Hush Money

Rating:
Summary: Finally, another Spenser book! But ...
Review: I am a died in the wool Parker/Spenser fan, and will no doubt buy any and all books Parker writes. But I have a word (or many) for the publisher! Who are you trying to fool ... surely not Parker's readers ... with your extra heavy paper stock, larger type font, ridiculous spacing in which the first page of every chapter has a maximum of 13 lines (triple spaced). As a fan, I feel cheated.

Rating:
Summary: Fans, your fix has arrived.
Review: I always enjoy reading Parker's novels about the fascinating Spencer, Hawk, Susan, and etc. Any literary figure who has been shot twice and survived should become honorary members of the Mike Hammer Club for tough guys. Since Spenser can still beat guys half his age and is good for a one liner, fans need only apply to read the latest novel. I can't say that I would recommend this book to someone who didn't know anything about Spenser, but I would recommend it to die hard fans. It's not his best, but its good enough to read in one sitting.

Rating:
Summary: Glad to have Spenser return.
Review: I liked this book a lot. Though I'm not sure if this is because of the tale or the fact that Spenser hasn't been heard from in a while. There were some fine twists to this work, but I miss the old rough and tumble antics of Hawk and Spenser. There is a little bit, but could have been more. It is a good read in typical Parker tradition.

Rating:
Summary: Fine reading for all Spenser fans
Review: The plot of this novel lies two-fold in this quirky, even paced novel. I am a diehard Spenser fan, so I know all of the other avid Parker readers will enjoy this novel as well. The denouement is not typical Spenser, with the high-powered shootouts that we action fans adore, but the book has enough plot twists and interesting characters, plus the normal witty banter between Spenser and Hawk, to make it a success. Critics of Parker seem to think he will alwasy be capable of another Promised Land, but that is unrealistic. And of course, Parker seems to be letting Spenser evolve into a calmer, wiser man, something that not all writers do, but should. You could do alot worse for twenty dollars, and I gaurantee you'll like this new addition to a great series.

Rating:
Summary: Fun, but revisionist
Review: It's nice to see Parker still has it in for Northeastern, and this was an even more enjoyable attack on academia than The Godwulf Manuscript--altogether a fun read. Still, it bugs me a bit that the former Korean War vet, aged 37 in 1973, is suddenly exactly the same age as his once-younger Vietnam vet pal. Susan has undergone the same rejuvenation, being a classmate of the obviously youthful KC. I know a 63-year-old who can whup everybody is ludicrous--I just wish Parker had stuck with his earlier method of hedging instead of unambiguously contradicting earlier books. (Or he could have used the Grafton approach--Kinsey used to be older than me, and now I've somehow got 10 years on her!)

Rating:
Summary: Pedestrian
Review: In the first place, this is more of a novella than a whole book. Large font and double spaced. Probably not more than 100 pages if printed normally. You can read the whole thing in 2-3 hours. And this cost $20? In the second, the two plot lines are not very interesting. The stalker plot line gets resolved in about 20 seconds. The tenure plot line brings in a whole new set of players at the end of the book for a not very plausible resolution. Parker must have been hard up financially and needed to get a book out fast. My advice: wait for the paperback.

Rating:
Summary: Spenser is fun as always, but how does he pay his bills?
Review: This time Spenser takes on two cases for the price of one, which is zero. He even mentions in passing another case he had that he didn't get paid for. When was the last time he made any money? I don't think he is independently wealthy, so I guess he just makes money off the boring cases that we don't read about. Or maybe Susan is supporting him? That aside, this was a good story with lots of twists and surprises. I would like to have seen a bit more of a confrontation with the guys who threaten to kill Spenser and Hawk. They do get theirs in the end, but that is largely offstage. The strength of this book, as always, is the interplay among the characters. The resolution of the stalking subplot was really good, we get to see an unexpected side of Susan. I enjoyed this book, but I still wonder if Parker would keep writing them if his financial arrangements were the same as Spenser's.

Rating:
Summary: A Blast for Spenser Fans
Review: An immediate classic for Spenser fans! All the ingredients are here -- a dual plot line, all our old friends: Susan, Hawk, Cimoli, Pearl the Wonder Dog, classic cops, academic villains,a nymphoid client, etc. My only concern is for newcomers to the Spenser opera. What can they make of these people? Can they separate the cadre from the transient personnel? Maybe they can, but maybe an org chart would help.

Rating:
Summary: parker at near perfection
Review: I haven't even finished the book yet, but the hand of a master is evident on every page, especially dialogue that's on the mark every time. Parker is the best craftsman writing today and Spencer, Hawk and Susan some of the strongest characters around. And lest we forget, Pearl is the canine to die for! Five plus stars, I say.

Rating:
Summary: Parker does it again
Review: Reading Spenser novels is like eating an excellent gourmet meal when you are very hungry, in that you consume something in a small fraction of the time taken to create it. I have no doubt that Mr. Parker took a long time to write this book, but unfortunately I devoured it in the time it likely took him to write the foreword. The consistency in characters is spot on as always. Please keep them coming, perhaps use a microwave to cook your next hit instead of a slow convection oven!!