Customer Reviews

School Days (Spenser Novels)

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Parker has churned out another fine effort in this latest Spenser novel. Here our intrepid private investigator is kicking back in his office when in pops a rich grandmother whose grandson was involved in a school shooting in a ritzy white suburb of Boston. She refuses to believe he's guilty and engages Spenser's services to prove his innocence. The untangling of this mess unravels other sordid goings on in the area. Spenser finds himself in some grey moral areas as he tries to uncover the truth.

This is a solid effort by Parker and one of the more interesting and well laid out offerings in the series. It is in most ways typical of Spenser novels, with the sparse prose and fast moving plot, that fans of Parker have come to expect. Unlike most Spenser novels there's no Hawk and Susan only makes a cameo appearance at the end, as she was out of town while this case went on.

Overall, this is a fine addition to the series. And a note of interest, Spenser is clearly doing every well financially as he can afford to drink Johnny Walker Blue, a very expensive scotch, like it's water.

As so many reviewers here have said, it's quite remarkable how much more taut, crisp, bright, and engaging a Spenser book can be with Susan Silverman neatly removed, compared to the staleness and heaviness of the other Parker books which she permeates. For a long time, I had trouble admitting to myself that I found her ungenerous, controlling, compulsive, self-centered and tedious. For, in every new book, Parker continued to show Spenser besotted by her, and it wasn't easy to look past how he saw her, and judge her by what she actually did and said. The first book in a long time that is free of her is a real delight in many ways. But this book might turn out to be considerably more than that. It could be the turning point of the Spenser series. What stands out most about School Days -- and what might possibly mean that something wonderful is going to happen -- is that Spenser himself complains about her more than he has ever done. And he is right on target every time he does it. Could Parker be preparing a massive rejuvenation of the whole series and actually be thinking of getting rid of Susan? Could it be even better than that and mean that Spenser will see through her and let go of her himself? Just the thought makes hope rise and the heavens open. And how true it would be to Spenser's character. How much it would show Parker's profound understanding of him. It would be the truth that would win Spenser's ultimate loyalty, not his fantasy of a true love, who may never have been what he believed her to be. Is it possible that all of us who write reviews about how much better he is without her could have seen that so clearly, if Spenser himself is not, on some level, seeing it, too? It might be messy on the home front for Parker to do it, but he seems to be giving us delicious hints in School Days, that he might be willing to bite the bullet and let Spenser have the insight of his life.

It's been awhile but we finally get a Spenser novel that's hard to put down. I read it straight through at one sitting, which I rarely do these days with any book.

Like most Spenser novels, School Days opens with action. A wealthy matron asks Spenser to investigate a prep school shooting, hoping to clear her grandson. Spenser dives in with his ususal irreverent gusto, refusing to believe what everyone else insists is obvious: the young man has confessed to the crime and appears very, very guilty.

Doggedly (!) Spenser digs in. If there's a flaw here, it's the ease with which he finds witnesses. Choosing to follow someone makes sense: he has a reason for suspetng this person will lead him to the good stuff. But one foray into a school hangout and he's led right to the people he most needs to find? Coincidence.

Unfortunately the plot twists make it difficult to review the story without revealing the outcome. And while Parker keeps the suspense high, I must admit I expected an even more devious story.

Fans of Spenser will recognize his usual themes, including disdain for the surburbs and for formal education. And for some reason, author Parker has focused often on "lost" adolescents -- kids who were led astray by parental neglect. In his earlier novels, Spenser found ways to help -- an improbable social worker with unconventional but wise solutions. Here, we're more distant from the kids and even farther from any kind of help for them.

As other reviewers pointed out, Spenser's sidekicks have deserted him. Hawk rates a brief mention. Spenser's cop friends lend their support and Rita Fiore moves center stage. Susan, Spenser's beloved, has been banished to Duke University for a conference. But we still feel her presence as Spenser remembers how she dresses, eats and lives. I see her as edgy, not perfect. And I'd like to know how she manages to avoid fueling her own car. Maybe there are more full-service stations in Massachusetts than in any state I've lived.

Replacing these characters is Pearl, the dog, who's a good listener with lots of realistic canine quirks. Not a bad exchange.

But what makes School Days a success isn't the specific quality of the plot or the characters. Parker's lean-and-mean writing hold the book together and keep the pages turning. And somehow his writing style works best when he writes about Spenser.

Let's hope we see more of the same.

I heard an interview with Robert Parker on Public Radio. It was interesting, so I decided to read one of his novels. Then I read a bunch more. This review can apply to just about any of them, because they are all pretty much the same, just with different settings. I didn't think the first one was especially good, or well-written, or interesting, but I kept on reading all the same.

To me, Parker novels are like potato chips. You know the next one will be just like the last one, no better, no worse. It will be salty, greasy, and crisp, and not especially good for you. But you know you are going to eat one more, and one more....until they are all gone.

After the lamentable "Cold Service," Spenser is back on top of his game.

This is vintage Spenser--on a par with his rough-and-tumble early work such as "Godwulf Manuscript" and "God Save the Child."

Mercifully, miraculously, Susan is gone. Yes, the always-annoying Susan appears in only 2 out of 65 chapters--and in one of these only by phone. Her absence is refreshing, and Spenser seems full of vim and vinegar without her.

Her replacements--the leggy nutcase Beth Ann Blair and the insatiable firecracker Rita Fiore--are great.

I must warn you, though [SPOILER ALERT!!!!!], the book does end tragically: Susan comes back.

Almost all the other usual suspects are absent, too: no Hawk (!), no Quirk, almost no Belson, no Vinny, and so on.

The series seems to perk up for the loss. The great American detectives have always been loners, and, bereft of his usual crew, Spenser seems liberated and renewed.

One of the nicest things about the book (apart from the missing Susan, which is exhilarating) is Spenser's or Parker's withering take on suburbia. This is a constant in the Spenser books, and never is the indictment fiercer than here.

In the upscale affluent Boston suburb of Dowling at the local prep school, two teens that attended the education facility took their nine millimeter handguns and opened fire. Five studies and two teachers were killed a six students and two teachers were injured. They then holed up in the library until a hostage negotiator persuaded Wendell Grant to give up. The other killer disappeared but Dell later told them it was Jared Cark who later confessed to the crimes.

Jared's grandmother hires Spenser to prove her grandson is innocent but when he gets to Dowling, he finds Jared is represented by an incompetent lawyer who believes his client is guilty and Jared's parents feel the same way. By the time Spenser questions everyone there is no question in his mind that Jared is guilty. However, Spencer goes one step further and sets out to find why this tragedy happened and what the private investigator learns turns out to be a bigger tragedy that the teen killing spree.

Fast paced, breezy dialogue and the protagonist's trademark dry-wit makes for another delightful reading experience in the long running Spenser series. Robert B. Parker is at the top of his game in this exciting private investigative tale that examines how a Columbine type action could happen and where the blame should be placed. Fans of this series won't be disappointed in SCHOOL DAYS, one of the best and most timely books Mr. Parker has ever written.

Harriet Klausner

While the reviews on this book go from one to five, it would appear the "ones" don't understand why anyone would like this book and the "fives" can't get enough Spenser. As someone said this is a dumb book and not like the serious other mystery writers. True. And, that's why some of us read Spenser. He's our man if we're ready for wisecracking, fast paced action with little need to get cerebral.

As a mystery reader first and other genre next, I find that Parker usually gives me a break from the heavy writers like Wilson or Kerr. In fact, that's the whole point. After reading a couple of Robert Wilson's books, I need to cleanse my palate with something that goes down easy, makes me laugh, maybe it's a little too watery but there's no calories, and I can finish it quickly and feel refreshed!

If you don't like Spenser and his wisecracks, you're bereft of understanding the use of this type of dialogue in this type of story. So, I'd advise you to go back to your old favs and let the rest of us enjoy the comedy with a little mystery thrown in for cause or is it the other way around?

I agree that we'd like our PIs to be solitary and Spenser should be since he can't seem to clearly concentrate when there are boobs in the room and so many women in Parker's books appear flawless. We know this is in Parker's head, cuz real life ain't that way! But, we're taking a break from real life with Spenser, so we forgive a lot of shallowness and superficiality.

We can't eat steak all the time without growing tried of it, so keep the juicy "cheesy" burgers coming Parker, I like the change-up.

Susan's out of town at a conference. Hawk isn't around. Spenser is alone. Except for Pearl the Wonder Dog. A rich old lady hires Spenser to prove that her grandson isn't guilty of a Columbine-style school shooting. But the co-shooter has fingered the grandson as his accomplice. And the grandson has confessed. Tough case. But Spenser is a tough detective. And he does what he does best: digging and wisecracking and ticking people off. And beating them up when they try to out-tough him. Nobody out-toughs Spenser.

Perhaps the most solid Spenser novels in the past several years.

We know what you're thinking....'wasn't it just last spring that these jokers reviewed a new Spenser book?' And if you thought that, you'd be right. See, Putnam wants to re-arrange Parker's release schedule, so Spenser books will now come out in the fall, with either a Jesse Stone (next March) or a Sunny Randall in the spring, and a "stand alone" in between.

Three books a year. That, folks, is serious output. Robert B. Parker, Brand Name.

So, anyway, back to the matters at hand. School Days is somewhat unique in the canon, in that neither Hawk nor Susan Silverman play a role of any significance in the story. It begins with promise, as an stately older lady of obvious means marches into Spenser's office and hires him to prove that her grandson, a confessed participant in a school shooting, is, in fact, innocent of those charges. Spenser loves to puncture people's affectations, the more wealth-steeped the better, and we are off to an entertaining start.

Without his normal support mechanisms, he starts to dig around the tragedy at the exclusive Dowling School. And, as you might expect, he does so with varying degrees of success. He encounters an enticing school psychologist, a stuffy principal, and some cops that prefer to not have their air-tight case against the shooters punctured by the possible existence of mere exculpatory evidence.

It's refreshing to see Parker have Spenser stumble around a bit, almost nostalgic. It's also, um....refreshing, yeah, that's it.....to see the fabulous Rita Fiore play a central role in things. She is Parker's most interesting supporting character lately, active in two of his three series. In this one, she is wearing her Full Hottie Jacket, with her relentless teasing/tempting of Spenser. She nearly revels in her pursuit's futility, and her addition provides a needed erotic tension/comedy to the mix.

So, Spenser digs into the school culture, meeting some of the local girls, working his famous charm, and finds himself up against a young fellow called Animal. Nastiness ensues, in brisk Parker fashion, and it's big fun, as always.

As his detection progresses, Spenser finds that the boy he was hired to exonerate has a very complex psychology. Ironic, eh, that Susan isn't available to her usual extent? That said, the boy's motives are sad and twisted, and it creates a poignant underpinning to the fairly basic mystery plot.

Things wrap up a bit tidily, but remember, Parker's nearing completion of his third dozen Spenser novels, so there is truly nothing new under the sun in this world. His dialogue skills are still unmatched in the genre; he handles plot and action with an athlete's grace, and time with his books is always time well spent. School Days is no exception.

Hawk was missing in this book, but I still enjoyed it very much. It was full of Parker's hilarious lines and held my interest all the way through. There were plenty of twists and turns in the plot. Parker is one of my favorites, and School Days is right up there on top.