiding, the police immediately seek out the cop, now retired, who headed the original task force: Phil Randall. As a sharp-eyed investigator and a doting parent ("You're smart. You're tough. You, too, are a paradigm of law enforcement perfection, and you're my kid"), Phil calls on his daughter, Sunny, to help catch the criminal who eluded him so many years before.
Sunny is certain that she's found her man after interviewing just a handful of suspects. Though she has no evidence against Bob Johnson, she trusts her intuition. And she knows the power she has over him-she can feel the skittishness and sexual tension that he radiates when he's around her-but persuading her father and the rest of the task force is a different story.
When the killer strikes a second and third time, the murders take a macabre turn, as the victims each eerily resemble Sunny. While her father pressures her to drop the case, Sunny's need to create a trap to nab her killer grows.
In a compelling game of cat-and-mouse, Sunny uses all her skills to draw out her prey, realizing too late that she's setting herself up to become the next victim.
Customer Reviews:
Not bad.......2007-06-26
I really like Sunny Randall as a character, and I have liked every book in the series (the one combined with Jesse Stone less so--neither fish nor fowl).
And this book has some great merits.
It's written in Parker's trademark pared-down style.
It's full of wit and snappy dialogue.
It has some of the interesting characters--Spike (though not enough of him), Elizabeth (certainly enough of her), the exasperating Julie, Sunny's mother, Sunny's dad, Rosie and Rich (not enough of either), the brand-new pistol Margie Collins.
But it also has some flaws.
First, and less bad, it's about a serial killer. This is beyond trite. However, to be fair, Parker handles the psychology of the SK well.
Second, and much worse, it has SUSAN SILVERMAN!!!!!!!!!
Christ. Spare me.
I thought we would only get the tedious Susan in the Spenser novels. But no. Here she is again in all her dull glory.
As always, when writing about Susan, Parker becomes turgid and laughably bad.
Listen to this. It is Sunny, describing Susan (her therapist): Susan "was older than I, but it would be difficult to say just how one would know that. She was positively beautiful. Her body was graceful and strong. Even in her self-abnegating shrink mode, she reeked of womanhood. The force of her self filled the room."
This reeks of highschool crush-note. The force of its silliness fills the chapter.
Any character who evokes such prose should be pushed off the boat.
Fortunately, Susan's deadly appearances are brief.
The handling of Sunny's realization about herself is quite deft.
Cold Case.......2007-06-25
A serial killer known as "Spare Change" resumes killing after a thirty year hiatis. The Boston Police Department calls on original task force member, now retired Phil Randall to investigate the new killings. Phil enlists the help of his daughter, Private Detective Sunny Randall to help solve a case that has been haunting him for three decades.
Robert B. Parker writes three series: Spenser, Jesse Stone, and Sunny Randall. Sunny seems to be a female combination of Spenser and Jess Stone. As all of Parker's females, she's beautiful. She tough and a bit of a wiseass like Spenser, and she has relationship issues like Jesse Stone with whom she has had an affair in novels that featured both characters. It all feels a bit incestuous. Parker's characters are a stereotypical and not all that dimensional. The dialogue always seems a bit stiff and unnatural. The plots are usually straightforward. For all the reasons I can think of why I might not really like the Parker novels, I have read almost all of them, and have enjoyed them for the most part. I can't really figure out why. The characters aren't very complex, really they're a bit caricature, but I like them. The stories are simple, but they move along. They are an easy read, and you don't have to invest too much brain power into them. Sometimes they are just what is needed for a lazy afternoon.
Unfinished Ending.......2007-06-24
Maybe it was just the copy I bought, but this book just ended. It left me hanging. I think my copy might be missing the last few pages. I hope someone can clear this up for me. I have read all the Sunny Randall books but this one was disapppointing to me.
The Dishonorable Behavior Wore Me Down.......2007-06-23
I really want the Sunny Randall series to succeed. I love the Spenser for Hire series, and enjoy the Jesse Stone series. To have the same very enjoyable style of writing applied to a female detective would be pretty much the ultimate series for me. The first five books, which relied heavily on the existing cast of characters from the other 2 series, brought Sunny along from a really silly character to an almost well developed and stand-on-her-own woman. For some reason, this sixth book really seems to be a large step backwards.
First, if you haven't read the other books in all 3 series, you're going to be lost. The trilogy of series all depend on each other and on previous storylines so intricately that it's like a soap opera. No, it IS a soap opera. Almost every character you meet in the story is one who has shown up for years and years in one storyline or another, with a full, rich background. There's a slight break in that Sunny is no longer with Jesse Stone - she's tentatively talking with Richie, her ex. That only slightly cuts down on the incestuousness of the series inter-mingling. She still has her shrink sessions with Susan, a main character from the Spenser series. Susan is drawn as almost a wonder-woman goddess of beauty and personal force, and, of course, her interest is "palpable". I believe that word is mentioned in every novel at least once.
So, about the story. It's summertime in the city of Boston, and the Spare Change killer is back after a 20 year hiatus. Sunny's retired cop father, Phil, had failed to catch this criminal back during his first spree, and is brought back to help figure out the case. He wants Sunny to help. The investigation really takes up only a little of the book. It's less about police work and more about Sunny "knowing" immediately who the killer is and then simply breaking the law in order to prove it. A little breaking and entering, a little entrapment, and voila. In that sense, the book is less about figuring out who the culprit is and more about finding a way to catch him.
The real bulk of the story (and I use the word bulk loosely here - like most books by Parker, I zipped through this in a single evening) involves Sunny and her relationships. What made me cringe about the book was how unpleasant it was to read through those sections. She has a therapist friend, Julie. Julie spouts off drivel about men being babies and needing to be taken care of. Then she sleeps with the husband of one of her patients (it's ok because "she'll never know"). Then she sets up a double date with two guys who are only interested in a foursome. Then she asks Sunny to kill one of them for annoying her.
Maybe Sunny's family is better? Sunny's obsession in life is to have her father all to herself. Her mom is an unapologetic drunk who Sunny looks down on for enjoying restaurants with chintz. When Sunny is with the family, she deliberately talks with her father about things only he would understand - the cop cases - and explicitly ignores attempts by the rest of the family to bring up more general topics they can all enjoy. Sunny likes wine, and talks about sauvignon blanc and pinot noir in other parts of the book. But when her sis Elizabeth brings up wine, Sunny acts like a beer snob and again rattles on about her cop case. Later, Elizabeth even tries to praise Sunny's painting skills, and Sunny still acts the stuck-up part. It really made her a less-than-appealing character for me.
How about her father? Sunny talks with her dad about getting back with Richie - who, remember, has a PREGNANT WIFE. In Blue Screen, the couple knew their child was going to be a boy. I would imagine by now the mom-to-be is almost ready to deliver. Her dad tells her to go ahead and have an affair with him - if it's love, you can do any immoral act you want!! What??? So on one hand Phil says to stick by those you love, like his wife and 2 kids, even if they're flaky. On the other hand, he says it doesn't matter if you completely screw up other peoples' lives, as long as you get what you selfishly want. That really, really bothered me.
You'd think Susan would help here. But it was as if scenes were cut-and-paste from Spenser novels. Sunny says (and I'm not kidding here) "we can love each other without living together". Is this a common theme that every Parker hero must follow? Susan of course thinks this is a brilliant idea. We get the dog worship and the lines about Sunny not being a worthy person if she cannot stand up to all danger herself. What happened to the pragmatist who knew when to rely on the support of others? Even Spenser has Hawk with him most of the time.
I really am torn by this book. Again, I love Parker's writing style. I love having a lead female character. I like the support for gay characters, although I laughed out loud at the sentence "there were undergraduates of all genders in the library." That seemed a bit expansive to me. I found some of the later Spenser series to have Spenser be a little TOO perfect, TOO predictable, so I am all for characters with some flaws. However, Sunny just drives me crazy. She keeps claiming she wants to stand alone, and never does. Spenser was all about honor - I *love* that. Sunny is in a world where you cheat with the husband of your therapy patient, you cheat with your ex-husband who has a pregnant wife, you read Vogue and Vanity Fair while contemplating manicuring your nails (literally), you deliberately denigrate your sister and mother whenever you can, and where when your friend is in trouble because of a nude photo, you snarkily think that her thighs look chunky.
I really can't enjoy this environment that is full of dishonorable, selfish, petty and cruel behavior by the main character and those she chooses to surround herself with. I'm almost forced to keep reading this series because it intertwines with the Spenser and Jesse series and affects the plot of those two books. Maybe I can hold out hope that Sunny will have some sort of revelation in the next book which will make her more likeable going forward.
Parker is capable of better........2007-06-23
I am part of the minority that enjoys the Sunny Randall series from Robert B. Parker.
However, I must say that "Spare Change" is not a keeper.
The most important plot is most interesting and could carry the book.
But...please... show me mercy and reduce the time devoted to the dog and visits to the shrink...especially when the shrink is the wearisome Susan Silverman from the "Spenser" series.
What should have been a clever and compelling tale gets bogged down with the unessential.
Average customer rating:
- Good Spenser novel
- Average Spenser
- Who's Rudnicki?
- Good Fast Read
- Rain-Pouring-Down in Port City, Spenser Connects With Chinatown
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Walking Shadow (Spenser)
Robert B. Parker
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ASIN: 0425147746 |
Customer Reviews:
Good Spenser novel.......2007-06-24
Robert Parker books are always a good read. Quick, snappy and entertaining, I enjoy them immensely and Walking Shadow is no exception. The book opens with Spenser and Susan, his girlfriend, attending a play in a nearby small coastal town where Susan is on the board of directors. During the performance an actor is shot and killed on stage. Hawk and Vinnie are enlisted to help Spenser find the killer. During their investigation, they discover the small town is not as placid as it seems and the rest of the story is vintage Robert Parker with a few unexpected twists and turns.
I love Spenser novels for their humor and integrity; Spenser and Hawk always win, good triumphs over evil, Spenser is always faithful to Susan and Pearl the dog is always the darling.
Average Spenser.......2007-06-09
I very much enjoy the work of Robert B. Parker, and even his lesser books are quite entertaining. WALKING SHADOW is a decent Spenser mystery, set in the world of theater and Chinatown. This novel has all the strengths of Parker's books: snappy dialogue, lean writing, and politically incorrect humor.
The major downside of Parker's later novels is repetition. If you've read a lot of them, you notice that Parker often reuses certain types of characters and situations. As a result, very little happens in this novel that hasn't happened in past Spenser books. Parker does focus on the Chinese immigrant community in Massachusetts, but most of the Chinese characters are portrayed as caricatures, rather than three-dimensional human beings. In the end, I just didn't find this aspect of the story that interesting.
If you already like Parker's style of writing, you should enjoy this one. Otherwise, my advice is to skip WALKING SHADOW, and go for the early Spenser novels or the books in Parker's Jesse Stone series.
Who's Rudnicki?.......2007-03-02
I love the Spenser series, I've just started reading/listening to them. The best audio book so far is "Small Vices" read by Burt Reynolds. I've decided that the successs of the Spenser audio books depends on who's recording them, because the guy who reads this latest one ("Walking Shadow") in a word - STINKS!!!! His last name's Rudnicki and he sounds like a 12 year old, not at all like the tough but lovable detective we all know, not believable at all! Thank God I already love these stories, which is the only reason I gave it 2 stars - otherwise it would've been 1 star. Don't waste your money, read the book instead.
Good Fast Read.......2006-11-21
A murder occurs during a play in which an actor is shot in front of an audience. In a theater in the small town of Port City. Biggest thing to happen ever in Port City, right? Apparently not so much. The police chief seems nonchalant at least. Shot with a .22 through the heart. (A distant shot with a .22?--not a normal killer's weapon from that distance. In fact, the odds are the shootee would survive such a shot, except the shooter is a great marksman and gets him right in the heart.) Well, the murder is followed by some snappy repartee (usually between Spenser and his girl, Susan) and some "twists" and turns occur until the whole slight mystery is solved by the introduction of some additional information near the end which shines light on everything (conveniently). Hawk is around acting tough (in a pimp-like manner) and Vinnie is there too.
The title "Walking Shadow" refers to the Chinese Mafia. It is slang meaning they are everywhere even though you don't see them. The Chinese mafia is handled in a very cursery manner in this novel. One is treated to the big cheese and a few Oriental hitmen and that's as deep as Mr. Parker's research takes him. He misses a chance to offer some insight into another culture.
Reading "Walking Shadow" one gets the sense that Mr. Parker just "knocked this out" because he had a deadline to meet. Little more than standard mystery fare with some wit and snappy dialogue. Still a good fast read, perfect for a plane flight or a couple of days on the beach.
Rain-Pouring-Down in Port City, Spenser Connects With Chinatown.......2006-04-12
The opening rhythm and balsamic detail of this Spenser novel has drifted toward the jazzy flow of Parker's later series entries, leaving the early novels in the annals of classic detective fiction, lush with setting ambiance and yummy P.I. moodiness. The first page plot movement in WALKING SHADOW set an immediate rhythm into an ongoing situation, using a writing "technique" which translated to me as Parker's talent rolling so naturally now that he had no compulsion to set up anything.
For me, this style seemed to say that he didn't feel any need to grab the reader by the lapels and jerk him into the story, didn't need to waste words cajoling anybody outside Spenser's reality to join the party. Parker just started right in typing with what Spenser was thinking about the drama he and Susan were into, typing with a sort of helter-skelter abandon, a seeming non concern about the presence of a reader, typing tidbits about the history leading up and the current ... "riding along in an automobile."
Loved it!
How refreshing it is to read an author who seems to have absolutely lost the angst of being a good novelist (if he ever actually had any concerns about his talent or skill). The irony is that once an author loses the overwhelm of this type of self-nagging, his writing naturally, effortlessly begins to "work" in enthralling the reader, and both writer and reader win the brass.
On the other hand, I'm not implying the opposite. Many, if not most writers angst over this and that about their work, and they produce great stuff.
X-Ray vision Spenser. His interviews in this one seemed to be even more potent than his norm, especially in painting amazingly insightful reductions of individual essences, simultaneous to highlighting exquisite ethical visions, separating solid values from superficial hypocrisy.
My habit is to mark passages of high profile excellence, to refer to later, when writing a review. In one particular interview, with Leonard O, the playwright, Spenser's pithy observations were so hot, I gave up scribbling check marks and noted the whole interview as worth a verbatim quote. I was loathing that guy so much, I was hoping he was the murderer, but, of course, he would be getting off too easy, however high or low he was hung.
In fact, each interview in this book was worth quoting or rendering in oils. Talk about artistic! Parker laid bare the essence of the artistic world, from adequate angles to satisfy a sensual geometry professor. Each comment any character made about art was worth designing into poster panache (of course, all those opinions came out of from Parker's complex brain).
How did one man, Parker, acquire so much wisdom in a single lifetime, and hone the ability to communicate that wisdom through the precise form of the detective novel? Yeah, he has stretched the package at times, but nothing has ever popped in any way but hot, as far as I would judge.
If King is a literary master disguised within the horror genre, Parker is a literary master eloquently exposed within classic mystery parameters. Yet both authors are more than that. They're masters of reducing to clarity many of the varieties of individual essences within the human species.
The Chinatown insights were interesting (one could say fascinating), realistically done, and something about which I knew nothing.
Loved the interactions w/Pearl and the coddling of her, as well as the "remodeling" on the old house.
Enjoyed the sensuality and underlying "how to deal with" insights in Spenser's small collection of brief moodiness scenes with his litanies of being "sick of ... sick of ... sick of ..."
Yup, this will do. Way more than. More! Next.
Spenser is more than meets the eye, private or public.
Linda G. Shelnutt
Average customer rating:
- Spenser series flagging
- Spencer Takes On Organized Crime
- Casting Diamonds to Devils: Shattering A Child's Crystalline Dreams.
- Spenser and Hawk get involved in potential crime turf battles
- Exceptionally Well Done
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Chance (Spenser)
Robert B. Parker
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ASIN: 0425157474 |
Customer Reviews:
Spenser series flagging.......2007-03-01
I first became aware of the Spenser (detective) character from the TV show Spenser for Hire (1985-1988.)
The series was adapted from Robert Parker's, Spenser novels. It was the Hawk character - brilliantly brought to life by Avery Brooks that I liked best.
I soon started reading the novels - and have read most of them.
To sum up the Spenser character - He is a middle aged, Boston,detective with good street credit. The cops and the hoodlums respect him. He is not trying to save the world - just make a small difference.
Parker has been prospering from the Spenser series for more than 20 years - a nice meal ticket.
Lately I have noticed the dialogue becoming predictable - dare I say boring. The plot lines are less imaginative and the final chapters try to sum up a story where clues have been sparse.
Chance is an exercise in trying to ring the Spenser series register just a few more times.
In this adventure our heroes travel to Las Vegas to investigate the disappearance of a mob figure (Julius Ventura)'s son in law (Anthony Meeker.)
The supportive cast includes a brutal mob enforcer - Marty Anaheim and his battered wife Bibi, Julius Ventura's emotionally challenged daughter, a double dealing Las Vegas gumshoe and a host of unpleasant underworld figures.
Only Bibi is marginally fleshed but comes off as a lack luster stereotype.
When the mystery is finally resolved - you will find yourself caring - not at all.
The best Spenser novels rely on fast action and witty dialogue.
Chance's action is not fast and the dialogue is labored and time worn.
The characters that we have to come to love so well (Spenser, Hawk and Susan Silverman) have not evolved. They have no hobbies, they ignore advances in electronic technology, have no problems with their plumbing, and never comment on current Boston's politics.
If you are new to the Spenser series - spend your money and time on the earlier novels - you won't be disappointed.
Robert Parker is an elegant, witty writer who is exploring new territory.
As the Spenser series has declined - Parker introduced two new leading characters that now have their own series; Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall.
Both of the those new series are a lot of fun.
Is it possible that the next Spenser novel will be a phoenix? - I think the chances are unlikely.
"Hey, Robert Parker!" Prove me wrong!
Caslo
Spencer Takes On Organized Crime .......2006-09-19
Spencer and Hawk agree to take on a job for the daughter of a local Mafia kingpin. She wants them to find her husband who has gone missing. Seems simple enough, but things soon become complicated as they are wont to do in a Spencer novel. Hawk and Susan each have a significant role in this one and the snappy dialog, for which Parker is so well known, is here in abundance. The plot moves along at a good pace and then changes course about half way through the book and begins to wander quite a bit. Loose ends are tied up and questions finally answered at the conclusion. A fairly good read, but the second half was a bit of a struggle.
Casting Diamonds to Devils: Shattering A Child's Crystalline Dreams. .......2006-07-07
The prologue of CHANCE was a haunting literary coup. Opening with the ethereal elegance of crystal goblets and white linen dreams, it descended quickly into the darkened schemes of beating bands and backed up screams:
>> It was all to come. The cocktails, the crystal, the starched white napkins, and the soft Sunday mornings with orange juice and floral print coverlets. Apple trees in spring blossom.... dense racket of the band and the crowd... booze and the sweet pungent marijuana smoke. <<
The scene appeared to be set-in-retro a few decades from the ongoing plot time, to a feel of the 70's:
Blackjack chewing gum, be-ribboned pony tails, dark loafers worn with no sox.
The effect reminded me of Sue Grafton's first chapter of "S is for Silence" with Violet portrayed in the 50's era, decades earlier than the 80's plot setting. (See my review on S, which I cut to 1/4 its original length to halt a blitzkrieg of No. Please ignore the bullet holes. Swiss Cheese is good.)
Later in the plot, Spenser made a few touching gestures, after the reader identified the red-haired woman in the 70's-retro, Cinderella prologue (with the antique-lace headed to the blinking-neon-light) and realized what befell the girlish schemes of a hopeful rescue from a brutal father.
During a lunch scene with the prologue gal (who easily received my sympathy), Spenser narrated:
I was quiet. She sat thinking back, looking past me at the lush artifice of the Las Vegas restaurant and probably not seeing it....
"You can't stop him. He'll find me and do what he's going to do and no one will stop him. Nobody can."
"I might stop him," I said.
A dialogue between Spenser and Hawk:
"She hasn't hired us. But I sort of told her I wouldn't let ... get her."
"Sure you did," Hawk said. "She's probably good looking and sad and you do four or five back flips and say we gonna eat Marty's lunch for him, he comes near her."
"I didn't do that many back flips."
Later, a few clips here and there from a scene in an MGM Grand motel room:
While I waited I patted her knee. My father used to do that, give me a pat once in a while, without comment....
"You all right in this?"
"No," she said. "All I can do is sit here and wait for the men to do whatever they'll do. How all right is that?"....
"I patted (her) knee again and headed for the door."
In a sense, this novel seemed to be dealing with vulnerability, sensitivity, and the idealized life brutalized, as much as with gambling and the death of romantic compulsions.
>> I walked with Susan through the brief wedge of dry heat into the air-conditioned terminal.... Watching her I felt the little knot in my stomach that I always felt when I left her.... I still stood for a moment, looking at the last place I had seen her, being careful not to be routine, while I became the other guy again, the one I was without her. It took a couple of minutes. And then I was him. He wasn't a bad guy; in fact sometimes I thought he had strengths that the other guy didn't have. Certainly he wasn't worse. But he was no one I wanted to be all the time. I turned back and headed for Lester and the Lincoln. <<
Parker painted the ambiance artifice of Vegas, the varied moods of its sunlight's unrelenting lack of relief:
>> ... live pirate show where one ship sinks another in the Treasure Island Lagoon, while the mist machines on the perimeter cooled us down. The rest of the hotels on our part of the strip looked like big, ugly hotels, a fifth-grader's dream of luxury, and nighttime excess, shopworn in the unblinking Nevada sunlight. <<
Describing a dead woman:
>> ... her white body dimpled and pudgy in the comfortless sunlight ... It was late morning and the dry heat lay and flat over everything. <<
The above type of Vegas detail is contrasted cleanly to Boston's climate, "Hawk and I went out, adequately armed, at least by our standards, and walked along the waterfront through a raw wind blowing off the harbor."
I'm beginning to notice some of what the addictive appeal is for me with the Spenser series, in addition to the above type of poetic prose in which the First Person Narrator sketches setting into life. The appeal is that I've been nicely set up to look for Spenser's unique brand of quips, quotes, and answers which slip to the reader those "keys" (or clues) on "How to Win the Boxing Matches of Life" (without feeling you've slimed your soul).
I don't know if Spenser's style is a melancholy-blues song, or poetry gone crisp with edges of truth. Maybe Parker's voice is the synergy of both, surged to the level of An Icon within The Cultural Conversation. When I read any Spenser novel now, I expect diamonds to glisten among the garbage of the "way we were" the way we are, the ...
"What I am to be I am now becoming."
I don't recall who said that. I just remember that it was quoted by a Girl Scout leader from my long gone youth.
While I enjoy Hawk's references of Spenser being an Eagle Scout, I was never fond of what I learned in Girl Scout camp (other than the above quote), what with the rats keeping me awake chewing on my shoes beside my cot, the wake up calls in the frigid frost of dawn, the choice of either shivering or sweating my terror of mountain lions and bears. The horrifying, bone-marrow-tapping Cold of the Nights in the mountains and woods were the worst, with the campfire always glowing too hard, too late, too small, too far away from my nightmares.
Working the summer as an assistant cook at a Girl's Scout camp designed (horribly poorly; what a horrendous choice that was!) my transition from home to college, at the end of my high school reign, during which I was class president and Co-Valedictorian.
All for what?
What a maze we go through to get from youth to adult, a maze which never seems to truly end with the Brass Ring called Actualization, a maize in which spirit bruises reign and rain.
Who doesn't at times feel like a losing gambler in life.
Returning to the Life of Spenser and the dry-heat, Nevada ambiance in this plot...
I noticed a pause in the middle of the book, in which questions like the above moved mood to melancholy, as Spenser wallowed within an absolute lack of success of his mission; an inability to take satisfaction in his pay (which he gave away) at the end of The Day. When I realized the book was only half finished at that seemingly moot point, I wondered how Parker would heat the rhythm enough to make the second half feel more than an extended tack-on. I was surprised that while Spenser, Hawk, and Susan were moaning the emptiness of dead ends in the case at hand, I didn't feel those dreaded spaces of reader boredom which sometimes overwhelm (underwhelm?) me if characters endure depressing lulls of dissatisfaction.
What kept me away from ennui at that half-way plot point of "Is this all there is?"
Possibly what kept me involved in the story was that I knew Parker would leave clues I could use for "me"; I wanted those more than I wanted completion to Parker's clients' questions and needs. They were there. Both. All. But, they weren't etched in glowing script on Silver Plates. Diamonds buried in mud, they were. I had to dig. I did.
See my tiara? Not a princess in a fairytale, I'm The Queen of my Dreams. Wherever they are, my dreams are mine. Who can steal something I keep in my mind while dining on time?
Maybe the secret is to know what might be attainable with sweat and finesse, and what is likely pie in the sky to save for sleep.
Onward. To more culinary cozies carefully contrasted by Parker, Rand, Woods, McGarrity, Grafton, Myers, Workinger, O'Loughlin ... The list goes on.
Diamonds before devils, and angels have wings. These are a few of my favorite things.
Speaking somewhat of choirs of dashing devils and soprano angels, I enjoy seeing voices of reviewers develop on Amazon, the only venue I've discovered which allows, in a way encourages this development, with its relatively open gift of space for individual songs to strike a rhythm and tone. If you want to identify more clearly what they mean by a writer's voice this is a good place to study that. Click on any "See all my reviews" and read a few from the beginning of the list, a few from current posts. Maybe you'll hear a song growing, which is more than a style.
Amazon has its very own music of the spheres. (For clear-voice reviews on opera and mystery, see the list of my Amazon Friend, L.E. Cantrell.)
Parker's dedication to his wife, Joan: "Every town is Paris; every month is May."
Linda G. Shelnutt
Spenser and Hawk get involved in potential crime turf battles.......2006-02-06
This story is one of the most convoluted Spenser novels. One of the major figures of organized crime in the Boston area hires Spenser to locate the husband of his only daughter, but only after Hawk turned him down. While Spenser agrees to take the job, it is clear that he is not hearing the entire story. The missing man is Anthony Meeker, and once Spenser starts his probe, he learns that Anthony, "is as dumb as a rake handle." People who have encountered Anthony refer to him as "phony Tony", and it doesn't take long for Spenser to realize that Anthony was a bag man who carried out money transfers between crime groups. It is also obvious that Tony skimmed some of the money, as he announced that he had a system to beat Las Vegas and when he got back he would be worth a fortune.
Spenser and Hawk then depart for Vegas and learn that there is a lot of genetic material being exchanged between various wives and husbands. They also learn that there is a budding turf war about to erupt among the various leaders of the organized crime groups in the Boston area. Joe Broz, an old adversary of Spenser's and the major crime boss, is retiring and he has no worthy heir. Therefore, many of the players are running duplicitous ploys against each other, jockeying for position. Spenser even has a frank discussion with Joe Broz about what is going on.
Of course, Spenser and Hawk finally determine what is actually going on and Spenser finds a way to make sure the guilty parties are punished. The story is a little bit difficult to follow at times, simply because there are so many persons and groups of interest. The dialog is not as crisp or humorous as it is in the best Spenser novels, but it is quite good. This is also the book that introduces Bernard J. Fortunato, a Vegas private investigator who reappears as a Spenser ally in a later story.
Exceptionally Well Done.......2005-08-01
The thing about Spencer novels is the presentation of the main characters; Susan, Hawk, and especially Spencer are cool. Because the books are written from a first person perspective, there is a special opportunity for audio books. Burt Reynolds takes advantage of that opportunity. His character portrayals are excellent.
Reynolds delivery is outstanding. He doesn't try too hard. His timing is great. Sometimes it's almost like he is talking specifically to me, not to a room of people - like he is responding to my feedback or something! He portrays the characters as I imagined them before I ever listened to a Spencer audiobook. (I didn't watch the TV series more than a couple times.)
Even without Reynolds, "Chance" is an interesting story, with a good balance between action & dialog, plot & character development. With Reynolds, it is six stars!
Average customer rating:
- A Good story for Young Adults.
- Some polished Parker prose for the youth market
- Not Bad
- A Great Starter for Parker
- Bobby Murphy, Boy Detective
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Edenville Owls
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Philomel
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- High Profile
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- Invisible Prey
ASIN: 0399246568
Release Date: 2007-04-19 |
Book Description
There is something evil in the air. Fourteen-year-old Bobby senses it. Who is that man he saw arguing with his pretty new English teacher? And what was the real reason she missed school for days afterward? Bobby knows he should mind his own business, but times are confusing. World War II has just ended and the world is changing. Bobby's world, especially. There's his relationship with Joanie, for one—why does being her friend feel awkward all of a sudden? And then there are his buddies, the junior varsity Edenville Owls—a group of 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. Something evil is in the air.
Robert B. Parker brings the same powerful storyline and spare, atmospheric prose to his first novel for young readers that he does to his New York Times best selling Spenser novels. A perfect fit.
Customer Reviews:
A Good story for Young Adults........2007-05-18
Over the past two months my 13 year old son has been on a reading streak. He finished Carl Hiassen's, Hoot and Flush (which were given to me by him for my reading and comments) and now he has finished reading Robert B. Parker, "Edenville Owls". For some reason he is not a big Harry Potter fan. Anyway, again, with an outstretched hand he asked me to read Mr. Parker's novel and according to my son he did enjoyed the book, but not nearly as well as he enjoyed the Tommytown and The Boys From Tommytown novels by Robert L. Saunders, or Hoot by Carl Hiassen. If you are looking for a challenging read for your young son or daughter, I encourage you to take a look at these novels.
His overall disappointment was that in the novel "Edenville Owls", he didn't feel the characters were realistic and the author should have spent more time developing the main character, Bobby Murphy, to act like a 14 year old instead of a twenty year old. (Struck me as a valid point.) I smiled and then read the book over the next 3 days.
I've read several of Mr. Parker's novels. I have always enjoyed his earlier novels but I have been disappointed in several of his novels that he has released over the past year. So, I'm hoping that I won't be disappointed in this read, although I'm excited that Mr. Parker is forging his writing skills into the young adult book arena.
First, the title relates to the main character, 14-year-old, Bobby Murphy JV basketball team the Edenville Owls during the mid 1940's. Murphy is a self-confident young man and ends up the leader of the basketball team. But Bobby is also trying to understand the changes in his personality and desires. He feels like he is going down a twisted path of constant changes. Once, he gave no thought to the appearance of Joanie's body and her pretty face. Once, he gave no thought to whether she paid any attention to him. Now he felt he wanted her acceptance. If she rejected him it would drive him crazy. The story moves Bobby into his friendship with Joanie, unfortunately for Bobby that friendship drives a wedge between himself and his best friend, Nick. UMMM. Reminds me of a familiar situation.
The story moves into another theme that involves Miss Delaney, a young teacher with hidden secrets. At school Bobby stumbles on a man in a heated argument with Miss Delaney. Also, in that moment the man is slapped by Miss Delaney. He searches for answers from Miss Delaney, but she rejects his pleas. His curiosity is not satisfied and he decides to unravel this mystery of the man and the motivation and connection between the man and Miss Delaney.
In summary, the author proved that his writing skills are fertile enough to create an impressive novel, and certainly a novel worthy of the attention of young adults. The one fault I had was the telling of three separate stories; none of them seemed to get the attention they deserve in a novel that is otherwise a decent read.
I am certainly excited that known authors are getting involved in the young adult book market. Mother's like me can only benefit from their exceptional writing, and storytelling experience.
Some polished Parker prose for the youth market.......2007-05-11
I enjoyed the novel "Edenville Owls", Robert Parker's first official novel for younger readers. The book actually reads like a regular Robert Parker thriller, only the sex, violence and profanity is turned down, and the characters are mainly all kids. One thing I did find strange is that Mr. Parker seemed to be a bit reluctant to have younger readers see his characters placed in truly dangerous situations (being subjected to a few nasty verbal threats was about the worst the kids had to endure), yet there's quite a bit of ugly language on the part of the racist minister who runs a white supremicist youth group. I don't think there was anything wrong with that- younger readers can probably handle (and benefit from) a glimpse at the seamier aspects of life- but kids probably would have found the story a little more gripping if there was more actual danger on display. Still, the book was a good, fun, fast read, and I'll likely pick up the next adventure featuring Bobby, Joanie, and the rest of the "Owls" gang. But not until I read another one of Mr. Parker's reliably snappy regular offerings.
Not Bad.......2007-04-29
I'm looking forward to future novels about the young detective. This wasn't so bad. I thought it was too technical especially when it refer to history about sports greats. I would like more mystery in his future novels and less history. But the ending was great.
A Great Starter for Parker.......2007-04-29
Because Robert B. Parker's name was above the title, I ordered the book even though it was destined for young adults. How can a Parker book not be a great read? How many adults did I know that were reading and salivating over Harry Potter? I read the book in two sittings and was not surprised at the dialogue and textures that Parker placed on each page. My nephew is still a tad young for this book but in a year perhaps not. And if he likes this (and he'd be a fool not to) then Edenville Owls will be a great introduction to Robert B. Parker's writing style that is comfortable and entertaining. Once that occurs, then my nephew will enter the worlds of Spenser, Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall, Burke, Everett Hitch, Virgil Cole and Wyatt Earp. At that point, Power Rangers and Pokemon cards will remain on his shelves replaced by what is sometimes called the theatre of the mind. Thank you Dr. Parker. And a book about Spenser's first case as a detective after leaving the DA's office would be greatly appreciated. I highly recommend Edenville Owls for its textured plotting and finely drawn characters. The traditional themes are there and the ending is not blown all out of logic and proportion. Worth the price. Hopefully it will find its way into school libraries across the country.
Bobby Murphy, Boy Detective.......2007-04-25
Spenser fans everywhere are going to love this book. Although Spenser was raised by his father and uncles in Laramie, Wyoming, 14-year-old Bobby Murphy almost comes closer to the childhood many longtime fans envisioned for Robert B. Parker's signature character.
Bobby Murphy is a wonderful, though idealistic, protagonist. He's more or less the brains and eventual leader of a five-man junior varsity basketball team called the Edenville Owls. They ended up calling themselves that because the only uniforms they could find were all yellow. He's on the cusp of young adulthood, just starting to notice the finer intracacies of the world: such as the opposite sex and problems in the adult arena that normally stay behind closed doors.
After his last teacher was removed from the school, Bobby and his class got a new teacher: Miss Delaney. Miss Delaney is young and beautiful, the perfect teacher for a young boy on his way to becoming a man to fall in love with.
However, Miss Delaney also apparently has some dark secrets. While in detention, Bobby and one of his friends sees Miss Delaney arguing with a man. After a heated exchange, Miss Delaney slaps the man. Bobby shouts at the man to leave her alone, then he and his buddy charge to the rescue but are made to return to detention. Later Miss Delaney asks Bobby to forget he ever saw anything.
In just those few moments, Bobby's plunged into a mystery that will tear away a lot of his remaining innocence as he pursues the truth of who the man is and exactly what's going on.
Three main storylines weave throughout the book: the mystery involving Miss Delaney, Bobby's work to bring his basketball team to the state tournament, and his evolving relationship with Joanie, a girl he becomes friends with that eventually comes between him and Nick, one of his best friends. Any one of the stories would be enough to keep a reader turning pages. That they're all together and complement each other well is just excellent writing.
Parker is going to take a lot of heat over Bobby, though. Bobby THINKS like Spenser. He ACTS like Spenser. And both characters are troubled over the same vagaries of life. But these are the themes that Parker constantly writes about.
Readers familiar with Parker's work are going to find a lot of familiar ground here, though altered somewhat because the story is set in the 1940s and Parker does, for the most part, stay within the conventions of his youthful heroes. However, argument can be made that the Hardy Boys were taking on much more dangerous assignments on a regular basis.
The fact that World War II was only an eyeblink ago in the story's setting is important. The villains are made more menacing because of that. And Parker is given a freer rein to talk about wickedness. Strangely enough, some of that wickedness is still in our world.
The writing is as pure and economical as always. There's an innocence about Bobby that is endearing, but at the same time he comes across as older than his 14 years. Parker weaves his plotlines effortlessly and readers will cruise through this one. More than that, this is a book that adults and young readers can share and both enjoy. I've handed off my copy to my 18-year-old, whom I've also introduced to Parker's work, as well as Crais's and other writers.
I envy the young readers who will find this book. This will be their FIRST Robert B. Parker novel and they'll find SO many more books waiting for them as they grow up. Hopefully Parker will find time in his busy schedule to pen another Bobby Murphy book.
Average customer rating:
- Parker gets worse as he gets older - zero stars
- Unsatisfying
- Gutsy Globules of Gourmet Butter, Freshest Herbs In the Pot. Spensaaaah!
- Not Worthy of the Spenser Name
- Predictable climax, yet still fun to read
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Potshot (Spenser)
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Berkley
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ASIN: 0425182886
Release Date: 2002-06-04 |
Amazon.com
Maybe Spenser's driven all the bad guys out of Boston. Which is too bad because on his home ground, the tough and tender PI and Hawk, his trusty sidekick, don't need a gang of other guys to do their work. And the hired guns they round up to help them clean out a nest of ne'er-do-wells who have the desert town of Potshot, Arizona, terrified aren't nearly as amusing as, say, John Dortmunder's criminal colleagues in Donald Westlake's caper novels.
The thugs who populate the Dell, a scrubby little enclave just outside of town, have the locals in their pocket, which is why the pretty blonde who hires Spenser to find whoever killed her husband points him toward the Preacher, who rules the Dell and its denizens. But Spenser's not as certain as his client that Steve Buckman died at the Preacher's hands. As our hero and his ethnically diverse but politically incorrect henchmen (one gay shooter, one Latino, one black, one Native American--all that's missing is Annie Oakley) investigate, it turns out that Spenser's right, as usual. The action ranges from Las Vegas to L.A., Atlanta to New Mexico, but much of it is a humdrum travelogue as Spenser rounds up his gang from all over the country to take on the Preacher and his musclemen. While Potshot isn't one of Robert B. Parker's best, it's still not bad. The one or two lines devoted to introducing Spenser's backup buddies don't begin to do any of them justice, and there's a lot more description of the artillery the guys pack than usual. But they do fill up the white space, and when the action lags, there's always Susan's dirty talk, shopping jones, and dietary obsessions to divert the reader. There's a midlife crisis somewhere in this evergreen series that's just waiting to erupt. Whether it's Spenser's, Susan's, or Parker's, however, remains to be seen. --Jane Adams
Book Description
The town of Potshot, Arizona, is under siege by a band of murderous marauders, and the law is helpless to stop them. But now there's a new gun in town-Boston P.I. Spenser-and he's gathered a posse of the best and baddest to back him up.
"Parker still finds clever ways to invigorate his Spenser series." ( Entertainment Weekly)
Customer Reviews:
Parker gets worse as he gets older - zero stars.......2007-05-19
This is a zero star Spenser. The "good" bad gang VS the "bad" bad gang. Odds are 40 bad bads against 7 good bads. But the FBI and unknown spooks are FedEx'ing printouts of phone and bug taps of the "worst" bad guys. 40-7 ... we need this band of 7 in Iraq. This is more than childish leg-pulling by the author - it's actually disrespectful of Parker to serve out this as Spenser material to anyone who can read. Hawk personally bows his head in shame at being written into this dribble.
Unsatisfying.......2006-02-09
These days, reading a Spenser mystery is like reading a comic book, which is OK -- I usually read them like candy after I read something really good. But Potshot wasn't even as entertaining as most comic books. The plot and the action were a tease -- neither went anywhere. And the ending was totally lame. For a similar but better book try Lee Child's Echo Burning. I love his descriptions of the desert and the heat, and his hero, Reacher, actually beats up the bad guys (fun!) and doesn't need to get his girlfriend and a bunch of his friends to tell us how wonderful he is.
Gutsy Globules of Gourmet Butter, Freshest Herbs In the Pot. Spensaaaah!.......2005-11-01
What shivered my soul with literary delight upon first slipping into Parker's prose rhythm, was that his style was so smooth, his silky-jazz dialogue was so down pat, a globule of gourmet butter would slather all over itself in syncopated ecstasy. The lines on the pages of POTSHOT are so perky they seem to effervesce into the ether as each page is turned. So, what's effervescent about butter? What does a perfect croissant do to the tongue? Answer me that before you call my metaphors mixed (though you'd be right).
I was surprised that very little similarity seems to exist between the TV series "Spenser For Hire" and Parker's prose-posh PI. To me, Spenser appears to have been designed in the image of his creator.
Though Robert Ulrich is a handsome devil who can easily flaunt a may-care attitude to drool for, his physical presence seems too artistically sensitive, not bearish enough, not dry-leathery enough, not quite heavyweight-renaissance enough. Ulrich's personality-ambiance is too pretty-guy-gorgeous to be Parker's gritty, gutsy Spencer. Now I see why Parker is reported to have been originally disappointed with the casting for the TV series. Ulrich did have A Voice, though, and a nonchalance, and yeah, I mean he's drop-dead-gorgeously smooth. I loved the TV series. I had no questions about Ulrich being Spenser, until I read Potshot. Now, though Ulrich is a class act on his own, I can't make myself see him as the P.I. in Parker's novels.
I wonder if Parker's photo was as prevalent on the book cover jackets when Ulrich was cast, as it is now?
In any case, now we have two great, classic P.I. series primed by two very different Spensers. Such a deal. Such a guy. Why shouldn't his ID do a stock split?
And what about Joe Mantega (Montanga?) A&E Channel? I don't know. Haven't seen that one. Now I'm hugely curious about it. I'm even more curious about reading more of Parker's Spenser novels, armed with the amazingly meaty reviews here on Amazon on this complexly intriguing series.
Loved the scene of the hard-guy sidekicks on the veranda all voting yes to work for Mary Lou without pay.
As the suspect who pops to mind first in every character's spontaneous uttering, Lou leaves a never ending trail of a light scent of fresh soap, no sweat. She's one of the most classic characterizations of the true and wholesome appeal in the feminine mystique. I have to admit that, viewed through Spenser's clear vision, Lou fleshes out to be even more wholesome feeling than Susan, God love `em both. Yet, Lou remains the main suspect in everyone's mind (Cherchez la femme), even as they're willing to move the earth (desert in this case) for her.
The culprit exposure and criminal resolution in this gourmet among PI series definitely does not disappoint, and is as unexpectedly convoluted as it is too simply true to life.
Absolutely loved the gang-of-seven caricaturing themselves into stereotypes of a yummy variety of ethnic macho beauties. Even the gorgeous gay guy gave high entertainment as a stud. Not at all meaning to slight the original, I'm pushed to prose that Parker's male menagerie is a good match for the chutzpah of "The Magnificent Seven." A couple times I questioned the realism of this gang getting along so well, but each question was met with a visceral feeling that they just would. Is Spenser's integrity the glue? Is it the common denominators these mavericks share? Do true mavericks recognize and relish each other automatically? I'm not certain why, but, for me, the menagerie mixing effortlessly worked.
Man, what an author! Whew. Gimme MORE of this literary creme! Butter beware. You have competition. No cholesterol intended. (Compelled to honesty, I should note that I believe cholesterol is a vital necessity to health of heart, soul, and brain. Give me flavor or hear me roar.)
I enjoyed reading Publishers Weekly's rave, "...even when Parker resorts to a bit of gimmickry, as he does here, the vitality of his storytelling prevails."
The 1st Spotlight Review I read, by Marc Ruby, Top 10 Reviewer, also does justice to the point: "I've read all of Parker's Spenser novels, and this will rank as one of the most memorable. Certainly it's one of the most entertaining. Parker has again managed to write a rich and compelling novel in a genre noted more for its excesses than its quality of writing."
That's a mouthful of straight syntax spewed well. I agree absolutely with PW and Ruby, with the exception that this is my first Spenser novel. Was also impressed with every word of Kent Braithewaite's Spotlighted review, and others, but don't have room to list all of them, what with my compulsion to spout epistles.
How sad, though, that when a few fans of a series meet something off the track from what has developed as addictive attractions for them in a series, they're compelled to post ripping reviews. Is there no Karma for spewing sour? No compassion involved, either. Yet, I understand too well how compelling honesty is, especially when it's slivered into true disappointment of not getting what one has come to crave. The only feeling more compelling than the need to do a public primal hiss, would be knowing first hand how it feels to have a personal creation used as a bidet.
At first I noticed that most of the rips were on cozies by female authors, or sensitive male writers like Nicholas Sparks. Then I visit this page and notice Potshots from fans are taken at a no-doubt male author, too. Oh.
I believe in free speech, which gives us the right to constantly choose whether to rip or rave. I find it interesting to observe on Amazon the absolute conflict in reviews which expose that different readers loved or hated exactly the same quality in a novel. Ripping reviews are often riveting, rarely boring, and the release given to the writer is SUCH a blessed relief. I don't have to say how I know this.
My problem is that I cringe for the author when it feels like the compulsion turns vicious, in expressing expectations unmet. This situation continues to be a conundrum for me, especially when I receive firsthand feedback about how sensitive most authors are to ripping reviews. So, what's the answer, when you're in the limelight ya gotta expect and be ready for the raw egg hits?
I've been working on armoring my skin now for 2 decades in my career as a novelist. It's a problem growing older, though, even as maturity attempts to idle-down the hormonal chaos of youth. Skin stretches thinner over brittling bones, hair takes a hike, and WHY doesn't body fat follow suit? I know. It's my craving for butter. And creme.
Aw, enough already!
In conclusion, since I included Parker's Spenser series, along with Rex Stout's Wolfe, in my culinary mystery Listmania, I was relieved to read in one of the reviews here that Parker talks more about food and clothes in early books than he does in Potshot, though the clothes-horse and tastebud hits were here, too, with a just-right minimal. Slurp.
Here's evidence of Parker's word precision, imbedded in one of his characterizations:
>> In a moment he came back with a man half his size who radiated an interior kinetic ferocity that made size irrelevant. "You The Preacher?"<<
I'll leave off now, wouldn't want to spoil the sensual pleasure of hitting cold the abundance of descriptive precision Parker gives on each character, including the variety of female types. Parker does sleazy with perfect pitch. He does wholesome with intense clarity and vulnerability, the type of voluntary emotional openness which fuels strength rather than weakness.
I relished every tasty word and page in this novel. I was not bored or disappointed once. How lucky I feel to have Potshot in the slot of being my first Spenser novel, and to have such a long trail to go! Western edge, PI class, whatever. I'm on it for the long haul, open to variety, yet ready for more of the same good stuff.
Hi Ho Silver(man)!
Linda G. Shelnutt
Not Worthy of the Spenser Name.......2005-09-08
First, the good news. "Potshot" is, like everything else Robert B. Parker writes, extremely readable. He is an incredibly talented author, and his worst efforts are far more enjoyable than a lot of the other stuff out there. Especially when it comes to mystery series. So, reading this would not be a waste of your time, particularly if you are already familiar with Spenser.
The bad news? "Potshot" is probably the worst book in the Spenser series. The basic idea is classic: a bunch of rough-and-tumble good guy thugs have a showdown to save a town from nasty hoodlums. But it just doesn't work. The characters don't really meld together very well. They spend a lot of the book just sitting around, waiting, and it is hard to believe that they'd put up with each other in close quarters for so long.
I guess the problem with "Potshot" is that Spenser himself gets lost in the dramatic setup of all this. So does Hawk, for that matter. The great dialogue that usually makes the Spenser books so amazing is secondary in "Potshot." But it has to be, because there are so many characters to worry about and so much build-up to maintain.
The hero-thugs are all guys that Spenser has encountered in earlier books. So "Potshot" is somewhat charming if you've read many earlier Spenser novels. There is some definite fun in seeing familiar faces and recalling how Spenser met them, even if the group itself lacks good dynamics.
But that also means that this, unlike all the other Spenser mysteries, is not really a stand-alone book. You'll understand the plot if you haven't read anything else in the Spenser series, but you won't get anywhere near the full experience. And since even the full exprience in this book is kind of weak...
Still, though, it is Parker. Worth a read.
Predictable climax, yet still fun to read.......2005-03-23
This is an old story that has had several previous incarnations. The original story was "Seven Samurai" by Akira Kurosawa and then there was the Hollywood original movie "The Magnificent Seven", followed by a collection of weaker sequels. In "The Magnificent Seven" a Mexican village is being terrorized by a gang of criminals so they hire a group of seven mercenaries to clean up the town.
The story starts when Mary Lou Buckman walks into Spenser's office and seeks help in tracking down the murderer of his husband. They were living in the small desert town of Potshot and it was taken over by a gang of criminals who reside in an area called the Dell. They had been little more than a nuisance until a man arrived that is called the Preacher. He organized them and they began extorting protection money from local business people. Mary Lou's husband had refused, so she believes that they killed him.
Spenser takes the job and travels to the town. Almost immediately, he realized that things are not what they appear to be. Spenser confronts the Preacher and asks him if he had had Buckman killed. The response is no and Spenser believes him. There is the inevitable confrontation between Spenser and a small part of the Dell gang and the local law intervenes before the shooting starts. Several prominent business people then offer to hire Spenser to clean out the Dell and free the town.
Spenser agrees and hires Hawk (black), Vinnie Morris, Chollo (Mexican), Bobby Horse (Indian), Tedy Sapp (gay) and Bernard J. Fortunato (short guy). Seven guys against 30 or 40 from the Dell. You know at this point that they are going to win in a final, climactic battle, so when it happens you are not surprised. At this point in the story, I stopped and counted how many were in Spenser's gang and thought, "not seven again." At some point in the sequence of these stories, the good-hearted mercenaries should learn to count and realize that seven against forty are very poor odds, unless the opponents are idiots. Unfortunately, they are in this case. Spenser's gang is living in a house and they receive an advance warning that the Dell people are coming and they lay an effective trap. Given that Spenser had been able to stand down three of them by himself, they should have known that a frontal assault in daylight would be difficult. In any case, the "inevitable" happens and the Dell gang is defeated and many are killed.
Given the predictability of the story, it is surprising that this story is as good as it is. That is because the identity of the murderer of Buckman's husband is not revealed until the last and that Parker is so good at writing wisecracking dialog. Spenser and his crew are masters at the mild insulting style banter, which can be taken as a sign of affection. If the circumstances were different, it is quite possible that they would be shooting at each other, but since they are on the same team, they like each other. It is not the best Spenser novel by any means, but it passes the most stringent of tests. It is a novel that keeps your interest even when you know what is going to happen.
Average customer rating:
- Good Spenser whodunit
- Good and Quick Read
- Like a potato chip
- The Right Amount of Sarcasm
- School Violence
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