Robert Parker is an entertaining author, and that's why his books continue to sell. As one reviewer noted, the stories are all the same, predictable - except for the murdered & victims, and town setting. True, but it's for Spencer (PI) and Jesse Stone (small town chief of police) (the main detective/sleuths) we, Parker's fans)come back for more. The books are easy reads and perfect for a lazy day, before sleep (don't even have to figure anything out) and/or a plane ride. Pick one up. Enjoy. No big deal, but entertaining. Crimes take place in and around Boston, and other locations in New England.School days a Spenser (his first name is not revealed) novel. A big, handsome, hunk of a private investigator, who has a warped sense of humor at inappropriate times, can kick butt and not afraid to shoot off (not only his mouth) but his gun to defend the helpless and himself."School Days" starts off with a surprise visit to Spencer's office from a rich grandmother whose grandson was involved in a school shooting in a upper class white Boston suburb. The grandmother refuses to believe her sixteen year-old grandson is guilty of the horrendous massacre. This theme hits home as I tried not to think too much of the reality of the crime. Grandmother hires Spencer to prove the young man's innocence. Spencer goes after the truth - is the kid really innocent? Or, did he indeed take part in the two man crime? Who else was involved? We meet some unhappy, crafty, lying people in positions of authority. Spencer has a way of bringing out the worst in the "good" people, and the best in the "bad" people at times.Parker writes with a quick pen, the plot moves, the dialogue is good and at times, funny even if surreal conversations take place.I did miss a character that is usually in the Spencer mysteries, another big hunk, and quite scary, badass, Hawk. Spencer's girlfriend Susan wasn't in this, but a few phone calls from her out-of-town location. I really not that big on Susan, she's kinda, meh...so that's okay. But, the ballbreaker attorney, Rita, now she's a character and tries to persuade Spence to no avail, to have a kinky good time. You see, the hunk, the "solitary" man really is in love with his shrink girlfriend. The women in Parker's novels are beautiful, and hot - of course! The life of a PI.Again, an entertaining, no brainer, well-written mystery.
Spenser is back in a school shooting case. There are two kids charged with the crime, but only one of them was in the room with guns, dead bodies and a ski mask when the police burst in to arrest them. That's Wendell Grant. The other kid is Jared Clark. Jared's wealthy grandmother comes to Spenser to reassure herself that her grandson isn't guilty. She will accept no other version of the facts. Spenser doesn't promise to find out that he isn't guilty, but does promise the truth.This seems to be that rare, late in series book that only mentions Hawk but we don't actually see/hear from him.Susan is spoken of often and lovingly, but she too is absent from Boston for 99% of the book. When Parker was on his game, there were few better. This one isn't a shining example of his work, but I was relieved to get a break from the Spenser and Susan show. Spenser does what he does best, roams around asking questions and ticking people off. I enjoy this kind of no frills writing, especially when I am pondering things like world peace and the nuclear situation in Iran. (Or was that Whorled Peas and Mitochondrial DNA, I can never remember.)Easy, fast reading. If you want complex themes and a new way of envision the world around you, go elsewhere. Seriously, I hear that Stephen Hawking has written some good stuff. Or Thich Nat Hahn, that guy is a serious man.
What do You think about School Days (2006)?
Yet another Robert B Parker book and another character to explore to go along with Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall, and like those two Spenser is in the same mould. He is a private investigator and has an errant spouse in Susan but like, Jenn and Richie they still feature in the lives of their other halves, can’t live with them can’t live without them. But Spenser has been called to investigate one of two boy who blew a fuse and shot to death a number of students and teachers at a local school, Dowling Academy. Both perpetrators are in police custody and have owned up to the shootings only one of the boys grandparents thinks her grandson, Jared Clark, didn’t really have anything to do with the killings even though both boys had confessed.The grandmother, Lily Ellsworth is wealthy and stubborn and believes her grandson innocent and wants Spenser to prove that fact something Spenser is not able to do as he delves into the whole sorry episode. Along the way he upsets quite a few people, people who not like him snooping around, especially the local police chief and a few of the parents of the dead students. But like Jesse and Sunny Spenser does not give up in the quest for the truth and the dark secrets he uncovers causes some hurt and resentment amongst the local community. As I read a variety of Parker's books it becomes apparent that various characters transcend across various books and pop up in any given story at any given time. This in a way is a plus because having read about characters in one book, like Crow, or Spike they become more familiar with you when they pop up elsewhere. But Spenser does get to the bottom of this massacre and when he does it’s not a pretty picture and certainly does not have the desired effects that Lily Ellsworth was hoping for. It says on the book cover the latest Spenser thriller, I will have to read some of the others.
—Steve
School shootings are, unfortunately, happening more and more every day. A shooting in the small town of Dowling, Massachusetts brings Spenser to find out if the teenagers that did it: Jared Clark and Wendell Grant--had really done it and for what reason. Apparently Jared Clark's Grandmother doesn't believe that her grandchild really did it, and she needs Spenser to find out the truth, even though it looks like an open-and-shut case...but the more Spenser gives, the more things aren't as they seem, and the school has some secrets that it would like to keep quiet...Really good twists and turns to keep you guessing, and nobody really wins (isn't that like life?) Enjoy!
—Metagion
I was not sure about this book since its a series.What i mean is this is one of the Detective Spenser's book series.Its not the last one or the first one, so i kinda question it but i really liked this book afterwards.Spencer the main guy is a detective and its on a case of school shooting.Grandmother of an teenage Massachusetts boy hires Spenser to unrevial the secret of Shooting in his school. Before i bought this book, we know lately there were a lot of school shooting.So this book gave me more information why things like this happen and how can we pretend it.This horrible crime happening in Boston,Massachusetts which Author talks about it a lot.After the book i searched online about the author and he is also from Massachusetts.This explains me how he knew most of the stuff about Massachusetts.I really liked this book and i think everyone should read it.
—Ardaaydin
