Rating: 
Summary: Better Than Some, Not the Best, Though
Review: This is an interesting departure for Spenser -- Parker has apparently decided to see if he can still get a handle on the character without the "furniture" that has accumulated in the series over the years.Thus, Hawk is nowhere to be seen, Vinnie Morris and Martin Quirk are voices on telephones doing favours for Spenser, and Spenser isn't even in Boston. Beyond that, Parker rings variations on some of his own cliches -- the thuggish character whom Spenser has to humiliate turns out to be one of the Good Guys in the end, the local Top Cop not only likes Spenser, he's ahppy to have him stirring up trouble on the local scene that, for political reasons, the local law can't get into... and other somewhat off-center takes. Parker has either visited Atlanta recently or done his research well -- when Spenser comes to Atlanta from (fictitious) Lamarr, he speaks of the local geography and business with a quiet assurance -- and accuracy. Another departure for Spenser is the ending -- about which all i can say is just that -- that it's not a usual-type Spenser ending. I'll even go so far as to say that some readers (of whom i'm not one) may feel that he really hjasn't completed the story. But he has -- the solution is complete and elegant in Spenser's head, and he knows the guilty will sooner or later suffer... One odd element in this book is that a completely-unrelated short story (set in Boston), with unrelated characters, is spliced into the middle of the book. Parker has Susan refer to the events in this short story in a rather forced-sounding attempt to make it fit in by having her explain something about the main story by referring to the events of the interlude... But it really doesn't work. OTOH, it's a neat little vignette of Spenser at work, deciding where justice lies and then going ahead and facilitating Justice with little regard for law, legality or the feelings of his client. One minor gripe -- As in "Paper Doll" (set in an equally fictitious South Carolina county that Spenser briefly visits again in "Hugger Mugger"), Parker has missed a minor piece of Southrun talk -- we don't, generally, refer to Interstate highways as, say, "Route 20" -- such a reference is usually reserved for some piddly little State Highway; two-lane blacktop winding thru god-knows-where in the less-populated end of the county. Don't know why that bothers me, except it's so obvious, as if Spenser were in Louisiana and referred to the "County Jail"... Highly recommended, despite my personal dialog twitches.
Rating:
Summary: This is a hugga winna!
Review: After working a series of pro bono cases for his girlfriend Susan and his friend Hawke, Spenser accepts a paying job that will substantially reduce his debt. Walter Clive and his daughter Penny own Three Fillies Stables in Lamarr, Georgia. Walter is especially proud of his young thoroughbred HUGGER MUGGER who experts think is the next Secretariat. However, in spite of top security, an unidentified assailant has slipped inside the stable area and killed one horse and damaged two other steeds. Walter hires Spenser to come down from Boston to discover who the assassin is before any other horse, but especially HUGGER MUGGER, becomes the next victim. Spenser begins his inquiries with those in constant contact with the horses. However, before he completes his assignment, someone kills Walter and Penny fires Spenser. In turn Walter's mistress Tully hires Spenser to find out whom killed her paramour and deprived her son of his rightful inheritance. Spenser novels have entertained readers for twenty-five years. Fans enjoy the sleuth's dry wit, code of honor, and obstinate nature. His latest adventure HUGGER MUGGER is one of the best in years. The story line has deep characterizations and uncanny insight into the behavior of the horse racing aristocracy. Additionally, Spenser is outside the comfort zone of his beloved Boston while swimming upstream in the Deep South. The fast-paced story line filled with action and a multi-player cast proves Robert B. Parker still has the cynic's touch of irony that provides the best in reading entertainment for private detective fans. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Parker's Worst
Review: With a few notable exceptions--Small Vices & Trouble inParadise--come to mind, RBP in general and the Spenser series in particular have been in decline for many years. I have been a devoted fan of Parker's since 1985, but his recent works have resembled a puzzle. He has written some brilliant material in the past and now simply changes the names and rearranges the order of the puzzle pieces (chapters) to create a "new" book. Apparently, he feels that the reader is new to his work or too dull to notice that he has written nothing original since the 1980's. Hugger Mugger has nothing new or interesting. Even at his worst Parker usually comes up with an idea, scene or even just a quote that makes a book worthwhile. Not the case here. There is no Hawk or Belson, very little Susan, cameo appearences by Vinnie & Quirk, an allusion to Lee Farrell and villians so innocuous to be minor players in plot.
Rating: 
Summary: As ever, Spenser
Review: Spenser is hired by a rich Georgia horse farm owner. Someone is shooting his horses. He travels to Georgia for his sluthing. As usual, he finds out "who done it", wisecracking all the way. I did miss Hawk, but it was a very tender love story with Susan, of course! This is a good read for fans of Spenser.
Rating: 
Summary: If Robert B. Parker wrote a Dick Francis mystery...
Review: Who else but Robert Parker could tackle three different mystery characters in three different novels a year and still be one of the most consistently entertaining writers in the mystery field? But (with apologies to Jesse Stone and Helen H...er, sorry, Sunny Randall), it's Spenser we love the best. My two favorite mystery novelists are Robert B. Parker and Dick Francis, and this mystery, set in Georgia horse country, is the best of both worlds: Spenser must track down the murderer of horses at a training farm, populated by (as Spenser says) the cast of a Tennessee Williams play. As always, much of the fun is the dialogue--no one's better than Spenser taking the wind out of a pompous twit's sails, and no one's better at writing that wise-guy with an intellectual edge than Parker. Any complaints? Well, sure, there's a big one. No Hawk! Luckily, Susan's around, and so is Pearl the Wonder Dog. Spenser's sidekick in this book, a gay ex-cop named Tedy Sapp, is interesting enough, but Mr. Sapp, you're *no* Hawk! (But who is?) My other quibble is a broader one. This is a fine standard Spenser mystery, but it's nothing more than that--Spenser gets a client, scouts the case, matches wits with the suspects, flirts a bit (but stays loyal to Susan, of course) and cracks the solution. But a truly exceptional Spenser book, while it contains all these elements, can be so much more. I've been reading Spenser's adventures for nearly 20 years, and the ones that make the most impression on me--those I consider the best, in which Parker transcends the normal mystery novel--are the books in which Spenser as a character moves forward dramatically, in which something major happens to Spenser *personally* to change or influence his life. Don't get me wrong--that kind of approach would not be welcome in every book...but after nearly 30 Spenser books the ones that stand out in my mind are "Early Autumn"..."A Catskill Eagle"..."Small Vices"...Spenser adventures that bring us more into the personal life of Parker's hero than the others. That Parker is capable of such sublime heights between the more-standard Spenser (and Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall) mysteries is the most important reason I keep reading him.
Rating:
Summary: Good Entry
Review: This was a good entry into the Spenser series. It introduced a few new characters, along with the old. No Hawk though, boo hoo! Parker seems to have a problem with the female characters in the story. If she is despicable, he will save her despite himself. If he finds her sexually attractive, she must be innocent of any wrong doing. I can't help but wonder if that is Parker's age showing in this type of stereotyping. Still a pretty good book. Lot's of horse stuff in it!
Rating: 
Summary: HUGGER MUGGER Mugs Itself
Review: I have always look forward to reading Robert Parker's Spenser Novels and was excited to get this one in the mail. Usually I have his books read in a few hours. This novel of Parker's was the exception.
Hugger Mugger was not Parker's usual fast-moving, character-rich genre.
Spenser is approached by a wealthy man and his daughter to investigate the seemingly assassination attempts against some race horses they own. Okay, this was weird to me and a plot line I found hard to imagine. Maybe this is why I don't read the Hillerman books - just can't get into the whole race-track thing.
The absence of Hawk greatly reduces the Spenser character. So much of Spenser's character is revealed by his actions when he is with Hawk. Without Hawk to act as a mirror for Spenser, the Spenser character greatly lacked in depth.
Susan is featured in the book but nothing new is revealed in the relationship. I was left feeling pretty ho-hum instead of secretly wishing Spenser were real.
I was disappointed that Parker relied on Spenser's wry self-love to drive the novel. I got extremely tired of reading about Spenser's attractiveness and drinking habits, as well as wondering about the possibility of so many "beautiful people" in one place.
The plot line was obvious from the beginning, unless I am becoming quite the detective myself! I won't give away the story, but warn readers to be prepared for an odd twist that just doesn't seem to flow.
Compared to Parker's other books, Hugger Mugger suffers terribly.
Rating:
Summary: Flat, boring, studid
Review: I'm not sure what all the other reviewers missed, but in my mind, this book ranks at the top of the Spenser series. Spenser's wisecracking humor is superb. Hired to find a horse killer, Spenser soon finds the crime spreads to include a human victim. Abruptly, he is dismissed from the case, leaving him to wonder why. Hawk stays home during Spenser's southern sojourn, but Susan makes plenty of appearances, analyzing the psychosis of a disfunctional family of rich misfits. Overall, I would say this book reminds me of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series, which I love.
Rating:
Summary: Dick Francis need have no fears....
Review: My disappointment in this Spenser book is probably my fault. Reading the jacket, I thought that hey, Parker is going to see what he can do with Spenser in a Dick Francis type story. I shoulda known better. The race horse element in this book is strictly peripheral to a rather tired and typical Spenser storyline. Even Spenser himself sounds like he's getting tired of the series. When he's let go early in the book, he actually says okay, goes home, takes a ho-hum case and is ready to forget all about the job he was first hired to do, until he's hired by another of those involved. When he goes back, those he wants to question refuse to talk to him, and be darned if he doesn't accept that. Hey, this isn't the Spenser we've known and loved! I'm not going to tell you not to read this book. If you're a Spenser addict like me, you'll read it anyway. However, this book convinced me that it's time for me to investigate his two new series.
Rating:
Summary: A Quick, Entertaining Read
Review: Hugger Mugger, in typical Robert B. Parker style, is a quick and incredibly entertaining read. The dialogue is pithy and peppered with our hero's (Spenser's) wisecracking which kept me chuckling throughout the story. The playful verbal sparring that occurs between Spenser and his "met-his-match" shrink girlfriend belies a deep loving bond that helps make Spenser a more complex character and an admirable man. Placed in sexually compromising situations, his loyalty prevails. The supporting cast in Hugger Mugger is described in just enough detail for the reader to enjoy the roles they play, but not be diverted from the fast-paced dialogue that sweeps one through the book. Hugger Mugger is another opportunity to spend some time with smart-aleck Spenser and have some fun. Go for it!
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