Customer Reviews

Melancholy Baby (Sunny Randall)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

CAVEAT: if you are looking for a mystery laden straightforward detective story filled with surprising twists, in all likelihood this will be only a two star story for you. Furthermore, if you have not previously read some of Robert Parker's books, don't start with this one. While sufficient background information is interwoven into the story to make it work as a standalone novel, any potential reader has the advantage that despite Parker's approximately fifty books in print, this is only the fourth book in the recently created Sunny (Sonya) Randall series. Thus, given the fact that all Parker's books are incredibly fast reads, it makes sense to start with FAMILY HONOR and meet Sunny's friends, family, and bull terrier Rosie as her cases and the complications of her life unfold. New readers will miss some of the crossover references to the Spenser series in this book, but even many longtime Spenser fans such as myself, the task of reading all the early books in that series (which is responsible for the legion of readers that he has today) is still incomplete. But for me, this is the most enjoyable Sunny Randall book to date.

The plot is simplicity itself, Sarah Markham (a college student) is referred to Sunny because Sarah has become increasingly convinced that the couple who have raised her are not her parents. (While they are adamant that she is her daughter they refuse to submit to a DNA test for "religious reasons" and out of privacy concerns.) Sonny has just been notified by Ritchie, her ex-husband, that given Sonny's reluctance to remarry (anyone -she still loves him) and have children, he is about to marry another woman. Thus, Sarah's case provides a possible distraction for Sunny as she attempts to sort out why she is still so psychologically conflicted about her personal relationships at thirty seven years of age. As soon as Sunny starts detecting (no more an unusual word than Sunny's use of the adjective the griefy or describing her therapy as shrinkage), she realizes what an emotional cripple Sarah is and how totally weird her parents are. Thus, the stage is set. Repairing Sarah's life will be juxtaposed with Sunny's attempt to repair her own. (The plot is simple but the storyline complex.)

Of course, violence soon erupts, and the case becomes the standard Parker detective procedural, heavy on the character relationships rather than the plot. But even for Parker, this plot is thin and the question is how the story will be resolved, not the mystery of Sarah's parentage. Of course, there are the usual few homicides, just to up the stakes and inject an element of physical danger as well as mystery and psychological stress. In addition to Ritchie's brief appearance but central importance both to the story and also to Sunny's future, Spike is once again an important supporting actor and Tony Marcus makes a cameo appearance. During one of Sunny's visits to NYC, series newcomer Detective Sal Corsetti suddenly assumes a key role in the case, and wonderfully plays his character of a surprisingly (to the bad guys) clever cop willing to take on anyone who gets in his way. We even get to meet Lolly Drake, one of the multitude of talk radio icons with whom by now we are all passingly familiar. Most importantly, however, Sunny's attempt to solve Sarah's case combined with her own personal identity crisis helps her to connect with her father (an ex-cop) and provides previously lacking insight concerning his relationship with her mother.

And now the final element of the story that will capture the interest of long time Parker readers and Spenser fans. Sunny's personal crisis finally leads her to seek professional help in an attempt to move on with her life, and who is recommended as a therapist - none other than Dr. Susan Silverman. Sunny's reaction to their initial meetings and subsequent visits is fascinating, as we suddenly see Susan from the viewpoint of a woman with Spenser's powers of observation but with an objectivity which he lacks and with the remoteness which is often the case early in the therapist - patient relationship. Never have I seen Parker spend so much time on detailed descriptions of someone who is many ways a secondary character to the story, but of course it is because of the fact that Sunny's perception of Susan's competence and their developing relationship is crucial to her future. She comes to realize that Susan cannot provide the answers either to her case or to her future.

There are many wonderful moments in this book, but most of them are only peripherally about the case. Rather, they are about the impact of the case on everyone around Sarah and Sunny, along with a few moments of pure fun with Rosie for all dog lovers. And while the case is eventually closed, there are plenty of loose ends to be picked up in future stories. What will be Ritchie's role in Sunny's life? Will Sarah's bond with Sunny somehow continue in other stories, similar to the reappearance of Paul Giacomin in the Spenser series? Will Sunny find out that Dr. Silverman's partner is also a private detective (her father obviously knows this fact but she doesn't have a clue) and how will this change their relationship? And finally, of course, the ultimate fantasy, will Sunny and Spenser's pursuit of their careers somehow cause them to be thrown into contact and collaborate on a case? We'll have to await future stories for the answers to these questions, and given the author's writing methodology he may not yet know himself. Meanwhile, I wholeheartedly recommend this book subject to the caveat at the beginning of this review.

Tucker Andersen

Parker is what he is. He writes in dialogue, his books can be read in three hours or less, one would not need to read any of them twice. Sunny Randall is a young female version of his famous P.I. "Spenser", and she works in the same city, has some of the same connections, and in this episode she encounters more directly a character from Spenser's world. I agree with the prior reviewer who notes that paying $25 for such a quickly read entertainment seems steep. I get mine from the library (and I take them back!) so money is not an issue. All that said, I enjoyed this installment quite a bit. I did guess who the villain was pretty early, yet still liked it. If you like Robert B. Parker's writing style, you'll like this. If you are new to his world, it isn't a bad choice, but I'd advise you to read the Sunny Randalls and the Jesse Stone novels in the order in which they have been published instead. As for the "Spenser" series, there are probably too many out there to find them in the order of publication, so just plunge in and go backwards. I've read at least half of Parker's 40-plus published books, and enjoyed all but one or two. He does tough guy or gal quite well, understated humor well, and beloved dogs even better. The mystical bond between seemingly mismatched couples is also a specialty of his. And quirky sidekicks, too, are handled well. "Melancholy Baby" may not be a noir masterpiece, but it is nothing to be ashamed of, either.

Robert B. Parker has been writing Spenser novels for more than 3 decades now, and his two other series (Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone) are also entertaining. While they're good, the main characters especially tend to be somewhat derivative of Spenser. Sunny Randall, to this point, has been a smaller, younger, female version of Spenser. Now, with the help of Spenser's lady love Susan Silverman, Sunny goes into therapy in order to figure out why she can't fully commit to a relationship. The result is some character development (with a detour to revisit her relationship with her parents, especially her father) and finally the series begins to mature and develop.

Sunny's a fun character. Like Spenser, she was a cop but had trouble with authority. Like Spenser, she has a cute dog and lots of witticisms for clients and bad guys. Now, unlike Spenser, we see that she isn't always quite as self-confident as he is. This is interesting, and we'll see where Parker goes with it.

In the book's main plot, Sunny gets hired by a young woman who wants to find out who her parents really are. She has a couple who claim to be her birth parents, but doesn't believe them. When she asks them for DNA samples (which would prove her heritage) they both balk. She then hires Sunny, and when Sunny begins asking questions things get violent. Sunny, of course, is able to handle herself, and the result is that she works out some of what's going on.

I enjoyed this book. Parker's always got a sense of humor, and some of the secondary characters are wonderful. One of them, her gay friend Spike (Sunny's version of Hawk), calls himself "the world's toughest queer" and makes believers out of some of the bad guys. The whole thing, while being suspenseful, is very very fun too.

Boston private detective Sunny Randall goes into an emotional tailspin when her ex-husband Richie tells her that he is getting remarried. Even though she divorced him she never stopped loving him. She just couldn't be married or live anyone else except her bullterrier Rosie. Unable to cope with the pain of Richie's remarriage, Sunny visits psychiatrist Dr. Susan Silverman. Although she doesn't know it, Susan is the girlfriend of the famous Spencer.

Needing something to occupy herself, Sunny takes on the case of Sarah Markham, a twenty year old college student, who wants her to find out who her real parents are. When Sunny talks to the Markhams they insist that they are Sarah's real parents; Sunny catches the husband in a lie about where he worked when Sarah was conceived. Two thugs beat up Sarah, telling her to drop the investigation or else. The same musclemen come after Sunny who meets them with her gun and some backup. The information she gets from these two goons leads her to the people who hired them. By the time the case is finished, two men are dead, one person is going to prison, Sarah learns who her biological mother is and Sunny is beginning to understand her fears of marriage.

Robert B. Parker's Sunny Randall series is not a female version of Spenser. She is a troubled woman who seeks help to regain her mental health as s she shows her emotions more than Spenser does and her methods of investigation are quite different as is her circle of friends. MELANCHOLY BABY is one of the author's best works with its stark prose, eccentric cast and a climax it is impossible not to love.

Parker is amazing. How can an author have 4 series going at once and always deliver books worth reading? True, some are stronger than others....but there's not a "clunker" in the lot. And Melancoly Baby puts the Sunny Randall series in a special class.

Sunny Randall is a female Boston PI who in her private life is a painter devoted to her bull terrier and her ex-husband...complex, likeable, competant and attractive.

Melancoly Baby starts with a trust-fund baby who doubts her parentage and hires Sunny to find out who her parents really are. The case escalates to intimidation and then murder.

The characters are well developed with an economy of words. And Parker makes it more fun yet by involving in a believable way some of the Spencer characters.

If you like a mystery but also want characters with interest and intelligence, you will love Melancoly Baby.

While this story is good, as all Parker's stories are, Sonya (Sunny) Randall shows so many weaknesses and always seems to fall back on her need for powerful, shady men. In this book, she learns that her ex-husband Richie is getting married. That sends her into a deep depression and she ends up in sessions with Susan Silverman, the girlfriend of the Spenser tales.
Sunny takes a case that appears absurd, a wayward girl named Sarah Markham hires her to find her real parents. Even though the married couple who raised her insist that they are indeed her biological parents, Sarah says she "knows" that they are not. The story takes a few strange twists when Sunny investigates their past. There are a few inconsistencies to their story and when two thugs are hired to beat up Sarah, Sunny realizes that something is wrong.
When the two thugs try to intimidate Sunny, her gay, hardnosed friend Spike comes to her rescue. Later, she has to ask badman Tony Marcus to lend her a bodyguard and she also has to ask Richie's mobster family for help. Both come to her aid, which weakens the story. While Sunny is a dynamic woman, her reliance on men to solve her problems weakens the story. Her continued emotional involvement with Richie when she divorced him and knows she can't live with him further weakens her character. She has a sexual encounter with attorney Peter Franklin, a man allied with her adversary, and leaves in the middle of the night to avoid complications. This is the second instance where she uses her sexual charm to manipulate men into giving her what she wants.
A woman P. I. makes for an interesting story, but the continued reliance on men to solve her problems makes her somewhat of a weakling. I would prefer that Spenser make Sunny stronger and more self-reliant that she is portrayed.

I love Robert Parker's writing style, and I really enjoyed reading this book. But while I agree with all of the positive
comments other reviewers have already made, I was deeply disappointed by the lack of a good ending. There were some great dramatic possibilities left hanging on the vine. A detective assures Sunny everything will fall into place and the story ends. This isn't the first time Parker has shortchanged his readers. What's the deal with that?

It's not good enough for Sunny Randall that her ex-husband has moved on and married someone else. He's still giving out the signals, and while Sunny doesn't actually want him for herself anymore she's not sure she wants anyone else to have him either. It is at this point of her life that in walks Sarah Markham. Sarah is a college student, suspiciously not on good terms with her folks who has finally decided to solve the niggling life question that she has always had. Is she really the child of her parents? It sounds like a lot of arrested development whining to Sunny but she takes the case to heart particularly after some initial peering into the Markham family facade.

Nothing works in this family, and there is a definite lack of substance. The parents are refusing to assist and are also refusing to end the matter for all by having a DNA comparison test. Sarah is under threat and it seems someone wants her to stop asking questions about her past. Sunny of course suspects the threat as coming from the parents until Mr. Markham himself is murdered. With her client on her couch, and she on her psychiatrist's, Sunny's life is crowded enough without additional help from wannabe thugs and threatening lawyers into the bargain. With a helpful cop and some helpful friends backing her up, Sunny charges down the investigative path to truth.

If you could come up with some kind of winning text book formula for a light crime "chick" read (dare I say it), you need look no further than "Melancholy Baby". There's just enough of all the right ingredients in this one; some angst, some humour, some mystery and some great characters. This is a dialogue driven novel of the witty and entertaining kind that breezes by at the speed of light. No prizes will be given for solving the parental mystery as that is obvious from a mile off, but its good fun to watch Sunny take the steps to resolution for her client while trying to get herself through the hazards of her own emotional life one day at a time. Terrific not to see a plastic heroine with ditzy little traits; Sunny Randall comes across as very real and believable. Great fun and definitely geared more towards the female half of the mystery readers species.

This is probably my 40th plus Parker book. While the Jesse Stone series was much improved by its last offering, I think this was the weakest of the Sunny Randall series.

The mystery part of the book was excellent, but Sunny spends forever in a day seeing Susan Silverman, expert psycholgist and also Spenser's girlfriend. The book gets bogged down with too much detail about feelings, Oedipal complexes and the like.

Don't get me wrong, I like Sunny and I'll read the next Sunny Randall book. I'm just hoping that this book was a bridge to Sunny going on to bigger and better things and moving away from this self-pitying/loathing over her strange relationship with her ex-husband.

One has to wonder, will Spenser and Randall bump into one another? Randall knows cops that Spenser knows, she's been to his girlfriend's house... Do I want to see that? yes and no. Sometimes its best to leave the characters in their two different worlds, but its also fun to mix and match, as 'Law and Order' likes to do on occasion.

Robert Parker is not only one of my favorite authors, he's one of idols, but only with one of his recurring characters, Sunny Randall.

Like Parker's most famous PI, Spencer, Randall operates out of Boston MA. Unlike Spencer, she's a woman, and also unlike Spencer, she relies much more on her friends and family.

Her ex-husband is finally getting married, even though they never stopped loving each other. Sunny is so upset about this, and she is so confused about the realization that she doesn't understand why she seems unable to live with other people, that she decides to visit a psychiatrist on a regular basis. She also picks up a new case, about a college-age woman who believes she is adopted but whose parents won't admit to it.

The main plot--the young woman--moves along briskly with Parker's usual flair for dialogue and quick, sharp characterization. But it's the style of his writing that really pulls the reader along. The plot, while fine, does seem a little looser than his usual efforts.

The thing that struck me the most about the book, however, is how open-ended it is. While the mystery of the young girl's parentage is 'solved,' no arrest is made at the end of the book. It's impending, but it hasn't happened yet. And Sunny has an ephiphany about herself and her family that is a milestone, but not the finish line.

While 'Melancholy Baby' is a solid story with typically snappy Parker writing, I can't shake the feeling that this story--either elements of it--isn't over yet.