Robert B. Parker Book Thread

[The Queen]

Widow's Walk

Ah, nothing like a good old Spenser "novel" for a plane ride. No boring descriptions, just all smart-ass conversation, all the time.  I think there were about 10 pages of action in this one. 

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

It must be fall because there is a new Robert Parker on the shelf. I could say the same about Spring, Summer and Winter, but I'll stick to fall.

I think Parker cycles through his foes. This time out he goes up against the gray man again. The gray man is the super assassin who almost killed Spenser several books ago. This time out Spenser is hired to stand around during a wedding off the coast of Boston at a super posh wedding. Naturally, hooligans show up, kill the groom and kill the bride. It becomes Spenser's job to rescue the bride and find out who was at fault. No one wants Spenser involved, but it's against his honor to let crimes go unsolved.

It was another hour and half spent reading instead of watching the television.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Isn't it nice to finish a book in one sitting? Good thing I don't have to by these anymore.

Virgil and Everett find themselves in Brimstone. They become the deputies for the town. They are caught between the two opposing forces in the town, the Saloon Keep and the Preacher. There's also an Indian running around killing people, so there is a mystery to be solved. As usual, there's a lot of talk about being men and being friends. Virgil still can't decide what to do with the love of his life, Ellie who sleeps with everyone and anyone. Everett spends the time following Virgil around with his 8 guage. I don't know why Parker is trying to revive the western, but I think he's going to keep writing these books until it happens.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Robert Parker died earlier this year and I just read his lost Spenser novel "Sixkill". It's hard to believe there won't be any more Spenser adventures in my future. I've been reading him for at least forty years. there was a period I grew tired of reading him, around the time I was still buying hardbacks and couldn't imagine spending twenty bucks on a book I could read in under two hours. I started rereading him when I realized I could sit in a bookstore and read it there or better yet, get it from something called a "Library".
They were an enjoyable diversion. Some books were better than others. I could have used fewer chapters with Susan in them. But that was the template for his books. Lots of dialogue. A few descriptive sequences and then some hard boiled talk.

He really peaked for me back in the early eighties. Parker was going through a rough patch with his wife. Naturally, Spencer was going through a rough patch with his girlfriend. Over the course of three or four books, Spenser had to be a bit more human and less robotic as he struggled with the breakup. It was always good when Spencer left his comfort zone.

I hoped, because Parker was such a quick writer, he would have stockpiled a bunch of books to dole out to us in the coming years, but according to the dust jacket, Sixkill was it for Spencer. It was an okay book, more of what I was used to. He introduced a new character that I felt we would see more of in the future but now that is not to be. Sigh

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Parker passed away last year (Two years ago?) He wrote over forty books in the Spenser canon. He also wrote several other series, but for it is always about Spenser. The other just seem to be pale shadows of Spenser with different problems. And in one case boobs.

Well his estate decided the characters wouldn't die with him. They have other authors already writing the Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall books. They hired Ace Atkins to pick up the Spencer series. Ace has written a bunch of murder mysteries. I read some of them to find out how he would do as the Spenser heir-apparent. They were of medium quality.

I guess Parker can't argue too much about someone taking over his characters. For one, he is dead. And two, he did the same thing with Raymond Chandler. Chandler died with an unfinished manuscript which Parker turned into Poodle Springs. Then he wrote the stand alone sequel to The Big Sleep called Perchance to Dream. In both books Marlowe sounded like Spenser.

In Lullaby, Spenser is hired by Mattie to find out who really killed her mother four years ago. Mattie is fourteen and worldly wise. She saw men drag her mother into a car and never saw her again. But the man convicted was not one of the men she saw take her mother away. Spenser takes the case in his knight errant role. All the usual cast of characters appear and do what they usually do.

It was like seeing the characters filtered through a dirty window. You could kind of recognize them but there was something just a bit off. Spencer and Hawk were just too quippy. Spencer didn't seem as cool, more of a young smart ass. But he does the thing Spenser does. He cooks gourmet food. He dresses snappily. He work's out at Simoli's gym. But all of it just a bit rough.

The one thing I did enjoy was the every other chapter devoted to Spenser and Susan talking about how much they love each other. And how Susan is the perfect woman. I can live without that.

Plus, Atkins doesn't have Parker's minimalist approach to writing. Lot's of description. Which meant it took me eight hours to read the book rather than the usual two. I used to be able to go to a bookstore and read a Parker in a sitting. I don't think I could do that with Atkins.

I'm not giving up on Parker just yet but I hope Atkins gets a little closer to the character I want to read about.

[Greg]

The Synchronicity is upon us. I'm reading the new Robert Parker 'Spenser' novel, now written by Ace Atkins and in one of the chapters they go to the Pantry.

However, I'm thinking Mr. Atkins might not have taken as many notes about The Pantry as he should have. He writes that Spenser and the Police Lieutenant are reading their menus and they put them down. The only problem is they don't hand out menus at the pantry. The menu is on a large metal sign mounted to the wall in various places around the restaurant. One of them also orders chicken fried steak for breakfast which I don't think they serve.

[Greg]

Okay. I've read a lot of Parker books that are now being written by Ace Atkins. I'm going to find the threads and add them to this thread.

[Greg]

Someone to Watch Over Me A Robert B. Parker "Spenser" book written by Ace Atkins

It's the Epstein case seen through the eyes of Spenser. Spenser's protege Matty hears about girls getting taken by a billionaire pedophile who has a female procurer. There is even a pedophile island where the rich all gather. There are lots of hints from Spenser's past that pop in the book. It's the same cast of characters doing the same things and all having the same relationship with Spenser. Reading these books is like dropping into the old neighborhood and seeing that absolutely nothing has changed. Except maybe that Parker's version of Spenser was darker and more world weary than Atkins version. This is Atkins 8th book in the series and he still doesn't seem to quite get it.

[Greg]

Robert B. Parker's "Bye Bye, Baby" by Ace Atkins

The tenth and final novel of the Spenser series by Atkins. I guess it is an in joke to title it "Bye Bye, Baby" This one deals with racism in America. There is an AOC type congresswoman who is getting death threats from the local khaki clad numbskulls. Spenser is called in to protect the congress woman, who goes by CGR (See? AOC. CGR) and to find out who is behind the attacks. A nice quick read. Brain comfort food. Another trip around Boston and it's environs. It amused me they popped into Malden which is where a lot of my cousins live. The books still feel a bit off. The Spenser/Susan relationship was never this crude, but some of the other relationships are done better. Or maybe I'm just forgetting.

But the biggest crime Atkins committed is to reveal the truth about Spenser's name. For the fifty books in the series, we have never known whether Spenser is a first or last name. Just one of those little oddities to keep people guessing. Atkins decided he would tell whether it was a first or last name. He gives up the game on page 3. There was an easy work around on how not to reveal it, which Parker did a million times before, but I guess Atkins needed a parting shot on his way out.

I'll be curious to see how the next person tells a Parker story.