Review by Booklist Review
The good news about the latest Spenser novel is that Parker takes his long-running series on the road, sending his hero to Georgia horse country, where the thoroughbred gentry offers a fine target for the wisecracking sleuth's finely honed sarcasm. The bad news is that Hawk, Spenser's erstwhile sidekick, is out of the picture this time. Spenser without Hawk is a necessarily diminished thing--the relationship between the white sleuth and his black best friend forms the very heart of the series, and Hawk himself remains one of the most enduring characters in mystery fiction--but there is enough going on here to keep most longtime fans from worrying about what they're missing. Spenser's assignment is to find whoever is killing racehorses at Three Fillies Stables and make sure the next victim isn't Hugger Mugger, the stable's prize nag. Walter Clive, owner of the stable, and his dysfunctional brood of boozy daughters and do-nothing sons-in-law--the stuff of 1950s melodrama--afford Spenser plenty of suspects and lots of opportunities to display his rapier wit. Late-night phone calls home to Boston give Susan Silverman, Spenser's lady love, a chance to swap one-liners with her fella, and the Hawk role is admirably played by a gay ex-cop who helps round up the bad guys. Don't expect this one to rank in your top 10 Spenser novels, but it's worth a couple hours of light entertainment. Still, it's time for Hawk to hurry home. --Bill Ott
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Despite frequent appearances by Susan Silverman (longtime love of Boston PI Spenser) and the absence of Hawk (his enigmatic sidekick), the latest entry in Parker's estimable series is a worthy one. Missing is the sap that can stickie-up scenes between Spenser and Susan, and in Hawk's place strides a new sidekick, Tedy Sapp, who's gay and as tough as they come. Tedy's only a temp replacement, though, because the reason he's here and Hawk's not is that most of the action takes place in rural Georgia, where Tedy owns a gay bar. Spenser travels there on his own temp job--to find out who's been shooting horses at Three Fillies Stables, owned by Walter Clive, the most powerful man in the county, and to keep that someone from shooting Clive's prize thoroughbred, Hugger Mugger. Spenser roots through the highly dysfunctional family of Clive's three daughters and their husbands (one a pedophile, one a drunk), annoys Clive's security men and befriends both Tedy and the local sheriff, with whom the PI discusses doughnuts. When Clive is shot dead, Spenser is fired by the alpha daughter, only to be rehired by Clive's mistress, who believes there's more to the mayhem than horseplay. This novel offers more traditional mystery elements than many Spenser tales, although most readers will finger the prime villain way before Spenser does. The pacing is strong, the characters are fresh as dew and the prose is Parker-perfect. The Spenser-specific personal drama that drives the best of the tales is lacking, but overall, the story will fit Parker fans like an old shoe. (Apr.) FYI: Parker's most recent novel, Family Honor, will be filmed starring Helen Hunt. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
While Parker has branched out in his writing, he returned to his beloved Spenser character in spring 1999. BDD will publish the audio, but PutnamÄwhich has a smaller audio operationÄwill publish the book. No reader has yet been announced. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Feeling somewhat out of his element, Spenser nevertheless hires on when Walter Clive, president of Three Fillies Stables, offers him this horse-watching gig. Which is a good thing indeed, since in his 27th entry (Hush Money, 1999, etc.) the Boston-based p.i. romps home a winner, effacing his recent series of also-rans. The Clives'dashing father, dazzling daughter'are worried about the safety of Hugger-Mugger, the two-year-old that racing insiders are beginning to compare to Secretariat. Scoundrel or scoundrels unknown have made an attempt to do him harm, and the Clives want Spenser in Atlanta to find out who and why. Spenser can barely tell a Secretariat from a receptionist, but he does know what a string of pro bono jobs can do to an exchequer, so south he goes. There, he quickly discovers that horse country can match mean streets any day in the villainy department. Jon Delroy, for instance, who heads the Three Fillies security system is quintessentially black-hearted, and when murder happens, Spenser has every hope Delroy will turn out to be the perp. Unfortunately, there are others'people Spenser has come to like'with even juicier motives. As is his wont, Spenser spins his wheels for a while, but then aided and abetted by his main squeeze, Susan the wonder shrink, he finally ratiocinates sufficiently to do in whodunit. The famous dialogue is polished to a high shine, and though Hugger-Mugger gets a bit helter-skelter down the stretch, it's a terrific return to form. (Author tour)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
