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Summary: Your basic Spenser novel and another quest for the truth
Review: When I picked up "Back Story," the 2003 Spenser novel from Robert B. Parker of course the first thing that came to my mind was to wonder how Pearl was doing. By page 2 we know the answer to that lingering question at which point we are distracted by the story of Daryl Gordon, the young woman that Paul Giacomin has brought to see Spenser (she stars in his play). In 1974 a revolutionary group calling itself the Dread Scott Brigade staged a robbery at the Shawmut Bank in Boston's Audubon Circle. During that robbery a woman named Emily Gordon, there to cash a traveler's check, was shot and killed. Daryl is Emily's daughter and wants the person who killed her mother to be brought to justice. Since Paul brought a half-dozen Krispy Kremes along with Daryl, our hero is willing to see what he can find out even thought the murder happened, as we are repeatedly told, twenty-eight years ago. There are a lot of things that Spenser does not do, and round up numbers is one of them. Ironically, of course, this is the 30th Spenser novel."Back Story" certainly represents all aspects of the Spenser formula. There is the tried and true practice of asking questions to see what shakes loose, death threats that require Susan to be protected and gunmen to avoid, and all those witty and philosophical discussions between Spenser and Hawk (as well as Vinnie, Quirk, Jesse Stone, and whoever else shows up along the way). However, Spenser really does not cook as much as he did in the early days. Spenser finds out more than Daryl ever wanted to know, which makes it doubtful that she will be joining the ranks of our hero's expanding "family," and once again puts our hero in the position of being judge, jury, and lord high executioner as he tries to make the world right. The results are enjoyable as always and Parker's novels are perfect for people who like to get a quick chapter in here and there throughout the day, but there is a sense in which Spenser is just going through his standard bag of tricks. I swear, if somebody came in and threw down a copy of the Warren Commission Report our hero would ask a few questions and somebody who come out of the woodwork to tell him to leave that JFK thing along and he would end up solving that one too. However, the ending does find our hero taking a position that might be somewhat contrary to his nature and even if we have read literally hundreds of witty exchanges between Spenser and the people he encounters they are still appealing (especially the ones with his second bananas).
Rating: 
Summary: Big mistake
Review: It was fun to visit with all the old characters, and the Spenser/Susan/Hawk interplay is very enjoyable, but there's a big plot mistake. On pp. 180-181, Spenser, looking at Anne Fahey's college yearbook, is struck by the resemblance between Emily and Daryl. Emily's photo "could have been Daryl with a protest sign." "Her daughter looks just like her," he says. Later in the story, Daryl turns out to be the child of Bunny/Bonnie, the gangster Karnofsky's daughter. Emily had unofficially adopted Daryl. So how could Daryl resemble Emily?
Rating: 
Summary: Back Story
Review: "Back Story" is the 30th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. Daryl Gordon, a friend of Spenser's "surrogate son" Paul Giacomin, asks Spenser to investigate the murder of her mother Emily Gordon in 1974. A radical group calling itself the Dread Scott Brigade claimed responsibility but it seems that no one saw who shot her. As Spenser investigates it becomes apparent that some people will stop at nothing to keep him from uncovering the truth. Sonny Karnofsky, an aging crime boss, puts out a hit on Spenser. Susan and Hawk play important roles, and Susan and Spenser get a new pet. "Back Story" is an excellent addition to this long-running series and is highly recommended.
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Summary: Hey, I liked this one...
Review: I think "Back Story" is a cut above its predecessor, and definitely worth reading if you are already a fan. If you are new to Parker, go find the older Spenser titles first, so you can grow along with the characters. This one is a quick read, of course, with the 95 percent dialogue style Parker is famous for.
The twist here is that another of his series characters, police chief Jesse Stone, makes a cameo appearance. Now there are 30 books in the Spenser series, and I do expect an end soon, perhaps by retirement. Still, Hawk and Susan and the dogs and Vinnie are annual companions for me of long-standing and much affection, and I felt this entry was a worthy one.
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Summary: Intriguing, funny.................never predictable!!!
Review: Robert Parker has yet another great Spenser novel to add to his success list. In Back Story, Spenser agrees to investigate a 28 year old unsolved murder. As he begins to investigate the murder, many unexpected facets appear. The FBI, an aging but very dangerous mobster, a hitman, college radicals and several ex-cons appear and disappear, putting Spenser and the love of his life in extreme danger. Hawk, his friend and most reliable co-conspirator, steps in to act as a bodyguard and to help him unravel the threads of this case. The characters are all there from previous books, even one from another series by Parker and as always they all mesh perfectly to create a novel that is both intriguing and funny. The lines of dialogue are great, the reactions so honest and dealing with unexpected answers only heightens the tension of this novel. Robert Parker is a reliable author, but he is never predictable!
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Summary: A Reunion With Old Friends
Review: For those of you who are already fans of Parker's witty, aging detective, Spenser, this is another classic tale. Spenser's assignment, the murder of a woman twenty-eight years ago, lacks freshness. But, the chance to meet up again with some of the classic characters - Spenser, Susan, Hawk, Quirk, Vinnie - is well worth the read. They are as charming and multi-faceted as ever. Their faults are human and their loyalties unshakeable. For those who are new to the Spenser series, this novel may appear lacking. It requires at least some familiarity with the characters to really understand what's going on. Otherwise, things like Spenser's agreeing to take on a dangerous case and risk his own life for six Krispy Kreme donuts may seem implausible. However, Spenser and his contacts are worth getting to know. I would recommend to anyone new to the series go back and read some of the old Spenser novels. They are still fun reads today - fast paced, introspective, witty and delightful.
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Summary: What a disappointment!
Review: Pure Parker...but so much less of it! Talk about churning out a novel for money!
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Summary: Parker goes retro-with great success!
Review: Back Story, the latest in Parker's Spenser series, is a retro turn reminiscent of a previous Spenser novel, Pastime. In Pastime Spenser's quasi son, Paul Giacomin, approached Spenser when he discovers that his (Paul's) mother has disappeared and asks Spenser to find her, bringing up all sorts of unwanted info in the investigations wake. (Read Parker's Early Autumn if you are interested in how Paul becomes Spenser's quasi son.) In back Story Paul approaches Spenser on behalf of a friend of his. Her mother was killed in a bank robbery in Boston nearly 30 years ago when she was just a child and she wants Spenser to determine what really happened and who did the deed. As is always the case, a lot of unwanted baggage is dredged up and Spenser has to persevere though the client gets cold feet and there are some very bad guys who are not pleased by the turn of events. The Spenser series has become a sort of hit or miss thing lately. The most recent book previous to this, Widow's Walk, was pretty lame. The edition before that, Pot Shot, very strong. I don't know if his other series are distracting Parker too much or what. One of the real pleasures of this series earlier years was the genuinely good story telling that marked each new entry. That's not the case anymore. However, Parker can still hit the occasional home run in this series and back Story is a home run. The story is marked by an intensity reminiscent of the early Spenser novels. The characters are vibrant. The violence convincing. This one is a winner. If only they could all be this good.
Rating:
Summary: Better than average Spenser story
Review: When a friend of his foster son Paul offers him half a dozen donuts to find out who killed her mother 28 years previously, Private Detective Spenser takes the job. It's just the kind of funky job that interests him. But when the police report turns up missing the critical FBI report, Senser suspects that there is more to the case than a simple bank robbery. When both mob and FBI enforcers warn him to back off the job, he knows that something is rotten, but he still can't get to the bottom of the case. Along with muscle from side-kick Hawk and wise philosophical advice and frequent sex from main-squeeze Susan Silverman, Spenser sets off on a case that won't bring in any money, can't result in a happy ending for anyone, and just might end up getting him, or Susan, killed. Author Robert B. Parker uses witty dialogue, occasional literary illusion, and male-bonding between Spenser and Hawk to propell the story forward. Fortunately for the reader, Susan is allowed to play a minor (if annoying) role in this story providing emotional support to Spenser and validating the killing that this job requires him to make. After two decades of Spenser stories, Spenser seems little older and is still a tough guy that remembers and uses his boxing skills. Parker's characterization, dialogue, and story-telling are all firing in BACK STORY. Although I found the end to be a bit anticlimactic, BACK STORY is one of the better recent Spenser novels.
Rating:
Summary: 70? So what?
Review: First off, you don't want this to be your first Spenser book. If you don't know the character, go back to the first book, THE GODWULF MANUSCRIPT, and follow the series from there. Some readers figure Spenser to be around 70 & think he should retire, but when he just gets paid in doughnuts like with this case, how can he afford to retire? OK, we do envision Spenser as being in his 40's, but even if he's older, he voices his opinion of retiring in this book and you can tell he wouldn't know what to do with himself. The story here is good, dealing with a few left over hippies. A lady friend of Paul's wants to know who killed her mother back in the 60's, and so Spenser collecting his fee consisting of six Krispy Kreme doughnuts digs into the past and comes up with more than his client wants to know. In the meantime, he manages to disturb one of the ganglords who just happens to live in Paradise, and so he meets the police chief, Jesse Stone. The two Parker characters working together, even briefly, envigorate the story. Recent Spenser books have been a bit disappointing, but this one is back on track.
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