Rating: 
Summary: post-Vice breather
Review: After Small Vices, perhaps the best of Parker's Spenser series, a letdown was expected. It would have been inappropriate to have so intense a story follow so quickly -- the suspension of disbelief would have been been unsustainable.So Sudden Mischief focuses on relationships more than action. While Pastimes illuminated Spenser's childhood, details of Susan's pre-Spenser history are exposed in Mischief. This isn't as bad as it might seem. Earlier in the series, I found Susan to be so self-absorbed I almost stopped reading. However, she's since matured, developed, and become more an asset to Spenser's work than a liability. I actually found her presence enjoyable here. The "mystery" part of the book is more ordinary by Spenser standards. As others have pointed out, there's all the usual Spenser elements, including his annual rejection of supermonogamous temptations. But the story is hardly very compelling. There isn't much mystery there. The reader is left in a more passive role, turning the pages to see what will happen next, without much speculation into or concern over what that will be. Still, the story isn't overtly bad. Even if it was, Parker's writing is always a joy. So, if you're a fan of the Spenser series, Sudden Mischief is a worthwhile investment of your time, and not only for the development of Susan's character.
Rating: 
Summary: Rather a landmark novel in the series...
Review: Somehow, I feel a batch of people have missed the point here. This is a pivotal novel, one in which Susan has to face some things she would prefer not to. Susan's ex-husband comes to her for help. Of course, she doesn't understand the kind of help he's looking for and her misunderstanding involves Spenser and eventually turns up a batch of stuff that the ex is involved in. Human emotions are dealt with here, and it's revealing to watch Susan as she begins to realize some of her own hang-ups. As far as the mystery goes, there isn't great mystery here. We learn what's going on at the same time that Spenser does and much of it isn't a surprise. Parker does telegraph much of the time and I believe this to be purposeful. More and more, in these later Spenser stories, Parker does something unexpected. This time, it's the ending which is unusually abrupt. There's reason here, and Parker does know exactly what he is doing in the way he's crafting these stories.
Rating:
Summary: Here's the scoop- It's awesome
Review: The book moves quickly, and ever so you get a clear picture of not only Spenser but more history on Susan as well. I will not spoil it for the die-hard fans out there who haven't come across this book. The chapters are short and focused, and what I liked most about it is that each chapter it focuses on a one-on-one talk between Spenser and some other person. Mostly-- 90% of the time, which I greatly appreciate. It focuses a lot on Spenser, and his puzzle pieces which he puts together in order to emit the true picture of the mystery from all the alibi. Further more the chapters are short, focused, and the vocabulary is easy to pick up. I personally like Spenser and Susan because their attitudes are so professional. Also, this book is best read throughout a period of time, instead of just one day. It's even better if the reader can somehow imagine himself as Spenser-- or Susan-- for the matter. They're technically the same. Anima vs. Animus. Honestly this book also suits those who are "full of themselves", how else would you be able to connect with the main characters anyways?! It has been such a long time since I have read a book that compels this aggressively. This honestly is my first look on the Spenser series, and I appologize that I'm not a long-time fan or so (This series has been going on longer than I've lived!) but it's great. I find it most effective reading it while picturing it like a movie. And also for all the guys,if you imagine that YoU'rE Spenser, and you've got a parrallell attitude with him (like I do), it blows your mind. Honestly. Susan Silverman's ex-husband, now known as Brad "Sterling" is on charge with sexual harassment and later on with murder. The case in itself is slow, but it's everything that's stirred in the middle that makes this book well worth the read. Not only does Spenser have this attitude that speaks out to the reader as "I'm untouchable" but he has his equally arrogant lover "Susan" and they make an awesome couple. It's Romantic... also in the sense of the writing style, which is a bit Romanticist. I mean, c'mon, Spenser tops every bad guy with a swift move and a kick in the groin. It's cheap, and repetitive... and it's a little too cheesy to win against the baddies. Especially the part when Susan gets in some action as well later in the story. Oh yeah, that's the main highlight, I believe. Susan gets to kick ass! Haha, check it out. I don't know enough about the series to know whether if this occurs often or not, but it was great! Ok, what are you waiting for?! Read this book. I promise you won't be dissapointed.
Rating: 
Summary: "Sudden Mischief" Is A Terrific Diversion With Old Friends
Review: Ok, there isn't as much action in "Sudden Mischief" as there is in some of the other Spenser novels. No matter. It has always been my contention that Robert B. Parker writes love stories that are disguised within the mystery genre. Think about it. What has always been paramount in his novels has been the relationships, especially those of Spenser to Hawk and Susan. And when the cases are most compelling, it means Spenser has taken a personal interest in his client: Paul Giacomin, say, or Rachel Wallace. In "Sudden Mischief," Spenser's client is Susan, as she asks him to help our her troubled ex-husband. There's no getting away from the fact that this is Susan at her neurotic best, but it also is Spenser at his compassionate best. The story also gives new colors (no pun intended) to his friendship with Hawk, and at the very least continues to paint Boston and environs in delightful new shades. If you can get through the early chapters without getting hunry for fried oysters, you're a better person than I. "Sudden Mischief" may not be a major work in the series, like "Early Autumn" or "Mortal Stakes." But it is a terrific diversion with characters who have become old friends, and who but a curmudgeon could complain about that?
Rating:
Summary: Susan faces and conquers incidents from her past
Review: The initial premise of this novel is rather unusual. Brad Sterling, the ex-husband of Spenser's girlfriend Susan comes to her and asks for assistance in combating a sexual harassment charge being pressed by several women who worked with him on a charity fund-raising event. Susan then asks Spenser to assist in resolving the problem. The investigation involves high powered lawyers, major underworld figures, marital infidelity, and the usual group of characters in a Spenser story.
The plot is convoluted, taking many directions, leading to many possibilities as to who committed the two murders. There are several suspects, and the obvious ones are investigated. While there is always a great deal of emotion between Spenser and Susan in these stories, the involvement of her ex-husband intensifies the relationship. At the end, there is a showdown different from that of other stories, in that it is Susan facing down her past rather than Spenser confronting the perpetrator(s).
The story moves along very well and keeps you uncertain as to what the true circumstances are. It keeps your attention and the deeper psychological activity between the main characters is an element that makes it all the more interesting.
Rating:
Summary: bad first time, wonderful second time
Review: I guess I was in a bad mood when I read this installment in the Spenser series. Because I often trashed it for not being very good. Then I went back years later to read it again. I was wrong.
I loved this book. It was a little bit different, but not some stupid want-to-be cowboy novel. You get to know Susan a little bit more, action, wise-cracks, Spenser novel stuff. Read with pleasure.
Rating:
Summary: It all began with Susan Silverman's ex-husband
Review: "Be well aware, " quoth that lady mild,
"Lest sudden mischief ye too rash provoke"
- Spenser's Faerie Queen If you're interested in an audio edition, I enthusiastically recommend the unabridged recording narrated by William Windom. The exchanges between Hawk and Spenser come out very well indeed; so does everything, in fact, including some truly slimy characters. (Didn't know that Windom could play creepy roles? See him as the prosecutor in _To Kill a Mockingbird_.) Welcome to one of Spenser's cases where a friend has asked him to take on an unpaid job: Susan Silverman, on behalf of her ex-husband. She kept his name, but he changed it - he's now Brad Sterling. He's trying to be a Yankee success story - Harvard graduate, PR guy with his own business and a corner office - but he's now facing a lawsuit that can ruin him even if he wins. A group of women volunteers from a fund-raiser he organized the previous year - Galapalooza, a big event put on collectively for a lot of charities too small to have their own fund-raisers - are suing him for sexual harassment. Unfortunately, one of the plaintiffs is Jeanette Ronin, the trophy wife of Francis Ronin, one of the most famous trial lawyers in the U.S. None of the defendants will talk to Spenser about the case, and even Sterling is evasive. But for Susan's sake, Spenser perseveres - and sudden mischief is indeed provoked... Most of the usual supporting players appear: Hawk decides to hang around, after 2 thugs try to chase him away ("I made $200,000 last week in Miami, and I don't much like people threatenin' me"), Rita Fiore (knowledgeable about Ronin, having argued cases before him); Rachel Wallace; and Pearl the Wonder Dog. Even Tony Marcus is back ("Should've been life, and you out in 3 years.")
Rating:
Summary: Susan comes to grips with her love-hate man relationships
Review: Susan asks Spenser to help her ex-husband with a bogus sexual harassment suit. Soon, we discover Susan psychoanalyzing herself, with Spenser playing the role of insightful facilitator. This isn't what Spenser fans want. We want hard edged Spenser/Hawk action. There is a good bit of action, and I love the banter between Spenser and Hawk. I especially like Hawk slipping into his upper middle class WASP accent. The story lacked something in the end, however. I came away a bit unsatisfied, even though Susan whacked one of the bad guys with a brick. Too bad the tongue was cut without the right folks understanding the reason.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining page turner with a bit of depth
Review: The other reviews I've read mostly covered the usual points, so I don't really want to belabor them. Spenser is his usual self, but that's what the readers want of a mystery series like this. I haven't read enough of the series to say, but the treatment of the relationships does more than superficial, but still rather archetypical and not the way most of us do things in real life. However, that's why we read escapist fiction, isn't it? From that perspective, the book succeeds very well, and I basically found it hard to put down, frequently being surprised to look up and see how quickly the chapters were flying past. An interesting structural or stylistic note is that the chapters are very short and highly focused. Almost every chapter is clearly focused on a specific and well-described event. Mr. Parker is obviously a very skilled craftsman, and I would be interested to see one of his outlines. Though I'm not an author of fiction, I suspect it would still be helpful to my writing. Not really a major beef, but alledgedly a major weakness of a mystery... Or perhaps I should make the fighter joke? I think he telegraphed his punch. It was pretty obvious who the culprit must be well before the end of the book. Though he had introduced a number of unsavory candidates, all but one had become implausible rather too soon. Some people might also take it as a minor beef that a few issues were left pending at the end, in particular as regards some of the peripheral criminals, but I actually considered that a merit and a sign of the author's mastery of his craft. Those threads were not important to the main story, and he knew it. His story was done, and he stopped writing, rather than taking a few more pages for a purely cosmetic and anticlimactic wrapping.
Rating:
Summary: A lot of Susan
Review: I've noticed that passionate Spenser fans tend to be split on the issue of Susan Silverman. Is she an equal, challanging partner, worthy of our hero? Or is she an inflated, whining bore? I've always fallen squarely into both camps. I think she's smart, beautiful, self-indulgent and self-involved. It's always bothered me that Spenser, so acute in his observations about others, seems blind to Susan's more annoying traits. Until now. She asks him to help her ex-husband out of a bind and then acts like a complete and total witch while he does it. And Spenser actually acknowleges it! Of course he accepts it, and the obstacles of the case, with the patience of Job. But that's what makes him Spenser. I thoroughly enjoyed this installment, more than the more recent POTSHOT. And I had none of the issues that other reviewers mentioned about William Windom's rendition. He's not as good a Spenser as Joe Mantagna, but I liked him better than Burt Reynolds. I do wish the technicians had mixed the tape a little better, though. The sound was frequently just too soft. (Or perhaps, like Spenser, I'm showing my age!)
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