Customer Reviews

Stardust

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

 

 

... I thought this was one of the best Spenser novels at the time of its publication, but I do recommend reading it in sequence. Especially, read "A Savage Place" first, because the two books have a certain relation to each other.

This is a bit more of a mystery than others in the series in that you don't discover the murderer's identity until the end, and this is good in adding a bit more suspense than usual.

Spenser's hired to protect a very obnoxius TV star, who's addicted to drugs, alcoholic, arrogant...listed alphabetically, I'd be naming several other character defects before we get to nympho, and that's just past the middle of the alphabet!!! On top of all this, she might be making up all these threats she's supposedly receiving. However, when her double is murdered, Spenser has to take the task of protecting her more seriously. He has a hang-up about protecting women since an unpleasant happening earlier in the series.

I had a suspicion around half way through as to who the murderer was...I won't tell you whether I was right or wrong. However, I believe the suspicion was deliberately & subtly planted by Parker, and if so, I admire him for the way he did it. Like I say, I'll let you find out whether this was deliberate foreshadowing for dramatic effect, or a red herring to distract you.

I do recommend this highly, but if you're not already a Spenser fan, read several earlier books including "The Savage Place" first in order to better appreciate this.

Once again it's Spenser to the rescue. This time he's called onto the set of a television show to act as bodyguard to the star, and America's sweetheart, Jill Joyce. Unfortunately, she's also a drunk, incredibly difficult to work with, and determined to bed every man within a 5-mile radius.

But when Spenser's on the job it's professionalism all the way which makes for a very fiery employer / employee relationship. It also makes for some most amusing situations and gives ample opportunity for Spenser to display his flair for detective work. The relationship between Spenser and Susan is comfortable, as ever, and between Spenser and Hawk as solid as a rock.

The sanctuary of a Spenser book is always a welcome haven for weary readers with the pace of the book high and the pages turning quickly. Light entertainment at it's best; if you're after mystery with a liberal dash of humour then you're in for a real treat here.

I think this is Parker's take on the tv series Spenser For Hire. He doesn't seem to have a high opinion of Hollywood actors/actresses. The other book in this series that this one is most like is : Looking For Rachel Wallace.

While I am a huge Spenser fan I wouldn't say this novel is a must-have. It is more for those who are die-hard Spenser/Parker fans. It is still a good read, but many other novels in this series is better than this one.

Parker has written another good book. Spencer is hired to baby sit a TV star. He is to protect her and also find out who is trying to kill her. He is his usual witty self, he is helped by Hawk and Susan as always. The TV star, Jill Joyce, is not a good person, a nice way to say it. Spencer keeps digging and finally comes up with the person who has been making the threats. You will be surprised who it is. A good read, if you have liked other Spencer books you will like this one. I always enjoy Hawk, wish he had a larger role the books.

This Spenser novel is for me one of the hardest to decide in terms of how I felt about it once I had finished it. I have read all of the earlier Spenser novels, up to about 1999 or so, and when it came to this one, I could definitely see a turning point. Other reviewers here have talked briefly about the plot involving a spoiled, drink-happy TV star with attitude, but I am going to add more opinion to how the reader might or might not like this book once he/she has finished it. Robert B. Parker has stated that in his earlier writing days, he used to craft out a story from beginning to end before writing it, and then years later he began to just sort of take a brief idea and begin writing, not knowing where the story was going to lead until he got to writing it. I could clearly see with this book that perhaps beginning with Stardust, he began using the latter methodology. It shows to me how using this strategy can sometimes lead to a great read (Crimson Joy), or it can lead to a convoluted mess that somehow has to be tied up at the end.
Stardust starts out very tight and fun. Witness Spenser's comments about television, something I am sure were comments the author had regarding TV while the Spenser:for Hire series was airing. There are some fantastic scenes in this book, as well. For example, Spenser's handling of a showing-up a martial artist's (Randall)display of his abilities, or what I consider to be Hawk's best line to Jill Joyce after she drunkenly lets him know she is looking for something in particular.

-- BIG SPOILER --

But, after all of that, the reader is left with an ending that requires one to believe that a poor white-trash person, managing to be able to go out of their way to travel a great distance, and afford to do it, is the killer we've been looking for. It just did not make sense to me. There are other candidates thrown at the reader along the way as possibilies, and clearly Parker had not decided who the killer was going to be until he got to the end. He could have chosen better, in my opinion.
It is for these reasons I give the book 3 stars. Great read up until about the last fourth of the novel, where it seems to try to reach for a ending it did not really have to.

The beginning of this book is really very average Spenser, which certainly makes it enjoyable enough but not at all noteworthy. Let's see ... Susan drags Spenser into a case he doesn't really want, Spenser wisecracks and offends everyone in authority, Hawk provides trustworthy and able-bodied support ... same old, same old. The story itself isn't very compelling or interesting until the end. That's when Spenser shows us what makes him special. It's his attitude toward Jill Joyce, the care he devotes to her, and the offhanded way he delivers it (as though it's just his duty as a human being) that I found out of the ordinary and very moving.

Just what you'd expect in a Spenser novel. Witty dialog and suspence. This book will not be a disapointment to Spenser fans.

I am a big Spenser fan but not all Spenser books are good. In several of Parker's books I have the feeling he is writing to satisfy a contract requirement for so many books in a limited time, some I think fall into that category by are so well written that I ignore it. But "Stardust" was so poorly written I had to force myself to read it and I often put it down to do something else. Also, in reading it, I felt that Parker did not like Hollywood and he took this dislike out on Jill Joyce, a TV star with hard ties to the movie industry. As I read the book I never developed any empathy for Jill, I disliked her when we were introduced and this dislike grew with the book. Forget the ending, this feeling flip-flopped but not due to Spenser or Parker, it is the climate of the times. I felt all along as I read the book there was something behind Jill and her character but I never tumbled to it, I was just reading and accepting people as Spenser gave them to me. I did not know who the killer was until it was revealed in the book and then I never felt too convinced, I thought it was contrived and non-realistic. Still, since I did not foresee the conclusion, the book did have some value and I gave it the three stars.

I loved the Jesse Stone books, so, when I had read all of them I decided that the Spenser books would have to be great, too. WRONG!! I guess they're OK, but nothing worth wasting your time on. I found them to be very formulaic and the Spenser character to be like something out of a '40s detective movie. I was very disappointed.

I read a lot of mysteries, I enjoy to the max the words of Coben, Lashner, Child, Patterson, Hall, Connelly, Sandford, White and many others. Robert B.Parker is right there with the best, book after book. This book STARDUST is number sixteen (read them in order is best but many can stand alone) with many more to go. Thanks. This story has Boston private detective, Spenser hired to gurad Jill Joyce, America's favorite TV star. Jill has issues her self, drugs, alcohol, a need for sex, and a hidden past. Spenser works with Hawk and Susan, naturally and of course, Quirk and Belson are along for the ride. Fun read. RECOMMENDED