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aelwood's review against another edition
5.0
This was a good one! The author goes the extra mile in developing Spenser’s sense of morality and responsibility to his clients. I thought Robert B Parker did a good job of using the client (a lesbian feminist writer) to purposely expose and work through some of Spenser’s personality characteristics that can be limiting to his character.
cwebb's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good, especially for one of those early in the series.
Spenser gets to be macho, all the while his client is so decidedly anti-macho. It gives it that bit more depth than other early Spenser books, that can be very straightforward (even if still a lot of fun).
Spenser gets to be macho, all the while his client is so decidedly anti-macho. It gives it that bit more depth than other early Spenser books, that can be very straightforward (even if still a lot of fun).
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
When a feminist lesbian author gets death threats, Spenser is hired to protect her. After he is dismissed, Rachel Wallace is kidnapped. Can Spenser bring her back alive?
It's been a couple years since I've read a Spenser book. I spent a lot of time looking for Looking for Rachel Wallace at used bookstores before I gave up and moved on to easier prey. Over the weekend, I was working on my girlfriend's door when my dremmel went dead. While waiting for my dremmel to charge, I ran to the used bookstore to find something to read. Imagine my delight when I found Looking for Rachel Wallace for the modest sum of $1.95.
Confession time: Spenser has never been one of my favorite series detectives. I get tired of all the talk about his moral code and even more tired of his relationship with Susan Silverman. Given the choice, I'd rather read one of Robert Crais's Elvis Cole books. However, I still catch myself being entertained by Spenser and this book was no exception.
For a paperback original from 1980, Looking for Rachel Wallace is surprisingly deep. Spenser and company talking about homosexuality, feminism, hate crimes, and Spenser's possibly archaic methods of problem solving. Rachel Wallace was pretty abrasive at times and Spenser's hunt for her nicely contrasted the two characters. Spenser tough-guyed and wisecracked his way to finding her, as he always does.
But it wasn't all kittens and puppies for me. For one thing, Susan Silverman was in it a little too much. For another, much bigger thing, there was no Hawk!
It's a pretty slim book so I don't have a lot else to say. Three stars, leaning toward four.
It's been a couple years since I've read a Spenser book. I spent a lot of time looking for Looking for Rachel Wallace at used bookstores before I gave up and moved on to easier prey. Over the weekend, I was working on my girlfriend's door when my dremmel went dead. While waiting for my dremmel to charge, I ran to the used bookstore to find something to read. Imagine my delight when I found Looking for Rachel Wallace for the modest sum of $1.95.
Confession time: Spenser has never been one of my favorite series detectives. I get tired of all the talk about his moral code and even more tired of his relationship with Susan Silverman. Given the choice, I'd rather read one of Robert Crais's Elvis Cole books. However, I still catch myself being entertained by Spenser and this book was no exception.
For a paperback original from 1980, Looking for Rachel Wallace is surprisingly deep. Spenser and company talking about homosexuality, feminism, hate crimes, and Spenser's possibly archaic methods of problem solving. Rachel Wallace was pretty abrasive at times and Spenser's hunt for her nicely contrasted the two characters. Spenser tough-guyed and wisecracked his way to finding her, as he always does.
But it wasn't all kittens and puppies for me. For one thing, Susan Silverman was in it a little too much. For another, much bigger thing, there was no Hawk!
It's a pretty slim book so I don't have a lot else to say. Three stars, leaning toward four.
gsatori's review against another edition
4.0
Probably the best of the series at the point of its writing. Here Parker focuses on character development and gives us the rare ability to care about the victim before the crime occurs.
lyleblosser's review against another edition
4.0
Another very good tale with excellent characterizations, intense action and beautiful visual descriptions.
thebeardedpoet's review against another edition
3.0
I regularly read detective novels out loud to my wife Christi. This was one of those. Looking For Rachel Wallace was a re-read for me, having read it in high school and a least one or maybe two other times, probably while in college. As with many of the things of youth, it didn’t hold up as well as I hoped.
Sure, Parker's narration in the voice of Spenser remains engaging and funny, but Spenser's violent tendencies no longer appeal to me. The fiasco at the insurance company where he beats up the people who want to expel Rachel Wallace just made me shake my head. I completely understood why Rachel fired him as a bodyguard--he stubbornly persisted in using violence or threats of violence in the face of every adversity.
Yeah, Spenser is a tough-guy and this is tough-guy fiction, so what am I complaining about? Mainly I'm saying I'm no longer the young punk who thought Spenser's macho "heroics" were cool back in the day. I prefer options of social discourse and peaceful resistance. Re-reading this showed me how much I have changed over the years.
Yet I have to admit Spenser had no reasonable options other than violence when it came time to rescue Rachel. In that case, I concede. It was a matter of life or death. But if he had considered Rachel's wishes earlier, he would not have been fired and would most likely have prevented the need for the rescue. Talking with his fists indirectly led to the need for the final showdown.
Sure, Parker's narration in the voice of Spenser remains engaging and funny, but Spenser's violent tendencies no longer appeal to me. The fiasco at the insurance company where he beats up the people who want to expel Rachel Wallace just made me shake my head. I completely understood why Rachel fired him as a bodyguard--he stubbornly persisted in using violence or threats of violence in the face of every adversity.
Yeah, Spenser is a tough-guy and this is tough-guy fiction, so what am I complaining about? Mainly I'm saying I'm no longer the young punk who thought Spenser's macho "heroics" were cool back in the day. I prefer options of social discourse and peaceful resistance. Re-reading this showed me how much I have changed over the years.
Yet I have to admit Spenser had no reasonable options other than violence when it came time to rescue Rachel. In that case, I concede. It was a matter of life or death. But if he had considered Rachel's wishes earlier, he would not have been fired and would most likely have prevented the need for the rescue. Talking with his fists indirectly led to the need for the final showdown.
bookhawk's review against another edition
4.0
The Spenser series is a great discovery. Parker does a great job balancing social issues of the day when these were written with the action of a good private detective. Looking forward to more Spenser from Robert B. Parker.
vhzest's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0