Cold Service (Spenser, #32)

Cold Service (Spenser, #32)

Robert B. Parker

Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

When Spenser's closest ally, Hawk, is brutally injured and left for dead while protecting bookie Luther Gillespie, Spenser embarks on an epic journey to rehabilitate his friend in body and soul. Hawk, always proud, has never been dependent on anyone. Now he is forced to make connections: to accept the medical technology that will ensure his physical recovery, and to reinforce the tenuous emotional ties he has to those around him. Spenser quickly learns that the Ukrainian mob is responsible for the hit, but finding a way into their tightly knit circle is not nearly so simple. Their total control of the town of Marshport, from the bodegas to the police force to the mayor's office, isn't just a sign of rampant corruption-it's a form of arrogance that only serves to ignite Hawk's desire to get even. As the body count rises, Spenser is forced to employ some questionable techniques and even more questionable hired guns while redefining his friendship with Hawk in the name of vengeance.

Publication Year: 2005


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  • PelicanFreak
    Mar 11, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

    Starts out with Hawk in the hospital, having been shot 3 times in the back. Obviously Spenser is going to help him avenge this incident.

    They even bring in Ruger (AKA: ‘The Gray Man’) , so it gets very interesting, as they try to take out an entire crime unit.
    It’s also interesting to see how some of these men have Hawk’s back at times and to see—a very rare sighting—the soft side of Hawk.

    Excellent, as always.

    5 stars.
    ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️


    Audio:
    Joe Mantenga … he’s not exactly the best Spenser but … out of the narrators this series has seen, he is by far.



    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







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