Crimson Joy

Spenser #15

by Robert B. Parker

A killer leaves a red rose on the body of each woman he kills. When Susan Silverman's life is in danger, Spencer vows to bring the criminal to justice.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Detective, Crime, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

211 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1988

About the author

Librarian 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.

Reviews

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Because I love you,” I said. “Because you are in my life like the music at the edge of silence.”

3 stars for the serial killer plot
4 stars for the action and resolution
And 10 stars for the continuing story of Robert Parker and his wife, Joan.

After about 1978, everything is about Parker's worship of Joan, her cancer and change in personna, and the breakdown and eventual, happy restructuring of their marriage.

Okay, here goes. Buckle your seat-belts.

The "Spenser Show" that Robert Walter-Mitty Parker created, and we all love so much, has become the "Susan and Spenser Show"... In real life, the Robert and Joan Show ... and I find it fascinating and poignant. I even find myself rushing through (some) Spenser action sequences to get back to Spenser and Susan.

I see here many reviews and reviewers with disdain for Susan. I get it. I love the action-man Spenser, hard and smart and bursting with integrity. Great stuff.

But as Parker's marriage broke down, so did his heroes in fiction. Spenser's worship of Susan was wonderful, because it expanded him as a character and as a human being, and I suspect for Parker, too, that loving Joan (who appears in the dedications almost every book) filled him with joy and life.

For us, around book #8 A Savage Place, things began to break down. I understand now that Joan had an affair in real life, as did Spenser in the book. That Parker had his Spenser take on this affair in fiction, is extraordinary, and the results are actually quite courageous.

Joan left Parker for a while, for reasons I might someday research. For now, we experience the breakdown in A Savage Place (book #8) through to A Catskill Eagle (book #12). All this through Parker's eyes, through his pain and fear and confusion and struggle. It's clear that Joan in real life needed something that was missing, or she was selfish and arrogant, or Parker failed her or for some other reason we may never know. For Spenser, it was something missing in him, too, falling for Candy.

When Candy is lost, something dies in Spenser. I am sure in Parker's life too, something died inside him. The books become a way for Parker to express his struggle, his deep needs, and his growth and maturing life. This pain of loss, and joy of Joan continued until the day he died.

In The Widening Gyre and Valediction the breakdown deepens and Susan leaves Spenser, reflecting Joan's leaving Parker in real life. The desolation of a strong, self-confident man is apparent in these books. We know that Parker IS Spenser.

And in A Catskill Eagle we see Spenser/Parker taking on the dragon, ready to sacrifice all to recover part of himself, his Joan/Susan. Parker, through Spenser, relinquishes all laws and rules to reach his Joan/Susan. His Spenser becomes a brutal murderer, with many innocent or mostly-innocents injured or killed. Perhaps this reflects something of his behaviour in real life. Since there is no biography of Parker yet, we can only speculate and extrapolate from Spenser/Susan into real life.

In Taming a Sea-horse and Pale Kings and Princes we see some fabrication, some self-lies about his marriage, through Spenser's thoughts. We see a brave face while his heart adapts, but never fully recovers.

In Crimson Joy, we see a straightforward "serial killer" plot, adequately done in the first half, but not thrilling. Because it's Spenser, it's better than average and the thoughts of the serial killer are, thankfully, mostly infrequent. The second half of the book picks up well, along with the relationship thread, too.

We discover in this novel, Crimson Joy, THREE coincidences, stated below the spoiler tag, which are pretty obvious and highly unlikely. Spenser hates coincidences, never believes in them, so... Why would Parker to this?

I believe he uses this structure to explore his new, maturing relationship with Joan, to allow her views and needs to change him, and to show those changes continuing to develop through the dialogue in this novel. Each of the novels since Ceremony has shown this struggle, and now I read the books not only for fun with Spenser-the-admirable-thug, but through to Spenser the caring heart. He has no choice, after all.

We also see Susan changing, becoming more honest with herself, discovering what she needs to live, and what she can sacrifice for her Spenser. This is an ongoing process.

Parker uses Susan's therapy sessions, the limitations of doctor-patient privilege, and the choices a doctor must make to protect not only their patient, but society at large. This also impacts the therapist, her life partner, and the legal system.

The bottom line:
Spenser is the alter-ego of Parker, and Parker simply cannot fully inhabit his super-hero Spenser without a secure and loving relationship with his extraordinary wife, Joan.

**** SPOILERS BELOW ****

Coincidences:
1. Spenser is brought in to help the investigation,
2. Susan is the killer's therapist, and
3. Spenser and Susan are life partners.

The setup between the killer, the therapist, her life partner and the law are exploited by Parker here, intentionally. It's not meant to be sophisticated, it's meant to be personal.

There is a hint in the last half of the book that Susan feels the thrill of the chase, just as does Spenser. She has her own challenges and risks, her own needs to feel independent and capable, and she finally goes too far. The thrill of the chase that Spenser knows and loves, is now reflected in Susan as well, and she only avoids the abyss because Spenser and Hawk restrain her, and force her to accept their protection.

She later accepts this -

Spenser said, “You wanted me to insist. You wanted me to win the argument.”
“Wanted is too simple,” Susan said. She had shifted her gaze from her martini to the ongoing afternoon outside her kitchen window.
“I wanted and didn’t want. I needed both my autonomy and your protection. By acting the way I did, I managed to have both.”

It's good to see both Spenser and Susan growing, working together to achieve a balance. Two very strong, very opinionated and skilled people, learning to live and love together.

Thrilling, actually.

Note-

Parker and his wife, Joan, separated at one point but then came to an unusual arrangement. They lived in a three-story Victorian house just outside of Harvard Square; she lived on one floor and he on another, and they shared the middle floor.

This living arrangement is mirrored in Spenser's private life: his girlfriend, Susan, had an aversion to marriage and living together full-time. Living separately suited them both, although they were fully committed to each other.

Explaining the arrangement in an interview on CBS Sunday Morning, Parker said, "I want to make love to my wife for the rest of my life, but I never want to sleep with her again."

She was the music at the edge of silence - Raymond Chandler's letter regarding his dead wife
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2013/07/...

More here, NY Times:
Death and the Private Eye
AND now, the Ballad of the Sad Chair and How It Was Tamed and Returned to Happy Domestic Life. The teller is Joan Parker, the widow of Robert B. Parker, the best-selling mystery writer who died in January 2010.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/gar...

(The word "maroon" appears twice in this novel)
.

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t a bad mystery. In fact, it may be better than I think it is. It has a serial killer in it, and I don’t like serial killers.

Nobody likes serial killers, you say? Yeah, I know everybody hates them as people. But I also hate them as characters. I particularly hate them when they come equipped with all the cliches: Freudian traumas, symbolic calling-cards, their own little internal monologues (usually in italics) adorning the end of a chapter or two, and their obsession with either the detective himself, the detective’s significant other, or both. And the serial killer in Crimson Joy has it all.

Still, Parker doesn’t brood over all the perverse violence, but crafts his narrative deftly and lightly. The dialogue is good as usual (particularly noteworthy when Spenser goes on a local talk show), and Spencer and Susan’s eternal discussion of their relationship—which usually irritates me—is actually interesting here. His professional and personal objectives (to solve a crime and keep her safe) come into conflict with hers (to honor her client’s confidences and maintain her autonomy), and the way they maneuver delicately around each other—with love and mutual respect—is both admirable and instructive.

And the final chase and fight on the shore is pretty good too.

So give it a try. I liked it. And—if you don’t mind serial killers as characters—you might like it even more than I did.

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part of a series where each book can be read as a stand alone. In this one Lt. Quirk asks Spenser for assistance in a serial killer case who is killing older black women.

There were parts of this novel that I really enjoyed and some not as much. This book had so much more potential and I believe it needed to be a little longer. One expects amazing dialogue and character interaction when reading a Spenser book and this book accomplished that. It also has Hawk and I am always here for that. These books take place in the Boston area which is my hometown. The finale happens on a beach where I have spent many days on so that was a highlight for me. The problem was the meat of the story. I liked it and the author brought up some interesting topics but just briefly touched upon them. I would have liked more exploration into how far a psychiatrist needs to protect privileged patient information or when to cross a line in the name of protecting someone. I liked that the author brought these up but I needed more. I guess if he did that though we would have veered off from the essence of Spenser novels.

I liked this book but it could have been so much more. It was a quick read and I flew through it. I really enjoy these characters and their interactions. I did think the relationship talk between Spenser and Susan was a little too much in this one. I did see that coming from the previous books so I was somewhat prepared for it. Truthfully this particular one reminded me of the show back in the 80's which I watched as a kid. It was decent and I will immediately jump into the next one.

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spenser and Susan’s lives become entangled with a serial killer. Predictable storyline but the author excels at dialogue, the interactions between Spenser, Susan, Hawk and Quirk are both hilariously amusing and heartfelt throughout the novel. You end up caring more about the character interaction than necessarily worrying about the resolution to the killings.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

A serial killer who targets black women in their 40's is leaving a trail of blood and fear in his wake as he terrorizes the female populace in Beantown. Private Eye, Spencer is brought in unofficially to help catch the serial killer when the cops fail to cuff the perp shortly after murder turns multiple.

Susan, a psychotherapist and Spencer's love interest is also part of the unofficially investigation. Once the killer announces himself as being in law enforcement, Spencer and co turn to her for answers of the perps psyche in hopes of stopping him before he strikes again.

Unfortunately for Susan, her input into the investigation becomes a little too 'hands on' with her's and Spencer's worlds colliding when it's learnt that the killer may be one of her clients.

I've not read all of the Spencer novels but still found Crimson Joy (book #15) to be accessible and easy enough to read as a standalone on its own merits. The characters are well written and there is little backstory of relevance given the book focuses heavily on the serial killer with typical and predictable tendencies.

As far the plot is concerned it's a pretty straight forward serial killer cat and mouse chase with little else coming into play. Susan and Spencer's personal relationship adds some depth but really, Crimson Joy doesn't make the grade with the modern day crime fiction.

My rating: 2.5 stars. An easy, 1 or 2 sitting read which provides some nice, but short lived entertainment.

[Kemper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Serial killers are the cockroaches of crime fiction. No matter how many you see, there’s always a million more. Even Robert B. Parker doing his updated version of old school detective novels with Spenser couldn’t escape the siren call of doing a book about a wacko murderer back in the ‘80s when the serial-killer-as-villain took over the genre.

A psycho has been killing black women and leaving a red rose with the bodies. Spenser’s police buddy, Quirk, gets a letter from the killer claiming that he is a cop so he’d like to get some help from outside the Boston PD. Spenser joins the investigation, but things get strange when someone breaks into Susan’s house and leaves a red rose. Is the killer one of her psychiatric patients? The whole issue gives Spenser and Susan an ethical dilemma between her need to protect patient confidentiality against figuring out if the murderer is among them.

This is a very ‘meh’ Spenser book for me. Most serial killer stories bore me to tears these days, and the series was always at it’s best when Spenser goes up against plain old criminals. The killer is one of the ‘80’s style villains that was extremely common. He’s got a distinct signature, a pattern that he never breaks, and a domineering mother to give him an instant pop psychology motive.

The conflict between Susan’s ethical issues as a therapist, and Spenser’s concern for her safety is mildly interesting, but the two have started to get very smug about their happy relationship. They almost break their arms patting themselves on the back for the way they handle it with a minimum of friction to each other.

Probably the most entertaining aspect is when Spenser goes on a talk-radio show to try and draw the killer out and spends a painful hour listening to every moron in the Boston area call in with their misinformed opinions and dumbass theories. Spenser decides that the whole concept is ‘a forum for public masturbation’. It’s amazing how big the forum got over the next couple of decades.

There’s also a funny footnote in this era of CSI. Even though the killer leaves semen at his crime scenes and it’s analyzed for blood type, DNA is never mentioned once. How was anyone ever caught before the popularization of the lab geek as hero?

Next up: Spenser shoots some hoops as well as criminals in Playmates.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly fine addition to Parker's Spenser series. The villain this time is a serial killer and Parker switches up his usual style in order to get into the killer's mind. I'm not sure it was entirely necessary, but I give him credit for making the attempt and trying something new for him, which is unusual in a successful, long-running series. After all, why risk putting the cash cow off her feed?

[Daniel Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story and kept my interest. Spenser continues a serial killer investigation after the police think they’ve got their man. But the story has a million to one unlikely coincidence. Still entertaining though.

[Vincent Lombardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

After many Spenser novels and going against mobsters, hitmen, drug kingpins, and terrorists, its good to see him go against a serial killer. Even though there was a bit of drama with Susan it didn't effect my enjoyment of this novel.

[Gloria ~ mzglorybe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crimson Joy is the 15th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. The story follows Boston based PI Spenser as he tracks a serial killer the press has dubbed the "Red Rose Killer."

This 1998 release features his girlfriend Susan Silverman, a psychoanalyst who has gotten involved in the case. I like the relationship between Spenser and Susan, which seems healthy and genuine. In this novel they are both tested by determining where to draw the ethical line between their professions and their relationship. It appears one of her patients may be involved in this horrendous case.

For me, this novel had me experiencing a gamut of various emotions. From joy and laughter with some of Spenser's witty comebacks, to admiration of Spenser's expressions of what Susan means to him and why, how they balance each other out, and even fear and sadness relating to some of the characters in the novel.

I really liked this one and rate it a strong 4. Good series. I'm not reading them in order, it is not completely necessary. The advantage to doing so is that they were written over such a long period of time, where many changes have taken place in our everyday world, especially in technology. The reader has to place himself in the current time frame of the novel being read, but it is not difficult for me. I am still enjoying the cast of characters and the plot lines Parker came up with. Thankfully for us readers, he wrote so many before his death in 2010.

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a hard time giving a Spenser book a two star rating but I came close with this one. Just not much to it. The ending saved it but still disappointing.

Anyone with mommy issues should enjoy this book. A psycho killer is stripping, duct taping their mouths and tying up African-American ladies. He then takes a gun and inserts it into their lower opening and fires the gun. He leaves the victim with a red rose laying on top of her. Spenser is helping the cops find this serial killer. It then turns out that this psycho may be a patient of Susan Silverman, Spenser's girlfriend. She too gets a red rose.

Lots of Spenser and Susan sitting around talking. Not a lot of action or mystery here.

[Gerald Sinstadt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Parker is always seeking to extend the boundaries of the conventional private eye story. Susan Silverman is present for more than just grown-up love interest. Susan is a psychologist and Parker is clearly interested in psychology.

Crimson Joy is not a mystery for many chapters. Instead, Parker makes the killer a central character, his mental make-up and motivation gradually exposed and explored.

Hawk is a presence, humour and smart dialogue play their part but this is essentially a serious book.

[Bill Muganda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This almost put me on a reading slump!!!!!!!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Spencer for hire novels. As usual great dialogue and an adversary that initially gets away from Spenser.

[ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my 100th read book this year! And I’m glad it was a Spenser book. This one was especially close to home for Spenser and Susan.
Spenser is assisting Belson and Quirk in finding a serial killer. What they don’t know is the killer is closer than they know. Eeek.

Susan and Spenser for better or worse are meant for one another and that’s reinforced through out the book. Ying and Yang. Hmmmm.

The ending is bittersweet.

[Joanne Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books, they are quick easy reads that don't require much thought. Parker seems to have finally come to grips with his person life and this is reflected in this novel. The book is about a serial killer and the Spencer/Susan relationship takes a back seat and not before time.
Spencer is called in to investigate when a serial killer claims to be a cop. While Susan still plays a major part in this novel it is not without merit as Spencer uses her skills as a therapist.
I was in the I hate Susan school by I find myself mellowing in the regard of late.
This is one series I intend on staying with.

[Jerry B · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Crimson” is the 15th in Parker’s lengthy (42) Spenser series; and while we’ve polished off only a handful so far, we feel pretty intimate with him and lover Susan and sidekick Hawk. In this tale, police buddy Lt. Quirk is on the hot seat with three dead black woman in their 40’s murdered, with enough calling cards to determine a serial murder spree by the “Red Rose” killer. When Quirk gets a note from the killer that suggests the slayings are the work of a cop, he created a small team of himself, cop Belson, and Spenser and Hawk to work the nearly clueless cases. A fourth death occurs, with the usual MO, including male fluids on, but not in, the female black victim. When a fifth murder joins the group, and this time the victim’s husband confesses to all five killings, the police superiors accept all the credit and close the case – but our team smells a rat and keeps on looking. Susan and Spenser are soon more personally involved, when a red rose is left in (psychotherapist) Susan’s office hallway, and Spenser gets phone calls from the perp. Occasionally we get POV narrative from the killer himself, and insight into his childhood abuse that precedes his present day events. Our principals soon deduce he might be a patient of Susan’s, and the process of closing in and catching the bad guy eventually gathers steam.

We enjoyed the story, even though it was not necessarily the most original plot. The very real threat mostly to Susan added to the suspense and we were glad to see Quirk et al get their man despite being told to stop work. So all-in-all, another fun entry in a dependably entertaining set.

[Eric_W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone is killing black women using the same MO: duck tape, shot with the same gun, a rose, and leaving evidence of masturbation. He also claims, in a note to the homicide detective in charge, to be a cop. Lt. Quinn asks Spenser to help from outside the department. Soon they are forced to deal with a copycat who has confessed. And then the real bad guy. Predictable.

OK story with the usual humorous banter, but I do get annoyed with the therapeutic babbling indulged in by Susan and Spenser. In this case it even becomes a distraction as the killer and his therapist -- one suspects it's Susan who is bound by confidentiality not to say -- reveal the inevitable: It was Mommy's fault. I mean, really. It's unnecessary and, IMHO, detracts from the story and brings little to their relationship. I mean, really. I still prefer the Jesse Stone series. Spenser can't decide whether to be a gourmet cook or detective.

Parker does have the occasional turn of phrase. I particularly liked, "It was one of those days in April when the wind was a velvet conceit on the lingering days of winter." Can't say if that's good writing or not, not having a graduate degree in English, but I liked it. Then again, I could never see what was wrong with, "it was a dark and stormy night," either.

[Connie N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spenser never fails to entertain me, and this book is no exception. Spenser is funny and irreverent and makes subtle jokes which make me laugh. For instance, he chases after a fast runner who runs out of steam while Spenser, although slower, eventually catches up. He goes up to him and says, "Hello, hare." Subtle, brief, but amusing. Classic Spenser. Another reason I like this book is that Quirk and Belson work closely with Hawk--so ironic and yet so perfectly Spenser/Parker. The connection, as is often the case, is Susan. She's in danger from one of her patients who is suspected of being serial killer nicknamed the Red Rose Killer. They get together to protect her and discover the killer's identity. Quick read, but very enjoyable. Focusing more on the psychologist's profession, with a lot more discussion about that than the usual violence faced by Spenser.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

61 out of 100 for 2010

I would have to say that this is in the top tier of the Spenser novels. In it, Parker experiments with point of view (not all of the novel is in the traditional first person point of view most characteristic of the Spenser series) and stream of consciousness. It's also the first novel in the series in which Spenser assembles a "team" of men for a common cause--in this case, Spenser, Hawk, Quirk, and Belsen to protect Susan.

It's also more of a traditional police procedural; Spenser has been asked by the police to help in tracking down of a serial killer. And the psychology of the killer, who is damaged, bad, but recognizes his own monstrosity, is interesting too. A real branching out in she series, and well done.

[Ensiform · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Spenser novel, bought for airport reading. This time the bad guy outruns Spenser at the beginning of the book, so of course our man (who, of course, could beat him into putty) must prove that he can outrun him too. Boring. The rest of the plot — serial killer goes after lovely psychiatrist who is also hero’s girlfriend — is strictly by the book. The final nail in this series’ coffin, for me; why don’t I read Matt Scudder?

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another old Parker that I rediscovered. Women are being brutally murdered by the Red Rose Killer. Quirk calls Spenser in to help him investigate because they suspect the killer may be a Police Officer. All the protagonists a Spenser fan expects are part of the plot, as is a killer whose methodology and obvious psychosis calls for Susan's expertise. All in all, a quick and satisfying read.

[Yeva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is number 15 in the Spenser series, and I must say I like Spenser in the early books. He is more raw, more deliberate, but still maintains his philosophy and ethics. As many folks know, I am a die-hard Robert B. Parker fan, and I hang out with several other Parker fans--a motley crew if there ever was. Still, the bad guy in this book is great to hate, and that makes the reading so much fun.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spenser, Susan, Hawk, as well as policemen Quirk and Belson are all involved in this story of one of Susan's clients who kills four black women--not all at once. Which of the nutcases will it be, and will he attack Susan. Susan gets a gun and proves a good shot. THe others follow various men. Of course Susan isn't going to be attacked!

[joyce lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

not one of THE best of his, but i'll admit, one of the BETTER ones in this series. i liked how Susan got more involved this time, and can understand the conflict she felt both as a dr, and as a woman.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spenser is asked to help find the "Red Rose Killer", a sicko brutally murdering women. Not as much "action" in this one, a "lot" about Susan :) Sometimes I wish Spenser didn't love her as much as he does.
But, with the banter between him and Hawke, I'll give it 3.5 stars.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been a while since I read this one, but like I said last time...you don't mess with Susan. All stops come out to catch the bad guy, but especially after he threatens Susan. Good book like always. Spenser is a sure bet!!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top quality, gritty '80's Spenser, with one odd little quirk: there are interlude chapters in the voice of the serial killer who is murdering women. Those chapters clunk a bit in a book that is an otherwise smooth ride.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working my way thru the series.....love the stories, but am kinda over the Susan and Spenser drama. I think they are a little over the top in their love for each other, too deep for me. Sorry .....

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the series, characters (because they have some) & plots. This one was especially interesting — Recommended.