Customer Reviews

Spare Change

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Let me start by admitting that I have been a life-long Robert B. Parker fan. This is the first of his books that disappoints. For a life-long mystery writer to get so sloppy is sad.

The first glaring error that whacks you on the side of the head is when Mr. Parker describes a murder weapon as a "Smith and Wesson 38" -- revolver -- and then has his characters looking for the spent cartridge, which would only be there if the weapon were an automatic. This is a sad and obvious lapse, especially for a writer who has over three decades of experience writing about such things.

There are other similar errors that I won't describe in detail since it could spoil the "plot", though I have to warn you that once you start spotting the careless errors and realize that this is just another gone-through-the-motions pot-boiler for Mr. Parker, the flame of fandom may flicker for you too.

Luckily, Amazon has many thousands of other authors and books to enjoy. My condolences to Robert B. Parker fans, and to all the unlucky people who read this book first.

This book opens up Sunny's dad Phil Randall as a developed character, almost worthy of a prequel series himself. The usual Parker BPD/MSP detectives contribute also, only S & H are missing - must be on a fishing trip or something. Parker takes jabs at liberals and academics and suburban housewives but is a "cop on every corner" really the answer to crime? The story is maybe a little too quick to ID the killer with Sunny's intuition cracking the case. This is an uptick in the ongoing Sunny Randall story and shows RBP is not just mailing it in.

While this is Parker's sixth Sunny Randall novel, first-time readers needn't be at all shy about dropping in. They'll soon feel right at home, and home is a carefully chosen word as so much of Parker's story revolves around family and the importance of familial relationships.

The banter between Sunny and her father, retired cop Phil Randall, is a joy to read. The characters are real, authentic and you'll quickly find yourself caring about each of them, even Rosie, Sunny and ex Richie's bull terrier (they share custody).

Some 20 years ago a serial killer was on the loose. Boston newspapers dubbed him the Spare Change Killer because he left three coins by his victims after shooting the unsuspecting behind the right ear. At that time Phil was the lead investigator in the case, taunted by notes from the killer. Phil doesn't much care for unsolved cases, and this one really bothered him. Now, after two decades, there's another note and another killing.

"Hi, Phil," it reads. "You miss me? I got bored, so I thought I'd reestablish our relationship. Give us both something to do in our later years. Stay tuned. Spare Change."

The original killer surfacing after all this time or a copy cat? Police immediately call upon Phil to consult on the case and he calls upon Sunny to help him. She is, of course, pleased to be asked. As she says, "I loved my father. My sister and I had competed with my mother for his attention all our lives. I was thrilled to have him sharing space with me."

Very soon the arduous task of interviewing suspects is begun, and Sunny has her eye on one man. No one agrees with her but this is a determined woman. She sets out to bait a trap for the man, little realizing the danger she's putting herself in.

As is often the case, the outcome isn't much of a surprise but it's such a pleasure getting there! For this reader, Parker is tops.

- Gail Cooke

Fans of the Sunny Randall series will find Spare Change very satisfying in terms of Sunny finding her way through ambivalence about being with Richie. There's no resolution there . . . but definite progress does occur. You could easily rename this book, Sunny's Quest for Meaning, since the book is also so much about her feelings concerning her father, mother, sister, and her friend, Julie. Much like Spenser, she also takes detecting actions that help her define what's important to her as a professional.

If you haven't read any of the Sunny Randall books before, you may feel like you've been dropped into an alien universe of psychological perspectives at times. Rather than be puzzled and annoyed by this book, I suggest you go back to the beginning and start with Family Honor.

Mystery fans who like character development will find that aspect of Spare Change nicely balances a pretty standard, and not very productive, police investigation into a serial killer. The two strands of the story nicely intertwine in a number of ways that enhance the reading experience. The book has another appealing feature, Susan Silverman and long-time police characters from the Spenser series have small roles. More than some books in the series, you feel like Sunny lives in the same Boston that Spenser does.

As the book opens, Sunny's romantic life is a mess. Richie has gotten remarried and her relationship with Jesse Stone is over because he can't get over his ex-wife and Sunny can't get over Richie. But things look up when her beloved father, Phil Randall, asks her to help him catch a serial killer who leaves three coins after execution-style killings in public places. Much of Sunny's life has always been focused on pleasing her father and getting his attention, and she feels like she's in a warm limelight.

The killings seem to be connected to a series of earlier murders that followed the same MO that ceased 20 years earlier. Captain Phil Randall had been the lead investigator on those killings, and someone claiming to be the perp sent him regular, taunting notes during the investigation. Now Phil is back as a consultant, and the notes start again.

With few clues, the police find that they have to fall back on mass screening to find suspects. During interrogations of some of these suspects, one stands out as enjoying himself too much. Sunny takes over the interrogation and starts meeting with him in bars. She's convinced this suspect is the one and becomes a one-woman committee to find evidence to prove he's the guilty party. Along the way, she gets a lot of good advice from her father, the police, and even a bit of help from Susan Silverman. The investigation isn't all that interesting, but the mystery of "why" the killings are occurring will keep your attention.

After you finish enjoying the book, I suggest that you think about things in your life that you feel you have to do. What are the lessons you can learn about where you have compulsions to act? In addition, think about what's a good way to love someone. Spare Change will have provided you with much food for thought in both areas.