What do you think?
Rate this book
Spenser #20
Paper Doll
Audio CD version of bestselling novel, read by David Dukes
5 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
Robert B. Parker
360 books2,162 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database named Robert B. Parker.
Robert Brown Parker was an American writer, primarily of fiction within the mystery/detective genre. His most famous works were the 40 novels written about the fictional private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the mid-1980s; a series of TV movies was also produced based on the character. His works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area. The Spenser novels have been cited as reviving and changing the detective genre by critics and bestselling authors including Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, and Dennis Lehane.
Parker also wrote nine novels featuring the fictional character Jesse Stone, a Los Angeles police officer who moves to a small New England town; six novels with the fictional character Sunny Randall, a female private investigator; and four Westerns starring the duo Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. The first was Appaloosa, made into a film starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen.
Robert Brown Parker was an American writer, primarily of fiction within the mystery/detective genre. His most famous works were the 40 novels written about the fictional private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the mid-1980s; a series of TV movies was also produced based on the character. His works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area. The Spenser novels have been cited as reviving and changing the detective genre by critics and bestselling authors including Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, and Dennis Lehane.
Parker also wrote nine novels featuring the fictional character Jesse Stone, a Los Angeles police officer who moves to a small New England town; six novels with the fictional character Sunny Randall, a female private investigator; and four Westerns starring the duo Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. The first was Appaloosa, made into a film starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
August 5, 2018
“Quirk flashed his badge, and put it away. It could have said Baker Street Irregulars on it, for all the clerk had a chance to read it.”
Falling where this does within the Spenser canon, two books down the road from Pastime — where you could sense an undercurrent of Parker’s regret at changing the focus of the series to Spenser’s relationship with the perpetually annoying and snobbish Susan Silverman, rather than the mystery and plotting — Paper Doll is shockingly good. It is also shocking in that here, we get a backhand acknowledgement that something has gone askew. What is more, Parker does something about it, as though openly — if alas, only briefly — revolting against himself.
It’s been quite some time since I’d tackled this one, and found it marvelous. Though Spenser’s cloying interactions with the vain Susan Silverman are scattered throughout the narrative, they are lower-key than usual, and feel less intrusive. In fact, she doesn’t even appear until around chapter ten, because Parker has remembered what the Spenser series once was, and decided to write an homage — to himself. How do we know it was deliberate, and that Parker was revolting? Within the narrative of looking into the death of Loudon Tripp’s wife, Spenser finds they had been leading separate lives, while still living together. It bothers Spenser that the Tripps had separate bedrooms, for example. He is telling Silverman how something about the couple’s relationship feels all wrong. And then we get this gem of unadulterated irony —
SPENSER: “They’re perfect. She was perfect. His love was all-encompassing. His devotion is unflagging.”
SUSAN: “And there’s a legal limit to the snow here.”
SPENSER: “Yeah.”
Wow. Freud, heal thyself. It’s as if Parker is telling readers — no, he’s screaming at his readers — “I know, already!” And at least briefly, it creates a watershed moment, and a return to the kind of plotting and mystery we hadn’t seen in a long time in this series, so devoted was it to the snow job Parker had laid on with a scoop shovel. Parker acknowledged it, then he did something about it, and gave us Paper Doll.
While Paper Doll isn’t perfect, with elements of the case solving themselves, rather than being solved by good detective work, it’s still excellent compared to what the series had become. And while something is unresolved at the end of Paper Doll — another failing of later entries in the Spenser canon — this time it’s intentional, and as morally ambiguous as Spenser’s solution to April Kyle’s problem in Ceremony.
Loudon Tripp wants to know why his perfect wife was killed. With limited resources and high profile pressure because of who Tripp is, the seemingly random attack, is written off as just that. But Tripp doesn’t buy it, and Quirk sends him Spenser’s way, knowing no one can be more annoying than Spenser in his pursuit of the truth. And Spenser gets annoying real fast. Loudon’s teenage kids are brats, and everything Spenser discovers contradicts the glowing image of the important couple in Boston society. When he decides to go at it from the other end, looking into Olivia’s background, in case someone may have wanted to do her harm, things get suddenly ugly, and Spenser finds himself locked up and threatened.
Enter Martin Quirk, in what might be his finest moment of the entire series. Why Spenser and Hawk place Quirk in the same stratosphere of potential violence as themselves becomes all too clear. Though it’s only a flash, what had only been implied about Quirk within the series is shown here. Though the violence is left to Spenser, it’s clear that Quirk is just as formidable as Spenser, Hawk, and Vinnie, just as had been suggested time and again in earlier books. It’s Quirk’s moment to shine, and probably his most memorable appearance in the long-running series.
There is a lot going on here, plot-wise, from powerful political forces, to decades-old infidelities, and a husband in complete denial. And there turns out to be even more in this tough, violent and well-plotted entry more reminiscent of earlier books than post Valediction entries. Gay cop Lee Farrell is introduced in this one, Quirk having him liaison with Spenser. Again, in a return to earlier Spenser books, there is depth here, rather than preachy espousals. Farrell’s lover is dying of AIDS, and it affects his ability to focus. Parker handles it in a low-key way, even when Spenser and Susan attend the funeral, adding quiet poignancy to Farrell’s pain, rather than using flippant monologue to make it about how liberally cool Spenser and Susan were. Again, a return to the old Spenser books.
Rich and satisfying, with an almost out-of-the-blue revelation we should have seen coming due to someone’s odd behavior, and an ending as unresolved as we as readers guiltily hoped it might be, this is — almost — a return to greatness for this series. There are still some excellent ones to come in this series, though they were scattered among the weeds. But here, Parker seems to tackle the problems — both in the case, and with fans who were growing weary of the series — head-on. The result is a Spenser entry like we hadn’t gotten in a very long time. Sharp, crisp, moving and sometimes violent, this is a great read, and highly recommended.
Falling where this does within the Spenser canon, two books down the road from Pastime — where you could sense an undercurrent of Parker’s regret at changing the focus of the series to Spenser’s relationship with the perpetually annoying and snobbish Susan Silverman, rather than the mystery and plotting — Paper Doll is shockingly good. It is also shocking in that here, we get a backhand acknowledgement that something has gone askew. What is more, Parker does something about it, as though openly — if alas, only briefly — revolting against himself.
It’s been quite some time since I’d tackled this one, and found it marvelous. Though Spenser’s cloying interactions with the vain Susan Silverman are scattered throughout the narrative, they are lower-key than usual, and feel less intrusive. In fact, she doesn’t even appear until around chapter ten, because Parker has remembered what the Spenser series once was, and decided to write an homage — to himself. How do we know it was deliberate, and that Parker was revolting? Within the narrative of looking into the death of Loudon Tripp’s wife, Spenser finds they had been leading separate lives, while still living together. It bothers Spenser that the Tripps had separate bedrooms, for example. He is telling Silverman how something about the couple’s relationship feels all wrong. And then we get this gem of unadulterated irony —
SPENSER: “They’re perfect. She was perfect. His love was all-encompassing. His devotion is unflagging.”
SUSAN: “And there’s a legal limit to the snow here.”
SPENSER: “Yeah.”
Wow. Freud, heal thyself. It’s as if Parker is telling readers — no, he’s screaming at his readers — “I know, already!” And at least briefly, it creates a watershed moment, and a return to the kind of plotting and mystery we hadn’t seen in a long time in this series, so devoted was it to the snow job Parker had laid on with a scoop shovel. Parker acknowledged it, then he did something about it, and gave us Paper Doll.
While Paper Doll isn’t perfect, with elements of the case solving themselves, rather than being solved by good detective work, it’s still excellent compared to what the series had become. And while something is unresolved at the end of Paper Doll — another failing of later entries in the Spenser canon — this time it’s intentional, and as morally ambiguous as Spenser’s solution to April Kyle’s problem in Ceremony.
Loudon Tripp wants to know why his perfect wife was killed. With limited resources and high profile pressure because of who Tripp is, the seemingly random attack, is written off as just that. But Tripp doesn’t buy it, and Quirk sends him Spenser’s way, knowing no one can be more annoying than Spenser in his pursuit of the truth. And Spenser gets annoying real fast. Loudon’s teenage kids are brats, and everything Spenser discovers contradicts the glowing image of the important couple in Boston society. When he decides to go at it from the other end, looking into Olivia’s background, in case someone may have wanted to do her harm, things get suddenly ugly, and Spenser finds himself locked up and threatened.
Enter Martin Quirk, in what might be his finest moment of the entire series. Why Spenser and Hawk place Quirk in the same stratosphere of potential violence as themselves becomes all too clear. Though it’s only a flash, what had only been implied about Quirk within the series is shown here. Though the violence is left to Spenser, it’s clear that Quirk is just as formidable as Spenser, Hawk, and Vinnie, just as had been suggested time and again in earlier books. It’s Quirk’s moment to shine, and probably his most memorable appearance in the long-running series.
There is a lot going on here, plot-wise, from powerful political forces, to decades-old infidelities, and a husband in complete denial. And there turns out to be even more in this tough, violent and well-plotted entry more reminiscent of earlier books than post Valediction entries. Gay cop Lee Farrell is introduced in this one, Quirk having him liaison with Spenser. Again, in a return to earlier Spenser books, there is depth here, rather than preachy espousals. Farrell’s lover is dying of AIDS, and it affects his ability to focus. Parker handles it in a low-key way, even when Spenser and Susan attend the funeral, adding quiet poignancy to Farrell’s pain, rather than using flippant monologue to make it about how liberally cool Spenser and Susan were. Again, a return to the old Spenser books.
Rich and satisfying, with an almost out-of-the-blue revelation we should have seen coming due to someone’s odd behavior, and an ending as unresolved as we as readers guiltily hoped it might be, this is — almost — a return to greatness for this series. There are still some excellent ones to come in this series, though they were scattered among the weeds. But here, Parker seems to tackle the problems — both in the case, and with fans who were growing weary of the series — head-on. The result is a Spenser entry like we hadn’t gotten in a very long time. Sharp, crisp, moving and sometimes violent, this is a great read, and highly recommended.
March 6, 2020
I like Paper Doll more than most later Spenser books, because of what it has, and because of what it doesn’t have.
Let’s start with the “doesn’t have” part. Paper Doll doesn’t have some former kid—April Kyle, say, or Paul Giacomin—wandering in from some old Spenser book with a new problem. Paper Doll doesn’t have have a little problem that leads to a major (or minor) crime syndicate, that then threatens Spenser’s life, which in turn threatens Susan’s life, which means not only must her autonomy be once again discussed but also that Hawk must be called upon once again to guard her. In fact, there is little of Susan in this book (good!) even less of doggie Pearl (even better!), no extended discussion of the meaning of the Susan/Spenser relationship (hooray! hooray!)
What Paper Doll does have is a mystery, a real honest-to-goodness mystery, with a corpse and at least one good clue. And Spenser solves it, not just by blundering around, but by brainpower, and the identity of the murderer, when disclosed, is surprising (though satisfying).
I think, though, what I like best about Paper Doll is the two distinct atmospheres--colorless suburban Northern and colorful small town Southern--that Parker creates in the book. Spenser is looking for clues in the apparently random murder of wealthy wife and mother Olivia Nelson Tripp but disturbs him—as he questions her family and walks through the flawless, antiseptic rooms of her home—is the complete lack of any personality, any hint that there may once have been an actual person behind the perfect image of Mrs. Olivia Tripp. Then later, when he visits the sleepy little South Carolina town where Olivia went to school—among the riding stables, hunting dogs, and wary black servants that know more than they are willing to say—Spenser begins to discover the real story of the woman known as Olivia Nelson.
Recommended to anyone who likes a good mystery.
November 10, 2020
A well-crafted mystery by the master. In Paper Doll, Spenser investigates an unsolved murder and follows all sorts of twists to discover everyone has been lying, appearances are all false, and the motive is not one he had considered. This novel has much less of the Parker-signature macho BS. Hawk has only a cameo, and Spenser barely has to muse about his relative manliness. Instead, the mystery and the shady characters concealing the solution get more room, a better book for me. There's still plenty of vividly described clothing, food, makeup, and physiques. It wouldn't be Parker without them.
August 21, 2011
Apparently the years of drinking improperly distilled corn liquor have caused more damage than I thought because I had previously rated this as one star and marked it as the place the Spenser series went off the rails. Actually, it’s not that bad at all.
Olivia Nelson was the wife of Boston blue blood Loudon Tripp and they seemed to have a textbook family and a perfect life until Olvia screwed it up by getting whackity-whacked with a hammer to the noggin while walking down the street. With no obvious suspects or motive for the murder, Tripp hires Spenser to investigate. Spenser finds the story of a model wife and mother just a little too perfect and starts digging into Olivia’s past.
I’d forgotten the ending of this one and found myself getting pretty wrapped up in the whodunit piece of this. This also has a great scene with police lieutenant Quirk, being a complete bad ass and giving long time fans some understanding of why Spenser and Hawk consider Quirk to be a kindred spirit. Parker also introduced another interesting supporting character in Lee Farrell, an openly gay cop. The Susan lovey-dovey crap isn’t too bad, and she even gets one of the funniest lines in the book this time.
On the negative side, the plot becomes much less interesting when Spenser veers away from the mystery and starts getting involved in Tripp’s issues of rampant denial about his wife and family. Parker too often made a character’s psychological problems a part of the mystery for Spenser to solve, and the series was always much better when Spenser was battling thugs or trying to unravel a crime rather than playing armchair psychiatrist.
Next up: Spenser goes to the theater in Walking Shadow, but there hasn't been a play end this badly since Abraham Lincoln attended Our American Cousin.
Olivia Nelson was the wife of Boston blue blood Loudon Tripp and they seemed to have a textbook family and a perfect life until Olvia screwed it up by getting whackity-whacked with a hammer to the noggin while walking down the street. With no obvious suspects or motive for the murder, Tripp hires Spenser to investigate. Spenser finds the story of a model wife and mother just a little too perfect and starts digging into Olivia’s past.
I’d forgotten the ending of this one and found myself getting pretty wrapped up in the whodunit piece of this. This also has a great scene with police lieutenant Quirk, being a complete bad ass and giving long time fans some understanding of why Spenser and Hawk consider Quirk to be a kindred spirit. Parker also introduced another interesting supporting character in Lee Farrell, an openly gay cop. The Susan lovey-dovey crap isn’t too bad, and she even gets one of the funniest lines in the book this time.
On the negative side, the plot becomes much less interesting when Spenser veers away from the mystery and starts getting involved in Tripp’s issues of rampant denial about his wife and family. Parker too often made a character’s psychological problems a part of the mystery for Spenser to solve, and the series was always much better when Spenser was battling thugs or trying to unravel a crime rather than playing armchair psychiatrist.
Next up: Spenser goes to the theater in Walking Shadow, but there hasn't been a play end this badly since Abraham Lincoln attended Our American Cousin.
May 23, 2017
(The word "maroon" appears 8 times in this novel! )
This is mostly a delicious Spenser-as-real-detective story. I love those. This one is well-plotted, even from the start.
The pacing is good and mostly even throughout, and contains several interlocked mysteries
Susan's part is mostly relaxed, with gentle mutual love and respect.
A good solid Four Star Spenser.
Enjoy ! !
This is mostly a delicious Spenser-as-real-detective story. I love those. This one is well-plotted, even from the start.
The pacing is good and mostly even throughout, and contains several interlocked mysteries
Susan's part is mostly relaxed, with gentle mutual love and respect.
A good solid Four Star Spenser.
Enjoy ! !
May 18, 2021
Top notch! This one gave me Chinatown vibes. Loved it!
April 21, 2023
a pretty good raymond chandler imitation tbh.
‘paper dolls’ is an above average detective fiction entry by robert b parker, and quite enjoyable for its psychological observations on the characters that spencer encounters. it’s what makes spencer different than marlowe, archer, scudder, etc — his thoughtful insights into his clients inner neuroses and their unconscious behaviour. where matthew scudder has an intelligent empathy for most human behaviour, spencer seems to pity them more. like the people he encounters can’t help but be who they are, since they’re not self aware nor seek peace of mind. spencer knows what they need, but also knows there’s no point in confronting them with it since they’re usually to far up their own bullshit, trying to hide from reality.
i need to read the earlier spencer novels now and see how they rate comparatively, as this was my first — totally chosen at random — and i keep hearing great things about ‘the godwulf manuscript.” i might just choose a few more random spencer books before i head back to start and read TGM.
this was almost a 4 star review, so definitely a recommend.
‘paper dolls’ is an above average detective fiction entry by robert b parker, and quite enjoyable for its psychological observations on the characters that spencer encounters. it’s what makes spencer different than marlowe, archer, scudder, etc — his thoughtful insights into his clients inner neuroses and their unconscious behaviour. where matthew scudder has an intelligent empathy for most human behaviour, spencer seems to pity them more. like the people he encounters can’t help but be who they are, since they’re not self aware nor seek peace of mind. spencer knows what they need, but also knows there’s no point in confronting them with it since they’re usually to far up their own bullshit, trying to hide from reality.
i need to read the earlier spencer novels now and see how they rate comparatively, as this was my first — totally chosen at random — and i keep hearing great things about ‘the godwulf manuscript.” i might just choose a few more random spencer books before i head back to start and read TGM.
this was almost a 4 star review, so definitely a recommend.
May 11, 2017
Otra novela de Robert B Parker, con su inconfundible estilo. “Paper doll” es una lectura rápida, llena de diálogos con el característico sentido del humor del autor. Lo que más me ha gustado de esta entrega es que el argumento está, en mi opinión, más elaborado, lo que le da un toque más “profesional” al desenlace de la novela. También me ha gustado que introduzca de una forma poco convencional a la comunidad gay, dándole un toque de simpatía que no era todavía del gusto del lector de los años 90, fecha en la que esta entrega fue escrita.
January 18, 2020
This was a really good mystery. The plot was about a woman who was murdered and her husband hires Spenser to investigate. Quirk is the one who recommends him. Quirk plays a bigger role in this book than others in the past. We also meet Detective Farrell who is gay. Hawk is rarely mentioned and Susan plays a minor role as well.
The investigation takes Spenser down South to Alton County South Carolina where he learns there was more to this woman than was first thought.
I really liked the mystery part of this one. It keep me engaged and I couldn’t wait to learn more.
One of the reviews I read mentioned something about how this book had a lot less Susan and the reader was glad. I noticed this seemed like a different type of Spenser book myself. The focus wasn’t on Spenser and his personal life like some others. This was a good thriller and you learned about other characters besides Hawk and Susan. Kind of refreshing.
The investigation takes Spenser down South to Alton County South Carolina where he learns there was more to this woman than was first thought.
I really liked the mystery part of this one. It keep me engaged and I couldn’t wait to learn more.
One of the reviews I read mentioned something about how this book had a lot less Susan and the reader was glad. I noticed this seemed like a different type of Spenser book myself. The focus wasn’t on Spenser and his personal life like some others. This was a good thriller and you learned about other characters besides Hawk and Susan. Kind of refreshing.
June 4, 2024
We get another check in with Paul and he decided not to marry Page. No surprise if you read book 18 Pastime. That long term relationship was doomed after that.
Spenser mentioned the quietness of a scene more than once in this book I thought the book might be renamed The Quiet Time. Lol
This started out a bit slow but sped up fast when we realized everything was definitely not as it seemed. Spenser is the best in times like this. Unraveling everything until things become a solvable mystery.
Quirk plays a pivotal role here and also another cop in his office named Detective Farrell.
What’s probably best about this one though is Susan is not in it much 🤣🤣🤣.
The end wasn’t exactly happy but they rarely are irl, right??
Spenser mentioned the quietness of a scene more than once in this book I thought the book might be renamed The Quiet Time. Lol
This started out a bit slow but sped up fast when we realized everything was definitely not as it seemed. Spenser is the best in times like this. Unraveling everything until things become a solvable mystery.
Quirk plays a pivotal role here and also another cop in his office named Detective Farrell.
What’s probably best about this one though is Susan is not in it much 🤣🤣🤣.
The end wasn’t exactly happy but they rarely are irl, right??
July 18, 2022
Well this book is a perfect example of Parker at his best. A really perfectly woven mystery.
A woman is murdered and the police are having no luck at all solving the crime so her husband hires Spenser . As per the norm this case is not what it looks like at first glance and Spenser and the reader a lead on a merry chase.
One of the better Spenser novels.
A woman is murdered and the police are having no luck at all solving the crime so her husband hires Spenser . As per the norm this case is not what it looks like at first glance and Spenser and the reader a lead on a merry chase.
One of the better Spenser novels.
March 29, 2019
This addition to the series is a letdown coming right after Double Deuce, Parker’s last book which was highly rated. It has a clever plot, some interesting characters, a little more mystery than is usual and is much less violent than some of Parker’s other work. But without any sustained presence of Hawk, it just does not meet up to what readers have come to expect from a Spenser novel.
Forty-three year old Olivia Nelson, a highly regarded socialite is killed in Louisbourg Square just outside her elegant Beacon Hill home. She was hit with a framing hammer at least five times on the head, her crumpled body left at the scene. The police have not made any progress solving the crime, unable to come up with a motive or a single suspect. Everyone liked Olivia and no one has a bad word to say against her. Her husband Loudon Tripp wants the killer hunted down and brought to justice and asks Lieutenant Martin Quirk who could do the job. Quirk quickly recommends Spenser.
Lee Farrell, the detective assigned to the case tells Spenser their interviews have all met dead ends. Olivia appeared to be without any faults, leading life as a model citizen in a community in which she was highly regarded. Farrell believes it all looks a little too perfect. They have considered the theory of a crazed killer but Quirk, Farrell and Spenser are not convinced. The damage was all done to her head, which looks too carefully executed for a deranged killer. And despite what people think, there are not that many homicidal maniacs roaming the streets.
Spenser faces his usual conundrum, where to begin. With everything looking so perfect in Olivia’s present life, he decides to check into Olivia’s past and heads to Alton South Carolina. He soon finds he is not entirely welcome, especially after he comes upon a picture of the woman he believes is Olivia Nelson but is told the photo is of a girl named Cheryl Anne Rankin. Then his hotel room is tossed and he is followed by a mysterious blue Buick. It is not long before he is unceremoniously arrested by the sheriff and his thugs, jailed without charges and roughed up.
Who doesn’t want him looking into Olivia’s past? And who has such far reaching influence with the sheriff to get him arrested?
Spenser gathers a convoluted set of facts and gradually sorts them into a completed puzzled. Before he does, he meets Jumping Jack, the wealthy owner of a horse farm, spends time with an old, loyal, black butler, crosses hairs with a corrupt senator and learns what happened to Olivia when she left to work with the Peace Corps.
Once more Spenser is faced with a dilemma when he finally works things out, not certain what to do with the information he has. He falls back on his moral code to reach a satisfying solution, one that may not be too believable, but one readers will agree with.
This book adds an important element to the series. For the first time, readers see Lieutenant Martin Quirk on the street, in “hard cop form”, which is a treat. Usually he makes only cursory appearances, but this time he has a more significant role and he delivers.
Parker enjoys wrapping his stories in socially relevant themes and this one includes a background which hi-lights the AIDS crisis, child abuse, dysfunctional families and the false fronts people assume to shield themselves from their past.
I agree this book is not up to the last few in the series but not every writer can produce a great book every time. Critics have often noted the quality of Parker’s writing to be inconsistent, but this is still a good addition to the series and one Spenser fans will enjoy.
Forty-three year old Olivia Nelson, a highly regarded socialite is killed in Louisbourg Square just outside her elegant Beacon Hill home. She was hit with a framing hammer at least five times on the head, her crumpled body left at the scene. The police have not made any progress solving the crime, unable to come up with a motive or a single suspect. Everyone liked Olivia and no one has a bad word to say against her. Her husband Loudon Tripp wants the killer hunted down and brought to justice and asks Lieutenant Martin Quirk who could do the job. Quirk quickly recommends Spenser.
Lee Farrell, the detective assigned to the case tells Spenser their interviews have all met dead ends. Olivia appeared to be without any faults, leading life as a model citizen in a community in which she was highly regarded. Farrell believes it all looks a little too perfect. They have considered the theory of a crazed killer but Quirk, Farrell and Spenser are not convinced. The damage was all done to her head, which looks too carefully executed for a deranged killer. And despite what people think, there are not that many homicidal maniacs roaming the streets.
Spenser faces his usual conundrum, where to begin. With everything looking so perfect in Olivia’s present life, he decides to check into Olivia’s past and heads to Alton South Carolina. He soon finds he is not entirely welcome, especially after he comes upon a picture of the woman he believes is Olivia Nelson but is told the photo is of a girl named Cheryl Anne Rankin. Then his hotel room is tossed and he is followed by a mysterious blue Buick. It is not long before he is unceremoniously arrested by the sheriff and his thugs, jailed without charges and roughed up.
Who doesn’t want him looking into Olivia’s past? And who has such far reaching influence with the sheriff to get him arrested?
Spenser gathers a convoluted set of facts and gradually sorts them into a completed puzzled. Before he does, he meets Jumping Jack, the wealthy owner of a horse farm, spends time with an old, loyal, black butler, crosses hairs with a corrupt senator and learns what happened to Olivia when she left to work with the Peace Corps.
Once more Spenser is faced with a dilemma when he finally works things out, not certain what to do with the information he has. He falls back on his moral code to reach a satisfying solution, one that may not be too believable, but one readers will agree with.
This book adds an important element to the series. For the first time, readers see Lieutenant Martin Quirk on the street, in “hard cop form”, which is a treat. Usually he makes only cursory appearances, but this time he has a more significant role and he delivers.
Parker enjoys wrapping his stories in socially relevant themes and this one includes a background which hi-lights the AIDS crisis, child abuse, dysfunctional families and the false fronts people assume to shield themselves from their past.
I agree this book is not up to the last few in the series but not every writer can produce a great book every time. Critics have often noted the quality of Parker’s writing to be inconsistent, but this is still a good addition to the series and one Spenser fans will enjoy.
November 9, 2016
I have read all the previous Spenser books and have enjoyed them. This book though is my favorite so far. There is a mystery in this one and some twists and turns which I enjoy. The final resolution and how Spenser handles the matter was also satisfying.
Spenser is hired by a man to discover who killed his wife with a hammer and why. The client says his wife was perfect and their marriage was great. Spenser goes back into her past and finds out that things were not necessarily so hunky dory and that the murder victim is really a mystery. Spenser gets roughed up by South Carolina police who were instructed to find out what Spenser knows about the murder victim. Turns out a Senator who plans on running for President of the United States is the one who wanted Spenser roughed up.
Despite not a lot of Hawk this is still a very good story with a surprise ending. Quick and enjoyable read.
Spenser is hired by a man to discover who killed his wife with a hammer and why. The client says his wife was perfect and their marriage was great. Spenser goes back into her past and finds out that things were not necessarily so hunky dory and that the murder victim is really a mystery. Spenser gets roughed up by South Carolina police who were instructed to find out what Spenser knows about the murder victim. Turns out a Senator who plans on running for President of the United States is the one who wanted Spenser roughed up.
Despite not a lot of Hawk this is still a very good story with a surprise ending. Quick and enjoyable read.
November 15, 2023
A murder victim who isn't who she claims... or is she?
Spenser alienates the client, gets thrown in a jail, attacked by crooked cops, and confused by the details. All without Hawk's help.
More fun, if you've been reading along.
Spenser alienates the client, gets thrown in a jail, attacked by crooked cops, and confused by the details. All without Hawk's help.
More fun, if you've been reading along.
December 16, 2019
More than solid Spenser mystery. 25 years ago and Parker was writing about a crooked, evil Senator. Go figure.
August 10, 2022
Twenty down, and twenty-nine to go!
March 6, 2024
I'm still on my run of filling in the Robert B. Parker books that I've missed along the way..."Paper Doll" is the twentieth in the Spenser series and almost all the supporting cast are here as Spenser is brought into the investigation of a murder amongst the "old monied" Boston...Some one bludgeoned the perfect wife/mother of a Brahman family...or is she...Typical great Spenser!
July 10, 2021
This is an intense Spenser by Parker. I rank it up there as one of the best. Rich woman on her way home is murdered with a hammer. Spenser is hired by a husband to find the murderer since the police are not having any luck. Spenser works with a gay detective to unravel this mystery. The family apparently leads an idyllic life on the surface. As the mystery unwinds, the case becomes a blur. I defy anyone to guess correctly as to the murderer before the last 1/4 of the book. I am already a fan, but this book was very good.
August 2, 2022
“Once I start, I go where it takes me … you have to understand I do what I do and I keep doing it until I finish.” —Spenser explaining to his client that he’ll be poking around / getting all up in his friends/ loved ones’ business. We, as the readers, already know this, being 20 books in, but it was fun to hear him just lay it out straight like that.
If you’re a fan of Quirk, read this one! He gets really mad in this one, and his subsequent actions are glorious!
This one went the usual way of Spenser novels … until there was a very dark twist—brilliant!
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
*Recurring characters introduced in this one:
Lee Farrell! (his partner, Brian, is dying).
Audio:
Not a fan of this narrator, but I’ve heard worse. 2.5-star performance.
First edition cover:
Spenser Reading Order:
1. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
2. God Save the Child (1974)
3. Mortal Stakes (1975)
4. Promised Land (1976)
5. The Judas Goat (1978)
6. Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980)
7. Early Autumn (1980)
8. A Savage Place (1981)
9. Ceremony (1982)
10. The Widening Gyre (1983)
11. Valediction (1984)
12. A Catskill Eagle (1985)
13. Taming a Seahorse (1986)
14. Pale Kings and Princes (1987)
15. Crimson Joy (1988)
16. Playmates (1989)
17. Stardust (1990)
18. Pastime (1991)
19. Double Deuce (1991)
20. Paper Doll (1993)
21. Walking Shadow (1994)
22. Thin Air (1995)
23. Chance (1996)
24. Small Vices (1997)
25. Sudden Mischief (1998)
26. Hush Money (1999)
27. Hugger Mugger (2000)
28. Potshot (2001)
29. Widow's Walk (2002)
30. Back Story (2003)
31. Bad Business (2004)
32. Cold Service (2005)
33. School Days (2005)
34. Dream Girl (2006)
35. Now and Then (2007)
36. Rough Weather (2008)
36.5 Chasing the Bear (2009)
37. The Professional (2009)
38. Painted Ladies (2010)
39. Sixkill (2011)
39.5 Silent Night (2013)
Spenser: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
continued in the series by Ace Atkins
If you’re a fan of Quirk, read this one! He gets really mad in this one, and his subsequent actions are glorious!
This one went the usual way of Spenser novels … until there was a very dark twist—brilliant!
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
*Recurring characters introduced in this one:
Lee Farrell! (his partner, Brian, is dying).
Audio:
Not a fan of this narrator, but I’ve heard worse. 2.5-star performance.
First edition cover:
Spenser Reading Order:
1. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
2. God Save the Child (1974)
3. Mortal Stakes (1975)
4. Promised Land (1976)
5. The Judas Goat (1978)
6. Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980)
7. Early Autumn (1980)
8. A Savage Place (1981)
9. Ceremony (1982)
10. The Widening Gyre (1983)
11. Valediction (1984)
12. A Catskill Eagle (1985)
13. Taming a Seahorse (1986)
14. Pale Kings and Princes (1987)
15. Crimson Joy (1988)
16. Playmates (1989)
17. Stardust (1990)
18. Pastime (1991)
19. Double Deuce (1991)
20. Paper Doll (1993)
21. Walking Shadow (1994)
22. Thin Air (1995)
23. Chance (1996)
24. Small Vices (1997)
25. Sudden Mischief (1998)
26. Hush Money (1999)
27. Hugger Mugger (2000)
28. Potshot (2001)
29. Widow's Walk (2002)
30. Back Story (2003)
31. Bad Business (2004)
32. Cold Service (2005)
33. School Days (2005)
34. Dream Girl (2006)
35. Now and Then (2007)
36. Rough Weather (2008)
36.5 Chasing the Bear (2009)
37. The Professional (2009)
38. Painted Ladies (2010)
39. Sixkill (2011)
39.5 Silent Night (2013)
Spenser: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
continued in the series by Ace Atkins
February 24, 2012
Wow. Maybe the best Spenser book I've read. His characters had depth and complexity. The murderer could only have been found by the incredible Spenser. As always, good dialogue.
a few comparisons that I savored:
a fireplace spacious enough to roast a moose.
a receptionist with the efficiency of a Russian farm collective.
blue jeans as capacious as Delaware.
a few comparisons that I savored:
a fireplace spacious enough to roast a moose.
a receptionist with the efficiency of a Russian farm collective.
blue jeans as capacious as Delaware.
March 14, 2019
While there is very little of the characteristic Spenser action in this story and almost no Hawk, there is a great deal of Susan and many plot twists, some of which are clear to the reader very early in the book. Olivia Tripp, the wife of Loudon Tripp, is brutally murdered by hammer blows and the police investigation goes nowhere, they have taken the unpleasant position that it was a random act of violence.
Loudon hires Spenser to investigate and it is clear from the beginning that there is much too much neatness in the family. The two children seem perfect and Loudon is insistent that their marriage was one of extreme happiness. Even the house seems far too neat and tidy when Spenser is given a tour. In typical Spenser style, he probes, annoys and presses until the pressure causes a response that gives him some direction.
Very little is as it first appears, including the identities of the victim and her family. Spenser gets into deep trouble and this time it is Martin Quirk that bails him out. As expected, Spenser solves the case, yet it is hard to discern the culprit until close to the end, yet the ending is very satisfactory, as a major figure is brought to justice.
Another interesting aspect of this story relates to a gay police officer whose companion dies of AIDS. Parker treats the situation with great compassion and sympathy, something quite unusual for 1993, the year the book was originally published. People knowledgeable of the history of the time will understand how far ahead of his time Parker was on this. The great science fiction writer Isaac Asimov died of AIDS acquired through a blood transfusion in 1992, yet that information was kept secret out of concern for negative repercussions.
Even though many of the regular features of Spenser stories are absent in this one, the dialog remains great and Spenser is once again the thuggish white knight.
Loudon hires Spenser to investigate and it is clear from the beginning that there is much too much neatness in the family. The two children seem perfect and Loudon is insistent that their marriage was one of extreme happiness. Even the house seems far too neat and tidy when Spenser is given a tour. In typical Spenser style, he probes, annoys and presses until the pressure causes a response that gives him some direction.
Very little is as it first appears, including the identities of the victim and her family. Spenser gets into deep trouble and this time it is Martin Quirk that bails him out. As expected, Spenser solves the case, yet it is hard to discern the culprit until close to the end, yet the ending is very satisfactory, as a major figure is brought to justice.
Another interesting aspect of this story relates to a gay police officer whose companion dies of AIDS. Parker treats the situation with great compassion and sympathy, something quite unusual for 1993, the year the book was originally published. People knowledgeable of the history of the time will understand how far ahead of his time Parker was on this. The great science fiction writer Isaac Asimov died of AIDS acquired through a blood transfusion in 1992, yet that information was kept secret out of concern for negative repercussions.
Even though many of the regular features of Spenser stories are absent in this one, the dialog remains great and Spenser is once again the thuggish white knight.
January 5, 2019
It's hard to say what makes me so happy about this series. But whenever I spend time with Spencer, I wind up really enjoying it. The dialogue is just magnificent. Yes, the storylines are not the most complex and there is an air of unreality about the whole thing...
But, each Spencer novel serves as a bit of a bit of a reprieve. I know the world doesn't work the way it does in these novels. People aren't this principled and good doesn't win most of the time. But, when I've finished with something dense and dark, I often need a reminder that good exists and can win. Spenser is about the best there is for that.
Paper Doll was perhaps not as complex as some of his other stories. But, I did find the human emotions around the several families destroyed in the story very real. It also stands as a simplistic, but truthful, look at how people hide from the truth and recreate themselves out of trauma.
It's not going to change your life, but it might make you smile and find a bit of hope. It did for me...
But, each Spencer novel serves as a bit of a bit of a reprieve. I know the world doesn't work the way it does in these novels. People aren't this principled and good doesn't win most of the time. But, when I've finished with something dense and dark, I often need a reminder that good exists and can win. Spenser is about the best there is for that.
Paper Doll was perhaps not as complex as some of his other stories. But, I did find the human emotions around the several families destroyed in the story very real. It also stands as a simplistic, but truthful, look at how people hide from the truth and recreate themselves out of trauma.
It's not going to change your life, but it might make you smile and find a bit of hope. It did for me...
December 21, 2019
I have always enjoyed Parker’s Spenser series books despite a lack of significant character development and the occasional plot progression that seems to skip a bit, e.g., how’d he get from A to C? Where was B? But the dialogue is amusing, he quotes lots of poems, and you have to admire a detective potboiler that contains words like “balletic” and “improprietous.”
And some of the prose is very good, e.g., “…he was not so much weary as calm. He’d seen too much, and it had left him with that cop calm that some of them get – not without feeling, really, but without excitement.” Or “…something in his eyes….It wasn’t just dangerous. I’d seen that look in a lot of eyes. It was more than that. It was a contemptuous certainty that if there was any reason to he’d kill you, and you had no part in the decision.”
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys detective novels and doesn’t require graphic descriptions of either sex or violence.
And some of the prose is very good, e.g., “…he was not so much weary as calm. He’d seen too much, and it had left him with that cop calm that some of them get – not without feeling, really, but without excitement.” Or “…something in his eyes….It wasn’t just dangerous. I’d seen that look in a lot of eyes. It was more than that. It was a contemptuous certainty that if there was any reason to he’d kill you, and you had no part in the decision.”
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys detective novels and doesn’t require graphic descriptions of either sex or violence.
February 5, 2021
Another 'Spenser goes nosing around in a small hick town and annoys the local cops' entry - although this one is miles better than the last one of those, Pale Kings and Princes. Spenser is hired to find the killer of wealthy, attractive, and much respected pillar of society Olivia Nelson, who was bludgeoned to death with a hammer in a seemingly random attack. Her husband claims she was a saint, and with no clues presenting themselves in present-day Boston, Spenser decides to go back in time, to rural Georgia, where Olivia grew up. And there, things start to get interesting...
In one sense, not much of note happens here. We only get a couple of cameos from Hawk, and Spenser only gets into one fight of any note. On the other hand though, we're introduced to semi-regular character detective Lee Farrell, and homicide chief Martin Quirk gets a bit of the limelight here, which is refreshing.
In one sense, not much of note happens here. We only get a couple of cameos from Hawk, and Spenser only gets into one fight of any note. On the other hand though, we're introduced to semi-regular character detective Lee Farrell, and homicide chief Martin Quirk gets a bit of the limelight here, which is refreshing.
July 27, 2020
The perfect wife and mother is brutally murdered. The police have no clues. The husband engages Spenser to find her killer. All is not what it seems. Not nearly. A story about corrupted power and the abuse of women and girls.
Spenser travels to the victim's home town and meets resistance far beyond what one would expect about a person who left 20 years earlier. Spenser's wealthy client's check bounces. Powerful people take an interest in the case. Why? Spenser sorts out the sordid mess.
After reading several of these books, I notice Parker spends considerable time describing weather, people, places, etc. He also spends much time on relationships. If you dropped all of this you might have a tight short story left.
Another quick read.
Spenser travels to the victim's home town and meets resistance far beyond what one would expect about a person who left 20 years earlier. Spenser's wealthy client's check bounces. Powerful people take an interest in the case. Why? Spenser sorts out the sordid mess.
After reading several of these books, I notice Parker spends considerable time describing weather, people, places, etc. He also spends much time on relationships. If you dropped all of this you might have a tight short story left.
Another quick read.
October 2, 2019
I really like the way Spenser has grown throughout the series. I was very happy to see him 'let sleeping dogs lie'. Once again Spenser finds answers and is forced to decide what should be done with those answers.
July 1, 2021
One of the better of the series. Spenser solves this one with assistance from a Boston detective, but Spenser has to go to South Carolina to get the job done. Really liked it, a great one.
January 25, 2024
As has been pointed out by many others, Spenser is almost unbearable any time he is with Susan, the perfect girlfriend, or even when he is just thinking about her. Other than that fact, Parker’s writing is very erudite and his use of snappy patter is reminiscent of the Nick and Nora Charles series. He writes an actual mystery and walks the reader through the steps Spenser takes to solve it, usually more through perseverance and footwork rather than some super-human gift of deduction like Sherlock or Nero Wolfe. Worth a read if you’re in the mood for that sort of detective story.
June 10, 2014
This one is a rarity among Parker's Spenser books. Don't get me wrong, I think most of his books are great. However, like a lot of people, they really don't do much in the mystery end of things. Action yarns, check. Character studies, absolutely. Fun, quick reads, most of them. Actual mysteries, not usually so much.
But with Paper Doll, Parker presents an actual mystery for his PI to solve, and he does so in layers. Most readers will no doubt easily figure out the true identity of the victim early on, and it's a bit of a bummer that it takes Spenser longer than the reader, by about fifty pages or so.
But even once we know the ID of the victim, that doesn't do anything at all towards helping the reader figure out whodunnit, and the actual revelation of the killer is, more than anything, kind of sad and bittersweet. One thing Parker definitely improved on over the years is setting a mood. If you read his earlier works, you see him taking four or five pages to describe a single scene, down to what everyone is wearing and every possibly physical feature, even of people who are mere bystanders. But as time went on he developed a much tighter control of his sense of scene, and that shows up in two major places in Paper Doll. The first when the murderer is revealed (I'm telling you, it's darned near heartbreaking, especially considering the violence of the act) and again in one of the final scenes where we finally get some profound insight into the motivations of a couple of the secondary characters.
For as much grief as a lot of people give Parker for his continual lovey-dovey scenes between S and S, when the man wanted to he could expose, down to the raw, human emotion and fraility in a way that few others can.
But with Paper Doll, Parker presents an actual mystery for his PI to solve, and he does so in layers. Most readers will no doubt easily figure out the true identity of the victim early on, and it's a bit of a bummer that it takes Spenser longer than the reader, by about fifty pages or so.
But even once we know the ID of the victim, that doesn't do anything at all towards helping the reader figure out whodunnit, and the actual revelation of the killer is, more than anything, kind of sad and bittersweet. One thing Parker definitely improved on over the years is setting a mood. If you read his earlier works, you see him taking four or five pages to describe a single scene, down to what everyone is wearing and every possibly physical feature, even of people who are mere bystanders. But as time went on he developed a much tighter control of his sense of scene, and that shows up in two major places in Paper Doll. The first when the murderer is revealed (I'm telling you, it's darned near heartbreaking, especially considering the violence of the act) and again in one of the final scenes where we finally get some profound insight into the motivations of a couple of the secondary characters.
For as much grief as a lot of people give Parker for his continual lovey-dovey scenes between S and S, when the man wanted to he could expose, down to the raw, human emotion and fraility in a way that few others can.
September 30, 2016
After socialite Olivia Nelson is murdered in an apparently random attack, Spenser is hired by her husband Loudon Tripp to find out the killer. Consulting with Quirk and Belson, along with new detective Lee Farrell (a gay man whose lover, Brian, is dying of AIDS), Spenser follows a trail that leads him through old money Boston and the sleazy grasp of Senator Bob Stratton to Olivia’s hometown in South Carolina, uncovering fake identity, delusion and abuse in several forms. After the relative disappointment of “Double Deuce”, this is a real return to form as Spenser doggedly uncovers clues and works his way to the root of the case, with Parker expertly peeling away the layers of plot to a cracking denouement. Susan plays a good role in the proceedings - and there’s a lovely intimate sequence as Spenser cooks her dinner then lifts her over the counter - but the downside is that Hawk has very much a background role, though it’s nice to see Henry Cimoli back at the Harbour Health Club. Strangely melancholic, with a nicely downbeat feel the further the novel goes on, this is a good story told at a good pace and I would very much recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews