Showing posts with label Robert B. Parker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert B. Parker. Show all posts
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Wednesday, September 09, 2015
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Review: "Robert B. Parker’s Kickback: A Spenser Novel" by Ace Atkins
If you are a teen and run afoul of
the law in Blackburn, Massachusetts, you are going to experience some bad times
out on a rock out in the harbor. According to Sheila Gates, who comes to
Spenser on the recommendation of Rita Fiore, her son Dillion Yates was put out
there by a local judge. Making a fake twitter account for his vice principal
and making some smart aleck tweets got him charged with terrorism, stalking,
and making threats against an administrator.
What was clearly a joke to anyone
with a sense of humor has resulted in a harsh sentence of nine months in the
juvenile facility per Judge Scali. Legendary in Blackburn, thirty miles north
of Boston, Judge Scali is a law and order type judge with zero tolerance for
any misbehavior by those under the age of 18. Shelia Yates can’t see her
son out on Fortune Island where he and many other kids are locked up for all
sorts of crimes--- real and imagined--- and she can only talk to him by phone
for a few minutes every couple of weeks. While Rita Fiore is handling the
appeal case, Sheila would like Spenser’s help to figure out what is going on
out there.
He agrees and before long he is on
the way to Blackburn, Massachusetts. Spenser does not like his bullies, never
has and the smart thing would have been to not try and bully him. Instead, some
of the locals tried just that and in typical Spenser fashion got push back.
Ace Atkins once again continues the
characters made so famous by the legendary Robert B. Parker. Along with an
interesting mystery featuring Spenser with some assistance from Hawk and Susan,
observations about the situation regarding for profit prisons and their real
cost in terms of financial and society are made. In a case that could easily
come from the headlines Spenser works to get to the bottom of some nasty
business in Robert B. Parker’s Kickback: A Spenser Novel by Ace
Atkins. While not epic, it is certainly solidly good and well worth your
time.
Robert B. Parker’s Kickback: A Spenser Novel
Ace Atkins
Thorndike Press (Gale, Cengage Learning)
May 2015
ISBN# 978-1-4104-7736-1
Large Print Hardback (also currently
available in regular print hardback, audio, and e-book)
400 Pages
$35.99
Material supplied by the good folks
of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2015
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Saturday, September 06, 2014
Saturday, June 07, 2014
Review: "Robert B. Parker's Cheap Shot" by Ace Atkins
The latest read in the
series now being penned by Ace Atkins has a distinct ripped-from-the-headlines
feel to it. Late August and New England Patriots star linebacker Kinjo Heywood
has summoned Spenser to his mansion in Chestnut Hill to discuss a problem.
Kinjo believes he is being followed by a group of guys and wants it stopped. He
also wants to know why they are doing it as he firmly believes the way they acted
is not something regular fans would do. Of course, it could all just be Kinjo
being paranoid. It could also be something more.
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The incident of the day
before was not the first time this following of him has happened. A previous
incident happened after Kinjo and his wife Cristal had dinner at the Capital
Grille. In that incident they were followed despite Kinjo's evasive maneuvers
until he took matters into his own hands and fired his gun. Fortunately, the
incident yesterday ended when he stepped out of the car with his gun and he
chose not to fire it. With Kinjo feeling threatened something bad is going to
happen if the pursuers return or some random stranger does something that could
be perfectly innocent and yet is perceived as a threat by Kinjo.
According Kinjo agent Steven
Rosen, Spenser comes highly recommend by a detective named Belson. Kinjo wants Spenser
to figure out who is doing it, why they are doing it, and put a stop to it. Despite
the recommendation, Rosen, and several others close to Kinjo don’t want Spenser
around for a variety of reasons. They also don't want to listen to Spenser as
the situation seriously deteriorates with the kidnapping of Kinjo's young son,
Akira. With a child's life at stake, Spenser isn't about to worry about what
those in Kinjo's inner circle think about him or his methods. It helps that
Hawk and Zebulon Sixkill are around to back his play.
The latest in the series is
another good read that follows the Parker hallmark of short chapters, little
description, and plenty of dialogue. In a move some readers will love, Susan
Silverman is kept to a minimum number of scenes where she is either a means of
release for Spenser or assisting with the investigation by counseling a
secondary character. The Spenser at work here is also a bit more aware of how
much the underworld of Boston has changed during his long career and that it is
a young man's game on both sides of the fence.
Robert B. Parker's Cheap Shot: A
Spenser Novel by Ace Atkins breaks no new ground nor does it crack the
mold. It gives the legion of Spenser fans exactly what they want and does that
fairly well. It also is a good book to escape reality with and reads at a fast
pace.
Robert B. Parker's Cheap Shot: A
Spenser Novel
Ace
Atkins
Thorndike
Press
ISBN#
978-1-4104-6665-5
May
2014
LARGE
PRINT Edition
417
Pages
35.99
Material
supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
Monday, April 07, 2014
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Review: "Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland: A Spenser Novel" by Ace Atkins
Henry Cimoli has known Hawk
and Spenser for years. He has never once asked for a favor and certainly wouldn't
now if he wasn't being squeezed. He might have even tolerated being squeezed a little
bit, but, when three thugs showed up at his fourth floor condo things got
serious. The thugs threatened to throw him out his own window if he didn’t shut
up about not wanting to move. Somebody wants to buy the condo building for a
project and hired thugs are now visiting the mostly elderly holdouts and making
threats.
Even if Spenser didn't owe
Henry whatever he asked he would look into things just because this sort of deal
ticks him off. His initial goal is to stop the threats and to find out who the
buyer is that wants the property. Once that is done, maybe some common sense
will prevail, and then a fair price for all can be found. With Hawk out of
town, Spenser enlists the aid of his protégé in training, Zebulon Sixkill, who
also figures he owes Henry.
Before long things in the
case start going sideways in Robert B.
Parker's Wonderland: A Spenser Novel by Ace Atkins. Not just in the case,
but in the book itself. Unfortunately, while all the familiar names and
locations are present in this series and doing all the usual things one
expects, the books no longer read like Spenser novels. As always the scenic
descriptions and narration are very limited, the chapters are as short as ever,
the witty (or not depending on your perspective) dialogue between Spenser and
everyone else still exists--in fact every single character engages in witty
repartee with every other character. All
the usual elements are firmly in place and the tagline A Spenser Novel is still
on the cover.
But, where it truly matters,
in the hard to pin down and define it style of voice, the distinctive Spenser
voice is now gone. It is not just because Sixkill plays a prominent role, or
that Hawk never makes an appearance, or that Susan has been regulated to a
cupboard above the stove (she doesn't even get a back burner role here to the ecstatic
joy of many according to reviews seen elsewhere. This is a different and often
harder edged Spenser in terms of thought and action.
On its own a harder edged
Spenser is not necessarily a bad thing. But, that harder edge Spenser doesn’t
go far enough when it happens and often flips back to a far weaker Spenser. Clearly
author Ace Atkins had a nearly insurmountable task in taking over for the late
Robert B. Parker to keep the series going. Every now and then one gets the
sense that if he could take the hobbles off he would shove Spenser hard and fast
in a new direction that could easily lose those who insist on Spenser never
changing. At the same time, he is losing readers like me who recognize he is
sitting on the fence with his version of Spenser.
For more on how Joan dealt
with the situation regarding the death of her husband, Robert B. Parker and continuing
the various series, see the recent interesting article in the Boston Globe on
the matter online here.
Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland: A
Spenser Novel
Ace Atkins
G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group)
May 2013
ISBN# 978-0-399-16157-5
Hardback (also available as e-book
and audio book)
$26.95
306 Pages
Material supplied by the
good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System. If you are in the area
and would like more information about Plano libraries go here.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013
Monday, June 18, 2012
Review: "Robert B. Parker’s Lullaby: A Spenser Novel" by Ace Atkins
Spenser has always had a soft spot for the
underdog. Few have been more underdog
than 14 year old Mattie Sullivan. Four years ago her mother was murdered. A
friend of her mom’s, a man by the name of Mickey Green was arrested, tried, and
convicted. Seems like a certainty he did it since when he was caught he was
cleaning the dead woman’s flesh and blood off his car at a local car wash. With
that kind of evidence, a worthless lawyer, and his history it was no surprise the
police and the courts went through the motions and he is in prison.
Mattie knows her mom did a lot of bad things. She is certain that Mickey Green did not do
it because Mickey Green was always good to her Mom. She also saw two men snatch
her mother in South Boston the night she was murdered. Not only did she see
them grab her Mattie can identify them. She’s tough and trying to take care of
her alcoholic grandmother and her twin sisters. She can’t do it all and needs
Spenser’s help in so many ways. Finding out who killed her Mom and why is one
thing Spenser can do to help her.
Spenser begins to investigate and it does not take
long for him to figure out Mattie may be right. Mattie is also very stubborn
and proud and won’t back down an inch. It is going to take everything Spenser
and Hawk have to keep her and her family alive and find justice for Mattie.
Written by Ace Atkins after the death of Robert B.
Parker, this novel works on all levels. Clearly nobody is going to be pitch
perfect Parker/Spenser and Mr. Atkins, an accomplished author, is not perfect. But,
as the pages pass by and the rhythm of the story develops the subtitle
differences in author technique begin to rapidly fade. A nice touch is the
occasional strategic reference to long ago books and other cases. Also very
nice is the fact that unlike many of the recent books, Susan and Pearl the
Wonder Dog take a very back seat role in novel that is vintage Spenser.
The result is a powerful good read that works at all
levels throughout the book. Yes, this Spenser is different slightly in tone and
style, but this Spenser is a good one too.
Robert
B. Parker’s Lullaby: A Spenser Novel
Ace
Atkins
Thorndike
Press (a part of Gale, Cenage Learning)
2012
ISBN
# 978-14104-4814-9
LARGE
PRINT Hardback (also available in regular Hardback, audio, and Kindle)
$35.99
Material supplied by the good folks
of the Plano Texas Public Library System. Again this year the summer reading
challenge for adults and kids is now underway. For more information go to
Kevin
R. Tipple © 2012
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
Review: "Robert B. Parker’s Killing The Blues: A Jesse Stone Novel" by Michael Brandman
“Robert B. Parker’s “Killing the Blues” is the latest in the Jesse Stone series. With the sudden death of author Robert B. Parker in January 2010, this franchise now rest in the hands of Michael Brandman. Since Mr. Brandman has been the executive producer, among other duties, for the CBS movies it is hard to imagine who else would be better suited to pick up the series.
It is spring in Paradise, Massachusetts and at least some of the board of selectmen are still far more worried about the coming summer season with tourism and public appearances then actually providing constructive support and resources. It is an old situation to Jesse and one that he tolerates as folks do have to make their public positions known. Instead of power points and detailed speeches in public, Jesse Stone prefers to let his actions do the talking.
Behind the scenes, though he does not want to detail it out for the board of selectman, Police Chief Jesse Stone is at work investigating a string of auto thefts. It is a problem when tourists have their cars stolen. Not only does it provide a problem from the tourism angle and the life blood those dollars give the small community of Paradise, Massachusetts the recent thefts signal a far bigger problem with organized crime once again trying to move into the area. Not to mention the latest case of bullying over at one of the schools. If that was not enough, a career criminal recently released from prison is coming to Paradise bent on revenge against Jesse Stone and ultimately killing him. Of course, like any crazed convict of TV show or book, he first must make Jesse and his town suffers through various escalating acts of violence.
The 276 page book serves as a fitting tribute to the series and the style of Robert B. Parker. The Parker tradition of short chapters, the use of very few dialogue tags, very little description and plenty of action continues in this latest novel. This is a slightly harder edged Jesse, somewhat less reflective while more prone to unorthodox and possible illegal actions, as he works to keep his town of Paradise safe. How the series continues from here should be very interesting.
Robert B. Parker’s Killing The Blues: A Jesse Stone Novel
Michael Brandman
G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group, USA)
2011
ISBN# 978-0-399-15784-4
Hardback
275 Pages
$25.95
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2012
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