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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Henry Cimoli has known Hawk and Spenser for years. He has never once asked for a favor and certainly wouldn't now if he wasn't being squeezed. He might have even tolerated being squeezed a little bit, but, when three thugs showed up at his fourth floor condo things got serious. The thugs threatened to throw him out his own window if he didn’t shut up about not wanting to move. Somebody wants to buy the condo building for a project and hired thugs are now visiting the mostly elderly holdouts and making threats.
Even if Spenser didn't owe Henry whatever he asked he would look into things just because this sort of deal ticks him off. His initial goal is to stop the threats and to find out who the buyer is that wants the property. Once that is done, maybe some common sense will prevail, and then a fair price for all can be found. With Hawk out of town, Spenser enlists the aid of his protégé in training, Zebulon Sixkill, who also figures he owes Henry.
Before long things in the case start going sideways in Robert B. Parker's Wonderland: A Spenser Novel by Ace Atkins. Not just in the case, but in the book itself. Unfortunately, while all the familiar names and locations are present in this series and doing all the usual things one expects, the books no longer read like Spenser novels. As always the scenic descriptions and narration are very limited, the chapters are as short as ever, the witty (or not depending on your perspective) dialogue between Spenser and everyone else still exists--in fact every single character engages in witty repartee with every other character. All the usual elements are firmly in place and the tagline A Spenser Novel is still on the cover.
But, where it truly matters, in the hard to pin down and define it style of voice, the distinctive Spenser voice is now gone. It is not just because Sixkill plays a prominent role, or that Hawk never makes an appearance, or that Susan has been regulated to a cupboard above the stove (she doesn't even get a back burner role here to the ecstatic joy of many according to reviews seen elsewhere. This is a different and often harder edged Spenser in terms of thought and action.
On its own a harder edged Spenser is not necessarily a bad thing. But, that harder edge Spenser doesn’t go far enough when it happens and often flips back to a far weaker Spenser. Clearly author Ace Atkins had a nearly insurmountable task in taking over for the late Robert B. Parker to keep the series going. Every now and then one gets the sense that if he could take the hobbles off he would shove Spenser hard and fast in a new direction that could easily lose those who insist on Spenser never changing. At the same time, he is losing readers like me who recognize he is sitting on the fence with his version of Spenser.
Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland: A Spenser Novel
Ace Atkins
http://www.aceatkins.com
G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group)
http://www.penguin.com
May 2013
ISBN# 978-0-399-16157-5
Hardback (also available as e-book and audio book)
$26.95
306 Pages
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013
Even if Spenser didn't owe Henry whatever he asked he would look into things just because this sort of deal ticks him off. His initial goal is to stop the threats and to find out who the buyer is that wants the property. Once that is done, maybe some common sense will prevail, and then a fair price for all can be found. With Hawk out of town, Spenser enlists the aid of his protégé in training, Zebulon Sixkill, who also figures he owes Henry.
Before long things in the case start going sideways in Robert B. Parker's Wonderland: A Spenser Novel by Ace Atkins. Not just in the case, but in the book itself. Unfortunately, while all the familiar names and locations are present in this series and doing all the usual things one expects, the books no longer read like Spenser novels. As always the scenic descriptions and narration are very limited, the chapters are as short as ever, the witty (or not depending on your perspective) dialogue between Spenser and everyone else still exists--in fact every single character engages in witty repartee with every other character. All the usual elements are firmly in place and the tagline A Spenser Novel is still on the cover.
But, where it truly matters, in the hard to pin down and define it style of voice, the distinctive Spenser voice is now gone. It is not just because Sixkill plays a prominent role, or that Hawk never makes an appearance, or that Susan has been regulated to a cupboard above the stove (she doesn't even get a back burner role here to the ecstatic joy of many according to reviews seen elsewhere. This is a different and often harder edged Spenser in terms of thought and action.
On its own a harder edged Spenser is not necessarily a bad thing. But, that harder edge Spenser doesn’t go far enough when it happens and often flips back to a far weaker Spenser. Clearly author Ace Atkins had a nearly insurmountable task in taking over for the late Robert B. Parker to keep the series going. Every now and then one gets the sense that if he could take the hobbles off he would shove Spenser hard and fast in a new direction that could easily lose those who insist on Spenser never changing. At the same time, he is losing readers like me who recognize he is sitting on the fence with his version of Spenser.
Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland: A Spenser Novel
Ace Atkins
http://www.aceatkins.com
G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group)
http://www.penguin.com
May 2013
ISBN# 978-0-399-16157-5
Hardback (also available as e-book and audio book)
$26.95
306 Pages
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013
Another good book read, with Ace Atkins taking over the Spenser series. These books are a quick easy beach read, filled with staccato dialogue and a few over the top characters, like a warm bag of popcorn on a summer day. Part of the appeal of these books are the real locations used. Spenser and his Indian sidekick Sixkill help friend and gym owner Henry Cimoli deal with some goons who want Henry to move from his condo sooner, rather than later. From there, the book goes to casino development, and some shady Massachusetts politicians. There actually really was a Wonderland amusement park, in the Boston area of Revere, MA that was turned into a dog track. The plot was a bit more predictable than some of the other Spenser novels, so, 3.5-4 stars out of 5.0
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
You all know how I love Spenser.
And if you remember I was concerned when author Robert Parker died and Ace Atkins took over the Spenser series. His first book, Sixkill was good, had that Parker feel, almost seamless in the turnover. Edit: This is actually Parker's last book, Atkins took over the next one...d"oh!
This one...well, it was good, still has the Parker feel but something was a little bit off. Not bad...but off.
At first I thought it was because Atkins didn't have enough of that quick, witty dialogue that defines Parker's writing. Often throughout the book I thought, "Oh please, don't lose all the conversation, the fast paced back and forth between characters." Now that I'm done I'm not sure that was the case. It might just have been that many of the characters were guest stars so they didn't have the history with Spenser, the give and take of smart remarks. See Hawk is in Florida for this book so we are not treated to his witty repartee. Susan is teaching in Berkeley and while she comes in for a visit and there are phone calls, she's essentially on the back burner. Even the old police friends are not there for more than a few short scenes. I'm hoping this is because of this complicated storyline and not a sign of things to come.
The Z character is intriguing...and he did get developed a lot so that may even be part of it.
None of this will, of course, cause me to break up with my Spenser. We are likethis, destined to always be together.
(And no, that last sentence is not in any way weird or awkward...shut up.)
And if you remember I was concerned when author Robert Parker died and Ace Atkins took over the Spenser series. His first book, Sixkill was good, had that Parker feel, almost seamless in the turnover. Edit: This is actually Parker's last book, Atkins took over the next one...d"oh!
This one...well, it was good, still has the Parker feel but something was a little bit off. Not bad...but off.
At first I thought it was because Atkins didn't have enough of that quick, witty dialogue that defines Parker's writing. Often throughout the book I thought, "Oh please, don't lose all the conversation, the fast paced back and forth between characters." Now that I'm done I'm not sure that was the case. It might just have been that many of the characters were guest stars so they didn't have the history with Spenser, the give and take of smart remarks. See Hawk is in Florida for this book so we are not treated to his witty repartee. Susan is teaching in Berkeley and while she comes in for a visit and there are phone calls, she's essentially on the back burner. Even the old police friends are not there for more than a few short scenes. I'm hoping this is because of this complicated storyline and not a sign of things to come.
The Z character is intriguing...and he did get developed a lot so that may even be part of it.
None of this will, of course, cause me to break up with my Spenser. We are likethis, destined to always be together.
(And no, that last sentence is not in any way weird or awkward...shut up.)
His mouth curled into a smile, showing off a couple of gold teeth as he rubbed his patchy beard “How about we just fuck all y’all up? Don’t make no difference to me.”
“Doesn’t make any,” I said. “You should be more careful about letting double negatives slip into everyday conversation.”
“Fuck your momma,” he said.
“Much better,” I said.
“Doesn’t make any,” I said. “You should be more careful about letting double negatives slip into everyday conversation.”
“Fuck your momma,” he said.
“Much better,” I said.
"Mario Puzo would have loved it," I said. "Or whoever writes his book now."
Atkins is leaving Parker behind, little by little, but this is still good. The dialog for Susan and Henry is strange, and the thing at the end with Gino Fish felt sloppy. Still. I'll get the next one too.
Atkins is leaving Parker behind, little by little, but this is still good. The dialog for Susan and Henry is strange, and the thing at the end with Gino Fish felt sloppy. Still. I'll get the next one too.
The plus is that you can't tell that this was not written by Robert Parker. The con is that is the same tried and true later day Spenser. If you like the series, you'll like this book.
Ace Atkins does a good job of continuing on the Spenser series. In this novel, Spenser is in trouble with the mob...or so it seems. Hawk is out of town on another job. Spenser's new apprentice, Zebulan Sixkill, steps in to help out. Good book, but I always like Hawk and the exchanges between Spenser and Hawk, so it draws away just a little.
Atkins is the closest to the original Parker style of any of the fill-in authors I've read. Still, the style isn't the same, and is occasionally disappointing. Harsher language, misdirection of some of the ancillary characters, etc. It seems to me that he has tried to make the series his "own" in some small ways, but the departures are a bit disappointing. Those are relatively small things, though, and overall the storyline kept me interested.
Spenser is on his own turf with his newest "project" Zeb Sixkill. It's a bit reminiscent of Spenser's own struggles early in the series. Hawk is off in Florida, and doesn't make an appearance, and Susan is in NC lecturing, but offers advice by phone. Henry Cimoli brings Spenser in on what seems to be little more than some protection while his condo association works out a buyout deal, but of course it turns into more. Its a convoluted mystery that kept me going until near the end.
Spenser is on his own turf with his newest "project" Zeb Sixkill. It's a bit reminiscent of Spenser's own struggles early in the series. Hawk is off in Florida, and doesn't make an appearance, and Susan is in NC lecturing, but offers advice by phone. Henry Cimoli brings Spenser in on what seems to be little more than some protection while his condo association works out a buyout deal, but of course it turns into more. Its a convoluted mystery that kept me going until near the end.
I thought Ace Atkins was brought in to class this series up but this particular one wasn’t much better than standard issue fare from Parker.
So since I have nothing else constructive to add on this particular book, let’s get into the concept of an ageless Spenser.
I’ve been fearing death a lot this week due to climate catastrophes near where I live. I fear death enough as it is and though I believe in an afterlife, it’s just that: a belief.
So that said, I just love the idea that I could remain an immortal soul, forever a 40-year old Vietnam vet turned PI, as long as someone keeps writing me that way. If doing private eye work in Boston is an endless purgatory, hey, there are worse fates. Sign me up.
So since I have nothing else constructive to add on this particular book, let’s get into the concept of an ageless Spenser.
I’ve been fearing death a lot this week due to climate catastrophes near where I live. I fear death enough as it is and though I believe in an afterlife, it’s just that: a belief.
So that said, I just love the idea that I could remain an immortal soul, forever a 40-year old Vietnam vet turned PI, as long as someone keeps writing me that way. If doing private eye work in Boston is an endless purgatory, hey, there are worse fates. Sign me up.