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Spenser #21
Walking Shadow
A murder draws Boston PI Spenser into the dramatic world of theater in this New York Times bestseller in Robert B. Parker’s long-running series.In a shabby waterfront town, an actor is shot dead onstage. Granted, the script left much to be desired. But there's more behind the scenes than an overzealous critic—and Spenser and Hawk are combing Port City’s underworld to find it...“Great fun...[Spenser] is still the cockiest and wittiest P.I. on the block.”—The New York Times
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 1994
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About the author
Robert B. Parker
492 books2,305 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database named Robert B. Parker.
Robert Brown Parker was an American writer, primarily of fiction within the mystery/detective genre. His most famous works were the 40 novels written about the fictional private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the mid-1980s; a series of TV movies was also produced based on the character. His works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area. The Spenser novels have been cited as reviving and changing the detective genre by critics and bestselling authors including Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, and Dennis Lehane.
Parker also wrote nine novels featuring the fictional character Jesse Stone, a Los Angeles police officer who moves to a small New England town; six novels with the fictional character Sunny Randall, a female private investigator; and four Westerns starring the duo Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. The first was Appaloosa, made into a film starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen.
Robert Brown Parker was an American writer, primarily of fiction within the mystery/detective genre. His most famous works were the 40 novels written about the fictional private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the mid-1980s; a series of TV movies was also produced based on the character. His works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area. The Spenser novels have been cited as reviving and changing the detective genre by critics and bestselling authors including Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, and Dennis Lehane.
Parker also wrote nine novels featuring the fictional character Jesse Stone, a Los Angeles police officer who moves to a small New England town; six novels with the fictional character Sunny Randall, a female private investigator; and four Westerns starring the duo Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. The first was Appaloosa, made into a film starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 310 reviews
September 28, 2024
Walking Shadow is one of those ho-hum Spensers. It’s a page-turner—all the Spensers are page-turners—but the reader is not left with a lot of pleasure after all that page-turning is done.
Still, there’s a lot going on: a stalker dressed in black, a busty—and needy— young actress, the sexy wife of a Chinese gangster, a once-good police chief mired in corruption, a Vietnamese gang (“The Double Dragons”), a tong lord, both Hawk and Vinnie Morris for backup, human trafficking in the dead of night, a kidnapping on videotape, and an actor shot dead on stage just after singing “what else matters if you"re lucky in love?”
Perhaps that’s the trouble: there’s just too much going on. It’s as if Parker just threw a lot of stuff into his top hat, and out popped this story. And the biggest problem is that the solution to to the murders seems just as arbitrary as anything else.
The atmosphere of Port City, particularly the boat landing at midnight, are both very fine, as is Spenser’s interview with an illegal fish plant worker in his tiny rented room. But these bright spots are not enough to make a good book.
It is Spenser, course. And this series is always entertaining. But if—unlike me—you haven’t resolved to read the whole series, you could easily find a better Spenser mystery.
February 16, 2025
Having read this one in the Spenser series a couple of times over the years, I’ve always felt it was actually one of the better entries in the series in its own way. This time around only reaffirmed my opinion of it.
Like Stardust, Walking Shadow begins with Spenser doing a favor for the dreadful Susan Silverman, and there’s too much of her, but she’s a bit easier to take here, and the story as it unfolds gradually becomes better and better, punctuated by a scene reminiscent of a western saloon gunfight, where, rather than allude to how good Vinnie is, or give us an after-the-fact accounting, Parker shows us in real time that when it comes to being a gun-hand, Vinnie has no equals.
Spenser and Susan buy a house in Concord to renovate in this one, and there’s some fun lighter moments surrounding the work, including moments with Hawk and Vinnie and Pearl. On a much more substantive end of the spectrum, in Walking Shadow, though the moment is brief, we get to see Hawk at his most emotionally distant, bordering on heartlessness. The moment happens when Hawk plays on and manipulates a young black woman’s affections just to get Spenser into a room where a supposedly kidnapped sexpot is being kept — or perhaps just hiding out.
It’s a rare such moment at this point in the series. While the actual deed isn’t shown by Parker, it is alluded to in a way that leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind just what he’s capable of. It is Hawk in reality rather than the romanticized version of him Parker writes and uses in such entertaining fashion. The quick, almost throwaway scene is all the more stark because of the prior introduction of tiny but lovable Mei Ling, whom Spenser has brought to Port City to help translate for him in his interactions with the Chinese; they have no desire to speak with a low fan.
Mei Ling is adorable, and by this point in the story, it is obvious something is happening between her and Hawk. But Hawk still uses the pretty girl clerking at the hotel in an implied sexual manner. It is one of the few times at this point in the series we get a real insight into Hawk that isn’t romanticized or formulaic. It is one of a lot of little moments in Walking Shadow that tend to make this one more than the sum of its parts. Written on the heels of the excellent Paper Doll, Parker seemed to be on a roll here.
Someone is being stalked in the Port City Theater company, and since Susan is on the board, Spenser comes down to look into it and help out. He doesn’t find any stalker at first, but he does find a cop named DeSpain, who might be as tough as Spenser and Hawk. And there’s a real sexpot among the players in a production as pretentious as Susan Silverman. Then there’s a theater benefactor named Rikki Wu, gorgeous and self-involved. Port City turns out to be a hornet’s nest of people smuggling, Chinese gangs, infidelity and maybe one real whack job.
After one of the theater players, Craig Sampson, is murdered on stage, Spenser begins questioning people. He’s getting nowhere until Rikki Wu’s husband threatens Spenser, warning him to stay clear of Port City or be killed. Enter Hawk and Vinnie, stir in a kidnapping, a couple of very serious and nearly successful attempts on Spenser’s life, Chinese gangs, people smuggling, conflicting stories of love both requited and unrequited, and one very tough cop running the town whom Healy happens to know, and you’ve got a lot going on, none of which adds up. Spenser’s frustration is palpable:
“I was back and forth in Port City so much I felt like a carrier pigeon. We were back there again, with Mei Ling, in the Puffin Muffin, on a rainy Saturday and I was tired of it. I was tired of the drive. I was tired of not working on the house in Concord. I was tired of the rain. I was tired of being about a step and a half behind. I was tired of not seeing Susan. I was tired of Hawk and Vinnie following me around. I missed Pearl.”
This one has not only a deadly confrontation to conclude it, but one of the more enjoyable wrap-ups of any book in the series. In the acknowledgements, Parker recommends Chinatown: A Portrait of a Closed Society, by Gwen Kinkead as an informative source. There is just enough scattered bits and pieces about Chinese culture to keep the narrative entertaining as always. A really good one in the series, not as flashy as some, but perhaps with more substance. Good stuff.
Like Stardust, Walking Shadow begins with Spenser doing a favor for the dreadful Susan Silverman, and there’s too much of her, but she’s a bit easier to take here, and the story as it unfolds gradually becomes better and better, punctuated by a scene reminiscent of a western saloon gunfight, where, rather than allude to how good Vinnie is, or give us an after-the-fact accounting, Parker shows us in real time that when it comes to being a gun-hand, Vinnie has no equals.
Spenser and Susan buy a house in Concord to renovate in this one, and there’s some fun lighter moments surrounding the work, including moments with Hawk and Vinnie and Pearl. On a much more substantive end of the spectrum, in Walking Shadow, though the moment is brief, we get to see Hawk at his most emotionally distant, bordering on heartlessness. The moment happens when Hawk plays on and manipulates a young black woman’s affections just to get Spenser into a room where a supposedly kidnapped sexpot is being kept — or perhaps just hiding out.
It’s a rare such moment at this point in the series. While the actual deed isn’t shown by Parker, it is alluded to in a way that leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind just what he’s capable of. It is Hawk in reality rather than the romanticized version of him Parker writes and uses in such entertaining fashion. The quick, almost throwaway scene is all the more stark because of the prior introduction of tiny but lovable Mei Ling, whom Spenser has brought to Port City to help translate for him in his interactions with the Chinese; they have no desire to speak with a low fan.
Mei Ling is adorable, and by this point in the story, it is obvious something is happening between her and Hawk. But Hawk still uses the pretty girl clerking at the hotel in an implied sexual manner. It is one of the few times at this point in the series we get a real insight into Hawk that isn’t romanticized or formulaic. It is one of a lot of little moments in Walking Shadow that tend to make this one more than the sum of its parts. Written on the heels of the excellent Paper Doll, Parker seemed to be on a roll here.
Someone is being stalked in the Port City Theater company, and since Susan is on the board, Spenser comes down to look into it and help out. He doesn’t find any stalker at first, but he does find a cop named DeSpain, who might be as tough as Spenser and Hawk. And there’s a real sexpot among the players in a production as pretentious as Susan Silverman. Then there’s a theater benefactor named Rikki Wu, gorgeous and self-involved. Port City turns out to be a hornet’s nest of people smuggling, Chinese gangs, infidelity and maybe one real whack job.
After one of the theater players, Craig Sampson, is murdered on stage, Spenser begins questioning people. He’s getting nowhere until Rikki Wu’s husband threatens Spenser, warning him to stay clear of Port City or be killed. Enter Hawk and Vinnie, stir in a kidnapping, a couple of very serious and nearly successful attempts on Spenser’s life, Chinese gangs, people smuggling, conflicting stories of love both requited and unrequited, and one very tough cop running the town whom Healy happens to know, and you’ve got a lot going on, none of which adds up. Spenser’s frustration is palpable:
“I was back and forth in Port City so much I felt like a carrier pigeon. We were back there again, with Mei Ling, in the Puffin Muffin, on a rainy Saturday and I was tired of it. I was tired of the drive. I was tired of not working on the house in Concord. I was tired of the rain. I was tired of being about a step and a half behind. I was tired of not seeing Susan. I was tired of Hawk and Vinnie following me around. I missed Pearl.”
This one has not only a deadly confrontation to conclude it, but one of the more enjoyable wrap-ups of any book in the series. In the acknowledgements, Parker recommends Chinatown: A Portrait of a Closed Society, by Gwen Kinkead as an informative source. There is just enough scattered bits and pieces about Chinese culture to keep the narrative entertaining as always. A really good one in the series, not as flashy as some, but perhaps with more substance. Good stuff.
October 25, 2011
You know Spenser’s in real trouble when he thinks that Hawk isn’t enough back-up.
A theater manager is being stalked by a mysterious figure and asks Spenser to help. Before he can start investigating, an actor is shot and killed on stage during a performance. An actress also complains of being followed. While he’s trying to figure out exactly what’s going on, Spenser gets threatened by the leader of the local Chinese gangs. After surviving a hail of bullets, Spenser and Hawk turn to gunman and gangster Vinnie Morris for assistance.
OK, I’m starting to seriously question my memory at this point. I’d remembered this as being one of my least favorite Spenser books, but after this reread of it….Not too bad at all. Vinnie had been lurking in the background of several previous books as a potential deadly enemy for Spenser, and it was a nice twist that they ended up working together.
The mystery piece was pretty good, but once again in this series too much of the plot become wrapped up in one character’s psychological problems. Less head shrinking and more gunplay with the Chinese tong would have bumped this rating up a star. The Susan factor isn’t too bad in this one because there’s a subplot about them buying a farm house that they’re renovating. When Spenser and Susan actually have shit to do other than look deeply in each other’s eyes and declare their undying love, they’re a lot more tolerable.
Next up: Spenser has to assualt a fortified building without any help from Hawk in Thin Air.
A theater manager is being stalked by a mysterious figure and asks Spenser to help. Before he can start investigating, an actor is shot and killed on stage during a performance. An actress also complains of being followed. While he’s trying to figure out exactly what’s going on, Spenser gets threatened by the leader of the local Chinese gangs. After surviving a hail of bullets, Spenser and Hawk turn to gunman and gangster Vinnie Morris for assistance.
OK, I’m starting to seriously question my memory at this point. I’d remembered this as being one of my least favorite Spenser books, but after this reread of it….Not too bad at all. Vinnie had been lurking in the background of several previous books as a potential deadly enemy for Spenser, and it was a nice twist that they ended up working together.
The mystery piece was pretty good, but once again in this series too much of the plot become wrapped up in one character’s psychological problems. Less head shrinking and more gunplay with the Chinese tong would have bumped this rating up a star. The Susan factor isn’t too bad in this one because there’s a subplot about them buying a farm house that they’re renovating. When Spenser and Susan actually have shit to do other than look deeply in each other’s eyes and declare their undying love, they’re a lot more tolerable.
Next up: Spenser has to assualt a fortified building without any help from Hawk in Thin Air.
March 1, 2014
I haven't read a Spenser/Hawk series in a few months since I was getting weary of him and Susan, but this fun merry-go-round story put a spark back for me. (Never would I get weary of Hawk for heaven's sake.)
The story kind of went nowhere and Spenser and Hawk said so and that's what I liked about it. Spenser and Hawk both acknowledged that they were on a wild goose chase always coming up with zero answers in trying to find the shooter of an actor who was on stage performing when killed. There were no suspects and no one knows anything about anything.
And we aren't in Boston, Dorothy, but on the Mass. coast in a smaller snobby town delineated by class geographically. The name of the town is Port City where illegal immigration of Chinese supplies the ranks of a Chinese mob who speak only Cantonese (or Mandarin.) And of course, they have their own closed society answerable only to their mob boss.
But is there any connection to anything? The answer is no, nothing and it turns into a bit of a joke between them; there's nothing to go on through most of the book. Toward the last 1/5 of the book, clues begin to surface and good thing because the book was almost over.
Hawk is black, shaved head, 18" neck, works out regularly and drives a new white Jaguar. He's the hippest and best dressed in the entire paperback world.
If I turn up missing here on Goodreads.com it's because I'm in a white Jag with a white scarf in my hair blowing in the wind with a hot dude driving. And Tom Bodett, don't leave the light on. We'll be at a much classier joint than you can provide.
The story kind of went nowhere and Spenser and Hawk said so and that's what I liked about it. Spenser and Hawk both acknowledged that they were on a wild goose chase always coming up with zero answers in trying to find the shooter of an actor who was on stage performing when killed. There were no suspects and no one knows anything about anything.
And we aren't in Boston, Dorothy, but on the Mass. coast in a smaller snobby town delineated by class geographically. The name of the town is Port City where illegal immigration of Chinese supplies the ranks of a Chinese mob who speak only Cantonese (or Mandarin.) And of course, they have their own closed society answerable only to their mob boss.
But is there any connection to anything? The answer is no, nothing and it turns into a bit of a joke between them; there's nothing to go on through most of the book. Toward the last 1/5 of the book, clues begin to surface and good thing because the book was almost over.
Hawk is black, shaved head, 18" neck, works out regularly and drives a new white Jaguar. He's the hippest and best dressed in the entire paperback world.
If I turn up missing here on Goodreads.com it's because I'm in a white Jag with a white scarf in my hair blowing in the wind with a hot dude driving. And Tom Bodett, don't leave the light on. We'll be at a much classier joint than you can provide.
November 23, 2024
Спенсър е корав както винаги и хич не обича да го водят за носа. Станал свидетел на убийство в театъра на Порт сити, той няма как да остане безучастен. Но пък местната китайската мафия въобще не е съгласна някой да ѝ се меси в делата...
Приятно и бързо четиво, идеално за разпускане!
Приятно и бързо четиво, идеално за разпускане!
December 31, 2023
Spenser, the cocky, wisecracking private investigator, may have bitten off more than he can chew when he agrees to take the case of an actor assassinated on stage in the mingle of a play. Susan, Hawk, Vinnie and Pearl the Wonder Dog are along for the ride and provide backup, muscle and assistance as the entire town of Port City seems to turn on Spenser. Parker has provided another great read full of intriguing mystery, violence and smart-ass wit.
May 23, 2017
(The word "maroon" appears 3 times in this novel)
3.5 stars
This book is graced with a classic femme fatale in the noir style.
Solid plotting with a good pace from the start, a mostly inscrutable enemy, and very menacing situations at times.
An above-average Spenser for Parker's later books.
3.5 stars
This book is graced with a classic femme fatale in the noir style.
Solid plotting with a good pace from the start, a mostly inscrutable enemy, and very menacing situations at times.
An above-average Spenser for Parker's later books.
June 29, 2022
Семпла история, но пък идеална за плажа, понеже не трябва да се напрягаш хич, за да уловиш нишката. Сюзън и Спенсър са все така идеалната двойка, Хоук (тук назован от преводача "Хок") - все същият корав пич и верен приятел; към екипа се присъедини и един чешит, Вини - супер бързак с патлаците, понеже китайчетата също не се шегуват. 3,4/5
December 17, 2025
The dialogue was fun and witty but the audiobook reader sounded like someone in his 20s and Spenser has got to be in his 40s or 50s when this was released. And the reader did not sound like a tough guy. This took away from the book for me.
October 29, 2016
I was in "Bob's Used Books" several years ago looking for a new series to start, and the owner asked if I'd ever read Spenser. Nope but I'll try it. This book was actually my first entry in the novels even though it's #21. I started back at the beginning and worked my way through and here I am again.
I enjoy the characters, especially Spenser and Hawk, and their sarcastic bantering. I've seen several reviewers who detest poor Susan, but to date, the primal and intellectual bond between her and Spenser is good.
Here, Susan asks Spenser to look into a theater manager's worry that he has a stalker. We soon find ourselves knee deep in murder (onstage), a Tong gang, and smuggling of illegal aliens.
I enjoy the characters, especially Spenser and Hawk, and their sarcastic bantering. I've seen several reviewers who detest poor Susan, but to date, the primal and intellectual bond between her and Spenser is good.
Here, Susan asks Spenser to look into a theater manager's worry that he has a stalker. We soon find ourselves knee deep in murder (onstage), a Tong gang, and smuggling of illegal aliens.
January 18, 2020
The setting for this #21 in the Spenser series is Port City Massachusetts. Susan is on the board of directors for a small little play house. One evening, as Spenser and Susan are watching a play, a terrible tragedy occurs. This launches Spenser into an investigation that becomes very dangerous. Vinnie from the mob appears in this one to help Hawk protect Spencer. A new character, Mei Ling, who Spenser higher as a Chinese translator, is introduced.
The mystery is complex and is slow to develop. This didn’t take away from the enjoyment, however. This was a pretty good one.
I’m on a roll with the Spenser books lately. It’s been a long time since I have done a marathon reading on a series. I need to get some more.
The mystery is complex and is slow to develop. This didn’t take away from the enjoyment, however. This was a pretty good one.
I’m on a roll with the Spenser books lately. It’s been a long time since I have done a marathon reading on a series. I need to get some more.
March 30, 2019
This is the first Spenser novel that did not appeal to me. I had difficulty connecting with the characters or to care what happened to them, finding them flat and superficial.
Spenser and Susan are headed to Port City, a rundown fishing town with a large Chinese population just outside of Boston. Susan is a member on the board of the local experimental theater and Spenser has a potential client to interview. The Artistic Director of the Port City Theater Company believes someone is stalking him and wants Spenser to chase him down. He has not involved the police, concerned it might create unwanted negative publicity for the theater. Spenser agrees to take on the job.
That evening Spenser and Susan attend one of the theater’s plays. Spenser considers it a boring and pretentious mish-mash about appearance and reality, but then mayhem breaks out when one of the actors in the middle of his performance, is shot, the bullet landing expertly at a point just above his heart.
Spenser takes on the murder case as well as the stalking in an effort to help out former state police officer DeSpain, now the Chief of Police in the Port City. DeSpain is a man who had a reputation as a good cop but there are rumours he is playing things a little too close to the edge these days.
Spenser is quickly warned off getting involved in the city’s affairs by Lonnie Wu, husband of Rikki Wu another theater board member. Lonnie is an important member of the Boston Chinese tong and he and two of his Vietnamese gang members enter Spenser’s office and threaten him. The tong uses a gang called the Death Dragons to help them control Chinatown in the Port City and these young Asian youths speak little English but are formidable, brutal killers. They track Spenser continually as he tries to make progress in the murder investigation and Spenser calls in Hawk for backup. Hawk is joined by Vinnie Morris who was Joe Broz’s right hand man but has been out of work for two years and needs some cash. He is also itching for work and concerned that his skills may be getting rusty.
One of the actresses comes forward to report that she too has someone stalking her, there is a drive by shooting, another murder, a strange kidnapping, the discovery of a cache of pornographic pictures and a steady influx of illegals which appears to be ignored by the Chief of Police. Spenser sorts it all out and unlike his last few cases, there are no moral or ethical questions he must face to wrap it all up.
Although the characters from the theater did not spark my interest, Mei Ling the young Chinese student who came to serve as translator and help Spenser understand a culture he knew little about, was a standout. A doctoral student in Asian studies at Harvard, she gets kudos for her insights, her courage and her ability to demonstrate strength through her quiet but forceful ways.
Readers know what makes these books entertaining. It is a certain mix of “just enough” Hawk, descriptions of workouts at Henry’s gym, references to Spenser’s wardrobe, literary quotes and Spenser fawning over Susan that makes it all work. But this time the surprise presence of Vinnie, created a third wheel in the Spenser/Hawk dynamic and stifled their normally snappy dialogue.
I know there are some that will disagree with my rating, but because I am on an extended Spenser “binge read”, it is natural to compare the books to those that preceded them. It may be that because some of the better ones were not so far in the past, that this installment failed to work for me. Maybe I am just being grouchy. Or maybe it is the old principle that the right book at the right time works and at the wrong time doesn’t. Still the book is O.K. It’s just the only Spenser novel I have given a two star rating in the twenty I have read, which says something.
Spenser and Susan are headed to Port City, a rundown fishing town with a large Chinese population just outside of Boston. Susan is a member on the board of the local experimental theater and Spenser has a potential client to interview. The Artistic Director of the Port City Theater Company believes someone is stalking him and wants Spenser to chase him down. He has not involved the police, concerned it might create unwanted negative publicity for the theater. Spenser agrees to take on the job.
That evening Spenser and Susan attend one of the theater’s plays. Spenser considers it a boring and pretentious mish-mash about appearance and reality, but then mayhem breaks out when one of the actors in the middle of his performance, is shot, the bullet landing expertly at a point just above his heart.
Spenser takes on the murder case as well as the stalking in an effort to help out former state police officer DeSpain, now the Chief of Police in the Port City. DeSpain is a man who had a reputation as a good cop but there are rumours he is playing things a little too close to the edge these days.
Spenser is quickly warned off getting involved in the city’s affairs by Lonnie Wu, husband of Rikki Wu another theater board member. Lonnie is an important member of the Boston Chinese tong and he and two of his Vietnamese gang members enter Spenser’s office and threaten him. The tong uses a gang called the Death Dragons to help them control Chinatown in the Port City and these young Asian youths speak little English but are formidable, brutal killers. They track Spenser continually as he tries to make progress in the murder investigation and Spenser calls in Hawk for backup. Hawk is joined by Vinnie Morris who was Joe Broz’s right hand man but has been out of work for two years and needs some cash. He is also itching for work and concerned that his skills may be getting rusty.
One of the actresses comes forward to report that she too has someone stalking her, there is a drive by shooting, another murder, a strange kidnapping, the discovery of a cache of pornographic pictures and a steady influx of illegals which appears to be ignored by the Chief of Police. Spenser sorts it all out and unlike his last few cases, there are no moral or ethical questions he must face to wrap it all up.
Although the characters from the theater did not spark my interest, Mei Ling the young Chinese student who came to serve as translator and help Spenser understand a culture he knew little about, was a standout. A doctoral student in Asian studies at Harvard, she gets kudos for her insights, her courage and her ability to demonstrate strength through her quiet but forceful ways.
Readers know what makes these books entertaining. It is a certain mix of “just enough” Hawk, descriptions of workouts at Henry’s gym, references to Spenser’s wardrobe, literary quotes and Spenser fawning over Susan that makes it all work. But this time the surprise presence of Vinnie, created a third wheel in the Spenser/Hawk dynamic and stifled their normally snappy dialogue.
I know there are some that will disagree with my rating, but because I am on an extended Spenser “binge read”, it is natural to compare the books to those that preceded them. It may be that because some of the better ones were not so far in the past, that this installment failed to work for me. Maybe I am just being grouchy. Or maybe it is the old principle that the right book at the right time works and at the wrong time doesn’t. Still the book is O.K. It’s just the only Spenser novel I have given a two star rating in the twenty I have read, which says something.
May 15, 2024
Spenser, Hawk and Vinnie are together and it seems they are taking on a gang...but maybe not. Great book as most of Robert Parker's are! I love when all three of these guys are together. Add Susan and Pearl the Wonder Dog and you have a great story.
November 15, 2023
Spenser in Chinatown. Sort of.
Human smuggling, murder, infidelity, the stage, and a death threat by a leader in the local Tong. More Spenser fun!
Human smuggling, murder, infidelity, the stage, and a death threat by a leader in the local Tong. More Spenser fun!
November 23, 2024
Too much Susan and way too much Pearl in this novel. Felt like half of the book was revolving around them. And their chapters were tiresome to say the least.
If the story was focused merely on Spenser, Hawk and Vinnie, it would have been much, much better.
If the story was focused merely on Spenser, Hawk and Vinnie, it would have been much, much better.
December 28, 2019
Another solid Parker mystery. A little slow in places, but I didn’t figure it out completely until late in the story. Vinnie look like he will be an interesting member of the crew.
June 19, 2021
"'What's the hurry? We have the rest of our life to do this.'
'You know perfectly well that I am always in a hurry.'
'Almost always,' I said.
'Except then.'"
(A snippet of Spenser and Susan's banter.)
Robert B. Parker's Walking Shadow (1994), the twenty-first installment in the long-running Spenser saga, is - in my view - one of the weaker novels of the series. It seems that the unremarkable plot serves only one purpose: to give the reader a pretext to meet the four recurring characters again: intrepid, intellectual, athletic, and very manly Spencer, his psychologist partner Susan Silverman, PhD, his infinitely cool close friend Hawk, and Vinnie Morris - the best shot in the entire Universe (well, in Boston).
Spenser and Susan come to a coastal Massachusetts town, where Susan is a board member of a local theater company. The artistic director of the company suspects he is being followed; Spenser's task is to catch the stalker. Soon things get more serious: when Susan and Spenser watch a play in the theater, someone shoots one of the actors to death. Naturally, Spenser undertakes the murder investigation for the theater company.
The town has a huge Chinese population - including many people without legal immigration status - and Spenser learns that it is actually the tong that wields the power in the town. Spenser's investigation bothers the tong's bosses and he is threatened with death if he does not stay out of their affairs. Which explains the appearance of Hawk and Vinnie. And - as Anton Chekhov might say - once Vinnie shows up in the novel, there will be shooting at the end.
Instead of following the feeble plot, I have focused on finding funny passages and nice prose fragments. Like the following one:
Two-and-a-half stars.
'You know perfectly well that I am always in a hurry.'
'Almost always,' I said.
'Except then.'"
(A snippet of Spenser and Susan's banter.)
Robert B. Parker's Walking Shadow (1994), the twenty-first installment in the long-running Spenser saga, is - in my view - one of the weaker novels of the series. It seems that the unremarkable plot serves only one purpose: to give the reader a pretext to meet the four recurring characters again: intrepid, intellectual, athletic, and very manly Spencer, his psychologist partner Susan Silverman, PhD, his infinitely cool close friend Hawk, and Vinnie Morris - the best shot in the entire Universe (well, in Boston).
Spenser and Susan come to a coastal Massachusetts town, where Susan is a board member of a local theater company. The artistic director of the company suspects he is being followed; Spenser's task is to catch the stalker. Soon things get more serious: when Susan and Spenser watch a play in the theater, someone shoots one of the actors to death. Naturally, Spenser undertakes the murder investigation for the theater company.
The town has a huge Chinese population - including many people without legal immigration status - and Spenser learns that it is actually the tong that wields the power in the town. Spenser's investigation bothers the tong's bosses and he is threatened with death if he does not stay out of their affairs. Which explains the appearance of Hawk and Vinnie. And - as Anton Chekhov might say - once Vinnie shows up in the novel, there will be shooting at the end.
Instead of following the feeble plot, I have focused on finding funny passages and nice prose fragments. Like the following one:
"[...] looking at the people moving past us, and they seemed to me for a minute as they must have seemed to Herman Leong all the time: insubstantial, and temporary wisps of momentary history that flickered past, while behind him was the long, unchanging, overpowering weight of his race that bore upon the illusory moment [...]"As to humor, in addition to the epigraph quote, the reader can find a few hilarious passages of sexual innuendo like, for instance
"'Do you wish my flower were like a polished pearl?' Susan said.The Chinese graduate student, Mei Ling, who serves as Spenser's interpreter, is the most memorable character in the novel. There is also a thin layer of seriousness about the "have-nots" and racial conflicts in the society: Spenser is stunned by the subhuman living conditions of Chinese immigrants in Massachusetts. The reader may also be surprised by how much the language standards have changed in the recent years: the book was published only 27 years ago, yet I am afraid it would be criticized today for "insensitive language."
'I'm an old-fashioned guy,' I said. 'I prefer the original, so to speak, unprocessed model.'"
Two-and-a-half stars.
August 3, 2022
Spenser’s managed to anger an entire gang and needs both Hawk and Vinnie to protect him—this is fun because it’s the first time we see Vinnie on his side and not just agreeing to stay out of his way.
Personal life:
Spenser and Susan own a house in Concord that they’re renovating together.
Overall: intriguing with an extra psychotic antagonist. A fun read.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
*Note:
Spenser mentions how he used to watch Linda from his office—I believe every book since the one those 2 hooked up in has had him do so. :)
*Recurring (semi-major / major) characters:
Hawk & Vinnie as mentioned above.
Spenser reconnects with Healy.
Mei Ling
Quan Chang - crime boss
*LOL quote:
“I solve ALL my cases … some of them are just not solved yet.” —Spenser
Audio:
This narrator … his voice is pleasant enough, but he does NOT fit Spenser at all. Not a fan.
First edition cover:
Spenser Reading Order:
1. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
2. God Save the Child (1974)
3. Mortal Stakes (1975)
4. Promised Land (1976)
5. The Judas Goat (1978)
6. Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980)
7. Early Autumn (1980)
8. A Savage Place (1981)
9. Ceremony (1982)
10. The Widening Gyre (1983)
11. Valediction (1984)
12. A Catskill Eagle (1985)
13. Taming a Seahorse (1986)
14. Pale Kings and Princes (1987)
15. Crimson Joy (1988)
16. Playmates (1989)
17. Stardust (1990)
18. Pastime (1991)
19. Double Deuce (1991)
20. Paper Doll (1993)
21. Walking Shadow (1994)
22. Thin Air (1995)
23. Chance (1996)
24. Small Vices (1997)
25. Sudden Mischief (1998)
26. Hush Money (1999)
27. Hugger Mugger (2000)
28. Potshot (2001)
29. Widow's Walk (2002)
30. Back Story (2003)
31. Bad Business (2004)
32. Cold Service (2005)
33. School Days (2005)
34. Dream Girl (2006)
35. Now and Then (2007)
36. Rough Weather (2008)
36.5 Chasing the Bear (2009)
37. The Professional (2009)
38. Painted Ladies (2010)
39. Sixkill (2011)
39.5 Silent Night (2013)
Spenser: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
continued in the series by Ace Atkins
Personal life:
Spenser and Susan own a house in Concord that they’re renovating together.
Overall: intriguing with an extra psychotic antagonist. A fun read.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
*Note:
Spenser mentions how he used to watch Linda from his office—I believe every book since the one those 2 hooked up in has had him do so. :)
*Recurring (semi-major / major) characters:
Hawk & Vinnie as mentioned above.
Spenser reconnects with Healy.
Mei Ling
Quan Chang - crime boss
*LOL quote:
“I solve ALL my cases … some of them are just not solved yet.” —Spenser
Audio:
This narrator … his voice is pleasant enough, but he does NOT fit Spenser at all. Not a fan.
First edition cover:
Spenser Reading Order:
1. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
2. God Save the Child (1974)
3. Mortal Stakes (1975)
4. Promised Land (1976)
5. The Judas Goat (1978)
6. Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980)
7. Early Autumn (1980)
8. A Savage Place (1981)
9. Ceremony (1982)
10. The Widening Gyre (1983)
11. Valediction (1984)
12. A Catskill Eagle (1985)
13. Taming a Seahorse (1986)
14. Pale Kings and Princes (1987)
15. Crimson Joy (1988)
16. Playmates (1989)
17. Stardust (1990)
18. Pastime (1991)
19. Double Deuce (1991)
20. Paper Doll (1993)
21. Walking Shadow (1994)
22. Thin Air (1995)
23. Chance (1996)
24. Small Vices (1997)
25. Sudden Mischief (1998)
26. Hush Money (1999)
27. Hugger Mugger (2000)
28. Potshot (2001)
29. Widow's Walk (2002)
30. Back Story (2003)
31. Bad Business (2004)
32. Cold Service (2005)
33. School Days (2005)
34. Dream Girl (2006)
35. Now and Then (2007)
36. Rough Weather (2008)
36.5 Chasing the Bear (2009)
37. The Professional (2009)
38. Painted Ladies (2010)
39. Sixkill (2011)
39.5 Silent Night (2013)
Spenser: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
continued in the series by Ace Atkins
January 20, 2020
Walking Shadow is another enjoyable entrant in the Spenser series. At the center of the story is a pretty complicated mystery with a lot of moving parts. The book contains quite a bit of action and also does a good job of showcasing Spenser's patented wit.
Susan Silverman is on the board of an avant-garde theater company in Port City, a small run-down city on the Massachusetts coast. She asks Spenser to accompany her to the theater and talk to the artistic director, who's worried he's being stalked. After Spenser agrees to help, he and Susan attend the play. In the middle of the play, an actor is shot dead on stage, and the case takes on a whole new dimension.
Despite the fact that the murder occurred in a crowded theater, no one in the audience can offer much help in identifying the shooter. The police aren't much help, so it's up to Spenser to investigate. He starts by looking for a motive. Was the murder related to the stalking of the artistic director? Was it unconnected? Port City has a large Chinatown community and there are rumors that illegal Chinese laborers are being smuggled on the coast, so did it involve Chinese gang activity?
Spenser is warned to stay out of Port City or be killed. He enlists Hawk to help him, and he knows they're on the right track when they're almost gunned down while talking to a witness. But they still don't have a suspect, and they're definitely not out of danger.
As with most Spenser books, Walking Shadow is a page-turner. The action moves almost as fast as Spenser's repartee with Hawk and just about everyone else he encounters. Susan is still not my favorite character, but she does contribute some good lines to the dialogue. Having dinner one night with Spenser and Hawk, she rolls her eyes at their wit. "'One and a half billion males on the planet and I'm having dinner with Heckel and Jekyll,' she said." Okay, Susan, I'll give you that one.
Susan Silverman is on the board of an avant-garde theater company in Port City, a small run-down city on the Massachusetts coast. She asks Spenser to accompany her to the theater and talk to the artistic director, who's worried he's being stalked. After Spenser agrees to help, he and Susan attend the play. In the middle of the play, an actor is shot dead on stage, and the case takes on a whole new dimension.
Despite the fact that the murder occurred in a crowded theater, no one in the audience can offer much help in identifying the shooter. The police aren't much help, so it's up to Spenser to investigate. He starts by looking for a motive. Was the murder related to the stalking of the artistic director? Was it unconnected? Port City has a large Chinatown community and there are rumors that illegal Chinese laborers are being smuggled on the coast, so did it involve Chinese gang activity?
Spenser is warned to stay out of Port City or be killed. He enlists Hawk to help him, and he knows they're on the right track when they're almost gunned down while talking to a witness. But they still don't have a suspect, and they're definitely not out of danger.
As with most Spenser books, Walking Shadow is a page-turner. The action moves almost as fast as Spenser's repartee with Hawk and just about everyone else he encounters. Susan is still not my favorite character, but she does contribute some good lines to the dialogue. Having dinner one night with Spenser and Hawk, she rolls her eyes at their wit. "'One and a half billion males on the planet and I'm having dinner with Heckel and Jekyll,' she said." Okay, Susan, I'll give you that one.
March 18, 2019
The strength of this book is the dialog and the supporting characters. Susan is one of the board of directors of the Port City Theater Company and the director claims that he is being followed. As a “favor” to her, Spenser agrees to consider the case and accompanies Susan to a performance. The situation immediately gets ratcheted up when an actor is shot and killed in the middle of a performance.
Port City is a town with a long past with several ethnic groups well-segregated. Along the sea are the fishermen of Portuguese extraction and on the hill live the wealthy whites. Between them live the Asians, run by a Chinese organized crime syndicate backed by young Vietnamese men that are emotionless and ruthless killers.
Realizing the significant danger, Spenser brings in Hawk and Vinnie Morris as backup, allowing for a great deal of interactive dialog between the three of them and Susan. It is snappy, intelligent and humorous, you find yourself wishing the scenes were a little bit longer. Spenser is forced to delve deeply into the structure of the “Chinese business,” the way that things are run by crime bosses in the Chinese-American culture.
This is a convoluted plot with players that pretend to be many things, some of which are odd. Hawk sums it up well when he tells Spenser, “This is the silliest thing you ever got me involved in.” Yet, it is a good story with a conclusion that wraps up the case with no dangling unknowns.
Port City is a town with a long past with several ethnic groups well-segregated. Along the sea are the fishermen of Portuguese extraction and on the hill live the wealthy whites. Between them live the Asians, run by a Chinese organized crime syndicate backed by young Vietnamese men that are emotionless and ruthless killers.
Realizing the significant danger, Spenser brings in Hawk and Vinnie Morris as backup, allowing for a great deal of interactive dialog between the three of them and Susan. It is snappy, intelligent and humorous, you find yourself wishing the scenes were a little bit longer. Spenser is forced to delve deeply into the structure of the “Chinese business,” the way that things are run by crime bosses in the Chinese-American culture.
This is a convoluted plot with players that pretend to be many things, some of which are odd. Hawk sums it up well when he tells Spenser, “This is the silliest thing you ever got me involved in.” Yet, it is a good story with a conclusion that wraps up the case with no dangling unknowns.
October 3, 2015
“Shadow” is another typical entry in Parker’s lengthy 39-book Spenser series – this one a middle outing at #21. Susan is on the board of a struggling small theater group in run-down coastal town Port City. While she and Spenser are attending a play, the leading man is shot dead from the back of the auditorium, so naturally our hero is recruited to find the perp. Clues are so slow to surface that both the characters and we readers are rather frustrated. Finally Spenser’s usual poking and prodding develops some possibilities of many bad things going on, with Hawk and Vinny providing almost protective custody as Spenser gets both death threats as well as several near-miss attacks. We did not at all guess the plot’s final outcomes, in a somewhat more twisty tale than usual – but despite that suspense, this was not necessarily one of our favorite story lines. But as usual, we were sufficiently entertained despite polishing off the entire novel in a single reading session while on an airport layover!
November 21, 2016
In Parker's 21st book from the Spenser series four words come to mind, "The girl be crazy".
The book starts out with Spenser going to the local Port City theatre to see a very bizarre play. In the middle of it one of the actors is shot to death right in front of the audience. Susan gets Spenser to help the theatre find the killer and a stalker who has been stalking members of the production crew prior to the killing.
The Chinese mob is involved and illegal immigration is examined. It comes down to someone who really is crazy manipulating others leading to three murders.
Hawk and Vinnie (who has left Joe Broz) protect Spenser during his investigation. Spenser needs the protection because the Chinese mob wants Spenser dead and it is the Death Dragons job is to make sure that gets done.
Hawk even ends up with a girlfriend by the end of the book. It will be interesting to see if she will be with Hawk in future books or if she was a short term adventure for him.
The book starts out with Spenser going to the local Port City theatre to see a very bizarre play. In the middle of it one of the actors is shot to death right in front of the audience. Susan gets Spenser to help the theatre find the killer and a stalker who has been stalking members of the production crew prior to the killing.
The Chinese mob is involved and illegal immigration is examined. It comes down to someone who really is crazy manipulating others leading to three murders.
Hawk and Vinnie (who has left Joe Broz) protect Spenser during his investigation. Spenser needs the protection because the Chinese mob wants Spenser dead and it is the Death Dragons job is to make sure that gets done.
Hawk even ends up with a girlfriend by the end of the book. It will be interesting to see if she will be with Hawk in future books or if she was a short term adventure for him.
July 29, 2020
Spenser and Susan buy a country fixer upper and Spenser swears off earning a living.
Spenser seems to have given up on paying cases. Susan persuaded him to help out a non-profit theater group where she serves on the board. The manager believes he is being stalked. During his attendance at a performance, one of the actors is killed and the situation continues to escalate. As more events occur and Spenser commits more resources, he is frustrated because he is not findng any clues. One major difficulty is many of the events are tied to Chinatown where the residents are singularly unhelpful, but polite. They prefer the known Tong to the unknown authorities. Gradually the events put enough pressure on folks that a few clues shake loose and Spenser is able to solve all of the crimes precipitated for an unlikely reason.
Another quick read.
Spenser seems to have given up on paying cases. Susan persuaded him to help out a non-profit theater group where she serves on the board. The manager believes he is being stalked. During his attendance at a performance, one of the actors is killed and the situation continues to escalate. As more events occur and Spenser commits more resources, he is frustrated because he is not findng any clues. One major difficulty is many of the events are tied to Chinatown where the residents are singularly unhelpful, but polite. They prefer the known Tong to the unknown authorities. Gradually the events put enough pressure on folks that a few clues shake loose and Spenser is able to solve all of the crimes precipitated for an unlikely reason.
Another quick read.
July 29, 2015
Okay, so the book wasn't "amazing," but Parker does such a GREAT job with this series, and personally, I think of lot of his Spenser books are a 4.5, so giving this one a 5-star rating to make up for all the ones I gave a 4-star. :) And "Walking Shadow" has a number of complexities to it that highlight Parker's easy grace with the English language, his in-depth knowledge of the Arts, his familiarity with Love (and detecting,) the social issues of the day (remarkably identical to many we're experiencing right now,) and has Hawk, VINNIE!, and Spencer joining forces to solve this many-faceted conundrum. And no worries, Parker, still delivers plenty of witty conversations, sardonic comebacks, and plot twists-and-turns.
October 18, 2016
I thought I had read all of the Spenser novels. Somehow, I missed this one.
Both a refreshing and exciting read. Refreshing to be back in Parker's mesmerizing style with succinct descriptions that bring his settings and his characters to life. And to enjoy anew one of the best masters of dialogue I've ever read.
Parker adds an exciting plot with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the final reveal. The end was a satisfying surprise.
And along the way, I got to spend time with Spenser and Susan and Hawk. And Pearl the wonder dog.
And a cast of the deadly dangerous and the loopy loony all wrapped up in the story world of Boston and its environs as only Parker could present it.
Both a refreshing and exciting read. Refreshing to be back in Parker's mesmerizing style with succinct descriptions that bring his settings and his characters to life. And to enjoy anew one of the best masters of dialogue I've ever read.
Parker adds an exciting plot with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the final reveal. The end was a satisfying surprise.
And along the way, I got to spend time with Spenser and Susan and Hawk. And Pearl the wonder dog.
And a cast of the deadly dangerous and the loopy loony all wrapped up in the story world of Boston and its environs as only Parker could present it.
February 19, 2011
I am reading everything Robert B. Parker wrote and down to my last few books. Just finished this one today and when I first started it I thought "OH NO - a dull book". But once I got past the set-up it once again was such a fun ride with Spencer-Hawk-Susan interaction, and throw in Vinnie for more laughs. Did not figure things out until close to the end - really good twists and turns. Once again - I highly recommend all his books!!!
August 24, 2016
#21 in the Spenser series.
Spenser novel - Susan engages Spenser to find out who is stalking the artistic director of a theater group in a waterfront town north of Boston and then who killed an actor during a performance. The local leader of a Chinese tong tries to discourage him
Spenser novel - Susan engages Spenser to find out who is stalking the artistic director of a theater group in a waterfront town north of Boston and then who killed an actor during a performance. The local leader of a Chinese tong tries to discourage him
April 3, 2018
Great
Always love Spencer. I love the dialogue, story pace, characters, and Pearl. Too quick a read and waiting for the next.
Always love Spencer. I love the dialogue, story pace, characters, and Pearl. Too quick a read and waiting for the next.
May 4, 2018
Always a good read.
Robert Parker can be counted on to deliver an entertaining, well written mystery. Spensor is an unforgettable character. Always a good read.
Robert Parker can be counted on to deliver an entertaining, well written mystery. Spensor is an unforgettable character. Always a good read.
October 17, 2019
I really enjoy Parker's Spenser stories!
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