Pastime (Spenser) (Paperback)

by Robert B. Parker (Author) "THE dog was a pointer, a solid chocolate German shorthair, three years old and smallish for her breed..." (more)
Key Phrases: drank some coffee, Rich Beaumont, Patty Giacomin, Vinnie Morris (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Boston sleuth Spenser trails a woman to her gangster boyfriend's hideout in a mystery that spent eight weeks on PW 's bestseller list.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA-- Parker's latest mystery features his likable sleuth Spenser (spelled ``like the poet''); the shady, enigmatic Hawk; and Spenser's longtime love, Susan Silverman. In this sequel to Early Autumn (Dell, 1987), Paul Giacomin (now 25) asks Spenser to locate his missing mother, who has become involved with the mob and disappeared under mysterious circumstances. This is one of Parker's strongest novels of late, reminiscent of his earlier works. The emphasis is on character interaction and relationships as opposed to the visceral slasher novels glutting supermarket or newsstand racks. Reading a Spenser novel is like a family reunion--it makes one feel good. --John Lawson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (April 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425132935
• ISBN-13: 978-0425132937
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #197,162 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 18 in The Spenser Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another strong effort., November 8, 2001

By	John D. Costanzo "johndc" (Bensalem, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was another strong effort from Robert Parker. As entertaining as always, there is an added layer of depth to this one as Parker explores the relationships between father and son. There is an interesting parallel between the Spenser/Paul relationship and the Joe Broz/Gerry Broz relationship.

If you are looking for Spenser the "private investigator" you only get about half of the equation. There is plenty of "private" stuff, but not much of an "investigation" as Spenser and Paul go about the relatively easy task of finding Paul's mom who has been missing for a couple of weeks. But you DO get plenty of what we love the most: Spenser wit, Spenser justice, and Hawk, too.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Pastime" may well be the very best of the Spenser novels, January 31, 2001

By	Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Here we are up to the 18th novel in Robert B. Parker's Spenser series and we finally get to find out a whole lot of interesting things about our hero's past. Ten years earlier in "Early Autumn," Spenser saved Paul Giacomin from a destructive family situation and basically adopted the boy. Now Paul shows up to report that his mother is missing and he wants the help of his surrogate Father in finding her. As Paul tries to deal with what his mother means to him, Spenser reveals key details from his own life, raised out west by a father and two uncles, to both Paul and Susan. Like us, they are both fascinated to find out more about the history of the most important man in their lives.

Ultimately the mystery of what happened to Paul's mother means Spenser again crosses paths with mobster Joe Broz, his inept son Gerry and his right-hand man Vinnie Morris in what proves to be a final reckoning for them all. It is by combining this plot line with the search for Paul's mother as the context in which we discover the secrets of Spenser's past that "Pastime" is elevated to the top rank of Parker's novels. In many ways I consider this novel to be the height of the Spenser series rather than "A Catskill Eagle," because while it is not as epic in scale, "Pastime" is more true to the essence of the character of Spenser and has much more depth. Although the book starts off as a son's search for his mother, ultimately "Pastime" is about fathers and sons. But if you read just one Spenser novel this is not the one to read, because you simply cannot appreciate it unless you have along for the ride from the very start.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good Spenser novel on many levels, October 3, 2000

By	Lisa Shea "LisaShea.com" - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This sequel to Early Autumn (1980) truly shows how Spenser (and Parker) have improved over the years.

This is a sharp turn from the last Spenser novel. Instead of annoying women, there's real warmth and personality. Susan starts by getting "Pearl" from her ex-husband. Spenser names her Pearl after a dog of his youth. Paul comes along, wanting to find his mother. We run into Vinnie, who's looking for the mother's boyfriend, Rich, for Joe Broz. Vinnie actually warns Spenser to be careful - Rich is a friend of Joe's kid, Jerry, who they both feel is a "bad apple".

The story is not only about this search, but also about Paul thinking about his past and Susan probing into Spenser's past. We hear about how Spenser's mom died giving him birth, and he grew up with his dad and two uncles in Laramy, WY. They moved out when he was a teenager to Boston. They hunted in Maine, when he had his first drink. They all boxed and taught him how to box. His "only other love" was a high school sweetheart that he was too shy to move on. It's sort of the book to "fill Spenser out" as a person.

Very interesting on many levels. It's good after so long to hear what made Spenser the way he is. You have to ignore minor inconsistancies with what has previously been said about Spenser's past and take this as the truth. But what about "Brenda Loring"? Did he not love her despite dating her for over five years? Ah well.

If you're a Spenser fan, this is not a book to miss!