Customer Reviews

Shrink Rap (Sunny Randall Series)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

As her ex-husband says, Sunny Randall, Robert Parker's fresh, new heroine is as cute as Meg Ryan and tougher than a Mafia Don. Unfortunately, she may be losing Robert Parker's interest already, well before she loses ours.

_Shrink Wrap_ does not do justice to her early promise.Sunny's case, where an appealing and likable author of Romance novels is being stalked in some pretty creepy circumstances, is an intriguing and original one. The plot moves along briskly, making it difficult to put the book down. But Sunny is becoming increasingly one-dimensional and thinly drawn.

There is no way not to like her. She is honest, earnest, smart and tough. She is trying to make her life into something honorable. She is sometimes as fast with a comeback as Spenser himself, and almost as funny. So Parker does her an injustice when he has eight people tell her she needs to ask for help, and makes her give each and every one the exact same answer, that she needs to do it herself. Understandable, laudable even, but we get it after the third time. Repeating it is a nuisance, like a one-note song.

There is much about Sunny we would like to know, and while Parker explores a little, the whole character development of the book is built around one insight Sunny has into herself at the end, as a breakthrough, which is --- wait for it -- that her relationship with her father and mother has strongly influenced her relationships with men. Um, okay, good insight. But we could all have used a little more of Parker investing himself here, Sunny most of all.

And then there is the dog. Spenser and Susan's Pearl is a delight, as is the way they feel and talk about her. But this little dog is taking up more emotional space in Parker's minimalistic story than any other supporting character. Which seems to me to be a mistake and again, a waste of potential. Spike, for example, is a magnetic character, not up to Hawk exactly -- who would be? -- but worth a lot more space on the wide-margined, large-typefaced pages.

The books are getting shorter, thinner, more off-hand, as if Parker is writing while he's watching a ballgame. He can grab hold of Sunny and make her someone who will hold our interest for years. If he decides to make the effort.

In _Shrink Wrap_ it rains or snows and is bleak every day, except on the last page, when the sun comes out. Hopefully that lift out of the grayness will carry over to the next Sunny Randall book. She's worth it.

Sharp dialogue, fresh witty characters, fast-paced mystery. As some of the hateful reviews here note, yes, there is a stong woman as the protagonist. If you don't like that, get another book and crawl back under your rock--But it is not a valid criticism of the book in and of itself.

Those of us in the 21st Century who think both men and women should be allowed self-determination, find Parker's Sunny Randall to be interesting (if not always perfect--like most of us), strong, intelligent, witty, realistic and curious. The degree of hate in these reviews against independant women is frightening. They obviously have some problems with equality and are using this venue to make a point at the cost of sincere book reviews.

Romance author Melanie Joan Hall hires Private Investigator Sunny Randall to help guard her against the the author's stalking ex-husband. Sunny wants to do more than guard--but as she begins to investigate the ex-husband, psychiatrist John Melvin, she begins to discover hints that Melvin is doing more than stalking. A psychiatrist whose practice seems to consist solely of beautiful women has plenty of opportunities to do evil. Sunny's investigations soon lead her to trouble--and danger. Sunny's personal problems form a reverse image of Melanie Joan's. Like Melanie Joan, Sunny can't get over her ex-husband and, as she investigates Melvin, she starts to work on her own issues.

Author Robert B. Parker delivers an enjoyable mystery. Fans of Parker will be familiar with the issues of being unable to live with, or without, a particular relationship, but here Sunny's problems and their mirror image problems with Melanie Jone add rather than detract from the story. Parker does a good job showing the positive as well as dangers of psychiatry, avoiding a fall into cliche.

Sunny's dialogue doesn't pack the impact of Parker's more famous Spenser series but this character remains fresh and interesting. Her mix of toughness and vulnerability makes Sunny sympathetic even when she doesn't make the most logical decisions.

First off I want to go on record saying I love the Spenser series. And even if the stories seem similar I don't care, I am reading them because I love the characters and the oh so witty repartee. I cannot seem to comprehend, for the life of me, why is doesn't happen in my daily dialogues quite like that! Perhaps this is just one of the reasons why I so enjoy reading it.

Shrink Rap is not a Spencer novel, it is a Sunny Randall novel, his female, Spenser-like character. I do not mind a bit all these comparisons between him and her - Sunny Randall is a wonderful character. Enough defending and onto the story: Boston PI Sunny Randall, while coping with whether to be with ex-husband Ritchie who's family is mob connected or to be able to finally let go and move on with her life and this does not mean just jumping into bed with other men, it means letting them in emotionally as well. It seems neither she nor Richie has found a way to do this, but he is willing to try with another woman and makes Sunny aware of his intentions, creating more internal turmoil and maybe a time to look at the why of their bonding with a professional clarity.

Against this emotional back drop, Sunny takes on a new case, becoming a bodyguard to a romance writer ready to go on tour, and who's ex-husband, a psychiatrist has taken to stalking her, reducing her to an almost catatonic state at times. I do not want to give too much away, or turn this column into a long description of the story, but all the wonderful dialogue is worth the read.

Parker, the grand master, shows he still is The Grand Master!

There are really no words to describe this book except possibly awful. Or terrible. Or downright painful. Not only were the writing and dialogue completely mediocre, but the plot was so ridiculous and boring, I was stunned. The blurb about the book caught my attention, and well essentially, that was the only interesting thing about the entire experience. The ending (which I suffered to get to) must have been phoned in, because the author completely stopped trying by that point. The only reason I continued to listen to this book was because I just couldn't believe that it could get any worse. And yet, it did.

Additionally, I don't think that I've ever been more shocked with a narrator. My five year old sister would have done a much better job. Didn't anyone give this woman an audition before you let her further destroy a really bad novel? Soooo much exagerrrration, soooo much inflecccction, and soooo much over-acting. So much for subtlety.

I read many, many books on CD, and I've never written anything about them, but I feel it is my duty to warn all of you out there about this disaster. I've heard some pretty poor narrating and listened to some not-so-great stories, but this one was so over the top, I just couldn't believe it. I sat there iin amazement that someone not only chose to publish this, but decided it should be an audio book, and then let Raffin narrate it. The only positive aspect was that I rented it from the library, and didn't waste any money.

I for one am not a reviewer, but this book shook me just enough to express my opinion on Robert Parkers experience with this central theme. I cannot reveal the story line, this would not be in good character, but the mind of the male stalking the writer doesn't really seem to fit well into the story especially being a shrink and ex spouse. Other than that I found this to be a real page turning capturing read that is superbly written. The character in the book Mad Light by Maddox is much more real and is designed not only to entertain but is for victims as such and for potential offenders as this, as well. I do recommend reading Mad Light.

I love the Spenser series and enjoyed the first two Sunnys, so I feel as disappointed by this book as I would be an unfaithful lover. It contains every element that's ever annoyed me about Parker's writing, and made them even more grating! First of all, the characters. Sunny and Spike are in their 30s and listen to WWII era music and quote Fred Allen. I guess Parker is too lazy to even try to include an appropriate pop culture reference. Then there's the savvy author who is selling her book to Hollywood, who knows all about agents and movie stars and making deals. And she is SHOCKED that Spike is gay? Yes, I can see where a woman who lives in a major metropolian area and rubs elbows with show biz types would find gay men exotic and unusual. COME ON! And Sunny and Julie's conversations are always about "deep, important" male/female issues, the way Phil Donahue's TV show was. Could these two talk about the sweater sale at Filene's for a change? Or if they must ruminate about the battle of the sexes ad nauseum, could we bring the dialog out the 1970s at least? Readers of the Spenser series are used to Parker returning again and again to the issues of feminism, therapy and the way the straight world views gays. In this book, he takes the opportunity to bludgeon us with them, and the characters suffer mightily.

And then there's the plot. Add me to the list of readers who found it hard to believe that the shrink didn't realize that the Sunny Randall and Sonjia Burke were one in the same. Her disguise did seem about as elaborate as Clark Kent's.

Yet I enjoyed FAMILY HONOR and PERISH TWICE enough that, should Parker decide to resurrect Sunny again, I'll try to spend a little more time with her. I just wish he'd work a little harder on what were once his strengths: dialog and plot development. I prefer reading about people I can believe actually live and breathe, and none of this characters remotely came to life.

Private investigator Sunny Randall is hired by best-selling novelist Melanie Joan to protect her from her psychiatrist ex-husband John Melvin, who has been stalking her throughout her book tour. In her effort to protect herself and her client, Sunny embarks on an investigation of Dr. Melvin and discovers how he has been able to maintain such a psychological hold over Melanie. In the course of her research, Sunny consults with both Dr. Melvin and another counselor, gaining uncomfortable insights into her own relationship with her ex-husband. Among the returning characters are tough, smart, cute Sunny; ambivalent, cute ex-husband Richie; and the very cute bull terrier Rosie. Do you get the idea there is a lot of cute in this book? There is also a surprising depth of character for such a breezy fast read, lots of action, and snappy dialogue presented in brief chapters that will have you turning the pages as fast as you can and looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Romance novelist Melanie Joan Hall hires Sunny Randall to protect her from her stalker ex-husband. Melanie met John Melvin, a psychiatrist, when she started going to him for counseling and he seduced her. As she investigates Melvin, Sunny realizes that Melanie is not the only patient he has seduced. When two of his patients die, Sunny realizes that Melvin needs to be stopped before someone else gets hurt. To catch him, Sunny becomes his patient, but in trying to stop Melvin, Sunny places herself in great danger, danger she may not escape from.

"Shrink Rap" is a quick, but at times tense read. Sunny Randall is a more complex character than Robert Parker's Spenser is, struggling with her feelings for her ex-husband. Melanie Joan is also a complex character - a successful writer, beloved by her fans, but haunted by her ex-husband. John Melvin is pure evil, without any redeeming characteristics. As always, the dialogue and the use of Boston itself as a character in the novel drive the story. While much of the novel is intense, especially in the scenes where Melvin stalks Melanie Joan, the ending is especially intense as Sunny takes an incredible risk in trying to catch Melvin.

Nicely done.

If this was the first book I had read by Robert B.Parker, it would be the last. But I keep reading each as they come out, because if the excellence of his early work. Nobody believes the silly disguise, silly plot in this one.

Read it for the usual Parker sparkling dialogue. It is a very short book. Maybe Parker is tired.