Customer Reviews

Crimson Joy

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'll start with a confession: I've never read Robert B. Parker before. And I didn't know anything about Spenser before I met him in Crimson Joy. I don't know - I thought maybe Sam Spade; dark, rainy nights, bare light bulbs in a dingy office.

Boy, was I wrong.

In this book, Spenser and friends are up against the Red Rose killer. The bad guy is quite obviously a psychological case, so Spenser's psychologist girlfriend gets to be a partner in crime as well as in bed, with delightful humor and good will. They're both such really great people, it's fun to be around them.

Spenser is in great physical shape; he's brave and witty; he's a gourmet cook. He's never ruffled. Faced with a slime talk show host or a five-thug citizen pressure group, his wit, strength, and courage save the day.

Okay, it might all be too good to be true, but this is a story. It's comfortable, funny, fast-paced, breezy and uncomplicated. The plot is clever enough to interest, even if the outcome is surly a foregone conclusion.

In Spenser's words, "To be who I was and do what I did had to assume I'd win." That's how I felt from the start and I was glad he was who he was and did what he did and I loved every minute of it.

I have been reading Spenser since I was a teenager and this is one of the best I have read.

The case in the story, a serail killer who leaves a red rose at the scene of the crime, is a heart wrenching one. As the case developes the novel gets more intense and more belivable.

Then when the reader thinks the case is resolved Parker throws one last heart wrenching detail at his readers. This is parker at the top of his craft. A must read for any Spenser fan.

What a relief! After reading A Catskill Eagle I started to worry that Parker was losing me with his "Spencer as Rambo" style. But Crimson Joy gets back to what made Parker a superb mystery novelist: Spencer solving a mystery and tracking down the criminal. There is a lot of police involvement in this one as Spencer agrees to help out our favorite detective, Martin Quirk. Hawk helps out, which is always a plus, and there is the added suspense of Susan being put in the path of danger as she becomes involved in her role as psychotherapist.

A Crimson Joy is a top notch Spenser novel and I highly recommend it for all fans of the crime novel. I can't wait to read the next in the Spenser saga!

In Crimson Joy, the indomitable Spenser turns his focused, deadly attention to tracking down a psychopathic killer who leaves a red rose on each of his female victims. Spenser is joined by Hawk, his soul-brother. In fact, the strong bond between Hawk and Spenser, explored in the humourous and touching dialog between the two is a nice bonus (in this as in other Spenser stories).

When the killer turns his attentions to Susan, the love of Spenser's life, the case becomes dramatically personal for Spenser and for Hawk, too, who, in his quiet, intense way is as devoted to Susan as to Spenser.

The narrative is fast-paced and the dialog tight and compelling. But don't think that the author lacks a romantic soul - for every so often comes a descriptive line of real poetry, as in"...the slim gold of nature's first green beginning to edge out on some of the shrubs."

Likewise, Spenser himself is no one-dimensional problem-solving tough guy. He is an intelligent, cultured man with a strong sense of morality. He knows he is in fact his brother's keeper. (And his woman's protector.) He demonstrates genuine human sensitivity - "The thing about monsters is, you want to kill them until you meet them, and when you meet them they don't seem monstrous, and killing them begins to seem unkind."

The end of the story provides an interesting twist which leaves the reader knowing more about the killer and his motivations than the characters in the book every learn.

Each one of the Spenser stories adds to the accumulated lore about Spenser, Susan and Hawk. You won't want to miss this one.

After the epic conclusion of "A Catskill Eagle," Robert B. Parker's next couple of Spenser novels seemed rather pale in comparison. Although he went from imitation James Bond back to more traditional, intimate adventures for our hero, it certainly seemed like Parker was just going through the motions by the end of "Pale Kings and Princes." I was a feared that this series was going into decline. However, those doubts were quickly assuaged by the beginning of "Crimson Joy," which hooked me immediately and convinced me Parker was trying to reclaim the high ground

Ultimately "Crimson Joy" is a very atypical Spenser novel for several key reasons. The first is that there are interludes told in the first person perspective of someone other than Spenser. In this case it is a serial killer called the "Red Rose Killer" because he leaves a long-stemmed red rose on the corpse of each woman he kills. Periodically we hear the killer's thoughts as he has a session with his psychiatrist, and if THAT does not set warning bells off in your head you are not paying attention. Second, because we have access to the mind of the killer, this book has a much grittier tone than any of its predecessors. No matter how much pity you feel for the killer, and certainly the circumstances that created him demand some degree of pity, the revulsion element remains strong. The ending of this novel is as unsettling as anything Parker has ever written. Even our hero is not as quick with the quips as usual, simply because these horrific crimes do not allow too much witticism. One thing about Parker: he certainly tries to avoid ending a Spenser story the same way twice. Finally, Spenser is on the case, without pay, as a favor to Martin Quirk, who has already been taunted in a personal message from the killer. When it becomes clear Spenser and Susan are potential targets as well, the search becomes more personal, but you also get the feeling that for once our hero is not as in control as is usually the case. In effect, he and Susan are quite vulnerable, which ends up working in the story's favor.

On the home front, although Spenser and Susan have been happy since her return, there happiness has been based on mere words rather than actions (I mean actions other than sex). In this novel, because the case is bound up so intimately with Susan's work as a psychiatrist, the couple have to work out their boundaries more explicitly than before. Certainly Susan seems both more serious and more settled than before, which in turn clearly strengthens their relationship. This is more than getting them back on track, this is getting them to continuing their progression. They even get back to doing some more cooking, although still nothing like the early days. "Crimson Joy" is one of the best Spenser novels, but admittedly it might not be everyone's cup of tea. Finish this one well before you have to go to bed.

This book is a typical Spenser for Hire book, for better or for worse. You know the routine by now: capable of a read in a single sitting; the witty repartee; the sassy and cocksure internal narrative by Spenser; the sparring with Hawk to mask the mutual feelings of respect; the surprisingly clever descriptions of characters; the Boston settings depicted with pride. Parker is to be commended on his choice of words, because although his stories are so brief, they say a lot and don't waste much time. In fact, I describe the Spenser stories as compact more than short. They are powerful in that Parker never lets you forget he is a wordsmith, and capable of great bursts of creativity and humor.

Crimson Joy is not as action packed as other Spenser books, and is more cerebral. Susan plays more of a role in this one, too, and thus it has a lot of psychological overtones. This makes the book interesting from a clinical sense, but some readers might miss the fighting and machismo. This book is kind of sexy, too, in terms of its exploration of Spenser and Susan's relationship, though it never stoops to being crude or raunchy. [I keep forgetting these are just racy enough to prevent their becoming family books, since I find myself wanting to recommend them to folks of all ages.]

Robert Parker's Spenser series is always good, and Crimson Joy is even better than many of the Spenser books.

A serial killer has been targeting black woman. He ties up his victims, shots them, and leaves a red rose on each woman (thus he's been dubbed Red Rose by the press). Homicide detective Lt. Martin Quirk of the Boston Police Department brings private investigator Spenser in on the case. Red Rose wrote a letter to Quirk claiming that he's a cop, and Quirk wants at least one person on the investigation who is not associated with the BPD. Red Rose then starts leaving red roses for Spenser's girlfriend, psychologist Susan Silverman. Spenser suspects that Red Rose is one of Susan's patients, but Susan is reluctant to help because of patient confidentiality issues. In the meantime, Spenser and Hawk take turns guarding Susan while Spenser and the BPD investigate the murders. The race is on to catch Red Rose before he kills again--especially before Spenser and Silverman become victims.

I enjoyed Crimson Joy for a number of reasons. First, this becomes a psycho-thriller as Spenser matches wits with Red Rose. We even get to hear the voice of Red Rose as he struggles with his demons and his past. Then there is the conflict between Spenser and Silverman about what is more important---patient-doctor confidentiality or catching a killer. There is also a twist at the end. And then there is always the repartee between Spenser and Hawk. These all add up to a great book.

I've read all of the Spenser novels, and I believe this is one of the very best. It delves into previously unseen areas of Spenser's relationship with Susan, especially when their professions come into conflict. When Susan becomes a potential victim of a vicious serial killer and may have knowledge, through her practice as a psychologist, that could help catch him, Spenser runs up against the doctor-patient confidentiality that helps define her as a therapist. He must quell his normal bull in a china shop urges and work around her rather than irreparably damaging their relationship and her opinion of herself.

Crimson Joy is less physical than other novels in the series, with a heavier emphasis on the psychological aspects of the case. It also adds a rather effective new twist: some of the chapters are told from the killer's point of view, rather than Spenser's. All in all, it's an excellent read, and a very well put together story.

Spenser should've put Susan and her professional ethics in a room with the serial killer and not opened the door until she was begging like young Dr. Frankenstein when he's locked in with the Monster. Then again, maybe it would be the serial killer crying to get out.

I have read and reviewed the first fourteen Spenser books and now to fifteen, CRIMSON JOY. Why aren't you reading this series?? Parker has created a great series with good story lines and such rich characters. They are all in this one, Spenser and instead of meddling is invited by Lt. Quirk and Detective Belson to help them, Hawk,not a huge role, and Susan Silverman, great book for her character. Serial killer on the prowl, might be a cop, but definitely a sickie.