Spenser also finds himself with one of those clients who doesn’t tell him all he needs to know and tries threatening him … added fun for the reader! We get lots of series regulars in this one, such as Gino Fish, Joe Broz, and a few others. Hawk is employed along with Spenser on this case and so there’s lots of shooting and other danger and violence bits.

Fun as always.

5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️


Audio:
Burt Reynolds narrated this one and … while he isn’t exactly the right fit for Spenser, he’s better than the previous 22 books’ narrators. Not a huge fan of this performance, but … we’ve definitely heard worse.



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