Rating: 
Summary: Hey Parker.."How about a challenge for old Spence?..HUh?"
Review: I really love the Spenser series but lately they are coming out a little fast and a little light. Hush Money had the feel of a great Spenser book, snappy liners, Hawk by his side, but it couldn't keep me going. Spenser and Hawk are so tough that their opponents should be just as formidable and often times they are not. Hush Money offered little challenge to Spenser and I feel it is about time he face one. Maybe in the future Spenser and Hawk can come up against some real tough guys. We all know Spenser and Hawk aren't getting any younger lets focus on that and strip them of the "S" they wear on thier chests and maybe we can care a little more about them. Hey even Mike Hammer got beat up a few times.
Rating: 
Summary: few things are as consistently pleasing as a new spenser
Review: There are too few things in life that we may count on year in and year out. A new Spenser novel is one of them. My 5 stars aren't given so much for this particular novel, though it easily holds it's own as an example of what Spenser fans expect. The stars are given in reaction to the consistent performance that Parker maintains. We all may wonder how it is that Spenser can take on cases without so much as a penny of fee, and still lay a 'C-note' on the bar to pay for an informant's drinking binge. We all may wonder how it is that there are so many covert right wing conspiracies that seem to cross Spenser's desk. We all may wonder how old this guy is, since he served in Korea, and yet still works out with Henry Cimoli. And yet, wondering these things doesn't lessen the purity of the conversations, the condemnation of false things and pretentious people, the well written simplicity of the violence, nor the wish that Spenser and Hawk ARE ageless and that Parker will not tire of them. Fans will feel deja vu on several fronts, from women jealous of Susan, to the seemingly inevitable temptation of the breathless but honorable hero, to the "we'll just push it until something pops out" strategy that always seems to result in conspiracies not initially visible to the reader's eye. Therein lies the consistency I so enjoy. I once heard it said that there are no new stories, simply new ways to tell them. If Hush Money is the sort of novel that Parker will continue to write for Spenser fans, then I will continue to read the generously spaced hard cover in one sitting, and clap my hands in an empty room when I read the last page.
Rating:
Summary: Great book but could use a little more violence and gun play
Review: "Hush Money" is one of the best "Spenser" novels in years. Not THE best only because it probably could use a little more violence and gun play. SPOILER: Spenser and Hawk beat up only four people. And they don't even shoot anyone!You think maybe they're getting old? Nah! But seriously, "Hush Money" is Robert Parker at his finest. Spenser is at his wise-cracking, one-liner best and Hawk is; well, he is Hawk. Audacious, inscruptible, redoubtable Hawk. Plus, we get a glimpse into Hawk's early life, before he met Spenser. And as another bonus, near the end, we get to see another side of Susan. I never liked her more. But don't skip to the final pages, it will spoil the fun. If you are a "Spenser" fan, you'll enjoy this book. If, however, you are a politically-correct liberal (or from San Francisco, same thing), you'll probably hate it. As a personal side note, I am a fairly conservative African-American - no Buchanan-lover by any means (pun intended for those who've read the book) but defintely neither liberal nor politically correct - and I can testify to the self-righteous hypocrisy and racism of the liberal White academics to Robinson Nevins. It is almost as if Robert Parker was privy to some of the conversations I've had in academia. "Hush Money" is an excellent book; on many levels.
Rating: 
Summary: A classic Spenser novel
Review: Just picked up this book. Its a classic Spenser novel which involves the details of Boston and academia. Parker has this down to a science. If you like Spenser novels its a must read. If you've never read one before I'd read an earlier one first such as Crimson Joy. I especially liked this one as I haven't read it and just moved back to Boston!
Rating:
Summary: I missed Spenser, Hawk and Susan and of course Pearl
Review: I can't bond with Parkers new hero in his previous book because I love these people. I want them to be the same as they are in this book. I want the relationships to continue as they are. If you cease to think of how old Spenser must be by now, this book is a delight.
Rating: 
Summary: Who wrote this book?
Review: I have been a long time Parker fan for many years. I have read every story he has written and have found them all well written. In this case, I felt cheated. It seems to me that someone else wrote the book. The story certainly didn't have the same descriptive characterizations I have come to expect. Over and over as I was reading the book, I was struck with the feeling someone else wrote the book and was trying to copy Parker's style. (Not very well I might add) The next book I read after this one was "Trouble in Paradise." Although a different story and character, I knew this was a Parker novel. "Hush Money" just didn't have it. The story line was weak and poorly developed, the characters were shadows, and the plot itself was boring. Anyone who is a REAL Spenser fan can skip this book and not miss a thing. Better yet, if you have to read it, check it out at your local library.
Rating: 
Summary: AS BAD AS IT GETS
Review: The plot of Hush Money depends on a foundation of implausabilities. In the book we meet a Black gay Professor who has been propositioning his young male students for at least two decades and yet, apparently, not one student has complained about him. The plot hinges on this professor liking young college men. The plot also hinges on this professor leaving his latest young attractive conquest for an incredibly unattractive man his own age who is also a well-known racist and homophobe. Three characters are involved in a small newspaper that outs closeted gay men....not just well-known ones, but also every-day men. And yet there is no controversy in the gay community about this newspaper. The threat of being outed is so great that two characters each earn $250,000 from blackmail. The threat of blackmail is so absurd that the only victim we meet is a man who refused to pay...clearly this would be the option that the vast majority of the victims would take. We also meet a woman who is being stalked by her ex-boyfriend. It turns out that all of the women who have dated him have also been stalked by him. And yet not one woman has complained to the police. The book also shows us that all liberal professors are dishonest, hypocritical, stupid and venal. Amd all conservative professors are smart, honest and principled. How untrue and unoriginal. The capacity to be intellectually dishonest cuts across all political lines. It is about time to finally put to rest the specter of the "politically correct" storm troopers. One only needs to spend a short amount of time looking at our culture to realize that the world is still safe for racists, homophobes and misogynists. I have travelled with Parker and Spencer since the beginning and although the trip has been uneven, it has been generally enjoyable. Sadly this book is dreadful.
Rating:
Summary: Spenser remains strong at the age of 70
Review: Think about it. In the early Spenser novels we were often told that Spenser as a boxer had once fought Jersey Joe Walcott. Assuming that the fight would have taken place about 1950 Spenser must be at least 70 now. But he's still going strong!
Rating:
Summary: A classic Spenser
Review: This is true Parker, or rather, true Spenser. The characters we all love vary little from their true nature - Hawk is Hawk and Susan is Susan. Although readers unfamiliar with the Spenser series may think this is somewhat boring, fans such as I love these books. There is a familiarity and comfort in these characters, and Hush Money presents them at their best (or worse). The plot line, as usual, is secondary to the character byplay. A short, quick read, but well worth the money
Rating:
Summary: Classic Parker, short, sweet and funny
Review: A classic Spenser novel for the true Parker Fan. Witty one liners, same Hawk, same Susan. If you liked these in the past, you won't be disappointed but if you don't know anything about 'um no telling what your reaction will be...
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