Customer Reviews

Sudden Mischief

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After Small Vices, this seemed to be pretty light-weight as far a story line went. I always enjoy the humor that Parker injects into his tales, and there was plenty in this book. The scene where two thugs enter Spenser's office and threaten him...didn't that same thing happen in a recent Spenser book? An enjoyable if light-weight read.

If you are a Spenser fan you'll like this book which builds out more of Susan's background than ever before - and it's a interesting background. The plot is not bad, but not great and the character of Susan's husband is a bit cheesy. However the dialouge is classic Parker and that's always top notch. I enjoyed the book but having read many a Spenser novel and having read Hush Money before hand I can definitely say there are better Spenser books to read first. Hush Money is excellent, and so is Walking Shadow.

I find it odd, having actually discovered Parker with this book, that so many people seem to dislike it. I thought it was incredible, & continue to think so even after reading every other spenser book. I also don't know why people are reading the books if they don't like Susan. The relationship has been there since book two, & i find this chapter in their relationship to be a worthy addition. Are people looking for action? Most of his books, with the notable exception of a Catskill Eagle, are heavy on dialougue, not action. The relationships between all the characters are what have made this series compelling. A worthy addition, and a good introduction for those of us who joined the party late. By the way, I think Valediction is his best.

About to stop reading Spenser novels if Parker doesn't stop emphasizing Susan in this series.

In reading the past three or four books, I skipped right over the inter-chapters depicting Spenser with Susan. It makes for quick reading and I miss nothing.

I liked this book a lot; putting me in the minority, apparently. It's interesting to see Susan as a more fallible person, less of a goody two shoes. The relationship between Spencer and Susan is interesting, deep and not your conventional boy-girl scene. Even though they are deeply in love, they don't have the traditional happy ending. Very much more realistic, actually, for many of us.

One thing I do agree on is that there should be more of Hawk. What a great character!

I have read all the Spenser books until now, but unless Susan goes, I may not read the next one. I would trade 10 Susans for one Hawk.

I am still a big fan of the Spenser novels.Always fun to read (and a fast read too); Spenser's repartee with Hawk is still my favorite part. In fact, Hawk is the only character who retains some sense of continuity, but I cannot understand what it is about Susan Silverman that appeals to him. Susan Silverman is a royal pain and loses Parker 2 stars. Who gives a rat's about her self indulgent, quite boring and overly-needy ego? No empathy here. Spenser should dump her and go for Rita Fiore. Even getting it on with Rachel Wallace would make a better read.

Spenser as Alan Alda-oozing-type male feminist? Come on Robert B!... Spenser USED to be a very sexy character - a girl likes a bit of sensitivity, but that cotton candy stuff has got to go!! And enough with the Susan Silverman whining, it's even a turn off for me, and I'm a woman! Sorry I wasted the $$ on this one, hope RBP can redeem himself soon. Sincerely.

I consider myself a Spenser fanatic, as I have read every one of the books at least twice, many of them so often I don't even care to remember, yet the most recent effort I found practically unreadable. Honestly, who cares about Susan Silverman's petty self-centered analyses about her childhood and consequences thereof? At least one half of the book concentrated on this, and the rest consisted of a haphazard crime plot, the substance of which seemed to have been thrown together on a coffee break (decaf, right, Spenser?). To summarize: so far I've read only good or brilliant Spenser novels; this one was the first downright miserable one. You can do better, Mr. Parker.