In SUDDEN MISCHIEF, Spenser is asked by the world’s hottest hottie, Susan Silverman, to defend her former husband against a case of multiple sexual harassment charges from four married women. The man bringing the charges against Susan’s ex is just about the most powerful, and dangerous, man in Boston. Everybody wants Spenser to drop the case. He is being warned away by his friends, even some enemies have suggested that he drops this one for his own benefit, but that would be against just about everything that we know Spenser the man (and Spenser the PI) stands for. So that is off the table.This case is interesting, to say the least. Susan is not being completely forthcoming with the truth concerning her ex. And, naturally enough, the reader feels, that neither is Susan's ex. Spenser starts to dig deeper and he soon manages to uncover some apparently misappropriated funds from a charity related to all parties concerned and suddenly his forehead creases in thought. And in consternation, even. The case breaks open just before you hit the halfway mark, and the dirt really begins to hit the fan. The true colours of certain characters are suddenly on display for the entire world to see, and it ain’t pretty. The gang’s all here for this case, too, which is a good thing, as the reader will probably feel more secure with every page turn, knowing that Hawk and Co have got Spenser’s back.Some readers love Susan’s psychoanalytical input into the series; other readers loathe her. But to my mind, a Spenser novel wouldn’t be a Spenser novel without her. To be completely honest, this story is rather analytical, especially in the book’s first half. But as the case opens up, and the action starts to flow, you begin to see what it is that Spenser repeatedly risks his life for. So in summary then: SUDDEN MISCHIEF is a solid, if not world shattering entry in this much adored series of detective novels. I can’t wait to finish it, but only so that i can start another one! Four stars from me.
This is not so much a review of "Sudden Mischief" as one for all Robert B Parker's books. If you haven't read any of his novels you really are missing out on one of the great crime/thriller writers of the modern age. "Sudden Mischief" is a novel in Parker's first and most successful "Spencer" series. Spencer is, for me (and many others, judging by the series success), one of the great fictional characters. He's a private eye who knows where he stands in the world - he's not worn down by his profession, he's not a loner, he's secure in his personal relationships, he's all the things that seem to be anathema in modern crime writing; and it's really refreshing to read a central character in a crime novel who really doesn't have any personality flaws.As well as creating great characters Parker has a terrific way with dialogue. Some of the exchanges really crackle on the page, especially those between Spencer and his less than law abiding best buddy Hawk.If you've ever enjoyed a book by Raymond Chandler, Dashiel Hammett, Elmore Leonard etc etc then you really need to discover Robert B Parker. Spencer, Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall and the whole world of Boston law enforcement await you. If you've never read about any of these characters then I envy you - you have many wonderful stories to discover.
What do You think about Sudden Mischief (1999)?
This ranks right up there with the best Spenser novels. It deals with Susan's ex husband, who is a businessman accused of sexual harassment. He is portrayed, deservedly so, as a pathetic loser who can get women. Susan asks Spenser for help, and he obliges. Spenser and Hawk delve into the usual suspects and incidents. What makes this stand out is getting into Susan's background, which has been largely absent from any in the series. Parker provides some nice perspective on this, and makes me appreciate the series even more.
—Kevin Bresnahan
Somehow, in some thirty plus years of reading mysteries, I have managed to miss out on the enjoyable experience of reading a Spenser novel. Fortunately, with the completion of Sudden Mischief, the 25th in the series, that gaping hole has been filled! What fun this book was! Spenser's asked by his psychiatrist girl friend, Susan, to help out her ex husband Brad Sterling, who has hit a rough patch, and is in financial trouble. Of course, Spenser investigates, with the aide of Hawk, whom I also met for the first time. The dialogue between the two is snappy, and frequently, laugh-out-loud funny. There are a few heavies to deal with, figuratively as well as realistically, and Spenser perseveres in a case that seems to be going nowhere. Susan struggles to process her emotions throughout the book, and the interactions between the lovers are subtly entertaining. There is a certain sparseness to his writing, but it creates mental images for the reader that are crystal clear. This is an exciting find for me, because I know that I have lots of Spenser and Hawk to explore and enjoy. The experience is kind of like finding a twenty or fifty dollar bill in a jacket pocket that's been tucked away for the season-fun money that you didn't expect to have! My TBR list just got a LOT longer with the infusion of all those Spenser novels.I gave this book 4 stars rather than five, because I am sure that I will find an even better one among Parker's body of work. I was tempted to give 5. To compensate, I added Parker to my favourite author list after only one encounter-a rare occurrence.
—Laurel
A really great entry in the Spenser series, Sudden Mischief tells of the unexpected (or some might call it "sudden") reappearance of Susan Silverman's ex-husband, whose name escapes me at the moment. As the former Mr. Silverman (he's changed his name to Sterling) appears to be in some trouble, Susan recruits her man Spenser to investigate. Although the overall story is nothing new (people get killed, Spenser investigates, crimes get solved), what really makes this book one of the best Spenser novels I've read are the interactions between Spenser and Hawk. Perhaps it's because this is an emotional case for Susan, and her deep soul-searching (deep for a Spenser novel, that is) precludes the usual banter between she and Spenser; perhaps it isn't. But, whatever the reason, I laughed out loud (that's right - a gen-u-wine LOL) several times during Sudden Mischief, all during Spenser/Hawk interactions. A very good book for Hawk fans, and for anyone else who enjoys these characters.
—Amy
