The Professional by Robert B. Parker



A different kind of Spenser book

Spenser is back with a different type of mystery, and not necessarily for the better. I'm a big fan of a younger, tougher Spenser. A Spenser that was hassled by the cops, fought with the bad guys and generally spent his time wisecracking himself into and out of tough scrapes.

Sadly, The Professional is not that. This one is filled full of relationship discussions (I think Oprah actually moderated some of the scenes!), including more of the endless talk between Spenser and Susan about the nature of their relationship. Lots of talk about sex, the role of sex in a love relationship and, of course, Susan and Spenser have sex about 47 times.

Robert B. Parker
The mystery is a simple blackmailing case that gets out of control. All of Spenser's "friends" make an appearance and most help him for no reason that I can ascertain except for shared history, including Vinnie, Ty-Bop, Tony Marcus and an oversexed Hawk.

The ending is obvious to anyone who has read Of Mice and Men but that ending is one of the few moments that really felt like an old-fashioned Spenser novel.

I give it 3 stars out of 5 because Spenser's practically a family friend.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: The Professional.

 Reviewed on October 21, 2009.

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