Rating: 
Summary: The Spenser touch with some flaws
Review: Spenser hits his 25th anniversary with this one! Hawk gets him a case looking into a tenure denial, while Susan wants him to help with a stalking. As usual, nothing is simple. Spenser takes care of the stalker but the woman in question becomes addicted to his presence. Meanwhile, the tenure is wrapped up in race, gay pride, outings, and many other concepts. It's amazing how well Parker does with "touchy subjects" - women stalking men, gays outing other gays, race-wise agendas being thwarted by those who should know better. I enjoy greatly reading about these kinds of situations and the moral dilemma that they pose. That's not to say that the book really makes any sense. There are a number of huge plot holes. You don't really read Spenser for the mystery part - you read it for the lovely way Parker writes, for the Boston area mentions, and for the way issues are examined. If you've not read Spenser before, you might want to start from the beginning - you get more out of the series when you understand where the characters are coming from. If you already enjoy Spenser, then you know what to expect - great writing, bizarrely flawed plots.
Rating:
Summary: Spenser Still Smug; Hawk Still Hawk; Susan Still a Pain
Review: It's obvious that Robert B. Parker still enjoys idolizing himself as private-eye Spenser. The books are still witty, the characters still engaging and, since the flabby "Crimson Joy" a decade ago, the cases are still implausible. Neither of the two pro bono cases that Spenser takes in this new offering make a lick of sense. The first, the case of a University instructor denied tenure due to some trumped-up speculation about his sexuality, could have been solved in the first thirty pages if Spenser had just asked the right questions. Instead, he and the prof do a little danse a macho, each trying to show that he is the more righteous of the two. In the second case, a stalker hunts a whiny divorcee. Since there are only two suspects, the wrapup is a piece of cake. If only the divorcee didn't fall madly in love with Spenser, as all women seem to do! Oh, woe is Spenser! What a terrible lot is his life. He'll have to find a way to let her down easy in that peculiarly ethical way that only Spenser has. In both cases, the path down which our hero is led is completely insane, acceptable only within the pages of a Spenser novel. I seem to spend more time smacking my forehead in disbelief than actually reading these books anymore. However, the interplay between Hawk and Spenser is still amusing, and I occasionally laugh aloud. Susan has become an irritation and should probably be killed off; her relationship with Spenser weakens him considerably. Oddly, Parker is at his best when he writes about how Spenser feels about her when they are apart, not about when the two are actually together. So, if I didn't enjoy the book, why give it fours stars? Well, oddly, I did enjoy it. I read it on a plane and it made the time pass. I always enjoy the dialog. And I am still willing to let Parker skate on the good memories of when he was a top-notch crime writer. If you like Parker, you'll like "Hush Money". If this is your first journey down this path, you may find it a little sugary - you may want to start from "The Godwulf Manuscript" and work your way up...
Rating: 
Summary: Great summer reading.
Review: I feel obliged to give Parker a 5 on this book because I enjoyed it so much. While it may not be the greatest mystery, I thought it was one of his best. Yes, Hawk is a bit hacknied but I can't help wondering how Parker does that. The dialogue certainly keeps the characters set apart -- there's no confusing Hawk with someone else. Susan and Pearl were both great in this novel as well. To add to the fun, there are two very different stories running thru the book - which made it seem more realistic to me. Spenser seems to be maturing fairly well; I'm glad I'm along for the frolic.
Rating: 
Summary: Nope
Review: In this one, Spenser undergoes a thorough study of his homoerotic relationship with Hawk, while girlfriend Susan tries to resolve her electra complex. Meanwhile, Spenser is worrying about his cholesterol. This is not the Spenser, or Robert Parker, that so many of have to come to love over the years.
Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: I'll be brief. Why waste the time? Of all of the Spencer novels that I have read, and I have read many, this was the least appealing. I finished it, but only because I kept hoping that the book would get better as it went along. Frankly, to my mind at least, it never did. Save your time.
Rating: 
Summary: Zero Stars?
Review: I would love to receive a refund for this one. This has got to be one of the worst Spenser mysteries yet. Hawk's dialogue is contrived. He seems to be more of a lackey than a reputable side-kick. Spenser's rhetoric concerning and treatment of gays and women is insulting. He comes across more as a homophobic, male chauvinist pig than a detective out to solve mysterious death of a gay college student. Homeosexuals are portrayed as campy and predatory. I feel that I should receive hush money for this one.
Rating: 
Summary: My first choice
Review: I haven't read it yet, but a student did an excellent job promoting it today for the novel choice in our class, and after reading the reviews, I'm willing to take a chance! I usually tend toward British female authors for mysteries, because the classic hard-boiled PIs of American male writers seem to punch their way out at the expense of well-developed characterization, but the academic setting, the two plot lines, the racism, homophobia, political extremists, and irreverent approach to PC might be good fodder for international students learning English in an academic setting. It'll be my first choice when we vote tomorrow. We'll let you know what we think, if it gets chosen for use in our class.
Rating:
Summary: More Than Double the Usual Spenser Fun
Review: Robert Parker has introduced a new element in this fine novel. He has Spenser carrying on two investigations at the same time. One is for a friend of Susan's, the other for a friend of Hawk's. Both are nonpaying jobs, and both are demanding. So you get the equivalent of two novels in one. Better than that, the two story lines involve different ends of the Spenser spectrum. We get lots of female, sexual and romantic issues in the case involving Susan's friend, and lots of political, sexual and racial issues in the other case. Seeing them all together provides a fuller picture of Spenser's personal ethic, Robert Parker's favorite theme. Parker does a good job of designing the challenges to Spenser a way that he comes up against his moral limits quite often, which helps to flesh out his character is a very satisfying way. Beyond that benefit, the book is also improved by providing new insights into Susan and Hawk that have not been revealed before. As a result, the story line keeps moving much better than in most Spenser novels. That asset is further improved by a plot that has more reversals in it than in any other Spenser novel I can remember. The irony is chin deep before long. The only thing I didn't like about the book was Parker's insistence on having Susan and Spenser feed Pearl, the wonder dog, all kinds of unhealthy food like doughnuts at every possible occasion in the story. What's the point? If you have ever enjoyed another Spenser novel, read this book immediately! It will probably turn out to be one of your favorites among the books in the series. Have a great read!
Rating:
Summary: airplane fodder
Review: spenser is such a decent guy. he always does the right thing. his morals are never compromised, and there's a certain satisfaction in knowing that this main character won't mysteriously tranform into a back-stabbing jerkoff. I also love the tender relationship he has with susan. Hush Money is a comforting, enjoyable read from Parker, as always.
Rating:
Summary: Spencer is Back in Action!
Review: I really liked this book. I feel that Spencer is the very model of a modern private investigator. I do have to admit that this is the first Spencer book that I have ever read. And BOY was it great! I feel a bit ashamed to admit that my previous knowledge of Spencer was from the "Spencer For Hire" tv series. This book is better than a dozen reruns of the tv show!
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