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Spenser #28
Potshot
Potshot, by Parker, Robert B.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2001
654 people are currently reading
1235 people want to read
About the author
Robert B. Parker
489 books2,288 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 359 reviews
January 1, 2020
The twenty-eighth Spenser novel finds the intrepid Boston detective on the road again. A beautiful blonde widow named Mary Lou Buckman has hired Spenser to get the person or persons who recently killed her husband.
The Buckmans owned a business in the small, fictional resort community of Potshot, near the Sawtooth Mountains, about fifty miles south of Phoenix, Arizona. The former mining community has become a haven for wealthy Californians seeking to escape the rat race, but trouble has found them, nonetheless. A gang of cretins and thugs, led by a charismatic man known as the Preacher, has taken over the old mining grounds in the hills outside of Potshot. The bad guys are extorting money from the town's business people and are otherwise terrorizing the community. People are leaving town; real estate prices are plummeting, and Potshot is going to hell in a handbasket.
Buckman's husband, Steve, had attempted to stand up against the gang and one of its leaders had publicly threatened him and warned him that he was "a dead man." When Buckman is shot to death, everyone in Potshot simply assumes that the Preacher or one of his henchmen was responsible. But the local police chief is useless. He's intimidated by the gang and is cowed into taking no action to investigate the murder or to bring the killers to justice. Thus the widow has no place to turn other than Spenser.
Spenser travels out to Potshot to get the lay of the land and quickly concludes that this job is too big for one man, even if the one man is Spenser himself and even if he has his faithful sidekick, Hawk, to assist him. So Spenser recruits his own gang, comprised of killers and other tough guys that readers will readily recognize from earlier Spenser novels. The gang, seven in all, heads out to Potshot, determined to clean up the town and run out the bad guys. Once they get there, however, the situation suddenly becomes a lot more complicated and even more dangerous than Spenser had imagined.
This is an entertaining novel which owes a great deal to "The Magnificent Seven." It's an atypical Spenser novel in that all of the action takes place far from his home turf, and the book is really as much of a western as it is a typical detective novel. But Spenser is the same, wise-cracking tough guy that readers of the series have come to expect and even though the whole scenario is beyond belief, it's still a quick fun read.
As always, at least in my opinion, the principal downside of the book is Spenser's constant mooning over the impossibly irritating Susan Silverman. Even though the action takes place far from Boston, there's still way too much interaction between the two, and the dialog between them is sappy, silly, and annoying in the extreme. As always in these novels, if you skim all the scenes with Susan, you are bound to enjoy the book all that much more.
The Buckmans owned a business in the small, fictional resort community of Potshot, near the Sawtooth Mountains, about fifty miles south of Phoenix, Arizona. The former mining community has become a haven for wealthy Californians seeking to escape the rat race, but trouble has found them, nonetheless. A gang of cretins and thugs, led by a charismatic man known as the Preacher, has taken over the old mining grounds in the hills outside of Potshot. The bad guys are extorting money from the town's business people and are otherwise terrorizing the community. People are leaving town; real estate prices are plummeting, and Potshot is going to hell in a handbasket.
Buckman's husband, Steve, had attempted to stand up against the gang and one of its leaders had publicly threatened him and warned him that he was "a dead man." When Buckman is shot to death, everyone in Potshot simply assumes that the Preacher or one of his henchmen was responsible. But the local police chief is useless. He's intimidated by the gang and is cowed into taking no action to investigate the murder or to bring the killers to justice. Thus the widow has no place to turn other than Spenser.
Spenser travels out to Potshot to get the lay of the land and quickly concludes that this job is too big for one man, even if the one man is Spenser himself and even if he has his faithful sidekick, Hawk, to assist him. So Spenser recruits his own gang, comprised of killers and other tough guys that readers will readily recognize from earlier Spenser novels. The gang, seven in all, heads out to Potshot, determined to clean up the town and run out the bad guys. Once they get there, however, the situation suddenly becomes a lot more complicated and even more dangerous than Spenser had imagined.
This is an entertaining novel which owes a great deal to "The Magnificent Seven." It's an atypical Spenser novel in that all of the action takes place far from his home turf, and the book is really as much of a western as it is a typical detective novel. But Spenser is the same, wise-cracking tough guy that readers of the series have come to expect and even though the whole scenario is beyond belief, it's still a quick fun read.
As always, at least in my opinion, the principal downside of the book is Spenser's constant mooning over the impossibly irritating Susan Silverman. Even though the action takes place far from Boston, there's still way too much interaction between the two, and the dialog between them is sappy, silly, and annoying in the extreme. As always in these novels, if you skim all the scenes with Susan, you are bound to enjoy the book all that much more.
February 23, 2019
Maybe I’m overrating this one, but I found it enjoyable. After all, it is Parker’s version of The Magnificent Seven with Spenser in the Yul Brynner role (or Seven Samurai with Spenser in the Takashi Shimura role, if you prefer the original). Now, tell me, what could be more fun than that?
Spenser is hired by Mary Lou Buckman, resident of the little desert town of Potshot. She says her husband was gunned down by a group of local toughs called the Dell, and that she wants Spenser to solve her husband’s murder and run the Dell out of town. Spenser noses around Potshot, and finds out two things: 1) Buckman’s death is more complicated than it seems, and 2) the Dell is bigger and tougher than he thought. Deciding he needs help with the Dell, he recruits the meanest six good bad guys and bad good guys he has encountered in his previous twenty-seven adventures: Hawk, Vinnie, Chollo, Bobby Horse, Bernard J. Fortunato, and Tedy Sapp. And Spenser makes seven.
Like I said, this is a lot of fun. There’s not a lot of Susan in this one, doggie Pearl I is getting too old to be annoying, and the ethnic insults and tight-lipped tough dialogue of the Seven—not to mention the exciting action sequences—keep things moving.
That’s not all, though. The mystery itself is entertaining, and a little surprising. Look, I don’t do spoilers, but I will do hints. Here’s a hint: it may look like The Magnificent Seven on the surface, but underneath it looks more like Chinatown.
May 24, 2017
Spenser deals in lead, friend.
A beautiful widow whose husband was murdered in the small desert town of Potshot, Arizona, hires Spenser. She thinks he was killed for standing up to a gang called The Dell that has been extorting local businesses. Spenser journeys to Potshot and confronts Preacher, the leader of gang, but he denies killing anyone.
Before he can get to the bottom of who murdered the husband Spenser is approached by a group of town leaders who want to hire him to run off The Dell. Spenser agrees and rounds up a crew of tough guys he’s met over the years including Hawk. Spenser and his friends are bad asses, but there are just seven of them while The Dell has forty members so the odds are stacked against them.
Robert B. Parker wrote several westerns as well as making it clear that Spenser was a fan of them so it’s no surprise that he took a stab at doing yet another version of The Magnificent Seven. Hell, everybody from Stephen King to Star Wars comics has tried it at one time or another. The idea of Spenser rounding up a collection of professional tough guys he’s met over the years to clean up a town is an idea that had a lot of potential, but unfortunately RBP didn’t do enough to deliver on it.
More than half the book is spent on Spenser trying to figure out who killed the husband and like most of his other books, a big part of it revolves around marital infidelity. Less than half the book is spent with Spenser and his friends together. This could have been a lot more fun if RBP would have just written the story as Spenser being hired to fight The Dell, putting together a group and then having the whole book be more of an action story rather than the kind of whodunit that seems very similar to every other one that he did in his later years.
Still, there’s some fun to be had with Spenser and his buddies getting together. I especially like that his guys, who are mostly gun thugs for hire, want to just go and proactively slaughter The Dell and get exasperated that Spenser won’t allow it because of his own code of behavior. Tough guys bantering and shooting it out with an evil gang would be a lot more fun than just another Spenser case.
Next up: Uh….It’s Widow's Walk, but I don’t remember a single thing about it to make one of my usual jokes.
A beautiful widow whose husband was murdered in the small desert town of Potshot, Arizona, hires Spenser. She thinks he was killed for standing up to a gang called The Dell that has been extorting local businesses. Spenser journeys to Potshot and confronts Preacher, the leader of gang, but he denies killing anyone.
Before he can get to the bottom of who murdered the husband Spenser is approached by a group of town leaders who want to hire him to run off The Dell. Spenser agrees and rounds up a crew of tough guys he’s met over the years including Hawk. Spenser and his friends are bad asses, but there are just seven of them while The Dell has forty members so the odds are stacked against them.
Robert B. Parker wrote several westerns as well as making it clear that Spenser was a fan of them so it’s no surprise that he took a stab at doing yet another version of The Magnificent Seven. Hell, everybody from Stephen King to Star Wars comics has tried it at one time or another. The idea of Spenser rounding up a collection of professional tough guys he’s met over the years to clean up a town is an idea that had a lot of potential, but unfortunately RBP didn’t do enough to deliver on it.
More than half the book is spent on Spenser trying to figure out who killed the husband and like most of his other books, a big part of it revolves around marital infidelity. Less than half the book is spent with Spenser and his friends together. This could have been a lot more fun if RBP would have just written the story as Spenser being hired to fight The Dell, putting together a group and then having the whole book be more of an action story rather than the kind of whodunit that seems very similar to every other one that he did in his later years.
Still, there’s some fun to be had with Spenser and his buddies getting together. I especially like that his guys, who are mostly gun thugs for hire, want to just go and proactively slaughter The Dell and get exasperated that Spenser won’t allow it because of his own code of behavior. Tough guys bantering and shooting it out with an evil gang would be a lot more fun than just another Spenser case.
Next up: Uh….It’s Widow's Walk, but I don’t remember a single thing about it to make one of my usual jokes.
March 13, 2013
Spenser goes cowboy. 'Nuff said.
Not really. But Parker does place Spenser in a different environment than Spenser is accustomed to.
POTSHOT opens with a beautiful blonde seeking Spenser's skills. Her husband has just been killed and she wants to hire Spenser to unravel the mystery. There's only one catch: Spenser has to leave Boston and go to Potshot, Arizona. Of course, Spenser takes the case.
While in Potshot, Spenser learns of the Dell gang, a mysterious group of people under the influence of a man that goes by the handle of The Preacher. The Dell gang makes it living off the residents of Potshot. Spenser doesn't like this much. But he's no fool. He knows that he is going to have to call in some favors to get some support if he is to lay waste to this gang. Enter: Hawk, Tedy Sapp, Chollo, Vinnie Morris, Bobby Horse, and Bernard J. Fortunato III. Past readers will recognize these names; for those that don't, these characters have populated previous Parker novels.
After Spenser assembles his gang, the novel slows down. For the most part, Parker uses this time to explore the banter between this group of men. For some, this is going to be incredibly annoying. But for those of you that know these characters, this part of the novel should be quite entertaining. Every one of these characters has a personality that could easily fill a novel all on their own.
As the time comes closer for Spenser's gang to tussle with the Dell gang I could not help but think that I had seen this from Spenser before. With a little research, the mystery was solved. POTSHOT was published in 2001. Parker also published GUNMAN'S RHAPSODY in 2001. This latter novel being a western. As a lover of westerns, this made my reading experience all the more enjoyable.
And although the ending is a bit anti-climatic, the book serves as an entertaining read. Perhaps I liked it so much because Spenser's gal, Susan Silverman, Harvard Ph.D., was only a bit character. (I have a tendency to rag on Susan...but, hey, it's my review.)
Overall, POTSHOT is worth your time. Unlike some of the other Spenser novels, Parker really seems to have channeled his skills with this one.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (for both lovers of the Spenser series and lovers of westerns)
Not really. But Parker does place Spenser in a different environment than Spenser is accustomed to.
POTSHOT opens with a beautiful blonde seeking Spenser's skills. Her husband has just been killed and she wants to hire Spenser to unravel the mystery. There's only one catch: Spenser has to leave Boston and go to Potshot, Arizona. Of course, Spenser takes the case.
While in Potshot, Spenser learns of the Dell gang, a mysterious group of people under the influence of a man that goes by the handle of The Preacher. The Dell gang makes it living off the residents of Potshot. Spenser doesn't like this much. But he's no fool. He knows that he is going to have to call in some favors to get some support if he is to lay waste to this gang. Enter: Hawk, Tedy Sapp, Chollo, Vinnie Morris, Bobby Horse, and Bernard J. Fortunato III. Past readers will recognize these names; for those that don't, these characters have populated previous Parker novels.
After Spenser assembles his gang, the novel slows down. For the most part, Parker uses this time to explore the banter between this group of men. For some, this is going to be incredibly annoying. But for those of you that know these characters, this part of the novel should be quite entertaining. Every one of these characters has a personality that could easily fill a novel all on their own.
As the time comes closer for Spenser's gang to tussle with the Dell gang I could not help but think that I had seen this from Spenser before. With a little research, the mystery was solved. POTSHOT was published in 2001. Parker also published GUNMAN'S RHAPSODY in 2001. This latter novel being a western. As a lover of westerns, this made my reading experience all the more enjoyable.
And although the ending is a bit anti-climatic, the book serves as an entertaining read. Perhaps I liked it so much because Spenser's gal, Susan Silverman, Harvard Ph.D., was only a bit character. (I have a tendency to rag on Susan...but, hey, it's my review.)
Overall, POTSHOT is worth your time. Unlike some of the other Spenser novels, Parker really seems to have channeled his skills with this one.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (for both lovers of the Spenser series and lovers of westerns)
February 10, 2020
Excellent up until the ending, which was a little lazy. But the crew Spenser put together was worth the whole thing. It was a true Murders Row.
September 2, 2013
Potshot is more an excuse to have a fun setup than it is a detective novel in the way that some Spenser novels are. It's Parker nodding, again, to one of his heroes. This time, it's his take on Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest. Spenser is hired to look into a murder, and ends up also hired to clean out the bad element that's about to destroy the town of Potshot.
What's fun about this? He brings some help with him. Hawk, of course, is a given. He also brings Tedy Sapp, who stood in for Hawk in the last book. Figuring he needs a few more shooters, he asks Gino Fish's permission to bring Vinnie Morris along. He also goes to L.A. and asks Victor del Rio if he can borrow Chollo and Bobby Horse. He also goes to Vegas and invites Bernard J. Fortunato to help.
Most of the reason this book is worth reading is for watching these seven characters live together in a rental house in the desert waiting to be ambushed. There's some real comedy here, and everyone has their moments.
I really enjoyed reading this one.
What's fun about this? He brings some help with him. Hawk, of course, is a given. He also brings Tedy Sapp, who stood in for Hawk in the last book. Figuring he needs a few more shooters, he asks Gino Fish's permission to bring Vinnie Morris along. He also goes to L.A. and asks Victor del Rio if he can borrow Chollo and Bobby Horse. He also goes to Vegas and invites Bernard J. Fortunato to help.
Most of the reason this book is worth reading is for watching these seven characters live together in a rental house in the desert waiting to be ambushed. There's some real comedy here, and everyone has their moments.
I really enjoyed reading this one.
February 19, 2020
I've finished the original Spenser novels written by Robert J. Parker! I'm sad that this last book just wasn't up to his usual standard (in my opinion), I think, because the ending felt so unfinished. The premise of the book was for Spenser to travel out west to figure out who killed a man in a ragtag town called Potshot. Its inhabitants are wealthy people fed up with the life in the fast lane of Hollywood. Potshot is a small desert town limited by lack of water and isolation. Complicating matters is The Dell, a group of thugs holding the town hostage for protection money.
Spenser has two objectives: to figure out who killed Steve Buckman and to rid Potshot of The Dell. While Spenser and his pals satisfactorily complete the second objective, the first is left in something of a state of limbo.
Spenser has two objectives: to figure out who killed Steve Buckman and to rid Potshot of The Dell. While Spenser and his pals satisfactorily complete the second objective, the first is left in something of a state of limbo.
August 29, 2012
The weakest book in the series. I think Parker was under pressure to turn out another Spenser novel and, not having a plot in mind, drug all the various ancillary characters he's created over the years (Chollo, Hawk, et al) into this lame story. Basically, it's a bunch of guys sitting around talking, cooking (wouldn't be a Spenser book without him making something in the kitchen), and shooting the bad guys. There isn't even a solid resolution here, just sort of a wishy-washy ending.
April 28, 2018
Another fine Spenser outing, a la Magnificent Seven, desert style.
March 3, 2017
This one is Mr Parker's homage to The Magnificent Seven/ The Seven Samurai and if anyone were in any doubt, the 'We deal in lead, friend' quote would clear up any uncertainty. If this part of the plot was all well and good and a lot of fun, the plot thread that led to 'The Magnificent Seven' lark was very frayed indeed. The principal bad guys were satisfactorily dealt with but outcome for the peripheral baddies, the town big wigs who were scamming the locals and the crime boss who facilitated the principal bad guys, was left hanging. OK, these things are messy and it would be less of an issue were it not for the fundamental question which, as far as I gleaned, went wholly unanswered. The question being; why hire Spenser if you murdered your husband, were involved in a high value scam and had connections to organised crime? If she knew enough about Spenser to go all the way across country to hire him, in the expectation that she could steer him towards dealing with the principal bad guys and come up with enough 'associates' to do the job, then she must also have found out that his shtick is to leave no rock unturned to resolve the case he was hired on for. I was also a little surprised that she gets to walk away, maybe temporarily but who knows, given the ending of the previous novel in the series, Hugger Mugger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2019
Spenser meets the Wild West in a town called Potshot. He gathers up his own magnificent seven made up of characters from the series and the take on a gang of outlaws known as the Dell. Spenser, being Spenser has to do it his way. All I can say is”Bravo!”
September 12, 2024
Read in Kindle format…
This had Spenser out of Boston again. Potshot, AZ.. While this had a decent plot, the ending was super bad, hence the 3 stars ⭐️.
I loved the lets get the band back together vibe. Very Ocean’s 7. Characters from past books came together in Potshot to help Spenser with some outlaws. Side note 📝 Hawk really shined in this installment. Intermingled with that, was a murder mystery that well… 🚨spoiler alert🚨 …
was not solved. Who really killed Lou’s husband? What happened to that Hollywood guy?? How was that cop involved?? What wasn’t in doubt was that Lou was a really really bad person.
If they ever kill off Spenser, I hope he doesn’t die as a result of something like this case, ugh. What a waste! Anyway… this did NOT have a satisfying end and after reading a few Spenser’s in a row it’s time to take a break and go back to Stone Barrington 🫣
This had Spenser out of Boston again. Potshot, AZ.. While this had a decent plot, the ending was super bad, hence the 3 stars ⭐️.
I loved the lets get the band back together vibe. Very Ocean’s 7. Characters from past books came together in Potshot to help Spenser with some outlaws. Side note 📝 Hawk really shined in this installment. Intermingled with that, was a murder mystery that well… 🚨spoiler alert🚨 …
was not solved. Who really killed Lou’s husband? What happened to that Hollywood guy?? How was that cop involved?? What wasn’t in doubt was that Lou was a really really bad person.
If they ever kill off Spenser, I hope he doesn’t die as a result of something like this case, ugh. What a waste! Anyway… this did NOT have a satisfying end and after reading a few Spenser’s in a row it’s time to take a break and go back to Stone Barrington 🫣
May 24, 2017
(The word "maroon" appears only once in this novel)
3.5 stars
At first, this is The Magnificent Seven minus six....
In interesting change to very hot and dry for Spenser, with some interesting characters, and a good central mystery. The assembly of Spenser's team is nostalgic yet a bit dull. It's nice to see these characters again, and the collection of tools they bring to the problem is interesting in a macho-toy kind of way. The new femme-fatale is charming as usual, and there are some comparisons with Susan in Spenser's mind and dialogue with Susan.
The climactic action sequence at the end could have been better, and is a bit chaotic with so many shooters running around. And the ending/resolution was somewhat original and different, yet disappointing.
Not many superb quotes or dialogues here, sadly.
An "adequate" Spenser, but both this and the previous "Hugger Mugger" had resolutions that were too abrupt and unsatisfying.
*** SPOILER BELOW ***
3.5 stars
At first, this is The Magnificent Seven minus six....
In interesting change to very hot and dry for Spenser, with some interesting characters, and a good central mystery. The assembly of Spenser's team is nostalgic yet a bit dull. It's nice to see these characters again, and the collection of tools they bring to the problem is interesting in a macho-toy kind of way. The new femme-fatale is charming as usual, and there are some comparisons with Susan in Spenser's mind and dialogue with Susan.
The climactic action sequence at the end could have been better, and is a bit chaotic with so many shooters running around. And the ending/resolution was somewhat original and different, yet disappointing.
Not many superb quotes or dialogues here, sadly.
An "adequate" Spenser, but both this and the previous "Hugger Mugger" had resolutions that were too abrupt and unsatisfying.
*** SPOILER BELOW ***
August 5, 2015
I always forget how much Mr. Parker liked the f-word until I read the Spenser books. Not drowning in it, but enough. I generally just roll my eyes when they appear rapid fire in succession (the word often appears a whole lot of times) and go from there. I do enjoy these books, along with Spenser and his world overall despite my problems with parts of it. I like how he isn't above asking for help when he knows he's a bit in over his head. It says a lot about him and his character. Another good installment and I look forward to reading the next one.
COYER: Read a book with a weapon on the cover. (1 point)
COYER: Read a book with a weapon on the cover. (1 point)
May 25, 2016
I thought I'd read this one before, but I'm not so sure. What a great story. Nothing out of the ordinary for Robert Parker (nor for Spenser for that matter), but I just loved the dialouge in this one. ALL of the regulars are in this one and it is just a great, though not unexpected, end! This one, you really do need to read some of the older books in the series to get the story line...so don't start with this one!
May 22, 2017
May 2017 book on tape -Still a good read/listen and , to me, a surprising ending.
9-2014 book on tape. i liked the band of thugs and spenser having explain to the guys hiring him that they were hiring thugs, not accountants.
may 2009 Spenser. In the western desert town of Potshot. I really enjoyed this read. heartily recommend it.
9-2014 book on tape. i liked the band of thugs and spenser having explain to the guys hiring him that they were hiring thugs, not accountants.
may 2009 Spenser. In the western desert town of Potshot. I really enjoyed this read. heartily recommend it.
September 10, 2010
If you haven't yet seen The Seven Samurai or The Magnificent Seven, you should before reading this book. If you love Spenser the book is still a worthwhile read. He is hired to find out who killed someone in an Arizona town and the job quickly becomes one of routing the brigands who have moved in nearby and are collecting protection money from every business in town.
February 6, 2013
3 of 10 stars for this rather trite, repetitive effort.
December 18, 2020
Robert B. Parker's tribute to The Magnificent Seven or Seven Samurai. As always, a fun read with snappy dialog and action.
June 27, 2019
Spenser’s next case takes him on the road again and this time he is off to the small resort community of Potshot located at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountains in Arizona. Potshot came to be a retreat for people from Los Angeles with enough money to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the city but recently a criminal element has gathered in the hills above the town in a place the locals call the Dell. This loose group included those laid off from lumber companies and strip mines as well as a general assortment of drunks, panhandlers and pot heads. They were no more bothersome than any other fringe group until about three years ago when a man named the Preacher arrived and organized them into a gang. They now have a good income living off the town requiring businesses to pay protection, walking into stores and taking what they want, eating in restaurants without paying, bullying the men and bothering the women. The police seem powerless to stop them. When the sheriff is called he comes, but when he arrives there are no witnesses so he can never put a case together.
Mary Lou Backman ran a small tourist business with her husband Steve until he was shot dead in broad daylight on the main street of Potshot. Mary Lou believes one of the lowlifes from the Dell killed him when he refused to pay for protection. She thinks the police have not done enough to solve the murder and wants to hire Spenser to find out who killed her husband.
When Spenser arrives in Potshot he runs into his usual problem. No one will talk to him and when they do, all they will tell him is that Mary Lou’s husband Steve was a good guy and everyone liked him. He gets little more from Mary Lou’s friends. When Spenser visits the police chief Dean Walker, he says he has no witnesses, clues or suspects. All he has are rumors about the Dell being responsible for the killing. He dismisses the gang as just a bunch of overage hippies and says they don’t bother anybody. Besides that, the Dell is not his territory, its county land covered by the Sheriff.
Spenser seeks out the Preacher at the Dell and finds about forty men and women living in Quonset huts surrounded by four wheel vehicles, all terrain scooters and motorcycles. The men are all dressed in jeans, T shirts, motorcycle boots and black leather vests. Spenser meets the Preacher who is protected by his “heavy guy”, a man called Pony and the two have a quiet conversation. The Preacher agrees that Steve was delinquent in paying his “rent” and was told there would be a penalty. Their plan was to “stomp” on him and scare him, but not kill him. Killing him would not make sense. A dead man could not pay them money. They wanted him alive and earning so he could continue to support them through his protection payments and insists someone else shot Steve Backman. Spenser’s conversation with the ringleader leads him to leave the Dell with some respect for the old man. He believes him.
Questioning Mary Lou’s friends doesn’t get him much further in his investigation, so he goes to L.A. to talk with Mary Lou and Steve’s former neighbours. The interviews lead to even more questions about why Steve Backman was killed. The more he digs, the more he discovers that things may not be what they seem in Potshot and there are issues that may stretch back all the way to Southern California.
Things take an interesting turn when Potshot’s mayor and the local town leaders hire Spenser to eradicate the Dell, offering him good money to get the job done. The assignment sends him back to Boston to gather a group of strongmen and he arrives back in Potshot to face tricky odds, his seven men to about forty with the Preacher. But Spenser is always smart about beating the numbers in any conflict and although readers know how the confrontation will end it is always fun to see how it all plays out.
Once again Parker entertains readers with a number of interesting characters, this time including a number from Spenser’s past cases. Parker includes his signature pieces with Spenser’s usual witty repartee, his love for Susan and his solid friendship with Hawk. There are signs that Pearl the Wonder Dog is aging. Her hearing is less acute, her eyesight is poor and her shoulder is so arthritic she limps when she walks. These observations preclude a conversation between Spenser and Susan about the possibility of an afterlife as Parker sensitizes his readers to the passage of time both for Spenser and what he considers to be his family. It is interesting to see how as Spenser has aged, the frequency and subject of his ruminations have changed. He is now focused more on the deep questions that occur with advancing age as well refining the principles he lives by, his personal code.
This is another good addition to what is still a solid, entertaining series.
Mary Lou Backman ran a small tourist business with her husband Steve until he was shot dead in broad daylight on the main street of Potshot. Mary Lou believes one of the lowlifes from the Dell killed him when he refused to pay for protection. She thinks the police have not done enough to solve the murder and wants to hire Spenser to find out who killed her husband.
When Spenser arrives in Potshot he runs into his usual problem. No one will talk to him and when they do, all they will tell him is that Mary Lou’s husband Steve was a good guy and everyone liked him. He gets little more from Mary Lou’s friends. When Spenser visits the police chief Dean Walker, he says he has no witnesses, clues or suspects. All he has are rumors about the Dell being responsible for the killing. He dismisses the gang as just a bunch of overage hippies and says they don’t bother anybody. Besides that, the Dell is not his territory, its county land covered by the Sheriff.
Spenser seeks out the Preacher at the Dell and finds about forty men and women living in Quonset huts surrounded by four wheel vehicles, all terrain scooters and motorcycles. The men are all dressed in jeans, T shirts, motorcycle boots and black leather vests. Spenser meets the Preacher who is protected by his “heavy guy”, a man called Pony and the two have a quiet conversation. The Preacher agrees that Steve was delinquent in paying his “rent” and was told there would be a penalty. Their plan was to “stomp” on him and scare him, but not kill him. Killing him would not make sense. A dead man could not pay them money. They wanted him alive and earning so he could continue to support them through his protection payments and insists someone else shot Steve Backman. Spenser’s conversation with the ringleader leads him to leave the Dell with some respect for the old man. He believes him.
Questioning Mary Lou’s friends doesn’t get him much further in his investigation, so he goes to L.A. to talk with Mary Lou and Steve’s former neighbours. The interviews lead to even more questions about why Steve Backman was killed. The more he digs, the more he discovers that things may not be what they seem in Potshot and there are issues that may stretch back all the way to Southern California.
Things take an interesting turn when Potshot’s mayor and the local town leaders hire Spenser to eradicate the Dell, offering him good money to get the job done. The assignment sends him back to Boston to gather a group of strongmen and he arrives back in Potshot to face tricky odds, his seven men to about forty with the Preacher. But Spenser is always smart about beating the numbers in any conflict and although readers know how the confrontation will end it is always fun to see how it all plays out.
Once again Parker entertains readers with a number of interesting characters, this time including a number from Spenser’s past cases. Parker includes his signature pieces with Spenser’s usual witty repartee, his love for Susan and his solid friendship with Hawk. There are signs that Pearl the Wonder Dog is aging. Her hearing is less acute, her eyesight is poor and her shoulder is so arthritic she limps when she walks. These observations preclude a conversation between Spenser and Susan about the possibility of an afterlife as Parker sensitizes his readers to the passage of time both for Spenser and what he considers to be his family. It is interesting to see how as Spenser has aged, the frequency and subject of his ruminations have changed. He is now focused more on the deep questions that occur with advancing age as well refining the principles he lives by, his personal code.
This is another good addition to what is still a solid, entertaining series.
April 25, 2018
Spenser gets a client recommended to him by a law officer that he had worked with in California and he decides to take a look into case. It seems that her husband has been murdered in the small desert town in which they lived but local law ruled it suicide, something that she couldn't agree with.
When Spenser got out the the small town named "Potshot" he found himself in an extremely hot town with a dwindling population mostly due to a gang of old hippies, motorcycle riders and thugs who were preying on the town merchants and shaking them down. Spenser is not to sure about his employer who seems a bit hinky and finds some of the other towns people a bit off as well. After a run in with the "Preacher" who is the leader of the gang and an offer of a hefty payout from some of the Merchants, he decides to go back to Boston and recruit Hawk and some of his "fiends" form the dark side to join him in Potshot to try to clean things up. A typical Spenser novel with plenty of Spense's humor to go around as well as a fair bit of action. If you like Paarker's Spenser novels and missed this one give it a try.
When Spenser got out the the small town named "Potshot" he found himself in an extremely hot town with a dwindling population mostly due to a gang of old hippies, motorcycle riders and thugs who were preying on the town merchants and shaking them down. Spenser is not to sure about his employer who seems a bit hinky and finds some of the other towns people a bit off as well. After a run in with the "Preacher" who is the leader of the gang and an offer of a hefty payout from some of the Merchants, he decides to go back to Boston and recruit Hawk and some of his "fiends" form the dark side to join him in Potshot to try to clean things up. A typical Spenser novel with plenty of Spense's humor to go around as well as a fair bit of action. If you like Paarker's Spenser novels and missed this one give it a try.
May 22, 2017
Spenser #28 takes him to Potshot, AZ. where he has been hired to investigate the murder of a man, formerly a businessman in L.A. who moved there to start a business. Potshot is a haven for the wealthy from the Los Angeles area. It appears it is not easy to run a business in Potshot, which is controlled by a perilous "Preacher" and his big gang of about 40 intimidating thieves. They seem to control the town, exploiting all the business and taking their money.
The story gets a bit convoluted, seems impossible and overwhelming at times, but is entertaining in Parker's usual style. He gets the job done, solves the mystery, and even cleans up this town, enlisting the help of Hawk, and a few notorious gun men from L.A. In this shoot-em-up sort of western way, Parker keeps us guessing and yes, engaged.
The story gets a bit convoluted, seems impossible and overwhelming at times, but is entertaining in Parker's usual style. He gets the job done, solves the mystery, and even cleans up this town, enlisting the help of Hawk, and a few notorious gun men from L.A. In this shoot-em-up sort of western way, Parker keeps us guessing and yes, engaged.
February 28, 2021
A Spenserian cross between Chinatown and the Magnificent Seven, in which Spenser heads out west to free the town of Potshot of the malignant gang of The Preacher. Spenser gathers Hawk, Vinnie Morris, Bernard J. Fortunato, Tedy Sapp, Bobby Horse, and Chollo to help him on his mission, and a Western style shoot out eventually ensues.
December 14, 2024
I read it pretty much at one go. Spenser is hired by a pretty widow to investigate her husband's murder... But before long, Spenser enters his cowboy/ Old West mode, gathers a band of outlaws and sets out on a mission to free the small town of Potshot form a gang of cutthroats.
It was indeed a very enjoyable read. I liked the humor and it was nice to see Hawk and Vinnie back in action. As a bonus, not a lot of attention was dedicated to Susan (her conversations with Spenser are usually so cringy...) And thankfully Pearl the Wonder Dog was hardly mentioned.
It was indeed a very enjoyable read. I liked the humor and it was nice to see Hawk and Vinnie back in action. As a bonus, not a lot of attention was dedicated to Susan (her conversations with Spenser are usually so cringy...) And thankfully Pearl the Wonder Dog was hardly mentioned.
May 22, 2017
I would actually give it 3.5 stars. The story line was eh for about the first half, i did enjoy it more the last half of the book. Why? It felt like the gang was all here! I did not read/listen to the books in order, but in this book Hawk, Teddy Sapp, Vinnie, Cholo & Bobby Horse were all involved along with another enjoyable character (Bernard) I was not familiar with.
March 15, 2018
I liked it, the camaraderie. 😊
December 26, 2020
Gotta love Spenser and his friendly thugs! Wish there was a tidier ending.
May 17, 2024
Great character - sarcastic, funny , witty
November 2, 2025
2.5…easy read, but not alot going on
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