Widow's Walk

Rating:
Summary: Worse than Pot Shot
Review: If you thought Parker spent just a few minutes writing Pot Shot, wait until you read this doozy. Look...I continue to read the Spenser series--and gave this book three stars--because I love the characters, etc....but when Parker has such apparent disregard for his fans, and does such a poor job that even the characters are weak...well...guess it's time to concentrate on Robert Crais's Elvis Cole!

Rating:
Summary: So-so
Review: It has been a long, fallow time for Spenser. This book is a minor uptick. Its strength is the dialogue. It is more than time for both Pearl & Susan to be put to sleep.

Rating:
Summary: Not Parker's Best
Review: Another reviewer started the review with "I love Mr. Parker's books". I agree, especially Spencer books, however, "Widow's Walk" does not measure up to earlier Spencers. The storyline is old, Susan is tiresome and I, for one, am tired of Robert B. Parker using Spencer and Susan to lecture us on how poorly homosexuals are treated by the rest of the world. Bob, we read your books because they are smart, clever, and captivating, not to hear your sermons. A second problem with "Widow's Walk" is that we don't even see the bad guy's name until the end of the book. How can we begin to solve the crime with you if the charaters aren't introduced?
I am glad to see Spencer back. When the next one comes out, I'll rush out and get it and read in an evening again, but when I am bored some evening and go for a reread, it won't be "Widow's Walk". Please Bob, its time for another "Catskill Eagle" or "Judas Goat". I can't recommend "Widow's Walk".

Rating:
Summary: Neither a Borrower Nor a Murderer Be
Review: The book list provided by the publisher shows that this his forty-second work, twenty-ninth in the Spencer series. That is an astonishing creative space over which to maintain literary momentum. Naturally, quality varies, but Robert Parker has proven that he can consistently produce enjoyable mysteries, some of which are actually exceptional. I haven't been as pleased with the last few stories, which have sometimes felt like caricatures of themselves, but "Widow's Walk" seems signal a return to the style of old.

When Spenser is hired to try to prove that Mary Smith did not kill Nathan, her husband, his first reaction was that this was a hopeless case. Even Mary's lawyer is convinced her client is guilty. The death occurred in a locked house and the gun is missing. Mary and Nathan have been seen fighting and it seems that she tried to hire someone to kill him. Worse, Mary has made a career of being one or two steps removed from reality, and she hasn't been particularly helpful.

Nevertheless Spencer undertakes the case and finds the simple surface conceals an unending stream of complications and misrepresentations. There is trouble at Nathan's bank, his sex life is ambiguous, and people start to die. In fact, Spencer himself comes under attack. All this keeps the detective and his good friend Hawk busy, but it doesn't really seem to lead anywhere. Nothing makes Mary look any less guilty and the death toll keeps mounting.

Parker's story telling relies on sharp, sarcastic dialogue. Most often Spencer resolves a case by poking at everything until it begins to unravel, and "Widow's Walk" is no exception. In this case, though, the dialogue has turned down a notch from the peak it reached in "Potshot" and "Hugger Mugger." The result is more realistic exchanges and a smoother feel to the story. The plot, however, moves a bit too mechanically for me. At times things just seem to happen rather than develop one after the other. But that is often the nature of a Spenser tale.

Despite these slight flaws I found the book very entertaining. Pearl the wonder dog still lives and Spenser still finds Susan the sexiest woman he knows. And the old characters are still there in all their usual eccentric feistiness. There are times when we need to get away from books with great quantities of character development and just relax in a comfort zone. Save this book for one of those moments.

Rating:
Summary: Parker's Treading in a Familar Groove
Review: A decent entry in the long running series (this being the 27th novel) involves Spenser with tabloid banality and a plot that has the feeling of formulaity (a word I just coined); rescued, as always, by Parker's literary adroitness with both allusion and repartee. If the execution isn't lagging, the inspiration is more like inertia.

One sometimes wishes that Parker, a Professor if English Lit who has taught at Harvard and Tufts, would send Spenser into hiatus for a few years. The "franchise"--as the Hollywood hacks put it--surely would notsuffer from an absence of the almost annual fix.

Perhaps a big screen treatment (in lieu of the Lifetime/USA tv movies which have ranged from barely mediocre to dreadful) of "The Judas Goat," with its topical hunt for terrorists, or "A Catskill Eagle" could be launched to fill the "void." Finding the proper Spenser would be difficult, but Tom Selleck would be a good place to start. Avery Brooks would be a must as Hawk. Perhaps after the two or three years it would take to film, Parker would return with a Spenser book displaying the tight plotting, katana-sharp wit and verve that have made him a legend.

While this book is likeable, Parker is clearly just treading water.

Rating:
Summary: I love Mr. Parker's books.
Review: I have them all and while some are funnier than others, this is one of the funny ones. I like laughter with my mayhem. Thanks for a great book !

Rating:
Summary: The Genius Is in the Dialogue
Review: Nobody does dialogue like Robert B. Parker, especially in his Spenser novels. The intelligence, the staccato, the bare-bones brilliance are there as always, perhaps more finely honed than ever. Widow's Walk is not his best book but it is a good one and would be worth reading for the dialogue alone if there were no plot.
But there is a plot, and a good one. Parker's client, Mary Smith, is accused of murdering her husband under circumstances that make her pretty much the only suspect. And she comes across as dumb, very dumb. Or is it dumb like a fox? As Spenser tries to find out and get to the bottom of the murder, side issues and side trails galore arise. As he follows them, the body count multiplies. He, and the reader, are in the dark almost until the very end but it's a most entertaining ride.
It's nice as this series continues to see its characters age. Pearl the wonder dog is in her final innings. Susan and Spenser have become solid and comfortable after 25 marriageless years and we get some glimpses into Susan's depth along the way in this one. The too-glib sexual innuendos are still there but the deepening of their relationship is palpable. Only Hawk is inscrutably unchanged. It's a wonderful visit with old friends, a nice, involved plot and, pardon the pun, dialogue to kill for.

Rating:
Summary: SPENSER'S BACK AGAIN
Review: How does Parker manage to do it? He releases about three or four books a year, and they are all damn good. This new Spenser novel is no exception though it does take a while to get going. In this case the plot is a standard whodunnit as those of you who read the editorial reviews will know, which is probably why the reader struggles to get into it at first, but once details start unfolding it's a good read. WIDOW'S WALK doesn't rate as one of Parker's best, maybe he's getting tired of writing Spenser? I'm looking forward to the new Sunny Randall or Jesse Stone books; but the Spenser books are still extremely good and as long as Parker keeps writing them, I'll keep reading them.

Rating:
Summary: Widow's Walk
Review: "Widow's Walk" is the 29th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. I look forward to getting his Spenser novels each Spring. Mary Smith is charged with the murder of her rich husband, Nathan Smith who was murdered in his bed. It appears that the only other person in the house was Mary. Mary claims that she was watching TV at the time. Parker does a great job with her character; Mary isn't very intelligent to say the least. Spenser begins to investigate and finds that someone doesn't want him on the case at all. He is followed, then someone tries to kill him. Then, other people involved in the case are found dead. Spenser is stumped until the very end. Spenser is back in Boston for this one after being in Georgia and Arizona for the last 2 books. I think this is an excellent addition to this long-running PI series.

Rating:
Summary: A MEMORABLE READING BY JOE MANTEGNA
Review: Few voice artists can rival Joe Mantegna. He brings an unparalleled depth of understanding to the characters he represents. Perhaps this isn't surprising when one remembers that he's a Tony Award-winner for his portrayal of the memorable Richard Roma in David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross.

His stellar Broadway credits would be impressive enough, but don't forget the big screen - he's starred in such feature films as Godfather III, Bugsy, and Searching for Bobby Fischer. Mantegna brings every ounce of this ability to his readings - close your eyes, relax, and let the story unfold as only he can tell it.

And, this story is a spellbinder. Robert Parker brings back Spenser, one of America's favorite private investigators in another suspenseful tale laced with spine tingling action and crunching dialogue.

When 51-year-old Nathan Smith is murdered, his young wife is immediately suspect. Few believe her innocence but she has multi millions so she retains the best to get her out of this jam. Never one to turn down a hefty fee, Spenser takes the case even though the widow's alibi wouldn't stand up in a slight breeze. Mary Smith says she was watching the tube in another room when her husband went to join the heavenly host.

Furthermore, witnesses saw the couple loudly disagreeing earlier in the evening and the prosecution has a fellow eager to testify that Mary once tried to pay him to kill Nathan. Stir in another murder and you have a tempest in tea town. Good luck Spenser!

As always the remarkable Mr. Parker gives readers what they want - roller coaster ride action, and cleverly conceived characters. Mr. Mantegna gives listeners what they want - a superb reading.

- Gail Cooke