Promised Land [Hardcover]

Robert B. Parker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1976

Spenser is back. The fourth novel featuring the wisecracking boxer-turned private-detective finds him investigating a marriage in turmoil, a shady business deal, a nefarious loan shark and, of course, a murder. The real charm of the book, however, is Spenser himself, his inimitable wit, his keen grasp of human nature, his love of food and good beer, and his reluctant but capable fists.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

6 1-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 182 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (T) (September 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395247713
• ISBN-13: 978-0395247716
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #924,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert B. Parker (1932-2010) has long been acknowledged as the dean of American crime fiction. His novel featuring the wise-cracking, street-smart Boston private-eye Spenser earned him a devoted following and reams of critical acclaim, typified by R.W.B. Lewis' comment, "We are witnessing one of the great series in the history of the American detective story" (The New York Times Book Review). In June and October of 2005, Parker had national bestsellers with APPALOOSA and SCHOOL DAYS, and continued his winning streak in February of 2006 with his latest Jesse Stone novel, SEA CHANGE.

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Parker attended Colby College in Maine, served with the Army in Korea, and then completed a Ph.D. in English at Boston University. He married his wife Joan in 1956; they raised two sons, David and Daniel. Together the Parkers founded Pearl Productions, a Boston-based independent film company named after their short-haired pointer, Pearl, who has also been featured in many of Parker's novels.

Parker began writing his Spenser novels in 1971 while teaching at Boston's Northeastern University. Little did he suspect then that his witty, literate prose and psychological insights would make him keeper-of-the-flame of America's rich tradition of detective fiction. Parker's fictional Spenser inspired the ABC-TV series Spenser: For Hire. In February 2005, CBS-TV broadcast its highly-rated adaptation of the Jesse Stone novel Stone Cold, which featured Tom Selleck in the lead role as Parker's small-town police chief. The second CBS movie, Night Passage, also scored high ratings, and the third, Death in Paradise, aired on April 30, 2006.

Parker was named Grand Master of the 2002 Edgar Awards by the Mystery Writers of America, an honor shared with earlier masters such as Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen.

Parker died on January 19, 2010, at the age of 77.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Early yet timeless Spenser, November 19, 2000

By 

Eric M. Schmidt "Ezri" (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Promised Land (A Spenser Novel) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you aren't familiar with the Spenser series, this is the fourth book. Not that you have to read them in any particular order--but it is interesting to follow the development of the series chronologically. In this tale, Spenser ends up involved in finding a runaway wife--and bailing out her husband from his own mess too. This being an earlier Spenser book gives us a glimpse at how Spenser's relationship with Susan Silverman evolves and a foreshadowing of events to come in the relationship's future. Most notable is the introduction of Hawk to the series (not necessarily as an ally!). Parker's excellent characterization of Spenser through the character's musings, witty remarks, and ethical action are as strong in this novel as any of the other Spenser books I've read thus far. The plot itself has an entertaining build up and even better conclusion--I'd definitely recommend Promised Land to anyone curious about the series.

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great book, but don't get it on your Kindle, October 17, 2008

By 

H. Evans (Lanesboro, Ma USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Promised Land (Kindle Edition)

I have read many books on my Kindle and have been pleased with the rendering of all of them, except for this one. I'm not sure how this book was transcribed to the Kindle, but the transcription is awful. Page after page of spelling errors, well, the words are real, but not the correct word. It passed the spell-check, but the sentence is nonsense. From the context you can generally figure out what word was intended, but it happens so often that it really detracts from the book. Read the book? Absolutely - it's a four star book, but get it in paperback.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fixed, October 2, 2010

By 

Clair "ndora" (highlander, usa) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Promised Land (Kindle Edition)

If you are not familiar with this story by Robert B. Parker buy the actual book and not this kindle version. It reads like a combination pdf document and screen play. No dialogue designation at all. No 'Spenser said...' or 'Hawk replied' anywhere. To determine who said what one has to go back and find the quotation marks. Very disruptive to the flow of the story! The entire copy is left justified, really ruins an excellent Spenser novel.

The book has been fixed now and a new copy was provided, thanks.