|
|
Executive Times |
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2008 Book Reviews |
|||
|
|
Now and
Then by Robert B. Parker |
|||
|
Rating: |
*** |
|||
|
|
(Recommended) |
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Click
on title or picture to buy from amazon.com |
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Protect All
the energy in Robert B. Parker’s latest Spenser novel, Now and
Then, centers around Spenser protecting Susan. After a client who
suspected his wife was cheating on him is killed, Spenser keeps working the
case without pay, because that what Spenser does: he rights wrongs. What Parker
does best here and elsewhere is character and dialogue. With Spenser and
Susan, the dialogue is especially rich, and these and the other characters
are fully formed. Here’s an excerpt, all of Chapter 2, pp. 8-10: It
was late September on Cape Cod, and the summer people were gone. Susan and I
liked to go down for a couple of nights in the off-season, before things shut
down for the winter. Which is how we ended up on a Sunday night, eating cold
plum soup and broiled Cape scallops, and drinking a bottle of Gewurztraminer
at Chillingsworth in Brewster. "When
someone says that their mate is not interested in sex," Susan said,
"all they can really speak to with authority is that their mate is not
interested in sex with them." "I've
never made that statement," I said. "And with good
reason," Susan said. "It
sounds like sex to me," I said. "And
it sounds like he fears that it is," Susan said. "He
fears something," I said. "And
he's reticent about himself," she said. "Didn't want to tell you
where he lived. Won't tell you where he works." "Lot
of people are embarrassed about things like this," I said. "Are
you?" she said. "No
more than you are, shrink girl." She
smiled and sipped her wine. She
said, "We both uncover secrets, I guess." "And
chase after hidden truths," I said. "And
people are often better for it," she said. "But
not always." "No,"
she said. "Not always." We
ate our plum soup happily and sipped our wine. "You don't like divorce
cases, do you?" she said. "Make
me feel like a Peeping Tom," I said. Susan
smiled, which is a luminous sight. "Is
that different than a private eye?" she said. "I
hope so," I said. "You
feel intrepid, chasing bad guys," Susan said. "Yes. "And
sleazy, chasing errant mates." "Yes." "But
you do it," she said. "It's
work." "It's
good work," Susan said. "The pain of emotional loss is
intense." "I
recall," I said. "Yes,"
she said. "We both do. Half my practice comes from people like
that." "Despite
similarities, our practices are not identical." "Mine
requires less muscle," she said. "But the point is, you can rescue
people in different ways. Leaping tall buildings at a single bound is not the
only way." "I
know," I said. "Which
is why you'll work divorce cases," she said, "even though they make
you feel sleazy." "Heroism has its downside," I said. "It
has its upside too," Susan said. Susan's
eyes had a small glitter. "Speaking
of which ..." I said. "Could
we maybe finish dinner?" she said. "Of
course," I said. "The upside is patient." "And
frequent," Susan said. Snappy
dialogue with an undercurrent of affection. The fact that in this novel
Spenser has to use all the help he can get to protect Susan makes readers
care all the more. Now and
Then is Parker doing what he does best. Steve
Hopkins, December 20, 2007 |
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
Go to Executive Times Archives |
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The recommendation rating for
this book appeared in the January 2008 issue of Executive Times URL for this review: http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/Books/Now and Then.htm For Reprint Permission,
Contact: Hopkins & Company, LLC • E-mail: books@hopkinsandcompany.com |
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
