Rating: 
Summary: A Hawk for Hire Novel (with his loyal sidekick Spenser)
Review: "Double Deuce" is the Spenser novel where our hero finally plays the supporting role to Hawk. A drive-by shooting in the Double Deuce project has claimed the life of 15-year old Devona Jefferson and her baby. Hawk is hired by the tenants association to find the killer and drive out the gang that considers the place their turf. Spenser signs on, at one-third of the nothing Hawk is being paid, to help out. Since Hawk is in the lead on this one the question of why he is doing this becomes a major subplot. At face value it seems he is doing it for a woman who just might be his Susan Silverman, but of course nothing can be taken at face value in a Spenser novel and expectations are rarely met. Since this is the 19th novel in Robert B. Parker's series of Spenser novels, it is certainly about time that Hawk had a chance to take the lead. Of course this means that "Double Deuce" has a much different feel to it because whereas our hero takes every opportunity to mouth off to everybody on anything, Hawk's strength is in just looking at people until they fall apart (one of the reasons I think the character worked so well on television is that Avery Brooks had the looks down cold). So while this is the most atypical Spenser novel yet, it does try to be true to the Hawk character, which justifies the stylistic change. I just think that he works better as more of a man of mystery where we never really know why he does what he does. Hopefully Parker will take a second try at having Hawk be the main character in a future novel.
Rating:
Summary: A Hawk for Hire Novel (with his loyal sidekick Spenser)
Review: "Double Deuce" is the Spenser novel where our hero finally plays the supporting role to Hawk. A drive-by shooting in the Double Deuce project has claimed the life of 15-year old Devona Jefferson and her baby. Hawk is hired by the tenants association to find the killer and drive out the gang that considers the place their turf. Spenser signs on, at one-third of the nothing Hawk is being paid, to help out. Since Hawk is in the lead on this one the question of why he is doing this becomes a major subplot. At face value it seems he is doing it for a woman who just might be his Susan Silverman, but of course nothing can be taken at face value in a Spenser novel and expectations are rarely met. Since this is the 19th novel in Robert B. Parker's series of Spenser novels, it is certainly about time that Hawk had a chance to take the lead. Of course this means that "Double Deuce" has a much different feel to it because whereas our hero takes every opportunity to mouth off to everybody on anything, Hawk's strength is in just looking at people until they fall apart (one of the reasons I think the character worked so well on television is that Avery Brooks had the looks down cold). So while this is the most atypical Spenser novel yet, it does try to be true to the Hawk character, which justifies the stylistic change. I just think that he works better as more of a man of mystery where we never really know why he does what he does. Hopefully Parker will take a second try at having Hawk be the main character in a future novel.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Mystery Novel
Review: A fourteen-year old girl, named Devona, and her three-month old daughter, Crystal, were shot and murdered in a drive-by shooting outside of a project housing called "Double Deuce". Police Detective Hawk asked Police Detective Spenser to help him investigate. While it is obvious that the murders were gang-related, it is the jobs of Hawk and Spenser to drive out the gang, The Hobarts, out of Double Deuce. Throughout their steakout, they are sometimes accompanied by a news reporter named Jackie, whose relationship with Hawk is a bit unclear. As for Spenser's love life, he struggles with his now live-in girlfriend, Susan. Through it all, Hawk and Spenser learn more about themselves than expected. I enjoyed this book because there was so much real dialogue. The things that were said by Hawk,Spenser, and the gang members is much like the slang that is used in the real world. I also enjoyed it because the author showed a great contrast between the lives of those living in Double Deuce, and the life of Spenser. Robert Parker showed how Spenser went from staying in the ghetto during the day, to living a very comfortable life at home with his girlfriend, Susan, and their dog, Pearl. The chapters were short and to the point. It made me interested in what was going to happen in the chapters ahead. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery novel. Though it does not keep you guessing, it does keep you wanting to learn more.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Mystery Novel
Review: A fourteen-year old girl, named Devona, and her three-month old daughter, Crystal, were shot and murdered in a drive-by shooting outside of a project housing called "Double Deuce". Police Detective Hawk asked Police Detective Spenser to help him investigate. While it is obvious that the murders were gang-related, it is the jobs of Hawk and Spenser to drive out the gang, The Hobarts, out of Double Deuce. Throughout their steakout, they are sometimes accompanied by a news reporter named Jackie, whose relationship with Hawk is a bit unclear. As for Spenser's love life, he struggles with his now live-in girlfriend, Susan. Through it all, Hawk and Spenser learn more about themselves than expected. I enjoyed this book because there was so much real dialogue. The things that were said by Hawk,Spenser, and the gang members is much like the slang that is used in the real world. I also enjoyed it because the author showed a great contrast between the lives of those living in Double Deuce, and the life of Spenser. Robert Parker showed how Spenser went from staying in the ghetto during the day, to living a very comfortable life at home with his girlfriend, Susan, and their dog, Pearl. The chapters were short and to the point. It made me interested in what was going to happen in the chapters ahead. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery novel. Though it does not keep you guessing, it does keep you wanting to learn more.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: A wonderful read. This book offers up both a compelling mystery story and a fascinating bit of social commentary. The gang members that Spenser is battling are (to paraphrase him) both cold blooded killers and at the same time sad, damaged children that deserve compassion. The fact that this is the route Hawk might have taken adds even greater depth. I also, once again, enjoyed Spenser's relationship with Susan. She is a smart, complicated woman in love with a smart, complicated man (although I wish she wouldn't let Pearl eat off her fork or chop stick).
Rating: 
Summary: Parker rolls snake eyes
Review: Appropriate to the title, Duece is only a 2 star effort. The story focuses on Hawk, in a battle against gang bangers on Hobart street. Spenser and Hawk solve a murder after the police failed to put enough resources onto the problem. Hawk's character flaws surface, as Spenser and Susan mull over his future potential. I found it sad and pathetic to think of Hawk as merely a gang banger gone legitimate. Parker alternates chapters between the gloom of the ghetto and scenes with Spenser and Susan sipping champagne. This contrast in day/night lifestyle for our hero was getting a bit boring after a couple of dozen chapters. Overall, this book had very little action, not much mystery, and left me without much of a good feeling. It appeared Parker was just going through the motions of writing another Spenser formula book.
Rating:
Summary: Parker rolls snake eyes
Review: Appropriate to the title, Duece is only a 2 star effort. The story focuses on Hawk, in a battle against gang bangers on Hobart street. Spenser and Hawk solve a murder after the police failed to put enough resources onto the problem. Hawk's character flaws surface, as Spenser and Susan mull over his future potential. I found it sad and pathetic to think of Hawk as merely a gang banger gone legitimate. Parker alternates chapters between the gloom of the ghetto and scenes with Spenser and Susan sipping champagne. This contrast in day/night lifestyle for our hero was getting a bit boring after a couple of dozen chapters. Overall, this book had very little action, not much mystery, and left me without much of a good feeling. It appeared Parker was just going through the motions of writing another Spenser formula book.
Rating: 
Summary: interesting social commentary
Review: Double Deuce is primarily named after the low-income housing project at which some of the action in the story takes place. But it also describes the plot structure of the book. Two plots, each involving pairs. On one side, a double homicide. On the other, a contrast of two relationships. Both of these plots are rich in social commentary, clearly the focus of this book. Content in works of the Spenser genre can be largely partitioned into mystery and suspense. The former is uncertainty over what happened, while the latter is uncertainty over what will happen. Double Deuce, however, is rather lacking in both. As in Playmates, a book which precedes this one by several years, Parker uses the work to take a look at issues of the black community. Double Deuce is the more successful of the two. Parker's views on the subject are certainly worth the reading, even if it isn't a classic of social commentary.
Rating:
Summary: interesting social commentary
Review: Double Deuce is primarily named after the low-income housing project at which some of the action in the story takes place. But it also describes the plot structure of the book. Two plots, each involving pairs. On one side, a double homicide. On the other, a contrast of two relationships. Both of these plots are rich in social commentary, clearly the focus of this book. Content in works of the Spenser genre can be largely partitioned into mystery and suspense. The former is uncertainty over what happened, while the latter is uncertainty over what will happen. Double Deuce, however, is rather lacking in both. As in Playmates, a book which precedes this one by several years, Parker uses the work to take a look at issues of the black community. Double Deuce is the more successful of the two. Parker's views on the subject are certainly worth the reading, even if it isn't a classic of social commentary.
Rating: 
Summary: Double deuce or Double Jeopardy of your Patience?
Review: I could only read countless smart talks between the dialogues of the characters who tried effortlessly to outsmart one another like comedians. This might totally changed your conceptive understanding what a thriller should be, and making you wonder if there should be no distinguished difference between a thriller and a jokes collection book? Or, is there any difference between a writer and comedian? As usual, this one was jammed with too much overkilled smart talks which had become so unrealistic in a P.I. novel. This was another cheapshot and easymoney-making run by a loose-cannoned,impulsive smart talk LIP SERVICE writer! With idiotic characters, over simplified plot, several gun shots, couple whalings of police sirens, and most of all, smart talks pages after pages, like a hollowed, pointless, slow paced comic show. Making yourself wonder why you picked up this book, but why you became so disoriented like last time and could not care less of the ending and failed to finish the last chapter again
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