Review by Booklist Review
\rtf1\ansi\deff0April Kyle is the young runaway Spenser rescued from Boston's notorious Combat Zone in 1982's Ceremony0 . 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. --Wes Lukowsky Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
April Kyle, the young runaway Spenser rescued in 1982's Ceremony, again seeks the help of Parker's private eye. Now an upscale madam, April needs protection from local toughs trying to move in on her operation-or so she says. Spenser's investigation takes him and his associate Hawk back and forth between Boston and New York as the bodies and suspects accumulate. As in most recent Spenser novels, Parker's smart-aleck dialog threatens to overwhelm the slender plot, though reader Joe Mantegna handles the humor wonderfully. The lighthearted tone, which includes a politically incorrect view of prostitution, dies abruptly toward the end when matters become considerably darker. Recommended for popular collections.-Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr. (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
Spenser, who seems to alternate these days between meaty cases and time-passers, follows School Days (2005) with a thin tale of trouble among high-class prostitutes whose only distinction is bringing back a familiar face from the past. Twenty-five years ago, Spenser rescued runaway teen April Kyle by the unorthodox means of placing her with upscale Manhattan madam Patricia Utley (Ceremony, 1982). When April ran off from her second home, Spenser was on hand to save her again (Taming a Sea-Horse, 1986). Now April, who looks great despite all the miles she's got on her, wants his help fending off the bad guys trying to horn in on the Back Bay brothel she runs. It's the work of a moment for Spenser and Hawk to send the hired bullyboys on their way, of course, but Ollie DeMars, the Southie crew chief who hired them, won't say who paid him to lean on April. Spenser's hunch is that it's Lionel Farnsworth, an ex-client of April's who's already done time for real-estate fraud. But something doesn't add up. April's business just isn't generating enough trade to be worth the trouble of stealing. Is somebody lying to Spenser? Yes. Just about everybody, as he realizes over and over and over until the curtain finally comes down with a bang. Spenser's detective chops are less in evidence than his messiah complex. Even the dialogue, always Parker's specialty, sounds suspiciously like Elmore Leonard. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
