Hundred-Dollar Baby

August 14, 2006
April Kyle, the damsel in distress that Spenser rescued in two earlier books, Ceremony
(1982) and Taming a Sea Horse
(1986), again turns to the iconic Boston PI for help in the 34th entry in Parker's popular series. Cynical yet romantic, Spenser easily handles the immediate threat of some men trying to muscle in on the high-class Boston whorehouse April is running. Unfortunately, that isn't the real problem, and Spenser without much surprise finds that April, the thugs and everyone else involved is lying to him. Instead of walking away, Spenser continues to probe, following trails that lead to New York, a con artist, mob connections and other complications. This is vintage Parker, with Spenser exchanging witty dialogue with the faithful Hawk, sexy dialogue with his beloved Susan and smart-alecky dialogue with cops and villains. The old pros can make it look easy, and that goes for both the author and his hero as they deliver the goods smoothly and with inimitable style.

August 1, 2006
April Kyle is the young runaway Spenser rescued from Boston's notorious Combat Zone in 1982's " Ceremony" . Bereft of conventional options, he left her in the care of Patricia Utley, operator of an upscale New York bordello. Now she is back in Boston operating a branch office for Utley and needs Spenserian assistance. Some locals are trying to move in on her operation. Perhaps Spenser and Hawk can dissuade them? They make quick work of the muscle but learn the catalyst for the takeover may have a more complex motive. April knows more than she has revealed to him about the source of the threat and her complicity. Spenser's frustration with Kyle's dishonesty and his avuncular need to help forces him to keep digging. The latest entry in the long-running series finds Parker revisiting familiar themes such as the often-deleterious effect that families have on their members and whether the damage can ever be truly undone. The banter between Spenser and his significant other, Susan Silverman, and the imperturbable Hawk--typically a highlight of the series--seems flat here, even veering toward cliche. Still, no Spenser novel fails to be entertaining, but Parker just may be doing better work these days with his two other series characters, Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone. Here's hoping he gets the big guy back on track. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)