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Hugger Mugger : A Spenser Novel

Hugger Mugger : A Spenser Novel

List Price: $34.99
Your Price: $23.79
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Three-and-a-half stars actually; this wasn't bad!
Review: Alfred Hitchcock explored the same themes over and over again (the wrong man accused; the trials and tribulations of being an icy blonde; how to deal with an overbearing mother, etc., etc.) but he did so in films that were as different from one another as could be. "Psycho" was nothing like "North by Northwest" which was nothing like "The Birds", and so on. Parker explores the same themes over and over, too (his themes being the nature of honor, the nature of fidelity and how it can survive in a hedonistic world, and how all crimes seem to harken back to family dysfunction and other shaky psychological underpinnings). The problem with Parker in recent years is that he has not sufficiently done the Hitchcock thing: he has NOT hung his themes on sufficiently different stories and plots. In other words, Parker the artist was doing fine but Parker the craftman was marking time in many ways. I am happy to say, however, that Parker the craftman worked a little harder in this "Spenser" entry to give us something a little different. Gone (mostly, anyway) is the Boston locale of practically every other Spenser adventure; and members of the usual supporting cast are seen in small doses or not at all. The result is a freshness we haven't had in a while. We get to see some new scenarios and different types of characters; and we get to once again see, for the first time in a while, extended scenes of Spenser the introspective loner. This was an enjoyable reading experience. Yeah, I kinda missed Hawk, but I'm sure he'll be back next time. I only hope that Parker the craftsman continues to attempt to show us new things in the next "Spenser" title, as he did here. All those Boston restaurants and those descriptions of how Susan eats like a bird ARE kind of fun, but they can get somewhat tiresome, too!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Robert Parker disappoints in his latest book
Review: I've always made it a point to buy the latest Spenser novel when it comes out but I should have waited and gotten this one from the library (Sorry Amazon). Parker has run out of steam on the Spencer series and this book confirms this. Tired dialogue, miserable plot turn this book into something to be remaindered quickly. Instead of just moving the story south Parker needs to change his characters and let them grow. Afterall people change and grow as they get older. Spenser hasn't changed since 1985. If your looking for a good book by Robert Parker check out his series with Jesse Parker.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Where is the last chapter?
Review: A good, not great Parker/Spencer novel. Moves along fast and for the most part, fun reading. Major disappointment, it seemed like he forgot to include the last chapter. There were several important issues not resolved which took a lot away from the whole effort. It left a rather empty feeling.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Return of A Old Friend
Review: Some 15 years ago I discovered the Spenser series and have read virtually every book. While "Hugger Mugger" may not be the best of Parker's books it still extermily enjoyable. A bad Spenser book is still better then almost anything else. I read this book in just two days. With my wife out of town (two weeks) I could empathize with Spenser and Susan. I even read a couple of paragrahs of the book to my wife over the phone. First paragraph of the book and the last paragraph on page 72. So, here's my review if you got a about 5 hours to kill there are a whole lot worse ways then this book. As matter of fact this might be one the better ways. Enjoy, I did.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Spenser Solves One in the Stables
Review: Never fear, Dick Francis, Spenser's foray into the stables is likely only temporary. Spenser is back and headed south. A amusing mystery with a kooky cast of characters straight from Faulkner -- but (of course) Spenser is up to the task. As always, the witty dialogue makes Hugger Mugger a crisp, fast, and thoroughly enjoyable read. Susan makes her appearances, though Hawk is out of the picture this go-round. Also missing are the bits of Detective Cuisine we've come to expect.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: not the best of spencer
Review: I have read all of the Spencer books (all of the Parker books -- also). This is not the best effort out there. It is missing so many of the elements of Parker's earlier efforts. Were is Hawk? Why are the characters so transparent. I am giving it 3 stars based on the fact that as a stand alone book it would be OK, but it suffers in comparison to the others Parker has written.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Hugger Mugger was an overall disappointment
Review: I've read nearly all of Parker's work and the last few spenser novels have left me feeling cheated. The plot is weak, the entire book is predictable, and it seems to have no final ending. Spenser's investigation is nearing conclusion and then the book just runs out of pages. Parker has done so much better in the past. Readers new to Parker would do better to start out with the Godwulf Manuscript or The Judas Goat.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Very simplistic
Review: This book is kind of like the equivalent of a TV movie of the week. Flimsy see-through plot, basic stereotypical characters, fairly obvious conclusion, and basically ho-hum all the way. Nothing terribly wrong with it, but nothing that stands out at all either. One big hole though is the absence of Hawk, which leaves a gaping void. As well, the ending comes up short as if Parker decided to call it quits before really wrapping everything up. Overall a very light, quick read that you probably want to read if you are a fan of the series. There are lots of better books out there, but there are also many much worse.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hugger Mugger
Review: Spenser is back! The characters are crisp and memorable. The dialogue is refreshingly straightforward. The plot is well paced. More please...

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Disappointing trend continues
Review: The Spenser series has lost a lot of steam in recent years, and sadly this novel does very little to stoke the fires. Spenser fans will find their favorite super-sleuth here, and in as good a shape and form as ever (which is why this book gets 3 stars and not 2), but the story -- especially the ending -- lacks. As a longtime fan of Robert B. Parker's fiction, Spenser or otherwise, I heartily wish he would return to writing a single book a year, instead of two books with half-a-plot between them which is what we have been getting for the last four years now.


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