Parker's Spenser novels, the 35th of which was just released in October, are easy to read and combine a Dashiell Hammett-esqe mystique with modern surroundings.
Now & Then finds Spenser, a fifty-something Boston-based private detective, light on work. He therefore, is receptive to Dennis Doherty's plea for Spenser to find out if his wife, Jordan, is cheating on him as he suspects. It seems an easy enough case. A couple of days of surveillance and Spenser will either be able to put the husband's fears to rest or give him the evidence he needs to get on with his life.
An Errant Wife
Spenser is particularly drawn to Doherty's case. For one thing, he likes the man and identifies with him as a FBI investigator. More subtly, Spenser is still rankled by the decades-old memory of when Susan, his psychiatrist lady love, stepped out on him. Although both Susan and Spenser would agree that their relationship grew stronger from the incident, the old wounds still smart every once in a while.
The Mystery Turns to Murder
No sooner has Spenser determined that, in fact, Mrs. Doherty is seeing a fellow professor--and not just for academic matters--than murder comes into the picture, not just one murder, but four. Calling on his friend Hawk and hired gun, Vinnie Morris, Spenser has all he can do to protect Susan and himself from harm.
It seems that Jordan Doherty's paramour, Perry Alderson, is not exactly all that he claims to be. Professing to be peace-loving and anti-big business and government, Perry instead is using Jordan to get information about her husband's cases, information he wishes to use for criminal purposes. As the murderer becomes more desperate, will Spenser and his associates be able to lay a trap without endangering Susan's life?
Now & Then is a fun read for fans of Spenser novels and/or Boston residents, who will be pleased with the novel's many local references. The tone is light, the chapters short, and the style quintessential Parker. His somewhat "tongue-in-cheek" prose is refreshing after so many bestselling novels that take themselves too seriously.
About Robert Parker
Robert Parker is the author of over 50 novels. He is best known for his 35 Spenser mysteries, which were the basis for the "Spenser for Hire" television series. His other series' include the Jesse Stone novels and the Sunny Randall novels. Mr. Parker and his wife of over 50 years, Joan, live in the Boston area, where most of Parker's novels are set. The couple has two grown sons.
