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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
These are always good to read. The "ripped from the headlines" stories are hard to do well tho. While the characters stand around marveling at the plot, we've all read these headlines, seen the news, and know the story already. Makes it hard to tell a story we aren't already bored/uninspired by.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
The spenser series is comfort food to me. But it is not as good now that it is written by Ace Atkins. I also found this one a little too graphic.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve always been a big Robert B Parker fan — my dog is named Spenser. I’ve shied away from the Ace Atkins books because I wasn’t sure if anyone could pick up the mantle. Horrible things have been done to Spenser (Marky Mark? Really?). I heard Ace on a podcast and he won me over. I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised.
So glad that Ace has been able to continue the Spenser series, as if Robert B. Parker was writing them himself. Spenser and Hawk are so enjoyable, and written so well, you feel like they truly are your friends.
It has to be difficult coming up with plots for an annual series like this (especially when, as Atkins does, you have other series to write as well. And you aren’t the series creator.) I like Atkins’s solution; take a messy high profile true crime story and apply the “how would this play out if Spenser were involved” strategy. Some work better than others. It worked pretty well when he played with the Gardner Museum heist a couple entries ago. I enjoyed this alt-Jeffrey Epstein/Ghislaine Maxwell riff. Plus there were lots of good Spenser moments. I especially liked the role Mattie Sullivan has developed in this world. I have said before in my reviews of entries to this series that it has always been hit or miss, under both authors, but this chalks up in the hit column.
How old is Spenser supposed to be at this point? Woody Strode? Has to be over 60. Several illusions to "old man" but he still takes down the 30-40 year professional hit men with ease, and all the women's hearts go a flutter when they smell his aftershave. I've read 48 Spenser adventures so far. There were probably 15 great ones, 25 above average ones, and eight kind of like this, meh. I don't blame Atkins, he does a remarkable job of channeling Parker's style and character but he's really just going thru the motions in my opinion, unable to take any chances with somebody else's characters, so Spenser, Susan, Hawk, Quirk, Rita, they're all just stopped in time. I'll keep reading in hopes of something happening but I'm starting to feel just like another one of those characters, stuck reading the next installment.