Almost everything is done through dialogue, including character work. The book is predominantly dialogue, with extensive pasThis is damn good writing.
Almost everything is done through dialogue, including character work. The book is predominantly dialogue, with extensive passages with nothing, but. And this man is a master of dialogue.
Fletch is a smart-ass reporter who is known for verbally harassing and/or embarrassing and/or confusing everyone. It's fun, Fletch is amusing... until he's not. As was mentioned to me, these novels were antiauthority, which is fine, but Fletch's assholeness extends far beyond authority figures and well into victimizing the victim, at times.
But aside from the extremes of Fletch's experience, this was a wonderful read. And it's refreshing to have everything laid out, with a seeming lack of effort on the writer's part. We learn it as Fletch learnsit and Fletch makes no specific note of any detail, until the end, when he ties it together nicely, in a newspaper story. Very, very natural feel. ...more
The final Toby Peters mystery. I'm kind'a bummed that it's over, as I found them to be 24 magical trips to Golden Age Hollywood.
Mandrake the Magician The final Toby Peters mystery. I'm kind'a bummed that it's over, as I found them to be 24 magical trips to Golden Age Hollywood.
Mandrake the Magician needs Toby's help.
Now, for the first time, Toby has a new partner: his brother, Phil. Phil was forced out of the police force, after achieving captain, then re-achieving Lieutenant. His tendency to explain himself to criminals in a physical way finally became too politically risky. And his ex-office mater, Sheldon Minck, became rich in the previous book, though still practicing dentistry... badly. Everyone else remains pretty much unchanged.
The same level of thrills and adventure, mystery and danger. People are killed and people are saved. It's a fun time and I'm sad to see it go....more
Toby's friend, office mate, and all-around idiot dentist, seems to have accidentally killed his estrangedThe penultimate Toby Peters mystery. Damn it.
Toby's friend, office mate, and all-around idiot dentist, seems to have accidentally killed his estranged wife, with a crossbow. Joan Crawford, who witnessed it, wants her name kept out of the press, as she tries to secure her comeback film. Both are Toby's clients.
Phil, his brother, is leaving the police force, the only job he's even wanted to do.
This one ends with a major change, for Toby! I really wish I could say that I look forward to the continued adventures, in the new setup... but there's only one more left and no more to ever follow...
After the next, I'll be on to Kaminsky's other series. Still a lot of books, even if none of them are with Toby....more
Fact: actor Cary Grant was a spy for British Intelligence, during WWII In this adventure: Toby has to help Cary Grant against a Nazi cell operating in Fact: actor Cary Grant was a spy for British Intelligence, during WWII In this adventure: Toby has to help Cary Grant against a Nazi cell operating in Los Angeles. And he has to do it without ruining Grant's career or getting him shot.
Fun with Nazis... uh, so to speak. Toby has the help of Swiss midget and translator, Gunther, as well as ex-wrestler, Jeremy. Also involved is the questionably valuable Shelly, dentist and pain-in-the-ass.
More Toby Peters fun. And now there are only two more books, then no more Toby... ...more
While it, for some odd reason, doesn't say so, this is the second book in the a series about Harry Ingram, a black news photographer in 1960s Los AngeWhile it, for some odd reason, doesn't say so, this is the second book in the a series about Harry Ingram, a black news photographer in 1960s Los Angeles. The first book was set during the Watts riots and a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., called One-Shot Harry; this one is set shortly after and is less tied to real-world events.
A missing person leads to Harry being hired for the second time to do some investigating, instead of photographing or writing. This one leads to his woman, Claire, getting involved with one of her communist friends, undercover in a criminal casino.
Illegal wire-taps, out-of-control cops, mobsters, and femme fatales, one of whom is his love. An enjoyable mystery tale with a generous helping of action and adventure....more
Harry is a black Korean War vet, now working as a news photographer, in LA, in 1963. With a backdrop that includes a coming Martin Luther King, Jr. enHarry is a black Korean War vet, now working as a news photographer, in LA, in 1963. With a backdrop that includes a coming Martin Luther King, Jr. engagement, Harry finds himself investigating the death of his friend and becoming the target of two racist killers.
Nice read, set in a time and place where the protagonist must always consider skin colour, regardless of what he's doing. Even planning a small trip, he uses The Green Book to avoid the most racist towns.
My only quibble is the protagonist remembering Fantastic Four comics, when he was in grade school. But he would have been in grade school in the early 40s, at the latest, and Fantastic Four came out in 1961, a mere two years or so before this novel is set. A minor point, but it bugged me enough to remember it....more
Kind of sad that the final Spenser novel that Robert B. Parker wrote didn't have Hawk in it. And Spenser is training a new guy to be like him and HawkKind of sad that the final Spenser novel that Robert B. Parker wrote didn't have Hawk in it. And Spenser is training a new guy to be like him and Hawk and others, the eponymous Sixkill, a Cree.
It's another Spenser adventure. Not breaking new ground, but I'd swear this non-spoilery ending bit almost implies Parker suspected this was his last book:
It was still raining when I cam out of the club. But it seemed to me that it was getting a little lighter in the west. Over Cambridge. Where Susan lived.
After the rain lifted, the world would probably seem as freshly washed as I was. The cleanliness was almost certainly illusory, at at best short-lasting. But life is mostly metaphor, anyway.
I got in my car and drove west.
Maybe it's just me, but that sounds an awful lot like the cowboy riding into the sunset. Not that it's a new image, as Spenser is kind of a modern knight errant....more
Someone stole a painting. Then they blew up the guy with the ransom. And Spenser was supposed to be protecting the exploded guy. So of course he has tSomeone stole a painting. Then they blew up the guy with the ransom. And Spenser was supposed to be protecting the exploded guy. So of course he has to see the killer faces justice... of one sort or another.
Still fun, what with a couple murders, attempts on Spenser's life, an explosion...
It's Spenser. It's book 37, so either you shouldn't start here, or you already know you'll like it.
Now Spenser is confused about a man who makes love It's Spenser. It's book 37, so either you shouldn't start here, or you already know you'll like it.
Now Spenser is confused about a man who makes love to as many women as he can, and blackmails a few of them as he does so. But he remains happy, throughout. The women who help him, the woman who pays the blackmail, while still sleeping with him... it's a mystifying mess of human behaviour. And more Spenser/Susan fun, with just a little Hawk and Vinnie, on the side....more
A weirdly staged kidnapping, run by The Gray Man. Spenser is, once again, investigating on his own dime, since no one's hired him. It happened "on hisA weirdly staged kidnapping, run by The Gray Man. Spenser is, once again, investigating on his own dime, since no one's hired him. It happened "on his watch", so he feels obligated.
Of course nothing makes sense and Spenser and Hawk stumble around finding clues that don't seem to help. Standard for the course.
April Kyle comes back. Again (third times the charm?)
She fell in love. Again. With someone who's trying to control her. Again. She comes to Spenser toApril Kyle comes back. Again (third times the charm?)
She fell in love. Again. With someone who's trying to control her. Again. She comes to Spenser to save her... again. But this time all she does is lie, lie, l--- oh... yeah, that's 'again', as well.
Good character, told well, with adventure and mystery on the side. Always enjoyed....more
Spenser takes a case to see if a kid is innocent of the crimes he's accused of. Well, the kid's grandmother wants him to prove the kid innocent, but SSpenser takes a case to see if a kid is innocent of the crimes he's accused of. Well, the kid's grandmother wants him to prove the kid innocent, but Spenser will only find out the truth.
The interesting element is that this is a couple kids who go into their school and start shooting people. And the cops don't go in, because it's a smaller town and they don't have experience... and they were afraid.
RIPPED FROM TODAY'S HEADLINES!!!
Except... published in 2005, so more prescient, perhaps.
Spenser quickly realizes the kid did it, so spends his time trying to find out why. ...more
In a previous novel, Spenser is shot by the Gray Man, an assassin. He almost dies. Hawk and Susan nurse him back to fighting form.
In this one, Hawk isIn a previous novel, Spenser is shot by the Gray Man, an assassin. He almost dies. Hawk and Susan nurse him back to fighting form.
In this one, Hawk is shot in the back by gangsters who proceed to murder the guy he was protecting and most of his family. Now Spenser has to help nurse Hawk back to health, so that Hawk can seek vengeance on everyone involved.
Another entertaining Spenser novel. Nearly done, now, since I'm not interested in reading the fanfic that continued this series after Parker passed....more
What do you do if you're on a case and a couple secretive feds threaten your life if you don't stop, then a local mob boss threatens your life if you What do you do if you're on a case and a couple secretive feds threaten your life if you don't stop, then a local mob boss threatens your life if you don't stop, then you manage to survive a couple of actual attempts and are told you're going to die?
And what do you do if your client is angry with you, because she doesn't want to know the information you turned up, so she fires you?
If you're Spenser, you keep going. Once he's started a case, he sees it through, even if he no longer has a client. Even if it means hit teams will come after him. Susan, Hawk, and various supporting characters return, especially as a revolving guard detail for Susan becomes necessary.
Good. As always. Parker is just so damned readable, because he really creates characters you can "hear" and "see". And he's consistent with them. That and the writing just flows off the tongue... yes, I find myself reading out loud, to hear it....more
Another good Spenser story. At this point you've either read 28 previous novels in the series and know you'll like this one or you should definitely gAnother good Spenser story. At this point you've either read 28 previous novels in the series and know you'll like this one or you should definitely go back to the first book and grow, age, and experience the thrills and mysteries along with Spense and Hawk and Susan and the rest....more
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