April Kyle, the damsel in distress that Spenser rescued in two earlier books, Ceremony (1982) and Taming a Sea Horse (1986), again turns to the iconic Boston PI for help in the 34th entry in Parker's popular series. Cynical yet romantic, Spenser easily handles the immediate threat of some men trying to muscle in on the high-class Boston whorehouse April is running. Unfortunately, that isn't the real problem, and Spenser without much surprise finds that April, the thugs and everyone else involved is lying to him. Instead of walking away, Spenser continues to probe, following trails that lead to New York, a con artist, mob connections and other complications. This is vintage Parker, with Spenser exchanging witty dialogue with the faithful Hawk, sexy dialogue with his beloved Susan and smart-alecky dialogue with cops and villains. The old pros can make it look easy, and that goes for both the author and his hero as they deliver the goods smoothly and with inimitable style. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Lucky April, delivered from streetwalking to a better clientele in Ceremony and from a nasty lover in Taming a Sea-Horse. Now she's a madam protecting her turf, and she needs Spenser's help again. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Spenser, who seems to alternate these days between meaty cases and time-passers, follows School Days (2005) with a thin tale of trouble among high-class prostitutes whose only distinction is bringing back a familiar face from the past. Twenty-five years ago, Spenser rescued runaway teen April Kyle by the unorthodox means of placing her with upscale Manhattan madam Patricia Utley (Ceremony, 1982). When April ran off from her second home, Spenser was on hand to save her again (Taming a Sea-Horse, 1986). Now April, who looks great despite all the miles she's got on her, wants his help fending off the bad guys trying to horn in on the Back Bay brothel she runs. It's the work of a moment for Spenser and Hawk to send the hired bullyboys on their way, of course, but Ollie DeMars, the Southie crew chief who hired them, won't say who paid him to lean on April. Spenser's hunch is that it's Lionel Farnsworth, an ex-client of April's who's already done time for real-estate fraud. But something doesn't add up. April's business just isn't generating enough trade to be worth the trouble of stealing. Is somebody lying to Spenser? Yes. Just about everybody, as he realizes over and over and over until the curtain finally comes down with a bang. Spenser's detective chops are less in evidence than his messiah complex. Even the dialogue, always Parker's specialty, sounds suspiciously like Elmore Leonard.
This is the third appearance of April Kyle, originally a runaway teenage hooker, now a sophisticated Boston madam. Once again, she needs rescuing by Boston’s preeminent soft-hearted tough guy—Spenser. Joe Mantegna’s pace is perfect for bringing our hero to life, along with his usual gang. This is no mean feat as Parker has spent a generation developing and perfecting the characters and voices in this series. There’s no disappointment in Mantegna’s rendering of women, blacks, Boston cops, or South Boston gangsters. Readers of Parker will find that listening to Mantegna’s Spenser is as exciting as each new story in the series. M.C. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
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