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orrtannabard's review against another edition
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
ayaktruk's review against another edition
4.0
A re-read...maybe for the third time, not sure. Was studying for yet another teacher certification test (Middle school English) and needed a distraction as only RBP can provide.
I will miss him.
I will miss him.
stevem0214's review against another edition
5.0
Great, dependable, Spenser novel. A lot of interaction with Hawk...always my favorite. This is the novel where Pearl II gets introduced.
marieby's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fast paced, well written murder mystery. Although the book is only about 270 pages it has 62 chapters. Meaning each chapter is a different scene. I wasn't too sure about this way of writing at first but after a few chapters I got used to the fast pace, and realised that this way of dividing up the story made it easier to read and you know when the scene is over and when a different setting begins.
Another thing thats a big plus, is that even tho this is book 30 in the series and I haven't read any others, I never felt like something was missing. Any questions I had in the begining about the characters were quickly answered and the story flows at a natural pace.
Another thing thats a big plus, is that even tho this is book 30 in the series and I haven't read any others, I never felt like something was missing. Any questions I had in the begining about the characters were quickly answered and the story flows at a natural pace.
dfram's review against another edition
3.0
This story was good. I liked the fact that you could figure out on your own the case. I like that it wasn't predictable. It is of my understanding that earlier in the series, Spenser has a dog named Pearl but I don't see how the death of this dog (and the acquisition of a new dog) is relevant to the story. Perhaps it is the fact that I haven't read any other book in this series.
books_and_tea_with_me's review against another edition
2.0
I love the banter and sense of humor of all the Spenser series.
scott_a_miller's review against another edition
3.0
Solid book but it never really turned the corner. The gang was all here but for some reason Parker didn’t let them fly. As it usually is for me, I didn’t really care about Spenser’s client or her story. I guess it’s a simple as that. I’m probably just expecting way too much out of them.
brianlokker's review against another edition
4.0
In this 30th book in the Spenser series, Spenser finds himself investigating a Boston bank robbery from 28 years earlier. A woman named Emily Gordon was killed in the bank during the robbery, but the identity of her killer has never been discovered. The woman’s daughter Daryl is a friend of Paul Giacomin, Spenser’s quasi-adopted son, so when Daryl asks Spenser to find out who killed her mother, he agrees, mostly as a favor to Paul. Spenser tells everyone that his fee is the half dozen Krispy Kreme donuts that Paul and Daryl brought to his office.
Spenser learns that a revolutionary group that called itself the “Dread Scott Brigade” (pun intended) committed the robbery. Emily was visiting Boston from California, and Daryl believes that she was an innocent victim who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
After Spenser talks to police captain Martin Quirk about the case, Quirk gives him access to the case file. Spenser finds that there are essentially no clues in the case. But something puzzles him: despite a reference to an FBI intelligence report, there is no such report in the file. Neither the police nor the FBI can tell him what happened to the report. Suspecting a coverup, Spenser goes to work. With a lot of help from Hawk and some help from friendly police and FBI sources, he tracks down Emily’s family members, friends, and acquaintances. Meanwhile, he receives death threats, and someone threatens Susan Silverman too. It becomes clear that there was in fact a coverup, and someone is not happy that Spenser is stirring things up.
Spenser is finding it difficult to put the facts together, but it doesn’t dampen his outlook, especially when he can make self-deprecating jokes with Hawk:
“‘If I weren’t a master detective,’ I said, ‘I’d be getting frustrated. ‘You been walking around all these years thinking you a master detective?’ Hawk said.… ‘I have been detecting the ass off of this thing now for what, two weeks? I know [he lists all the facts he knows] … ‘And you put all that together …’ Hawk said. ‘And you got squat,’ I said. ‘And several people trying to kill you.’ ‘Being a master detective has its downside,’ I said.”
And later, when they’re tracking a witness: “‘I’ll bet my reputation that he’s brought her home.’ ‘You got no reputation,’ Hawk said. ‘Okay, so it’s not a risky bet.’”
Humorous exchanges like this between Spenser and Hawk, as well as Spenser’s internal monologues, are a major reason why I enjoy the Spenser series. Some of those internal monologues showcase Spenser’s wit. When Spenser thinks about the fact that he has killed a number of people (all bad guys trying to kill him, of course) on college campuses, he jokes to himself: “‘If I shot anyone else on a college campus, I’d probably be eligible for tenure.’”
But Spenser also ponders the big questions, wondering whether his chosen work is worth it, given the killing it sometimes involves. Wondering what kind of man he is. When it comes to these questions, he usually turns to Susan Silverman for validation, and she always delivers. Spenser’s idealization of Susan is often annoying. Exhibit 1 in Back Story is his description of Susan’s “ineffable femaleness.” Thankfully, he just says this to the reader; he doesn’t say it out loud to Susan. I’d be willing to bet that even she would find it a bit much. But since Susan’s love keeps him going, and her insights are sometimes even helpful in his investigations, I guess I’ll have to cut him some slack.
Back Story is fast-moving and entertaining. Spenser is at the top of his game, and I enjoyed the cold-case plot, with its cultural references to hippies and revolutionaries in the 1960s and ’70s. Hawk is heavily involved in this one, which is always a plus, and Susan’s scenes are relatively limited, also a plus. As I work my way through the Spenser canon, I’m glad I’ve now read this one, and I’m looking forward to #31.
Spenser learns that a revolutionary group that called itself the “Dread Scott Brigade” (pun intended) committed the robbery. Emily was visiting Boston from California, and Daryl believes that she was an innocent victim who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
After Spenser talks to police captain Martin Quirk about the case, Quirk gives him access to the case file. Spenser finds that there are essentially no clues in the case. But something puzzles him: despite a reference to an FBI intelligence report, there is no such report in the file. Neither the police nor the FBI can tell him what happened to the report. Suspecting a coverup, Spenser goes to work. With a lot of help from Hawk and some help from friendly police and FBI sources, he tracks down Emily’s family members, friends, and acquaintances. Meanwhile, he receives death threats, and someone threatens Susan Silverman too. It becomes clear that there was in fact a coverup, and someone is not happy that Spenser is stirring things up.
Spenser is finding it difficult to put the facts together, but it doesn’t dampen his outlook, especially when he can make self-deprecating jokes with Hawk:
“‘If I weren’t a master detective,’ I said, ‘I’d be getting frustrated. ‘You been walking around all these years thinking you a master detective?’ Hawk said.… ‘I have been detecting the ass off of this thing now for what, two weeks? I know [he lists all the facts he knows] … ‘And you put all that together …’ Hawk said. ‘And you got squat,’ I said. ‘And several people trying to kill you.’ ‘Being a master detective has its downside,’ I said.”
And later, when they’re tracking a witness: “‘I’ll bet my reputation that he’s brought her home.’ ‘You got no reputation,’ Hawk said. ‘Okay, so it’s not a risky bet.’”
Humorous exchanges like this between Spenser and Hawk, as well as Spenser’s internal monologues, are a major reason why I enjoy the Spenser series. Some of those internal monologues showcase Spenser’s wit. When Spenser thinks about the fact that he has killed a number of people (all bad guys trying to kill him, of course) on college campuses, he jokes to himself: “‘If I shot anyone else on a college campus, I’d probably be eligible for tenure.’”
But Spenser also ponders the big questions, wondering whether his chosen work is worth it, given the killing it sometimes involves. Wondering what kind of man he is. When it comes to these questions, he usually turns to Susan Silverman for validation, and she always delivers. Spenser’s idealization of Susan is often annoying. Exhibit 1 in Back Story is his description of Susan’s “ineffable femaleness.” Thankfully, he just says this to the reader; he doesn’t say it out loud to Susan. I’d be willing to bet that even she would find it a bit much. But since Susan’s love keeps him going, and her insights are sometimes even helpful in his investigations, I guess I’ll have to cut him some slack.
Back Story is fast-moving and entertaining. Spenser is at the top of his game, and I enjoyed the cold-case plot, with its cultural references to hippies and revolutionaries in the 1960s and ’70s. Hawk is heavily involved in this one, which is always a plus, and Susan’s scenes are relatively limited, also a plus. As I work my way through the Spenser canon, I’m glad I’ve now read this one, and I’m looking forward to #31.
madtattler's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0