Rating: Summary: Mother Hunt Review: When an author has been writing a series through 29 volumes, there is always the possibility of the stories taking on a 'cookie cutter' similarity. To some degree, this is unavoidable, since a series requires a certain predictability in its characters and type of plot. Robert Parker's Spenser novels are no exception to this rule, but Parker is one of those writers who can usually find a new twist, even in an old pattern. 'Back Story' is a grand example of Parker's story telling skills, still fresh after all these years.The daughter of the victim, Daryl Gordon, draws Spenser into a thirty-year-old murder, a friend of Spenser's 'nearly' adopted son, Paul Giacomin. The killing occurred in the middle of a bank robbery, committed by the Dread Scott Brigade, a 70's revolutionary group. There were no witnesses, and no one was ever caught. For Paul's sake, Spenser reopens the case and discovers a web of subterfuge surrounding the investigation. FBI reports have been squelched, all the characters seem to have unexpected links to each other, and finally, Spenser's own life is threatened. Into this chaos steps Hawk, Spencer's long time friend and co-perpetrator. These two are on of mysteries original black/white partnerships, and one of the hallmarks of Parker's style is the politically incorrect, whiplash banter that takes place between the two. The make fun of their own stereotypes (and ours) while scaring there suspects witless. Spencer's other partner is his very significant other, Susan, who does not participate in the investigations but is often all that keeps Spenser on this side of sanity. She adds wit, insight and an unselfconscious sexuality to what otherwise might be a grim story of tawdry revenge. The story, while not particularly complex, takes some surprising twists. There is a high violence content, not unusual for Spencer and Hawk, but Parker always manages to use violence without making it into an end in itself. What is unusual this time is Spencer's own introspection at the brutal aspect of his nature. Feeling his own maturity, he begins to wonder what he is really looking for. Susan, the psychologist, has answers, and the pair seem to grow before the reader's eyes. Thoroughly modern, 'Back Story' reads like vintage Parker - a swiftly moving plot, snappy dialogue, and respectable characters. Even if you have skipped the last few, I think you will find this one worth reading. Newcomers need have no fear. The relationship between the characters becomes clear quickly, and the story does not depend on any of the 29 previous novels.
Rating: Summary: In defense of Spenser Review: Many of the reviews I've read about Robert B. Parker's latest Spenser novel, Back Story, suggest that it is unlikely to win any new Spenser fans. This may be true, but Parker's 30th Spenser offering seems to be designed not with new fans in mind, but for old Spenser junkies like myself who have grown older along with the gumshoe, Susan, Hawk, Lt. Quirk, and the rest of the series characters. After several novels, a series become less story-driven and more character-driven. Back Story is a classic example. Hired by surrogate son Paul Giacomin for a box of six Krispy Kreme donuts, Spenser sets out to solve the murder of a woman who died in a 1974 bank robbery. Following a trail that's nearly thirty years old, he soon discovers that several people don't want the murder solved -- and that some people are willing to kill to keep it under wraps. Character-wise, Parker pulls out all the stops. In addition to Hawk, Paul, Quirk and Belson, we are re-united with some of Parker's more colorful characters: former Joe Broz gunman Vinnie Morris; Junior and Ty-Bop, two enforcers for black crime kingpin Tony Marcus; and Ives, the mysterious Company man (too bad Parker didn't find a way to weave Rachel Wallace into the story). There is very little suspense in the book, but that's never been Parker's strong suit anyway. Action-wise, the series peaked with A Catskill Eagle, but there are just enough punches and bullets here to keep the story rolling, culminating with a shootout in Harvard Stadium. And of course, there's the fabulous verbal interplay between Spenser, Hawk, Susan, Quirk, Frank Belson, and just about everyone else. Susan, whom I've often found superfluous to the series, shows her value here, as she helps Spenser through a brief bout of self-doubt. Hawk is -- well, he's Hawk: unfailingly loyal to Spenser and Susan, deadly to just about anyone else. And Spenser never lets us down, working a dangerous case for no money, finding out things his client (a co-worker of Paul's) would rather not know, determined to see the case through to the end. Not many people can understand the complex moral code he lives by, but Susan does, Hawk does --and maybe that's enough. If you're a fan of detective fiction and you've never read a Spenser novel, I would recommend that you begin from the beginning and pick up The Godwulf Manuscript, the inaugural novel of the series (I would also wonder what planet you are from, but that's neither here nor there). The Spenser novels truly are one of the great treasures of contemporary American fiction. Back Story is a satisfying read, but it is nothing special -- unless you spend a little time with the characters first.
Rating: Summary: annoying repartee Review: This was the first Parker book I ever read. I picked it up in an airport out of desperation when I had nothing left to read. While I liked it enough to read it through, and the story moved along, I found myself increasingly annoyed by the dialog. Every other line of banter spoken by the characters is a clever little quip. It's like they're all trying to be funny--all the time. It gets old quickly and has the effect of making each character sound exactly the same. They're all witty and full of one-liners.
Rating: Summary: An Excellent Spenser Book Despite The Death Of An Old Friend Review: As a reader who was introduced to Robert Parker and his Spenser detective novels by watching Robert Urich in the television series, I was saddened by Urich's death last year since in a way a part of the Spenser mystique for me had died with him. Thus, I was delighted that Spenser reappeared in BACK STORY, which as the thirtieth book in the series seems to have refined the characters to their essence. And we also have Jesse Stone, the chief of the Paradise police department and the main character of three Parker novels, become periperally in this Spenser case as Parker devotees probably guessed was inevitable. (Will Sunny Randall be next?) Paul Giacomin, a character in previous Spenser novels (and a surrogate son for Spenser) and now a successful playwright, visits Spenser with Daryl Silver, an actress and friend. While visiting Daryl's aunt in Boston twenty-eighty years ago (when Daryl was six years old), Daryl's mother Emily Gordon was murdered during a bank robbery by the Dread Scott brigade, an unknown revolutionary black power group reminiscent of the Black Panthers. The murder was never solved and the group members were never identified, and Daryl hopes Spenser will investigate the case so she can finally have closure. The police had hit a dead end, but of course Quirk still remembers it and would love to close an old case but isn't particularly hopeful regarding Spenser's chances of so doing. Things look even bleaker when it becomes apparent that all copies of the FBI file regarding the case have mysteriously disappeared. As Spenser follows up on old leads, he is soon threatened (first verbally and then shot at my a group of hit men). Of course, the danger that first he and then Susan Silverman face mean that Hawk is an almost continual presence in this story, much to the delight of all true Spenser fans. The story includes almost all the usual cast of characters that have made this series so successful (in addition to Quirk, Hawk, and Susan - Vinnie Morris, Tay Bop and Frank Belson all have bit parts). We are introduced to Nathan Epstein, who is delightful in his essential role as Spenser's FBI liasion. The bad guys include both the mob and other assorted characters from Daryl's childhood years. None of them are likely to appear in future stories, especially since more than the usual quota meet their demise at the hands of Spenser and Hawk. As Spenser gradually uncovers the truth and learns that it is not exactly as Daryl described, she becomes so emtionally distraught that she asks him to quit the case. However, since he had agreed to take the case as a favor to Paul and his only fee had been a box of Krispy Kreme donuts, he declines to end the investigation. Partially because he believes since he now has reopened the case that he and Susan will continue to be in danger unless it is solved, but also because as Susan observes using her fine psychoanalytical skills and thorough knowledge of Spenser's character (and reinforced by some wonderfully rich imagery from Hawk), he "can't quit early... [he] has to know how it will turn out". This book does not present an especially difficult mystery for the reader to solve, as several of the elements of the solution are in fact telegraphed relatively early in the story. However, there are enough details which involve the usual misdirection to keep the interest of the reader. And some of the characters, such as the aging hippie who is Daryl's father and the associated imagery are wonderful. It also has some of best dialog and psychological interplay between Spenser, Susan, and Hawk in any of the stories in the series. Over the years, their characters have grown comfortable with each other, in fact they have become among the most enjoyable characters in this genre. Both the male/female and black/white interplay is done in a meaningful and enjoyable manner. So, if you are a new Robert Parker reader, don't hesitate to start with this book although you will probably not enjoy it as much as those readers with an extensive background in the series. And if you are already a fan, this is another excellent addition to the series, despite the death of another old friend besides Robert Urich.
Rating: Summary: A Blast from the Past Review: This was my first Spenser book. (And yes, it is nonetheless quite pleasant here on my planet ;-) Sure, I'd seen glimpses of the late Robert Urich TV show while surfing around the dial - but never really read one of these. (Quot libros, quam breve tempus: Too many books, too little time!) What caught my eye was a blurb about this one talking about similarities to the Symbionese Liberation Army and the Patty Hearst thing. I was intrigued. Prior reviews have lugubriously belabored Back Story's plot. Suffice it to say that Spenser, Hawk, their old and new friends, associates, and acquaintences are out to solve an old cold case of a 70's bank heist by the one-hit-wonder "Dread Scott Brigade." The story moves swiftly back and forth chronologically and geographically (if one is going to investigate hippie sects, one must get out of Boston and go to San Francisco/Berkley) accompanied by snappy dialogue. My favorite: Hawk's translation of Kemo Sabe. All in all, a cool trip! Reviewed by TundraVision
Rating: Summary: Parker improves with age Review: At this point it's kind of academic, telling people that Spenser novels are fun to read. They're so easy to follow, quick to digest, and fun to enjoy, that it's almost a shame when the book proves to only be 280 pages or so long. The dialog's snappy, the characters interesting, and of course the plot winds up being almost irrelevant, just a vehicle for Spenser, Hawk, Vinnie, Capt. Quirk, and the gang to sit and talk for a while, and then shoot some bad guys. This time around, Paul Giacomin (Spenser's adoptive son, first seen in one of the best Spenser novels, Early Autumn) brings Spenser a client, a young actress he knows whose mother was murdered in a bank robbery almost thirty years ago. She wants Spenser to find who shot her mother, and, Spenser being Spenser, when it turns out that she brought half a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts for him, he impulsively takes the case. I guess Spenser hasn't been caught up in the low-carb diet craze. Instead, he soon finds himself mired in a decades-old murder case where all of the principles seem to have been Simbionese-Liberation-Army-type lunatics who waved guns around and shot people randomly, and just caught this young woman in the crossfire. Things are not what they seem, however, and everyone from the FBI to the CIA to the local mafia gets involved, trying to tell Spenser to leave the case alone and find something else to do. This, of course, only provokes Spenser, and makes him more curious about what's happening. I enjoy Parker's writing immensely, and as I said, the plot's secondary to the characters, the dialog, and the writing. Parker by now has become the closest we're going to have (I think) to Raymond Chandler, and he's a great deal more prolific, thankfully. This was a reasonable addition to what's just about the longest-running series in American detective fiction, and what's certainly the most popular.
Rating: Summary: A formula, though a good one Review: I have read three or four of Robert Parker's Spenser novels, mostly the audio book versions. There is something about the writing style that lends itself especially well to the audio format; I suppose it's the terse dialogue and fast pace. In any event, Back Story is the first Spenser novel I've read in print, and I must say I enjoyed it less than the others. If I counted right, Back Story is the thirtieth Spenser novel. With such a prolific series, a certain amount of repetition and predictability is inevitable, but this book seemed a little bit too by-the numbers, so much like previous entries with only the specifics updated for the new story. Still, Spenser is an entertaining character. He is able to make witty observations in even the most hazardous of circumstances. The usual supporting characters are in this novel as well -the sinister Hawk, Spenser's girlfriend Susan and expert marksman Vinnie. Back Story has all the elements readers have come to expect from a Parker novel, so maybe that should be enough. The basic mood is always light, no matter how much violence is going on. In this novel, Spenser is persuaded by his stepson Paul and Paul's friend Daryl to investigate the thirty year old murder of Daryl's mother. She was apparently killed by a revolutionary group calling itself the Dread Scott Brigade. Spenser soon finds that both local gangsters and law enforcement officials are trying to prevent him from looking into this killing. Some of Parker's cultural biases come out in this novel. He seems to categorize anyone affiliated with the 1960s counterculture as a violent revolutionary or a pot-smoking vegetable. The latter is a bit amusing when you consider that Spenser's diet seems to consist mainly of doughnuts, coffee and hard liquor. The bad guys of Back Story are of the basic suspense novel/B-movie variety -mafioso and their dumb but menacing bodyguards; wisecracking drug dealers and the mandatory psychopath whose mission is to kill Spenser. Robert Parker is a talented enough novelist that he can, at this point, get away with coasting on a winning formula and that is what he's done in Back Story. It's a fast-paced, often humorous, sometimes suspenseful but unmemorable entry in this time-honored series.
Rating: Summary: Parker's Back Review: Parker has really made an effort here, and it shows. Recent books were getting thinner and more off-hand, and the last in the Spenser series, "Widow's Walk" read like Parker wrote it while he was watching a ball game. But in "Back Story," Parker has done it for us again. It's not the "Godwulf Manuscript" and it's certainly not "Looking for Rachel Wallace," but it has depth and heft, and a fresh plot that involves us in some very satisfying intricacy as it works itself out. Spenser shows more of himself, and our understanding of him deepens. Here it isn't an appealing client needing real help that is the reason he keeps going; it is his own choice to finish what he started, even at considerable cost. He is "peerless," as Susan Silverman says, a man of integrity, humanity and power, whose choices, like this one, come always from a place of honor. And he still is as funny as he always was, with the same discerning eye, seeing everyone, from aging hippies to aging mobsters, right through any pretension or fascade, seeing the good in the bad guys and the bad in the good guys, seeing things as they are. There are signs here that Parker is making some acknowledgement to the fact that if Spenser fought in Korea, he can't really be 42 years old anymore. Now he does weightlifting for repetition, rather than for weight, he does measured runs, with walk breaks, on Harvard's track, rather than pounding for miles along the Charles River. He decides to have one English muffin because the second one he wants isn't good for him. The women he says look pretty good are in their fifties, and both he and Hawk say sadly "Too young" when teenagers walk by in bikinis. But may I suggest here that a "willing suspension of disbelief" is more than appropriate. We may all be aging, but Spenser doesn't really have to, unless we insist on it. Rex Stout's Archie Goodwin would have been in a wheelchair in real time during many of his most useful flirtations. Nero Wolfe himself would have been about 112 years old when he solved his last cases. Sherlock Holmes could not actually have dealt both with Victorian hounds and the Norden Bombsite in the same adult lifetime. I think that, along with Parker, we should make no more than a gentle reference to Spenser's age, and then leave it alone. If we lean on it too much, Spenser may retire, and I, for one, am not ready. In "Back Story" Parker brings down barriers between story lines, and even across series. It is very appealing to have two heavy-weight thugs who tried to kill Spenser in "Pastime" sitting on the steps of Susan's classy house to guard her. And Parker has Spenser work with Jesse Stone in this one, so we get to see Jesse through Spenser's eyes. I'd very much like to know how Spenser looks to Jesse. And, hey, Sunny works in Boston. There are all sorts of possibilities.
Rating: Summary: Got Two Hours to Kill? Review: I don't know what compels me to keep reading Robert B. Parker's "Spenser" series. The plotting has become almost nonexistent, the dialog is recycled from book to book, the books are getting shorter and shorter and Parker mainly seems to amuse himself by seeing how many characters from previous books he can pack into the current one, so it obviously isn't for the fresh, original take on the private eye genre. But it's still fun, dammit. Somehow, Parker always manages to engage my attention. The interaction between Hawk and Spenser still amuses, Spenser's twisted honor code still thrills and Susan's soppy shrinkiness still annoys. In this outing, we are on the hunt for the perpetrator of a killing 30 years in the past. The actual plot is incidental, as Parker seems to be making things up as he goes. The characters are, as usualy, thinly written and heavily dependent on stereotypes. But Spenser gamely travels from Boston to New Hampshire to California and back, giving us all our two hour's worth of lively description and jaunty heroism. If you are already a fan of the series, you've already bought this one and don't need my review. But if you are not already a fan, don't start here. Go back to the fabulous days of Ceremony, A Catskill Eagle, The Judas Goat and you will become a fan, ready to read and grouse over each new entry in the Parker oeuvre.
Rating: Summary: Summertime Read Review: Remember, summertime is coming and this is a good pool or beach book in the classic Robert Parker style. Easy to pick up and put down - it is a relaxing, non-stressful read.
|