Reading the Spenser series, along with about six other series in order, has been a challenge but a fun one. When I first began reading Playmates I was thinking about how much I missed Spenser's wise ass remarks, being, not trying to be but actually being funny, by my warped sense of humor standards. The farther along I read, the more I was thinking to myself, I've read this before and about a quarter through, read a couple of reviews (without spoilers) to determine if I was correct. Reading the first review by a Goodreads reviewer who was not a GR friend, he was saying that Playmates was nothing but a re-write of Mortal Stakes which was about baseball. I continued reading because I was enjoying it, but it was sounding so very familiar. Was close to the point of knowing what was going to happen on the next page because I had 'read' it before. So, it wasn't just me! If so, it was me and another fellow who felt the same way; this was a re-write of sorts with basketball being substituted for baseball. Oh, well, the book didn't take that long and it was enjoyable albeit familiar.Not sure either, whether I'm over Susan's past actions. She was so disappointing to me in an earlier book that I'm still finding it hard to forgive her as easily as Spenser obviously did. If someone had just picked up this book and read as standalone, they would never know what a difficult wishy-washy woman she can be. Perhaps she's found her feet solid in reality, maybe not. I'm not totally trusting of her, yet, sorry about that Spenser. And her waxing romantic about love? Come on now, Susan. Remember when you said...blah, blah, blah?Spenser though, continues on in his quest to 'save' one person at a time and with Hawk's help, he may just have. Love Hawk, everything about him; I could read an entire book devoted only to Hawk, provided it wasn't a re-hash. Spenser's such a unique guy but I hope that this isn't the beginning of the end for Parker's so far, great plots. I'm continuing on my quest to read them all in order, but hope this doesn't happen again. Won't know unless I pick up the next book. There are many Harry Bosch, Dimas Hardy, Lucas Davenport, Dave Robicheaux and in the future, Elvis Cole's that I need to read first. And then I want to read for the third time around, my good buddy, Travis McGee in 2013 who is always a joy. Moving forward...
In Playmates, the 16th Spenser Novel by Robert Parker, we find our intrepid sleuth investigating a possible point-shaving conspiracy on the Taft University basketball team. The university hires Spenser to investigate a story in the school paper alleging the nationally-ranked team of shaving points on their way to a conference title. Coached by Dixie Dunham, a larger-than-life figure cut from the same cloth as Bobby Knight, Spenser begins his investigation in an area where he may be neither wanted nor appreciated. In this, Spenser is in familiar territory.One of the players, Dwayne “Refers-to-himself-in-the-Third-Person” Woodcock, is team’s star, a kid destined to skyrocket into the NBA. He’s also the prime suspect in the point-shaving scam. As Spenser digs into the case, he goes well deeper than his clients expect, because that’s what Spenser does. It is of no surprise that the case leads him to deeper waters and bigger sharks.Playmates has all the things that make a Spenser novel a Spenser novel. Our hero’s trusty partner, Hawk, provides back-up, Spenser’s confidant and lover Susan provides affection and guidance. There is also fine food and drink abound. For this alone Playmates is worth the price of admission. The story moves quickly, and once I started it I couldn’t put it down.Despite the many great things about Playmates, however, it is not one of Parker’s best. The story unfolds pretty much how you would expect it, and while the waters of the story run quickly, it doesn’t run particularly deep. There are no real surprises here, and the actual action sequences only take up a fraction of the book. While it has a lot going for it, it isn’t quite up to mark of Parker’s other works, such as Pale Kings and Princes. That’s not to say, however, that Playmates isn’t worth your time.Spenser novels work the best when Spenser gets a hold of a cause and refuses to let go, and there is plenty of that here. Sometimes the cause that Spenser is willing to kill or die for is a belief in a person he barely knows. Usually that person is not his client.If you are looking for the kind of escape on the late, great Robert Parker can provide, then Playmates does not disappoint. While it may not been deep, it is a great trip down the rapids!
What do You think about Playmates (1990)?
Jeff: You got me! One upped me! Oh, no, will have to see what's on the shelf next. I do miss Spenser and Hawk.Let me show you what I just learned...An all-around solid Spenser novel. Nice comment, Jeff.
—Jeff Yoak
Spenser gets hired to check out an accusation that a star athlete is screwing with the outcome of games for gambling purposes. When he investigates, he finds that the athlete is with a good woman that he truly loves, and that he is in way over his head with shady people. Spenser decides to confront the gamblers and help the couple out rather than destroy the athlete’s career.“Wait a second, Kemper. You mixed up your books. That’s the plot from Mortal Stakes where Spenser is hired by the Red Sox to check out their star pitcher. This review is supposed to be about Playmates. ”Sadly, I have not made a mistake. The basic plot is the same for both books. Parker did make changes so that the stories have differences, but it is disappointing that he started recycling plots at this point. Taft University hires Spenser to check out a story that someone on their highly ranked basketball team is shaving points. Spenser quickly figures out that Dwayne Woodcock, one of the best players in the country, is in on the scheme. Dwayne is arrogant and spoiled, but he has a good woman in his life. Spenser can’t bear to see her suffer for Dwayne’s idiocy so rather than trash Dwayne’s career, he doesn’t report what he knows to the college and starts trying to find a way to pry Dwayne free from the gamblers.This isn’t a bad story. In fact, it’s a pretty good Spenser adventure. There’s some funny stuff with Hawk, and Spenser gets to annoy a loudmouth Bobby Knight-style coach. (I hate Bobby Knight so that bonus feature may not tickle all readers.) Parker flips his usual theme of a ‘good’ man with a ‘bad’ woman to a quality woman making a pain-in-the ass man worth saving. However, I have never been able to get over similarity in plot to the superior Mortal Stakes.With my 2010 cynical nature about sports, I found it highly funny that the 1989 Spenser is shocked and outraged to find out about academic fraud done to keep Dwayne eligible to play. It's kind of quaint. Next up: Spenser goes Hollywood in Stardust.
—Kemper
I've recently begun rereading the Spenser series in order, and when I got to Playmates I noticed something rather refreshing. As I review various tomes in the series, I'm going to do my best to refrain from Susan-bashing. Not that I don't agree with the Susan-bashers, it's just that I can't think of much new to say on that subject. But that's exactly what I noticed about halfway through Playmates. In this one, Susan really isn't all that bad. She actually fits into the plot, contributes something relative to her "sweet patootie's" efforts, and doesn't come of nearly as starry-eyed and cloying as she usually does. In short, Susan's kind of cool in this one. I think this happens for two reasons. First, she doesn't really appear until about halfway through and doesn't become actually involved in the plot until the last third. So she's not that constant, irritating presence, like a gnat hovering around you that you can't brush away. But even more important, she has an honest-to-goodness role to play in the plot. Her academic background and training comes in helpful, so most of when the reader sees her she's acting like a professional, not a flighty debutante. (Man, it is hard to keep away from the bashing.) In one of the main confrontations towards the end, she hovers in the background, observes the actions of the participants, and manages through subtle expressions to guide Spenser in his interactions with the others. In other words, she actually does something. My only regret is that in most of the later books Parker couldn't have found equally positive ways to make use of one of his main characters.
—Kevin Doyle
