Customer Reviews

Back Story

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Many of the reviews I've read about Robert B. Parker's latest Spenser novel, Back Story, suggest that it is unlikely to win any new Spenser fans. This may be true, but Parker's 30th Spenser offering seems to be designed not with new fans in mind, but for old Spenser junkies like myself who have grown older along with the gumshoe, Susan, Hawk, Lt. Quirk, and the rest of the series characters. After several novels, a series become less story-driven and more character-driven. Back Story is a classic example.

Hired by surrogate son Paul Giacomin for a box of six Krispy Kreme donuts, Spenser sets out to solve the murder of a woman who died in a 1974 bank robbery. Following a trail that's nearly thirty years old, he soon discovers that several people don't want the murder solved -- and that some people are willing to kill to keep it under wraps.

Character-wise, Parker pulls out all the stops. In addition to Hawk, Paul, Quirk and Belson, we are re-united with some of Parker's more colorful characters: former Joe Broz gunman Vinnie Morris; Junior and Ty-Bop, two enforcers for black crime kingpin Tony Marcus; and Ives, the mysterious Company man (too bad Parker didn't find a way to weave Rachel Wallace into the story). There is very little suspense in the book, but that's never been Parker's strong suit anyway. Action-wise, the series peaked with A Catskill Eagle, but there are just enough punches and bullets here to keep the story rolling, culminating with a shootout in Harvard Stadium. And of course, there's the fabulous verbal interplay between Spenser, Hawk, Susan, Quirk, Frank Belson, and just about everyone else. Susan, whom I've often found superfluous to the series, shows her value here, as she helps Spenser through a brief bout of self-doubt. Hawk is -- well, he's Hawk: unfailingly loyal to Spenser and Susan, deadly to just about anyone else. And Spenser never lets us down, working a dangerous case for no money, finding out things his client (a co-worker of Paul's) would rather not know, determined to see the case through to the end. Not many people can understand the complex moral code he lives by, but Susan does, Hawk does --and maybe that's enough.

If you're a fan of detective fiction and you've never read a Spenser novel, I would recommend that you begin from the beginning and pick up The Godwulf Manuscript, the inaugural novel of the series (I would also wonder what planet you are from, but that's neither here nor there). The Spenser novels truly are one of the great treasures of contemporary American fiction. Back Story is a satisfying read, but it is nothing special -- unless you spend a little time with the characters first.

I don't know what compels me to keep reading Robert B. Parker's "Spenser" series. The plotting has become almost nonexistent, the dialog is recycled from book to book, the books are getting shorter and shorter and Parker mainly seems to amuse himself by seeing how many characters from previous books he can pack into the current one, so it obviously isn't for the fresh, original take on the private eye genre.

But it's still fun, dammit. Somehow, Parker always manages to engage my attention. The interaction between Hawk and Spenser still amuses, Spenser's twisted honor code still thrills and Susan's soppy shrinkiness still annoys.

In this outing, we are on the hunt for the perpetrator of a killing 30 years in the past. The actual plot is incidental, as Parker seems to be making things up as he goes. The characters are, as usualy, thinly written and heavily dependent on stereotypes. But Spenser gamely travels from Boston to New Hampshire to California and back, giving us all our two hour's worth of lively description and jaunty heroism.

If you are already a fan of the series, you've already bought this one and don't need my review. But if you are not already a fan, don't start here. Go back to the fabulous days of Ceremony, A Catskill Eagle, The Judas Goat and you will become a fan, ready to read and grouse over each new entry in the Parker oeuvre.

You can get Spenser, that's what. A lady wants Spenser to solve her mom's murder from 28 years ago, and once Spenser starts snooping, he discovers both the mob and the FBI wants him to stop. But why? He snoops around a bunch that reminded me of the Sybonese Liberation Army (remember Patty Hearst?), i.e., overgrown hippies who break laws in their quest for social justice.

As usual, Robert B. Parker keeps his book moving quickly, with rapid fire action and snippy dialog between Spenser, Hawk and Susan. A classic Spenser novel.

Back Story involves Spenser almost casually in an abandoned trail to a 1974 killing of actress Daryl Silver's (nee Gordon) mother, Emily. When she was 6, Daryl's mother was killed while cashing some traveler's checks in the old Shawmut Bank branch in Audubon Circle. A revolutionary group, the Dread Scott Brigade, was responsible. For openers to the case, Spenser quickly is puzzled by a reference to an FBI intelligence report in the case file . . . a report that has gone missing. Soon, he has visitors who firmly ask him to "desist" from asking questions about Emily Gordon because "it is in the best interest of the United States." Spenser learns that "a tax audit is not impossible." Next, a less polite visitor arrives with a gun and shoots a hole in a lamp shade. "Boss wanted you to see me shoot." As Spenser begins to sort out the crime, his "client" tells him she doesn't want to know any more. Spenser continues relentlessly, despite being "paid" only six Krispy Kreme doughnuts flown in thoughtfully from out of town by Paul Giacomin, Spenser's almost surrogate son. Spenser's sense of duty is even stronger than he thought. He's stirred up a hornet's nest and the hornets had better look out!

One of the great appeals of this story is the extensive involvement of lots of Mr. Parker's best characters. That makes the story development a lot of fun. You'll find out about Paul's career as a theatrical director, spend lots of time with an armed and dangerous Hawk, Vinnie Morris is brought in for protection, Quirk is advising from the sidelines, and Susan is adjusting to a new "Pearl" whom Spenser brings back from Toronto. During the book's resolution, Spenser teams with Jesse Stone (of Death in Paradise, Trouble in Paradise and Night Passage) in a memorable collaboration of the two strong men.

The context for the story was also very appealing to me from a nostalgia point of view. The bank robbery described mimics a similar crime in Boston which brought me back to my younger days. There are hippies from the free love times. Spenser finds himself in the middle of a gunfight at Harvard Stadium following a jog nearby in an earlier chapter. Government cover-ups were prevalent in 1974, so hearing about another one brings back those memories.

The story's resolution also chimes in well with recent developments among the crime lords in Massachusetts, giving the book an up-to-date feel.

As usual, the dialogue is crisp, witty and original. I don't remember better.

Then why did I rate the book at four stars rather than five? Unfortunately, the mystery itself is something of a clunker . . . being way too obvious and coming into the open way too soon. If Mr. Parker had kept the mystery hidden better and longer, this would have been one of his very best books. As it is, the book is extremely interesting, entertaining and amusing. The development of Spenser's moral obligation to solve the case is very fine. All Spenser fans should immediately read Back Story!

After you finish, think about what ethical challenges you would respond to . . . even after it became in your personal best interest to stop.

Spenser's back -- how many times have we heard that? This is the 30th time he's back, making him an institution several times over. The plot of this (su)spenser dredges up idiocies of the early '70s era that began the series, and that Parker never quite got out of his system. A Patty Heart-like political bank robbery went badly wrong 28 years ago (dating from May 2002), leaving a member of the gang dead at the scene and a coworker of Paul Giacomin's theatrical troupe still angry and upset over the unsolved loss of her mother. Working for six Krisky Kreme donuts as a fee, Spenser takes on one of the most dangerous cases he's faced -- it's also dangerous to his partner Susan, who's threatened by her association with him. Nothing he turns up -- and it's quite a bit -- appears to confirm the assumed facts of the case, and it becomes clear early on the FBI is covering up something it doesn't want known. As in the previous books, good food and lovemaking are close seconds to a solid investigation. We get Spenser's usual acerbic zingers here, and Hawk gets a number in as well, because he's treated as a betrayer to the black cause by radicals and ex-radicals supporting African-American liberation. My only complaint is that Parker lays descriptions of food on a bit heavy before the pace of the book picks up; after that, I was relieved Spenser had a chance to eat between trips to the west coast. As in "Stardust," the woman needing his help is unwilling to help him, so he has to call in most of his favors to unearth the hastily buried family mess that festered over the years. References to "Hamlet" keep us alert to the problem of an unfairly killed parent -- or so it would seem till it's clear who killed who and why. As usual in the Spenser novels, the truth comes twisted enough to undercut our trust in its rectification. Finally, Susan is among the most attractive women ever depicted by an American writer: her strength of character and insight, her constancy and independence make it clear that she (not Spenser) is the real backbone of this series.

As a reader who was introduced to Robert Parker and his Spenser detective novels by watching Robert Urich in the television series, I was saddened by Urich's death last year since in a way a part of the Spenser mystique for me had died with him. Thus, I was delighted that Spenser reappeared in BACK STORY, which as the thirtieth book in the series seems to have refined the characters to their essence. And we also have Jesse Stone, the chief of the Paradise police department and the main character of three Parker novels, become periperally in this Spenser case as Parker devotees probably guessed was inevitable. (Will Sunny Randall be next?)

Paul Giacomin, a character in previous Spenser novels (and a surrogate son for Spenser) and now a successful playwright, visits Spenser with Daryl Silver, an actress and friend. While visiting Daryl's aunt in Boston twenty-eighty years ago (when Daryl was six years old), Daryl's mother Emily Gordon was murdered during a bank robbery by the Dread Scott brigade, an unknown revolutionary black power group reminiscent of the Black Panthers. The murder was never solved and the group members were never identified, and Daryl hopes Spenser will investigate the case so she can finally have closure. The police had hit a dead end, but of course Quirk still remembers it and would love to close an old case but isn't particularly hopeful regarding Spenser's chances of so doing. Things look even bleaker when it becomes apparent that all copies of the FBI file regarding the case have mysteriously disappeared.

As Spenser follows up on old leads, he is soon threatened (first verbally and then shot at my a group of hit men). Of course, the danger that first he and then Susan Silverman face mean that Hawk is an almost continual presence in this story, much to the delight of all true Spenser fans. The story includes almost all the usual cast of characters that have made this series so successful (in addition to Quirk, Hawk, and Susan - Vinnie Morris, Tay Bop and Frank Belson all have bit parts). We are introduced to Nathan Epstein, who is delightful in his essential role as Spenser's FBI liasion. The bad guys include both the mob and other assorted characters from Daryl's childhood years. None of them are likely to appear in future stories, especially since more than the usual quota meet their demise at the hands of Spenser and Hawk.

As Spenser gradually uncovers the truth and learns that it is not exactly as Daryl described, she becomes so emtionally distraught that she asks him to quit the case. However, since he had agreed to take the case as a favor to Paul and his only fee had been a box of Krispy Kreme donuts, he declines to end the investigation. Partially because he believes since he now has reopened the case that he and Susan will continue to be in danger unless it is solved, but also because as Susan observes using her fine psychoanalytical skills and thorough knowledge of Spenser's character (and reinforced by some wonderfully rich imagery from Hawk), he "can't quit early... [he] has to know how it will turn out".

This book does not present an especially difficult mystery for the reader to solve, as several of the elements of the solution are in fact telegraphed relatively early in the story. However, there are enough details which involve the usual misdirection to keep the interest of the reader. And some of the characters, such as the aging hippie who is Daryl's father and the associated imagery are wonderful. It also has some of best dialog and psychological interplay between Spenser, Susan, and Hawk in any of the stories in the series. Over the years, their characters have grown comfortable with each other, in fact they have become among the most enjoyable characters in this genre. Both the male/female and black/white interplay is done in a meaningful and enjoyable manner. So, if you are a new Robert Parker reader, don't hesitate to start with this book although you will probably not enjoy it as much as those readers with an extensive background in the series. And if you are already a fan, this is another excellent addition to the series, despite the death of another old friend besides Robert Urich.

Back Story, the latest in Parker's Spenser series, is a retro turn reminiscent of a previous Spenser novel, Pastime. In Pastime Spenser's quasi son, Paul Giacomin, approached Spenser when he discovers that his (Paul's) mother has disappeared and asks Spenser to find her, bringing up all sorts of unwanted info in the investigations wake. (Read Parker's Early Autumn if you are interested in how Paul becomes Spenser's quasi son.)

In back Story Paul approaches Spenser on behalf of a friend of his. Her mother was killed in a bank robbery in Boston nearly 30 years ago when she was just a child and she wants Spenser to determine what really happened and who did the deed. As is always the case, a lot of unwanted baggage is dredged up and Spenser has to persevere though the client gets cold feet and there are some very bad guys who are not pleased by the turn of events.

The Spenser series has become a sort of hit or miss thing lately. The most recent book previous to this, Widow's Walk, was pretty lame. The edition before that, Pot Shot, very strong. I don't know if his other series are distracting Parker too much or what. One of the real pleasures of this series earlier years was the genuinely good story telling that marked each new entry.

That's not the case anymore. However, Parker can still hit the occasional home run in this series and back Story is a home run. The story is marked by an intensity reminiscent of the early Spenser novels. The characters are vibrant. The violence convincing. This one is a winner.

If only they could all be this good.

It's always a pleasure to hear Joe Mantegna read what Robert B. Parker writes. His flat delivery of the "I said, he said" dialogue along with distinctive accents and inflections for Spenser's supporting cast produce an almost melodic presentation. Spenser and friends continue to age gracefully, projecting the wisdom and perspective of those not too far from cashing their first Social Security checks. True, their libidos are at least a decade younger than they are, and when it comes to dealing with the bad guys, of course Spenser and Hawk are still in their prime.

There's no neo political correctness either. Ethnic stereotypes are fair game when describing any character, and Parker has a gift for crafting observations that are irreverent, but fair and in no way offensive. The story unfolds with great dialogue and pace as we become reacquainted with Martin Quirk and Vinnie Morris and meet Nathan Epstein, the savvy Special Agent in Charge of the Boston FBI office. Pearl the wonderdog who was showing sighns of age in "Widow's Walk" is gone. No rehash of how, just a side trip to Toronto to pick up the new Pearl.

Hanging around with Parker's core characters is so much fun that it's actually disruptive when he sends Spenser off to solve a twenty eight-year-old murder. Daryl Silver the stunning actress friend of Paul Giacomin who starts Spenser on this quest is little more than a mannequin. I wish Parker would give his damsels in distress a little more substance a la Elmore Leonard. Mob boss Sonny Karnofsky is now pushing eighty. He has lived in the same North Shore mansion for more than forty years, so it's a bit of a stretch that nobody knows he has a daughter in her 50s who lives a couple of towns away, the wife of his ex-bodyguard Ziggy. But that plot line does create an opportunity for Spenser and Hawk to meet Jesse Stone. The two leading men from different Parker stories turn out to be surprisingly compatible.

Don't even try to figure out why Parker chooses "Taft" University and Harvard Stadium for the book's two shootouts. As to how a bunch of pot smoking college drop outs from the sixties, a couple of ex-cons and the FBI all fit together in the cover up of and old murder - well let's just say the ending is the weakest part of the story. But I think you'll enjoy the pictures Parker paints of Spenser's Boston, dialogue that seldom contains a superfluous word and an old action hero who really is getting better with age.

This was farfetched but still an enjoyable read. Paul Giacomin is back, but just doesn't have enough role in the story for full enjoyment. It's also missing the delectable Hawk. And, thank goodness, Susan Silverman's role is small too. I would recommend this to the diehard Spenser fan.

Parker has really made an effort here, and it shows. Recent books were getting thinner and more off-hand, and the last in the Spenser series, "Widow's Walk" read like Parker wrote it while he was watching a ball game. But in "Back Story," Parker has done it for us again. It's not the "Godwulf Manuscript" and it's certainly not "Looking for Rachel Wallace," but it has depth and heft, and a fresh plot that involves us in some very satisfying intricacy as it works itself out. Spenser shows more of himself, and our understanding of him deepens. Here it isn't an appealing client needing real help that is the reason he keeps going; it is his own choice to finish what he started, even at considerable cost. He is "peerless," as Susan Silverman says, a man of integrity, humanity and power, whose choices, like this one, come always from a place of honor. And he still is as funny as he always was, with the same discerning eye, seeing everyone, from aging hippies to aging mobsters, right through any pretension or fascade, seeing the good in the bad guys and the bad in the good guys, seeing things as they are.

There are signs here that Parker is making some acknowledgement to the fact that if Spenser fought in Korea, he can't really be 42 years old anymore. Now he does weightlifting for repetition, rather than for weight, he does measured runs, with walk breaks, on Harvard's track, rather than pounding for miles along the Charles River. He decides to have one English muffin because the second one he wants isn't good for him. The women he says look pretty good are in their fifties, and both he and Hawk say sadly "Too young" when teenagers walk by in bikinis. But may I suggest here that a "willing suspension of disbelief" is more than appropriate. We may all be aging, but Spenser doesn't really have to, unless we insist on it. Rex Stout's Archie Goodwin would have been in a wheelchair in real time during many of his most useful flirtations. Nero Wolfe himself would have been about 112 years old when he solved his last cases. Sherlock Holmes could not actually have dealt both with Victorian hounds and the Norden Bombsite in the same adult lifetime. I think that, along with Parker, we should make no more than a gentle reference to Spenser's age, and then leave it alone. If we lean on it too much, Spenser may retire, and I, for one, am not ready.

In "Back Story" Parker brings down barriers between story lines, and even across series. It is very appealing to have two heavy-weight thugs who tried to kill Spenser in "Pastime" sitting on the steps of Susan's classy house to guard her. And Parker has Spenser work with Jesse Stone in this one, so we get to see Jesse through Spenser's eyes. I'd very much like to know how Spenser looks to Jesse. And, hey, Sunny works in Boston. There are all sorts of possibilities.