Back Story

Rating:
Summary: Tired setup, but still some sparks
Review: You know a series is in a rut when the author can't even introduce a new dog into the mix! The trio of Spenser, Hawk and Susan is so overly familar at this point that a different kind of mutt would have been most welcome. And sad to say, Parker can't be bothered to pause in his encomiums to Susan's perfection and Lucky Magazine-like riffs on Hawk's natty duds to make any attempt to develop the characters in this outing. Credulity is a bit strained as well--five bloody shooting deaths in a week and no heat on Spenser? Come on.
Dialogue is still crisp and settings are vivid, however, so even second-rate Parker is a cut above most of the stuff out there.