Rating: 
Summary: Parker on Autopilot
Review: I don't like to give Spenser novels a bad review, because I love the characters (except Susan) and the series, and have gotten hours of enjoyment out of them. But in this novel Parker seems to have basically been on autopilot and I did not find it very well done at all.Here we have Spenser hired by one Marlene Rowley to follow her husband Trent because she thinks he's been cheating on her. Sure enough, Spenser follows good ol' Trent to a hotel where he is doing whatever it is he does with an attractive blonde. There, Spenser bumps into another PI following the blonde. Interesting, huh? And so it goes-Trent is the CFO for a company called Kinergy, an energy broker, and winds up dead in the corporate officers. Spenser unravels a [...] fraudulent scheme going on, as well as a sex ring among the major players at Kinergy. And of course, Spenser doggedly gets it all unraveled in the end. The key problem here is that the story reads like a cookie cutter Spenser novel. Many Spenser novels in the past few years have been trending in that direction, but they usually offer at least some small insight, interesting plotline, or some tidbit that hooks you. We have none of that here. The plot is not that interesting, the dialogue is not that interesting, even Hawk and Vinnie are not that interesting! (Plus, there were typos throughout the book, which were distracting and annoying). A disappointing effort. But as a Spenser junkie, I can't wait for the next one!
Rating:
Summary: A notch below readable....
Review: I have every single Spenser book. Unfortunately, I confess I now buy them out of some twisted feeling of obligation. There is also a vestige of hope that the new books will somehow recapture the feelings I experienced when reading the earlier books. I am sad to say it, but this book is just boring. Of course it is formulaic as so many of these types of books are -- but the formula used to be exciting book after book after book. The new books are tedious, the dialogue bordering on obnoxious, and the plot lines are so predictable they are, frankly, silly. Unfortunately, I suspect I will continue to buy Spenser books. I will still pre-order them as I did this one. Why, I do not know. I only know that I love Spenser and Hawk. I continue to hold out that the vapid banter between Spenser and Susan or between Spenser and his clients or adversaries will give way to sturdy action, plausible story lines, and the old-fashioned wit and pace Parker once so effectively delivered. I am very disappointed. I am disappointed in myself for continuing to read the series. I sometimes think Parker is playing a joke on us. I sometimes imagine him saying, while I am reading, "Isn't it great? I put this trash together in a week, and they eat it up. Isn't America great?" As I am sure so many other Spenser lovers will do, if you have all of the Spenser books, like I do, you will continue to order them. If, however you are reading this review and are new to the Spenser series, you really ought not to bother. It will be a terrible disappointment. The worst thing you can do actually, is to go back and order the older Spenser books. Then you'll get hooked like me and its over. You will then waste your time and money on the last six or seven books which are tedious, boring, and downright unreadable - Worse, you will read every single word scratching your head and asking yourself, "Why do I keep doing this?"
Rating: 
Summary: Musical Beds Turns Deadly
Review: I have not read all of the Spencer series of novels. In fact, I think I have only read one or two, so I have no comment from a historical perspective on the qualities of this one. I found the book to be an easy and fun read. Mr. Parker has mastered the art of making a book look larger than it really is, but his use of dialogue and his sense of humor appeal to me. Things start out easily enough when Spencer is hired by a suspicious wife to tail her cheating husband. As it turns out the lady he is seeing is also being tailed by another PI and so is the lady that hired him. It seems that all of the principals are involved with one very up and coming company called, Kinergy and further investigation discovers that there is some musical bedrooms being played by the principals, all under the encouragement of a local radio personality who believes that marriage should not limit one's ability to show love for another. This is starting to look like a bedroom farce until one of the players is shot dead in his office. The deceased is the husband whom Spencer had been hired to tail. The cheese gets more binding when the chief of security at Kinergy also turns up dead in an apparent suicide, which is more apparently another murder. In his trademark fashion, Parker takes Spencer through the hoops along with the other characters that populate these novels and in the end, justice is done in a rather entertaining fashion. I enjoyed it.
Rating: 
Summary: Spencer tackles Enron
Review: I listened to the audio version. Joe Mantegna is great as usual. This time Spencer gets involved with extra-marital affairs, creative bookkeeping, and an Enron type scandal. As long as you maintain a light-hearted view of the details presented, the novel moves along nicely. However, if you have any financial background at all, the basic premise of the book falls apart. I know it is very moralistic to keep Spencer on the straight and narrow. However, it has beceome very boring from a reader's standpoint. No matter how enticing the female counterparts are, Spencer skillfully avoids them. This is as exciting as watching paint dry. This book is not nearly as good as last year's PotShot.
Rating:
Summary: Average
Review: I think this is one of his weakest novels. Its not that bad but since I read all of his books I definately expected something more exciting and its not happening here. As previous reviewer said, too many characters. You may have hard time remembering who is who and who is supposed to be doing what. Story itself drags on without too much action. Dissapointing.
Rating: 
Summary: (4 1/2) The Secrets of the Rich and Famous
Review: I was fortunate enough to attend a book signing in NYC by Robert Parker immediately after the publication of BAD BUSINESS. The Q&A which preceded it covered a fascinating breadth of topics, including his background, personal philosophy, writing methodology, baseball (and sports in general), Robert Urich and Joe Montegna as Spenser, the lack of appreciation among today's readers for the way Raymond Chandler exercised his craft, and what genre actually characterizes his stories. He opined that while he understood the need for booksellers to include them in the mystery category and it certainly had aided his success, he actually viewed them as more commentaries on human nature and interpersonal relationships than mysteries per se. To roughly paraphrase him, no one reads his books anxiously awaiting the revelation of "who did it". Rather it's about the how and the why and how Spenser manages to exact some rough measure of justice for those concerned. Of course, if you are one of the many Spenser/Robert Parker fans, you are already aware of this fact and simply want to know how this story compares to the many previous books. Whereas if you are new reader, you undoubtedly are curious about not only the quality of this story but also whether it is the type of literature that you are likely to enjoy. My five star rating is my summary answer to the question of where this book ranks relative to other Spenser novels, it is in the first tier and a natural progression of the series. It includes the wonderfully spare dialog that is a trademark of the relationship of Spenser and Hawk (with the usual commentaries on race), the wisecracking asides and double entendres between Susan and Spenser, the intrusion of Spenser's moral code as the action evolves and of course the ever increasing cast of characters that makes the series stay fresh and alive - Vinnie Morris, brief appearances by the cops Belson, Quirk, and Healy, the lawyer Rita Fiore as well, and almost without saying the essential role of Pearl (the Wonderdog) II. This case begins when Spenser is hired by Marlene Rowley to obtain evidence that will confirm her belief that her husband Trent is cheating on her, which she plans to use for leverage in a possible divorce. Complications begin when Spenser encounters two other low rent private eyes tailing other family members of the executives of Kinergy, the hugely successful and widely respected energy trading firm where Trent is CFO. It is soon clear that the lifestyles of the management team have been influenced by the concepts of pop radio talk show host Darrin O'Mara, whose notions of the role of "cross-connubial" relationships have provided the cover for the sexual experimentation that is occurring. Suddenly, however, the game being played rises to a much more dangerous level when Trent Rowley is discovered dead in his office one evening. As Spenser attempts to unravel the mystery, another death occurs and it is clear that much more is at stake than marital bliss. Kinergy turns out to be a thinly disguised Enron, and Bob Cooper, the CEO, could apparently be Ken Lay. Since forensic accounting is not Spenser's strong point (there is a wonderful aside by Belson to that effect), Spenser convinces his pal Marty Siegel (self described as "the best accountant in the world") to examine the books and he discovers an SPE (Special Purpose Entity), in this case the author's art imitates real life. So, it is left to Spenser to discover the roles of the various executives, including Bernie Eisen, the COO, who together with his wife Ellen were enjoying both the marital and financial shenanigans. And more importantly, how did such financial misdeeds suddenly become the backdrop for murder and whodunit? The book is fun, interesting and the quick read that is typical of the series - a train or plane trip or a rainy day will be more than enough time to enjoy it thoroughly. And there are the usual nuggets of insight, such as Susan in her professional role as a shrink commenting upon the probable multiple motivations which Marlene had for hiring Spenser. She suggests to Spenser that in addition to preparing for the divorce, it meant that she could gain the information necessary to not only humiliate her husband and thus gain revenge but also she would no longer feel excluded but in effect become a vicarious participant. And in one of the truly memorable lines that makes Parker so enjoyable a writer and Hawk so unique a character, Hawk actually manages to accuse Susan of being an undershirt bigot. (Absolutely not! No explanation here, you have to read the book to uncover the meaning.) I deducted a half point from my rating for two reasons. First, I was surprised to see Robert Parker utilize something as directly ripped from the headlines as the topic of corporate greed and accounting fraud to form the basis of his plot; even though this had an interesting twist and certainly allows the type of commentary on the human condition typical of Parker's work, it didn't really seem to play to his strengths as an author. (He solved the crime but basically left the financial issues that resulted from the fraud unresolved.) Second, the way Spenser wrapped up the case was very clever and actually quite amusing; while the action was incredibly abrupt the scene was in many ways among his best. However, I felt that justice was not as well served in all respects as in many of his other stories. However, to reiterate, an enjoyable read if you're a Spenser devotee, and a story invoving a cast of characters that you'll probably want to spend more time with if this is your introduction. Tucker Andersen
Rating:
Summary: Parker always delivers
Review: I've always liked Parker's books, especially the Spenser and Jesse Stone novels. This was no exception. I love the witty banter and the strong loyal friendship between Spenser and Hawk. Parker never fails to turn out a good story full of strong characters, snappy dialogue, and his narrative is always vivid, even though he's not as wordy as some writers. The only thing about this book I didn't like is, I would have liked to have seen more of Hawk. I understand that such a character is more effective when used sparingly but a little more Hawk would have been an improvement I think. Still, it's a good tale and if you like Parker's novels, I can definitely recommend "Bad Business".
Parker is one of the best!
Rating:
Summary: Classic Spenser Novel: Characters Enter 21st Century
Review: I've read the entire collection of Spenser novels. I always enjoy Spenser's independence coupled with his soft heart and strong attachment to Susan Silverman. This isn't a great novel but it does continue the tradition in a solid way and is nice easy reading.
If you've never read a Spenser novel, I would suggest starting at the beginning with the Godwulf Manuscript and on from there for a very enjoyable -- and pleasurably long -- series of mystery novels. The characters are worth getting to know.
What I especially like about "Bad Business" is that Vinnie (he's a really good shooter) now has an iPod. What a great image! There is also a reference to Hieronymus Bosch, a Dutch painter from the 15th and 16th centuries who is also a fictitious character created by the author Michael Connelly in a wonderful series of books. Bosch, the principal protagonist, is an LAPD detective who is named after the painter. Is Robert Parker a fan of Michael Connelly?
Rating:
Summary: The Good, the Bad, the Snarly....
Review: If you are new to Spenser, start with an earlier book, such as "Looking for Rachel Wallace," or what I consider his very best, "Paper Doll." You could also start at the beginning and work your way through all 31, and have a very nice time. But by no means should you begin your Spenser adventure with this book. The plot is energetic but quite confusing - an Enron-like company pulling fiscal scams, all mixed up with some headache-inspiring spouse-swapping frenzy, huh? - but the real disappointment is, there is no one to care about here. Parker delivers his usual wit and wisdom, and that is what his fans love - the crisp dialogue, the social commentary, the gleeful puncturing of society's various bubbles. It helps to have visits from nearly every character we love (Hawk, Vinnie, Rita, and Susan who sort of grows on you) but this book lacks a crucial something that his earlier works had in abundance: sympathetic people, whether clients or others, whom you could cheer for, and bad people whom you could truly hate. I found myself having difficulty telling one supporting character from another, and by the end - when the only really bad dude is reduced to hissing like a lizard when he's caught - I didn't care how it ended, as long as it ended soon. It was kind of embarrasing, hiss hiss. Spenser is always, always worth a read, even in a confusing mess like this. But for most people, it's probably a good idea to just take this one out of the library. I've already given my copy away, leaving me one book short of a complete set. I just don't care. Many books ago, in "Walking Shadow," (which, in my opinion, was the first book where Parker's cracks began to show) Hawk had a wonderful line that went something like, "This is the silliest thing you ever got me involved in." I kept waiting for Hawk to say something like that in this one (pointless sexual tangles, fakes and double-fakes with the stock market, an open-marriage advocate/talk show host in love with a... Well I don't want to spoil it, whatever it is), but he didn't. The plot of "Walking Shadow" was clear and grounded compared to this. Maybe Hawk should walk off and start his own series, and replace the Spenser clones Jesse Stone (young male clone) and Sunny Randall (female clone). Most of us who are die-hard Spenser fans would follow Hawk anywhere.
Rating:
Summary: Predictably good
Review: It is hard to conceive of a bad Parker novel. By now his skills are so honed, his characters so familiar, his dialogue so effortless, his sense of place so assured and his plots so polished that he is the safest buy in crime fiction. This is good, average Parker, with very deft depiction of the accounting scams motivating the crime. As others have noted, the Enron parallels are explicit, there is too much Susan and too little action. Still, we buy the books and enjoy them. We all continue to wonder, however, what Parker could do if he really put his mind to it, sent Susan and Pearl, incommunicado, to the farthest reaches of the globe, and focused on Hawk and Vinnie in a good old fashioned bloodfest. That might be his gift to his faithful readers for enduring the kissy face, dainty eating, cutesy-poo talk and dog slobber all these years.
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