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Spenser #22
Thin Air
Her name is Lisa St. Claire. Her husband's a cop. Her whereabouts are unknown. Spenser thought he could help a friend find his missing wife. Until he learned the nasty truth about Lisa St. Claire. For starters, it's not her real name...
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
726 people are currently reading
1268 people want to read
About the author
Robert B. Parker
495 books2,323 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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February 12, 2012
Hawk used his key to open Spenser’s door and came inside. He set his suitcase down and walked towards the living room of the apartment.
“Spenser! You are not going to believe what happened to me in Burma. I had to kill more people than cancer. It was just insane and…..,” Hawk stopped short when he saw a thin Hispanic man standing in the living room.
“Who the hell are you?” Hawk asked.
Before the man could say anything, Spenser walked in from the hall and stopped in surprise.
“Hawk! When did you get back?” Spenser asked
“Just now. I came here straight from the airport. I thought we could go get a drink, and I’d tell you about Burma,” Hawk said. “Who’s this guy?”
“Oh, this is Chollo. Chollo, this is my friend Hawk,” Spenser said.
“Chollo? Isn’t that the guy who worked for that Latino gangster out in LA you met a while back?” Hawk said. “What’s he doing here?”
“I needed some help with something so I gave him a call, and he was nice enough to come out here and lend a hand,” Spenser said.
“Wait a second. I’m gone a couple of days and you go out and get someone new to back you up?” Hawk said.
“It’s not a big deal, Hawk,” Spenser said.
“Not a big deal? Did you two confront some criminals and make smart ass comments?” Hawk asked.
“Sure we did. It was pretty fun. Spenser sure can piss people off,” Chollo said.
“Oh, I know he can piss people off. I’ve been watching his back for years while he smart mouthed all kinds of gangsters while you were out in La-La Land with your movie stars,” Hawk said. He looked back at Spenser. “I suppose you two did a stakeout, too?”
“Yeah, we did have to watch this place for a while from the car,” Spenser said sheepishly.
“And did you drink coffee and eat doughnuts and make jokes based on the stereotypes of your different ethnic backgrounds?” Hawk demanded.
“Yes, but….” Spenser said.
“You’re unbelievable!” Hawk said. “That’s OUR thing. I leave town for five minutes, and you pick up some two-bit hoodlum and start doing all our favorite things. Next you’ll be telling me you two got in a gunfight.”
“Weeelllllll……,” Spenser said.
“You son-of-a-bitch,” Hawk said.
“Just let me explain. You know my buddy Frank Belson? The cop? Well, he just got married recently and his wife went missing. I was trying to help find her and the trail led to a really tough area with a mostly Hispanic population. Since you were gone, and I needed someone who speaks Spanish, I gave Chollo a call. What else was I supposed to do? You were out of town,” Spenser said.
“I was out of town trying to earn some money which I desperately needed because I spend most of my time helping your broke ass and never getting paid for it,” Hawk said. “And don’t even tell me you actually gave this guy cash.”
“Of course not. You know I don’t pay my sidekicks,” Spenser said.
“Sidekick?” Chollo said.
“Oh, now he’s your sidekick,” Hawk said.
“I’m nobody’s sidekick,” Chollo said.
“That wasn’t what I meant. He just helped me out in a pinch,” Spenser said. “And I’ll be honest with you, Hawk. It was kind of fun. He had new jokes and stories I haven’t heard a hundred times before. Admit it. We’ve been in a rut.”
“A rut? Are you breaking up with me?” Hawk said.
“Wait. What’s going on here? I thought you were straight,” Chollo said to Spenser. “You kept going on and on about your stupid girlfriend.”
“It’s a partner break-up he’s talking about,” Spenser said.
“Oh, so we are breaking up?” Hawk asked.
“Are you sure you two aren’t a couple? Because that’s what it’s sounding like,” Chollo said. “You can tell me. I may shoot people, but I'm not a bigot. And this is getting kinda weird.”
“Don’t play innocent, Chollo. You have to know that you’re replacing me,” Hawk said. He wiped a tear from his eye.
“Replacing you? I’m on a plane back to LA this afternoon. I’m not replacing you,” Chollo said.
“Really?” Hawk asked hopefully to Spenser. “He’s not staying? But what about all that stuff about us being in a rut?”
“You big silly. You know I could never find a better man to help me with my cases. I just want us to find new ways to go around smacking people in the mouth and shooting bad guys,” Spenser said. “I’ve got an idea. There’s this new case I’m going to be working, and I think it’ll mean going out to Las Vegas. You come with me, and we’ll make it a working vacation. We could rekindle our partnership.”
“Is Susan coming?” Hawk asked.
“Yeah, but we can just tell her were working and leave her in the hotel room most of the time,” Spenser said.
More tears welled up in Hawk’s eyes. The two men began hugging.
“I missed you so much,” Spenser whispered.
“Let’s never fight again,” Hawk said
“Uh…guys?” Chollo said. “I hate to break this up, but I need a ride to the airport. Spenser was going to take me, but we’re running late now. So maybe……Guys?.... That is one long hug….. Forget it. I’ll just call a cab.”
Next Up: In Chance, Spenser finds out that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Especially dead hookers in shallow graves.
“Spenser! You are not going to believe what happened to me in Burma. I had to kill more people than cancer. It was just insane and…..,” Hawk stopped short when he saw a thin Hispanic man standing in the living room.
“Who the hell are you?” Hawk asked.
Before the man could say anything, Spenser walked in from the hall and stopped in surprise.
“Hawk! When did you get back?” Spenser asked
“Just now. I came here straight from the airport. I thought we could go get a drink, and I’d tell you about Burma,” Hawk said. “Who’s this guy?”
“Oh, this is Chollo. Chollo, this is my friend Hawk,” Spenser said.
“Chollo? Isn’t that the guy who worked for that Latino gangster out in LA you met a while back?” Hawk said. “What’s he doing here?”
“I needed some help with something so I gave him a call, and he was nice enough to come out here and lend a hand,” Spenser said.
“Wait a second. I’m gone a couple of days and you go out and get someone new to back you up?” Hawk said.
“It’s not a big deal, Hawk,” Spenser said.
“Not a big deal? Did you two confront some criminals and make smart ass comments?” Hawk asked.
“Sure we did. It was pretty fun. Spenser sure can piss people off,” Chollo said.
“Oh, I know he can piss people off. I’ve been watching his back for years while he smart mouthed all kinds of gangsters while you were out in La-La Land with your movie stars,” Hawk said. He looked back at Spenser. “I suppose you two did a stakeout, too?”
“Yeah, we did have to watch this place for a while from the car,” Spenser said sheepishly.
“And did you drink coffee and eat doughnuts and make jokes based on the stereotypes of your different ethnic backgrounds?” Hawk demanded.
“Yes, but….” Spenser said.
“You’re unbelievable!” Hawk said. “That’s OUR thing. I leave town for five minutes, and you pick up some two-bit hoodlum and start doing all our favorite things. Next you’ll be telling me you two got in a gunfight.”
“Weeelllllll……,” Spenser said.
“You son-of-a-bitch,” Hawk said.
“Just let me explain. You know my buddy Frank Belson? The cop? Well, he just got married recently and his wife went missing. I was trying to help find her and the trail led to a really tough area with a mostly Hispanic population. Since you were gone, and I needed someone who speaks Spanish, I gave Chollo a call. What else was I supposed to do? You were out of town,” Spenser said.
“I was out of town trying to earn some money which I desperately needed because I spend most of my time helping your broke ass and never getting paid for it,” Hawk said. “And don’t even tell me you actually gave this guy cash.”
“Of course not. You know I don’t pay my sidekicks,” Spenser said.
“Sidekick?” Chollo said.
“Oh, now he’s your sidekick,” Hawk said.
“I’m nobody’s sidekick,” Chollo said.
“That wasn’t what I meant. He just helped me out in a pinch,” Spenser said. “And I’ll be honest with you, Hawk. It was kind of fun. He had new jokes and stories I haven’t heard a hundred times before. Admit it. We’ve been in a rut.”
“A rut? Are you breaking up with me?” Hawk said.
“Wait. What’s going on here? I thought you were straight,” Chollo said to Spenser. “You kept going on and on about your stupid girlfriend.”
“It’s a partner break-up he’s talking about,” Spenser said.
“Oh, so we are breaking up?” Hawk asked.
“Are you sure you two aren’t a couple? Because that’s what it’s sounding like,” Chollo said. “You can tell me. I may shoot people, but I'm not a bigot. And this is getting kinda weird.”
“Don’t play innocent, Chollo. You have to know that you’re replacing me,” Hawk said. He wiped a tear from his eye.
“Replacing you? I’m on a plane back to LA this afternoon. I’m not replacing you,” Chollo said.
“Really?” Hawk asked hopefully to Spenser. “He’s not staying? But what about all that stuff about us being in a rut?”
“You big silly. You know I could never find a better man to help me with my cases. I just want us to find new ways to go around smacking people in the mouth and shooting bad guys,” Spenser said. “I’ve got an idea. There’s this new case I’m going to be working, and I think it’ll mean going out to Las Vegas. You come with me, and we’ll make it a working vacation. We could rekindle our partnership.”
“Is Susan coming?” Hawk asked.
“Yeah, but we can just tell her were working and leave her in the hotel room most of the time,” Spenser said.
More tears welled up in Hawk’s eyes. The two men began hugging.
“I missed you so much,” Spenser whispered.
“Let’s never fight again,” Hawk said
“Uh…guys?” Chollo said. “I hate to break this up, but I need a ride to the airport. Spenser was going to take me, but we’re running late now. So maybe……Guys?.... That is one long hug….. Forget it. I’ll just call a cab.”
Next Up: In Chance, Spenser finds out that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Especially dead hookers in shallow graves.
March 28, 2019
I have to admit that I liked this book more than I thought I would. Although it has many of the cliches of middle-period Spenser (too much Susan, too much Pearl the Wonder Dog, another damsel in distress, Spenser as eternal Galahad, not much (if any) of a mystery to solve, and a badass ethnic gang and an ethnic badass to challenge the ethnic gang as Spencer’s backup), it also tries something new: it combines the world of mystery adventure with the world of gothic romance, and it achieves something new in the process.
The plot is simple: Police Sergeant Belson’s wife is missing, and, Spenser is determined to find her. But who has taken her and where is not really a mystery for the reader, since it is revealed in a series of italicized long passages at the end of almost every chapter. Lisa St. Clair (Belson’s wife) is the POV character for these passages, and she introduces us to a twisted gothic world that readers of Mrs. Radcliffe and Daphne Du Maurier will both recognize. She has been kidnapped by a former lover, the slightly mad Luis Deleon. He has henchmen and servants to do his bidding, and has imprisoned her in an old building he calls his “citadel.”
The climax is both interesting and unexpected. The bad guy Luis Deleon reveals unusual depth and dignity, and the denouement features a “House of Usher” sort of ending which is spectacular and genuinely surprising.
Oh, and I really like the following passage, in which Chollo—lieutenant of L.A. mob boss del Rio, and the ethnic badass sidekick I spoke of earlier—asks Spenser an interesting question. Spenser is the first to speak:
”Broz owes me a favor.”
“You can get to Broz.”
“Yeah.”
“You big with the bad guys, Spenser. You got Santiago helping you, Mr. del Rio helping you, now this guy Broz, that I don’t know, he’s helping you. And I’m helping you. You sure you are a good guy?”
“No,” I said. “I’m not sure.”
Chollo was silent in the almost perfect darkness next to me..
January 4, 2026
“You turned Angela Richards out,” I said. “Ten, twelve years ago. She got busted for hooking. You got busted for living off the earnings. Sheriff’s department grabbled you.”
“You are tripping, dude. I’m a movie producer.”
“Easy segue,” I said.
I’ve always felt this was a really fine entry in the Spenser canon, and reading it again after several years only increased my appreciation for it. Internal thoughts of the kidnapped woman at the center of the case, as she tries to hang onto the person she’s become as an ex-lover forcibly attempts to drag her back into past pathologies are interspersed with Spenser’s narrative as he tries to find her. The fact that she’s the new young wife of cop and friend Frank Belson, and he’s got three bullets in him, adds gravitas to this one.
The short interspersed chapters in the head of Lisa St. Claire, who may not really be Lisa St. Claire at all, are almost claustrophobic. It’s a great bit of writing by Parker, putting us not only in the head of this young woman who has married Frank and loves him, but also in her heart. Because we get to see both the sad delusion of the dangerous and borderline insane Deleon, it also adds a dimension to his character that is at once repulsive and tragic.
Belson has taken time off to look for Lisa himself as this one begins. It isn’t really clear yet to anyone whether this is simply a case of her running off, or something far more. Because Belson has in a backhanded way asked for Spenser’s help, once he’s gunned down on his doorstep it is left to Spenser to dig into Lisa St. Claire’s background, hoping he’ll run across a clue. What he discovers is her real name, and a background Frank may know nothing about. But Spenser knows that doesn’t mean she’s run off; Frank being gunned down and left immobile in hospital indicates that more is going on here than a simple tale of a wife taking a runner.
The dialog crackles as Spenser speaks with one of Lisa’s friends, one of Lisa’s parents, her old pimp-turned movie producer, Elwood Pontevecchio, and the shrink who inspired Lisa to become a better version of herself. After a jaunt to LA, Spenser is led back home, and to a town called Proctor. Freddie Santiago runs most of the crime in Proctor, with the exclusion of San Juan Hill. That area is run by the man Spenser believes may have Lisa. Whether she is there willingly or of her own volition isn’t a hundred percent clear. What is clear, is that Deleon, the man who controls San Juan Hill, is so formidable and volatile that even a big-time operator like Santiago knows that attempting to put San Juan Hill under his criminal umbrella will cost dearly.
Because both criminal factions in Proctor are Hispanic, and Spenser doesn’t speak the language, he sends for Chollo in LA. This leads to some wonderful dialog and exchanges between the two. After some observation, they come up with a plan to get inside the maze-like fortress and find Lisa St. Claire. But the deal involves the devil — Freddie Santiago — who may or may not adhere strictly to the deal.
The rescue in San Juan Hill makes for an exciting conclusion. All the while through the narrative we’ve been privy to what’s going on inside Deleon’s compound, and inside Lisa St. Claire’s mind and soul as she tries to hang onto this new self, and her life with Frank Belson. This adds to the tension and excitement when Spenser and Chollo finally make their move.
This is really good stuff, immensely readable and enjoyable, while having enough substance this time out to make it worth reading again at some point. The chronic insufferable stuff with the ever pretentious and annoying Susan Silverman is less smothering in Thin Air. The normal inane psychobabble of Silverman is also more sparse; Parker is showing us through Lisa’s inner thoughts a lot of it, rather than falling back on the vain and shallow Susan Silverman to pontificate on it, ad nauseam.
Frank is here, but Hawk and Vinnie play no part. Parker chose to write something different here with this entry, and pulled it off nicely. A really fine if unusual entry in the series, Thin Air is a vastly underrated and underappreciated Spenser novel. A great read. Highly recommended.
“You are tripping, dude. I’m a movie producer.”
“Easy segue,” I said.
I’ve always felt this was a really fine entry in the Spenser canon, and reading it again after several years only increased my appreciation for it. Internal thoughts of the kidnapped woman at the center of the case, as she tries to hang onto the person she’s become as an ex-lover forcibly attempts to drag her back into past pathologies are interspersed with Spenser’s narrative as he tries to find her. The fact that she’s the new young wife of cop and friend Frank Belson, and he’s got three bullets in him, adds gravitas to this one.
The short interspersed chapters in the head of Lisa St. Claire, who may not really be Lisa St. Claire at all, are almost claustrophobic. It’s a great bit of writing by Parker, putting us not only in the head of this young woman who has married Frank and loves him, but also in her heart. Because we get to see both the sad delusion of the dangerous and borderline insane Deleon, it also adds a dimension to his character that is at once repulsive and tragic.
Belson has taken time off to look for Lisa himself as this one begins. It isn’t really clear yet to anyone whether this is simply a case of her running off, or something far more. Because Belson has in a backhanded way asked for Spenser’s help, once he’s gunned down on his doorstep it is left to Spenser to dig into Lisa St. Claire’s background, hoping he’ll run across a clue. What he discovers is her real name, and a background Frank may know nothing about. But Spenser knows that doesn’t mean she’s run off; Frank being gunned down and left immobile in hospital indicates that more is going on here than a simple tale of a wife taking a runner.
The dialog crackles as Spenser speaks with one of Lisa’s friends, one of Lisa’s parents, her old pimp-turned movie producer, Elwood Pontevecchio, and the shrink who inspired Lisa to become a better version of herself. After a jaunt to LA, Spenser is led back home, and to a town called Proctor. Freddie Santiago runs most of the crime in Proctor, with the exclusion of San Juan Hill. That area is run by the man Spenser believes may have Lisa. Whether she is there willingly or of her own volition isn’t a hundred percent clear. What is clear, is that Deleon, the man who controls San Juan Hill, is so formidable and volatile that even a big-time operator like Santiago knows that attempting to put San Juan Hill under his criminal umbrella will cost dearly.
Because both criminal factions in Proctor are Hispanic, and Spenser doesn’t speak the language, he sends for Chollo in LA. This leads to some wonderful dialog and exchanges between the two. After some observation, they come up with a plan to get inside the maze-like fortress and find Lisa St. Claire. But the deal involves the devil — Freddie Santiago — who may or may not adhere strictly to the deal.
The rescue in San Juan Hill makes for an exciting conclusion. All the while through the narrative we’ve been privy to what’s going on inside Deleon’s compound, and inside Lisa St. Claire’s mind and soul as she tries to hang onto this new self, and her life with Frank Belson. This adds to the tension and excitement when Spenser and Chollo finally make their move.
This is really good stuff, immensely readable and enjoyable, while having enough substance this time out to make it worth reading again at some point. The chronic insufferable stuff with the ever pretentious and annoying Susan Silverman is less smothering in Thin Air. The normal inane psychobabble of Silverman is also more sparse; Parker is showing us through Lisa’s inner thoughts a lot of it, rather than falling back on the vain and shallow Susan Silverman to pontificate on it, ad nauseam.
Frank is here, but Hawk and Vinnie play no part. Parker chose to write something different here with this entry, and pulled it off nicely. A really fine if unusual entry in the series, Thin Air is a vastly underrated and underappreciated Spenser novel. A great read. Highly recommended.
January 26, 2013
Ugh...I think I need a break from Spenser. I say this with all the love I can muster for both the character and the character's creator, Robert B. Parker. While I found this one enjoyable, it didn't jive like most of the Spenser novels. Perhaps it was the story-line; perhaps it was the structure; perhaps it was just me.
Spenser's buddy, Frank Belson, has recently been remarried to a much younger, and very attractive woman. Unfortunately, she goes missing. When Frank approaches Spenser, he doesn't really want to ask Spenser for help...alas, Parker doesn't give much to this interesting dynamic of Frank and Spenser's relationship. What Parker does is have Spenser remember that at one time, Spenser lost Susan. I like Susan as a character...but not in every book. She seems to pop up when she doesn't need to.
So Spenser takes the job after Frank is shot. This is not much of a spoiler as it happens in the first 20 or so pages (and to my disapproval, is not given much ground to walk). This case becomes personal for Spenser, and he takes the job. Hawk is off gallivanting in some tropical paradise so Spenser asks Mr. del Rio if he can have one of his shooters as back up since most of the story takes place in an Hispanic slum. Spenser wants Bobby Horse, but he gets Chollo instead. This was quite enjoyable as this is really the beginning of Chollo and Spenser's friendship. But I found this also lacking. The dust jacket states that Chollo is "a Chicano shooter with an ironclad attitude and an unflinching sense of honor." I found Chollo's attitude to be bored most of the time; and, as for honor, I found this neither supported nor questioned. If honor relies on the fact that Chollo is neither satisfied nor dissatisfied after killing someone than the statement is accurate. Plus, I missed Hawk. The banter between him and Spenser is sophomoric, to be sure; but it was better than the witless banter between Chollo and Spenser. Again, perhaps it was me...
But what really bothered me the most was the ending. I won't give it away...but let me say rain and gardens equals deus ex machina. Overall, this is worth your time and effort if your goal is to get a complete picture of the Speserverse. If not, you can probably safely skip this one.
RECOMMENDED (as a series read only)
Spenser's buddy, Frank Belson, has recently been remarried to a much younger, and very attractive woman. Unfortunately, she goes missing. When Frank approaches Spenser, he doesn't really want to ask Spenser for help...alas, Parker doesn't give much to this interesting dynamic of Frank and Spenser's relationship. What Parker does is have Spenser remember that at one time, Spenser lost Susan. I like Susan as a character...but not in every book. She seems to pop up when she doesn't need to.
So Spenser takes the job after Frank is shot. This is not much of a spoiler as it happens in the first 20 or so pages (and to my disapproval, is not given much ground to walk). This case becomes personal for Spenser, and he takes the job. Hawk is off gallivanting in some tropical paradise so Spenser asks Mr. del Rio if he can have one of his shooters as back up since most of the story takes place in an Hispanic slum. Spenser wants Bobby Horse, but he gets Chollo instead. This was quite enjoyable as this is really the beginning of Chollo and Spenser's friendship. But I found this also lacking. The dust jacket states that Chollo is "a Chicano shooter with an ironclad attitude and an unflinching sense of honor." I found Chollo's attitude to be bored most of the time; and, as for honor, I found this neither supported nor questioned. If honor relies on the fact that Chollo is neither satisfied nor dissatisfied after killing someone than the statement is accurate. Plus, I missed Hawk. The banter between him and Spenser is sophomoric, to be sure; but it was better than the witless banter between Chollo and Spenser. Again, perhaps it was me...
But what really bothered me the most was the ending. I won't give it away...but let me say rain and gardens equals deus ex machina. Overall, this is worth your time and effort if your goal is to get a complete picture of the Speserverse. If not, you can probably safely skip this one.
RECOMMENDED (as a series read only)
February 8, 2026
Private Eye 101 - How to find a missing person. Methodical and a little slow moving.
September 4, 2017
(The word "maroon" appears 5 times in this novel)
A truly awful Spenser book. Starts weak, and gets progressively more dull and wordy until you begin to skim pages, then skip them entirely.
Perhaps by this point in his life, the 63 year-old Parker has run out of steam, or was ill, or otherwise distracted?
I really dislike the first-person victim torture/imprisonment stuff. Just going to skip it."
Susan does read one truly extraordinary and important book to me:
"Susan had decided to sit by the pool at the hotel with a copy of a book by Alice Miller called The Drama of the Gifted Child."
A truly awful Spenser book. Starts weak, and gets progressively more dull and wordy until you begin to skim pages, then skip them entirely.
Perhaps by this point in his life, the 63 year-old Parker has run out of steam, or was ill, or otherwise distracted?
I really dislike the first-person victim torture/imprisonment stuff. Just going to skip it."
Susan does read one truly extraordinary and important book to me:
"Susan had decided to sit by the pool at the hotel with a copy of a book by Alice Miller called The Drama of the Gifted Child."
January 27, 2018
Spencer series number 23. Published in 1995.
Another great Spencer novel. As always, witty and snappy dialogues, an easy enough plot, no complications involved. The addition of the missing person chapters is an innovation in Parker’s style, which is also good for the interest of the plot. If you want to read a light but good detective story, you’re in for a treat.
Another great Spencer novel. As always, witty and snappy dialogues, an easy enough plot, no complications involved. The addition of the missing person chapters is an innovation in Parker’s style, which is also good for the interest of the plot. If you want to read a light but good detective story, you’re in for a treat.
May 26, 2018
Psycho Twisty
More experimental than other Spenser stories, with spooky interior monologues interleaved with an action story. Chollo comes east, and I hope he comes back. And we learn a bit about Belson. This yarn brings down the house!
More experimental than other Spenser stories, with spooky interior monologues interleaved with an action story. Chollo comes east, and I hope he comes back. And we learn a bit about Belson. This yarn brings down the house!
July 18, 2024
This wasn’t the worst but it wasn’t the best either.
Frank Belson has been a side character for awhile and now we know 3 times more about him than we did before. His wife is kidnapped and Spenser gets her back. He gets help from past characters.
This told from Lisa’s POV and Spenser’s. It was interesting but also pretty formulaic. Based on reviews and my own experience, the Spenser books may have peeked several books ago and now they are slowly declining as the series moves forward.
Susan is her annoying self but luckily very background in this installment. Hawk isn’t in this one at all… allegedly he’s in Burma 🤔🤔
Frank Belson has been a side character for awhile and now we know 3 times more about him than we did before. His wife is kidnapped and Spenser gets her back. He gets help from past characters.
This told from Lisa’s POV and Spenser’s. It was interesting but also pretty formulaic. Based on reviews and my own experience, the Spenser books may have peeked several books ago and now they are slowly declining as the series moves forward.
Susan is her annoying self but luckily very background in this installment. Hawk isn’t in this one at all… allegedly he’s in Burma 🤔🤔
April 2, 2020
I have mixed feelings about Thin Air.
I like the setup of the story: Homicide cop Sergeant Frank Belson confides in Spenser that his new second wife, Lisa St. Claire, has disappeared. Frank doesn’t want to talk much about it (he’s a macho cop, after all), and he doesn’t want Spenser to look for her. He’ll do it himself. But after Frank gets shot and ends up in intensive care in the hospital, Spenser takes it upon himself to find Lisa.
He doesn’t have much to go on. Lisa’s past is a mystery. Even her name may not be real. But Spenser finds a few meager clues, which lead him to the run-down, largely Hispanic city of Proctor near the New Hampshire border. He realizes that in order to make any headway, he’ll need to deal with local power broker Freddie Santiago. And for that, he’s going to need help. So he calls in a favor from Los Angeles mob boss Victor Del Rio (Stardust). Del Rio sends his man Chollo to help Spenser as both his translator and an extra gun.
So far so good. But the story bogs down a bit when Spenser and Chollo have to endure several monotonous stakeouts. The action ultimately picks up again, but by that point, I thought the story had lost some momentum.
One of my favorite elements of the Spenser series is missing from Thin Air: Hawk. When Susan asks Spenser if Hawk is helping him with the case, he replies that Hawk is in Burma. Susan: “Burma? What can Hawk be doing in Burma?” Spenser: “Better not to know … Gives us deniability.”
But Spenser needs someone who speaks Spanish anyway, so Chollo fills Hawk’s usual role. This includes some of the back-and-forth banter with Spenser that typically makes the Spenser-Hawk scenes so enjoyable. And Chollo fills the role pretty well, with some humor and some sharp observations about Spenser. For instance, when Spenser tells him that Boston mob boss Joe Broz owes him a favor, Chollo says: “You big with the bad guys, Spenser. You got Santiago helping you, Mr. Del Rio helping you, now this guy Broz, that I don’t know, he’s helping you. And I’m helping you. You sure you are a good guy?” “No,” I said. “I’m not sure.”
I’ve commented before that Susan often annoys me. Sometimes she does add insights that help Spenser with a case, but often her role is just to feed Spenser’s ego with her coy responses to his idealization of her, and by extension, because she’s his woman, of himself. And the annoyance factor has increased with the recent addition of “Pearl the Wonder Dog,” whom Susan insists on referring to as “the baby.” I know it’s supposed to be cute and funny, but … well, I guess I’m just not a dog person.
Parker has chosen to alter his usual style in this book by adding multiple sections, told in the first person, in which Lisa is experiencing and reacting to being held against her will. So almost from the beginning, the reader has a pretty good idea of what has happened to her. Telling part of the story from the victim’s perspective is an interesting choice. It adds tension because we know what Spenser is up against. But unfortunately, these frequent sections are long and drawn out and excessively dramatic, and once we understand what’s going on, they don’t do much to advance the story.
I give Parker credit for experimenting with this technique, but I don’t particularly like the result. I found myself trying to rush through the Lisa sections. I enjoy reading the Spenser books for the “detecting,” the action, the humorous banter, and the musings about society and human nature. I try (usually unsuccessfully) to overlook the Susan factor. So while I liked Thin Air, I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a more typical Spenser narrative without the victim’s perspective sections.
Extra credit. It’s throwaway lines like this that keep me coming back to the Spenser books: “The brisket was the kind of meal that Irish Catholics got posthumously if they died in a state of grace.”
I like the setup of the story: Homicide cop Sergeant Frank Belson confides in Spenser that his new second wife, Lisa St. Claire, has disappeared. Frank doesn’t want to talk much about it (he’s a macho cop, after all), and he doesn’t want Spenser to look for her. He’ll do it himself. But after Frank gets shot and ends up in intensive care in the hospital, Spenser takes it upon himself to find Lisa.
He doesn’t have much to go on. Lisa’s past is a mystery. Even her name may not be real. But Spenser finds a few meager clues, which lead him to the run-down, largely Hispanic city of Proctor near the New Hampshire border. He realizes that in order to make any headway, he’ll need to deal with local power broker Freddie Santiago. And for that, he’s going to need help. So he calls in a favor from Los Angeles mob boss Victor Del Rio (Stardust). Del Rio sends his man Chollo to help Spenser as both his translator and an extra gun.
So far so good. But the story bogs down a bit when Spenser and Chollo have to endure several monotonous stakeouts. The action ultimately picks up again, but by that point, I thought the story had lost some momentum.
One of my favorite elements of the Spenser series is missing from Thin Air: Hawk. When Susan asks Spenser if Hawk is helping him with the case, he replies that Hawk is in Burma. Susan: “Burma? What can Hawk be doing in Burma?” Spenser: “Better not to know … Gives us deniability.”
But Spenser needs someone who speaks Spanish anyway, so Chollo fills Hawk’s usual role. This includes some of the back-and-forth banter with Spenser that typically makes the Spenser-Hawk scenes so enjoyable. And Chollo fills the role pretty well, with some humor and some sharp observations about Spenser. For instance, when Spenser tells him that Boston mob boss Joe Broz owes him a favor, Chollo says: “You big with the bad guys, Spenser. You got Santiago helping you, Mr. Del Rio helping you, now this guy Broz, that I don’t know, he’s helping you. And I’m helping you. You sure you are a good guy?” “No,” I said. “I’m not sure.”
I’ve commented before that Susan often annoys me. Sometimes she does add insights that help Spenser with a case, but often her role is just to feed Spenser’s ego with her coy responses to his idealization of her, and by extension, because she’s his woman, of himself. And the annoyance factor has increased with the recent addition of “Pearl the Wonder Dog,” whom Susan insists on referring to as “the baby.” I know it’s supposed to be cute and funny, but … well, I guess I’m just not a dog person.
Parker has chosen to alter his usual style in this book by adding multiple sections, told in the first person, in which Lisa is experiencing and reacting to being held against her will. So almost from the beginning, the reader has a pretty good idea of what has happened to her. Telling part of the story from the victim’s perspective is an interesting choice. It adds tension because we know what Spenser is up against. But unfortunately, these frequent sections are long and drawn out and excessively dramatic, and once we understand what’s going on, they don’t do much to advance the story.
I give Parker credit for experimenting with this technique, but I don’t particularly like the result. I found myself trying to rush through the Lisa sections. I enjoy reading the Spenser books for the “detecting,” the action, the humorous banter, and the musings about society and human nature. I try (usually unsuccessfully) to overlook the Susan factor. So while I liked Thin Air, I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a more typical Spenser narrative without the victim’s perspective sections.
Extra credit. It’s throwaway lines like this that keep me coming back to the Spenser books: “The brisket was the kind of meal that Irish Catholics got posthumously if they died in a state of grace.”
October 16, 2020
This is a Spenser novel. Spenser is a private eye and one of his friend's wife is missing. His friend is a cop. He is shot and survival is a question. Spenser goes to find her and is confronted with a crazy Hispanic crook. The characters are well developed. You walk through the solution as Spenser solves them. Robert Parker writes good mysteries and this is a good example of Parker's work.
April 10, 2018
It was time to pick my next Spenser case. Hawke was missing in this one, but a capable substitute filled in (thanks to many of Spenser's past cases/contacts). With the tough, witty dialogue, these are always entertaining.
November 29, 2025
Frank Belson’s young wife is missing and Frank has been shot. While Frank is in intensive care at the hospital, Spencer is tasked with finding Lisa. Instead of Hawk, Spencer enlists the aid of Chollo, an Hispanic shooter from LA. A good portion of the story is focused on Lisa’s perspective and that of her semi deranged ex boyfriend. Originally read in the mid90s when first released. A second read. Good story.
August 3, 2022
This one takes an approach that Parker rarely takes:
It has a dark opening, and shows the POV of a killer & their vic.
Belson’s wife, Lisa is missing!
In this one we get to see a bit more of Belson, and it manages to be heart-wrenching at times. Spenser has to call in a lot of favors, and travel across the country, which I think is a testament to his friendship with/ loyalty to Benson. He also has to work with several crime bosses and top enforcers, so it packs lots of fun and extra wit for the readers.
Hawk’s not in this one, it’s mentioned that he’s in Burma and probably best if ‘we’ don’t know what for.
This is set in the town of Proctor, MA which … I’m not sure which actual MA city that’s Parker-code for. Maybe Lawrence or Lowell is my best guess. Ay any rate, excellent as always.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
*Recurring (semi-major / major) characters:
*LOL quote:
Audio:
This narrator is awful … what is he even doing with poor Belson? Awful.
Also: Vinnie Morris has been such for ~40 years. All of a sudden he’s “Vinnie Maurice” with this narrator. And he pronounces DeLeon as “deli-on”. Come on. He also butchers some of the MA cities. Annoying.
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
It has a dark opening, and shows the POV of a killer & their vic.
Belson’s wife, Lisa is missing!
In this one we get to see a bit more of Belson, and it manages to be heart-wrenching at times. Spenser has to call in a lot of favors, and travel across the country, which I think is a testament to his friendship with/ loyalty to Benson. He also has to work with several crime bosses and top enforcers, so it packs lots of fun and extra wit for the readers.
Hawk’s not in this one, it’s mentioned that he’s in Burma and probably best if ‘we’ don’t know what for.
This is set in the town of Proctor, MA which … I’m not sure which actual MA city that’s Parker-code for. Maybe Lawrence or Lowell is my best guess. Ay any rate, excellent as always.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
*Recurring (semi-major / major) characters:
*LOL quote:
Audio:
This narrator is awful … what is he even doing with poor Belson? Awful.
Also: Vinnie Morris has been such for ~40 years. All of a sudden he’s “Vinnie Maurice” with this narrator. And he pronounces DeLeon as “deli-on”. Come on. He also butchers some of the MA cities. Annoying.
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
February 15, 2017
Spenser lends a hand to a Boston cop who's wife has gone missing. Has she left him? Is there foul play? After traveling to L.A. to investigate the missing woman's history, he finds himself in the middle of an Hispanic gang tug-of-war.
This book contains one of the snappiest examples of repartee, between Spenser and an university professor, since Marlowe. Tasted like a fine meal.
This book contains one of the snappiest examples of repartee, between Spenser and an university professor, since Marlowe. Tasted like a fine meal.
April 26, 2015
“Thin Air” is the 22nd entry in Parker’s original 39-book Spenser series. Some 17 years before “Gone Girl”, Frank Benson tells Spenser his wife, Lisa St. Clair, has suddenly gone missing; and next day or so, Frank is hospitalized from a three-gunshot ambush. The difference is – Frank’s a cop; and we readers almost immediately learn Lisa has been kidnapped.
Needless to say, that puts Spenser into high gear trying to find out what happened, with only a little assistance from cop boss Captain Quirk. When developments point to a mostly Latino slum in a Boston suburb, Spenser calls on some buddies from LA to help out, as Hawk is out of the country, and he needs a Spanish speaker.
Meanwhile, we get first person narrative from Lisa almost every chapter as her ordeal is revealed and her resolve intensifies. A suspenseful buildup to hopefully rescue her keeps the pages flying, with only a couple of breaks for Spenser and lover Susan to hobnob to detract from the action. While the Spenser novels are often much alike, we found this one particularly engaging and entertaining.
Needless to say, that puts Spenser into high gear trying to find out what happened, with only a little assistance from cop boss Captain Quirk. When developments point to a mostly Latino slum in a Boston suburb, Spenser calls on some buddies from LA to help out, as Hawk is out of the country, and he needs a Spanish speaker.
Meanwhile, we get first person narrative from Lisa almost every chapter as her ordeal is revealed and her resolve intensifies. A suspenseful buildup to hopefully rescue her keeps the pages flying, with only a couple of breaks for Spenser and lover Susan to hobnob to detract from the action. While the Spenser novels are often much alike, we found this one particularly engaging and entertaining.
January 18, 2020
This was a good one. Spenser is helping a fellow cop to find his wife who disappeared. The setting takes you to a part of town ruled by Latino gangs. So you learn a little bit about the slums and gangs.
Hawk is not in this book.
A new character, Chollo, a Latino guy, helps Spenser with the language and communication appears.
Susan and Pearl are in the book as well.
I liked the way Parker got in the head of the missing wife which ran parallel to the narration of Spenser. You really learned about the characters Lisa and Luis.
I really enjoyed this one.
Hawk is not in this book.
A new character, Chollo, a Latino guy, helps Spenser with the language and communication appears.
Susan and Pearl are in the book as well.
I liked the way Parker got in the head of the missing wife which ran parallel to the narration of Spenser. You really learned about the characters Lisa and Luis.
I really enjoyed this one.
October 20, 2022
I listen to these books and there is a new narrator. It has taken me a few books to get use to him and I think I am finally there. I loved this book more than I have loved the last few even though Hawk was not around much. In what I think is a first for Parker Spencer does not narrate all of the chapters in this book - for that reason alone this one is worth the read.
Yes you really do need to read these in order as in this books events of past books are discussed especially between Susan and Spencer.
Yes you really do need to read these in order as in this books events of past books are discussed especially between Susan and Spencer.
November 15, 2023
Belson's wife goes missing, then Belson gets shot up and may never walk, again. He asks Spenser to find his wife, since he can't. This leads to a dangerous, rainy night in the barrio and one hell of a lot of bullets, along the way.
More fun. More Susan and Pearl the wonder dog.
More fun. More Susan and Pearl the wonder dog.
January 3, 2025
This book was so good I read it in one day
December 23, 2019
Thin Air is Robert B. Parker's 22nd Spenser novel. It was published in 1995. When Boston police detective Martin Quirk's wife suddenly disappears Spenser is asked to find her. The author uses a narrative device I had not seen him use in Thin Air. While Spenser goes about looking for the missing woman a second narration, between chapters, tells us what is happening to the missing woman. At first I didn't like this technique. It felt like an interruption to me. But I got used to it. Spenser's search for clues takes him from Boston to Maine to California and back. Spenser thinks Quirk's wife may be in a hispanic enclave of a Boston suburb. In Los Angeles he gets a Spanish speaking Californian gangster to help him navigate the Massachusetts hispanic ghetto. Hawk, Spenser's usual companion, is not in Thin Air. Some surprises and some violence of course.
When I find living authors I like while reading their books in order I hope to catch up to their currents works. Robert B. Parker died in 2010. When I reach the end of his Spenser novels it will be sad that there are no more. I know other authors have continued writing stories with Parker's characters but it is not the same. I've glanced at a few on the non-Parker books. None of these authors can do dialog as well as Parker did.
When I find living authors I like while reading their books in order I hope to catch up to their currents works. Robert B. Parker died in 2010. When I reach the end of his Spenser novels it will be sad that there are no more. I know other authors have continued writing stories with Parker's characters but it is not the same. I've glanced at a few on the non-Parker books. None of these authors can do dialog as well as Parker did.
May 18, 2021
More suspense than mystery, and it started out well but never really took off the way I had hoped. For a serial detective mystery it had just the right blend of plot, characters, story line, and pace to make for a relatively quick read.
I must be getting old. I know I have read other Robert Parker books that featured Spenser but for the life of me I cannot remember which ones. (Well before I started tracking my reading on Goodreads, obviously). And I know I enjoyed the others I have read in this series. This one was ok. I remember others being better, I just can't remember which one LOL.
I must be getting old. I know I have read other Robert Parker books that featured Spenser but for the life of me I cannot remember which ones. (Well before I started tracking my reading on Goodreads, obviously). And I know I enjoyed the others I have read in this series. This one was ok. I remember others being better, I just can't remember which one LOL.
August 12, 2024
Spenser has come up against another gang, the Hispanic leader has kidnapped the wife of police officer Frank Belson. The chapters are divided to follow the experience from Lisa's viewpoint, the theater set up, videotaping, costumes and dilapidated housing and Spenser's investigation into locating her, which takes him to LA where he hires Chollo, a Spanish speaking Mexican thug to back him up. Spenser is tenacious and manages a juggling act with police, rival gang and kidnapper to rescue the woman.
January 2, 2020
Excellent Spenser mystery but I missed Hawk. Parker was more deliberate in this one. Seems like Spenser is mellowing, less and less violence in the books now. I miss that a little. I guess Reacher really isn’t Spenser...
August 6, 2018
A good book on Psychology!
March 22, 2019
Easy breezy fun with too much writing.
October 19, 2019
Another great Spenser book. No Hawk this time we got Chollo!
October 1, 2021
My first Spenser. I don’t know why but I will have to read more. Read all of Parker’s westerns and loved them. This one had plenty of “Bang Bangs” and intriguing developments that kept me intrigued. Well developed characters and story.
read-audiobooks
January 29, 202612
January 2, 2024
I was happy to discover yet another "old" Spenser novel not long ago on the giveaway table at the Winona, Miss., library. Thanks, Robert B. Parker, for another of Spenser's adventures from the "old days".
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