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Sunny Randall #8
Robert B. Parker's Grudge Match (A Sunny Randall Novel
Robert B. Parker's beloved PI Sunny Randall returns on a case that blurs the line between friend and foe...and if Sunny can't tell the difference, the consequences may be deadly. When Sunny's long-time gangster associate Tony Marcus comes to her for help, Sunny is surprised--after all, she double crossed him on a recent deal, and their relationship is on shakier ground than ever. But the way Tony figures it, Sunny owes him, and Sunny's willing to consider his case if it will clear the slate. Tony's trusted girlfriend and business partner has vanished, appears to have left in a hurry, and he has no idea why. He just wants to talk to her, he says, but first he needs Sunny to track her down. While Sunny isn't willing to trust his good intentions, the missing woman intrigues her--against all odds, she's risen to a position of power in Tony's criminal enterprise. Sunny can't help but admire her, and if this woman's in a jam, Sunny would like to help. But when a witness is murdered hours after speaking to Sunny, it's clear there's more at stake than just Tony's love life. Someone--maybe even Tony himself--doesn't want this woman on the loose...and will go to any lengths to make sure she stays silent.
467 pages, Library Binding
First published May 5, 2020
1219 people are currently reading
469 people want to read
About the author
Mike Lupica
110 books1,208 followersMichael Lupica is an author and American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
March 23, 2020
Grudge match is book 8 in the Sunny Randall series. This was an arc review for me and I think I would’ve liked it a bit better if I had started with the first book of the series instead of in the middle. I feel like I’m missing some of the nuances by not having read the previous novels. The story takes place in Boston and the author goes into great detail about streets and landmarks in Boston. I’ve never been to Boston so I felt a little lost in the details. I did enjoy the outline of the story about the detective being caught between two crime bosses and trying to figure out who’s the real killer. Overall the story was satisfactory but I really wasn’t invested in any of the characters. Again, I might have felt different if I had started the series at the beginning.
November 12, 2021
It’s really excellent that Mike Lupica took on this series. I so missed the character Sunny Randall. This book was a little slow and monotonous in spots but overall, I enjoyed it.
Looks like I’ll be going back to the Jesse Stone series as well since Lupica took on that character as well. Plus Lupica left us with an intriguing a little cliffhanger!
Looks like I’ll be going back to the Jesse Stone series as well since Lupica took on that character as well. Plus Lupica left us with an intriguing a little cliffhanger!
April 7, 2020
Of the Parker series featuring Spenser, Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall, the beautiful blonde private eye has for the most part ranked third in my preference order (not that she's very far behind, mind you). But if this book is any example, she just may have edged into second place (no one will ever knock Spenser out of the top spot, even if most of the post-Parker books haven't been exactly standouts in my book).
This one - the eighth in the Sunny Randall series - begins as long-time gangster Tony Marcus asks Sunny - who helped him with an earlier project and then pretty much double-crossed him - to find the woman he claims to be in love with. She suddenly up and left, and he's missing her terribly and wants to know why she took off. Perhaps more to the point, he wants to know that she hasn't hooked up with the enemy; after all, he gave her access to details about his business (which these days is heavy on prostitution) that could bring him down if it got to the hands of a rival - one like Gabriel Jabari.
Meanwhile, Sunny's personal life is stressing her out. Her ex-husband, Richie (now her boyfriend again), had a son by his former wife Kathryn, who moved far away with the boy. Now they're back in Boston, and she wants her son to get to know Richie. Although Sunny knows Richie no longer has feelings for Kathryn - and she and the boy hit it off well - she's understandably nervous about how the situation will play out.
One thing is very clear, though - no one except Sunny wants her to get involved with Marcus again. But he's promised that finding his missing lover will even the score between them (and besides, Sunny is curious about what she's like and what she knows). So against all advice, she sets out to find the former hooker.
Needless to say, doing so puts her on a path toward personal danger; clearly, someone doesn't want the woman to be found. It also puts her on the path to the small town of Paradise, where she meets up with a former lover and police chief who's familiar to readers of other Parker books - none other than Jesse Stone. While I'm on the familiarity kick, it's nice to see Spenser's main squeeze, Dr. Susan Silverman, make a couple of appearances here as Sunny's therapist.
All I'll say from this point on is that some things work out well and others not so well - and there's a hint of what might be in store in the next edition. I enjoyed this one thoroughly, and I'm more eager than ever to get my hands on more. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this one.
This one - the eighth in the Sunny Randall series - begins as long-time gangster Tony Marcus asks Sunny - who helped him with an earlier project and then pretty much double-crossed him - to find the woman he claims to be in love with. She suddenly up and left, and he's missing her terribly and wants to know why she took off. Perhaps more to the point, he wants to know that she hasn't hooked up with the enemy; after all, he gave her access to details about his business (which these days is heavy on prostitution) that could bring him down if it got to the hands of a rival - one like Gabriel Jabari.
Meanwhile, Sunny's personal life is stressing her out. Her ex-husband, Richie (now her boyfriend again), had a son by his former wife Kathryn, who moved far away with the boy. Now they're back in Boston, and she wants her son to get to know Richie. Although Sunny knows Richie no longer has feelings for Kathryn - and she and the boy hit it off well - she's understandably nervous about how the situation will play out.
One thing is very clear, though - no one except Sunny wants her to get involved with Marcus again. But he's promised that finding his missing lover will even the score between them (and besides, Sunny is curious about what she's like and what she knows). So against all advice, she sets out to find the former hooker.
Needless to say, doing so puts her on a path toward personal danger; clearly, someone doesn't want the woman to be found. It also puts her on the path to the small town of Paradise, where she meets up with a former lover and police chief who's familiar to readers of other Parker books - none other than Jesse Stone. While I'm on the familiarity kick, it's nice to see Spenser's main squeeze, Dr. Susan Silverman, make a couple of appearances here as Sunny's therapist.
All I'll say from this point on is that some things work out well and others not so well - and there's a hint of what might be in store in the next edition. I enjoyed this one thoroughly, and I'm more eager than ever to get my hands on more. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this one.
August 3, 2020
I have been reading Robert B. Parker’s “Spenser” mystery series since the 1980’s when my English professor introduced the first book in the series “The Godwulf Manuscript” to me and invited me to write a paper comparing and contrasting Spenser with some classic character that I can no longer remember.
I never forgot Spenser, who became the PI role model that I compared all fiction detectives and investigators to. I grew to love him over the years and looked forward every spring to a new outing with my private investigator hero. Then Parker introduced the “Jesse Stone” followed by “Sunny Randall”, which was the result of a request from the actress, Helen Hunt, a fan of “Spenser” and friend of Parker’s who was trying to create a serious role which could be built into a franchise, and she wanted him to write it. Parker agreed but struggled with writing a script, and instead produced “Family Honor”, the first Sunny Randall novel. Parker hoped that if he wrote the books, Hollywood could use them as a resource to create scripts. However, that never came to fruition, and with Parker’s passing. Sunny Randall was left on the sidelines while other writers continued the stories of “Spenser” and “Jesse Stone”.
Finally, it was announced in 2019 that the PI adventures of Sunny Randall would continue. The Parker estate put her in the hands of Mike Lupica, a well established and proven sports writer, columnist, and commentator, as well as a longtime personal friend of Parker. Last year Lupica debuted his first outing with resurrecting Sunny in “Blood Feud”. This year, his second outing with Sunny Randall - “Grudge Match” is out and Lupica is certainly hitting his groove.
Our hero, Sunny, is a former cop in her late thirties with definite authority issues, and is someone who's a little less certain of herself. She has a very complicated relationship with her ex-husband Richie Burke, who is Mafia connected. She’s never stopped loving him nor really ever let him go emotionally. When “Grudge Match” starts off, Richie’s ex-wife, Kathryn, has returned from London after five years and brough their six-year old son, Richard, with her. There’s no love lost between Sunny and her, but with Kathryn moving back to Boston it not only put’s a big kink in her relationship with Richie, but makes her face her greatest fears which come in any form of parenting responsibility.
In addition to personal challenges, Sunny finds herself in a dangerous professional partnership when she gets pulled in by Boston bad-boy gangster. Tony Marcus, who she left empty handed with a double-cross at the end of her last book. Even though the two are on shaky ground, Sunny lets Tony talk her into cleaning the slate by looking for a missing person on his behalf. Not just any missing person either. Tony’s girlfriend and trusted business partner, Lisa Morneau, has suddenly disappeared leaving no trace nor reason. Tony says he simply wants to know why, but Sunny knows there must be more that Tony isn’t saying.
Sunny is driven to find Lisa because she is a woman succeeding in a man’s world. But things get dangerous fast. It doesn’t take long before someone is breaking into her apartment and then hours after talking with Lisa’s closest friend and ex-hooker, Callie, Sunny finds out that some unknown assailant(s) have violently interrogated and left her dead. Spike, Richie, and even her police connections are telling her to stop before anything bad happens to her, but Sunny’s guilt over Callie’s murder and her internal stubbornness will not let her give up…
In my opinion, this was a very enjoyable read. Just like Atkins has brought new life to Spenser and Coleman has reenergized Jesse Stone, Lupica’s getting into a groove with reimagining Sunny Randall, her supporting cast, and the beloved historical city of Boston. Bringing Richie’s ex-wife, Kathryn, and son back in the scene causes all kinds of conflict for Sunny, as well as creates plenty of interesting character development. Extending and building on Sunny’s relationship with Tony Marcus and his sidekicks, Junior and Ty Bop, brings a double-edged relationship that brings back a Spenser feel that provides edge, intrigue, and interesting conflict. I also love Sunny’s sessions with the great Dr. Susan Silverman. Their discussions of what drives Sunny and makes her who she is provides worthy moments. And don’t get me started about the surprise appearances from Paradise’s own Officer Molly Crane and Sheriff Jesse Stone. That was absolutely priceless…
Lupica’s two plots work well together, running parallel, then intersecting, while creating tension and conflict on several layers. Conflict between Sunny and Marcus, Sunny and Kathryn, Sunny and other mobsters wanting her to stay out of their business, and even Sunny and Jesse. Lupica uses longtime established Parker characters like police detective Lee Farrell and mobster history from Spenser to bring Boston noir to life in creative and nostalgic ways that are also new and fresh. For me, Lupica is confidently building momentum for future development and growth for our strong-willed (Spenser wannabe) Sunny in this series.
Overall, there are several things to like, especially seeing the life of another Robert B. Parker character given new life. Lupica’s plotting and use of classic Parker characters and Boston locations was a plus. To be fair, taking over another award-wining writer’s series is never easy. It takes time to find the right rhythm of an established character. However, Lupica is hitting a pretty good stride in his second outing, a worthwhile and enjoyable read, and I look forward to Sunny’s next outing.
I never forgot Spenser, who became the PI role model that I compared all fiction detectives and investigators to. I grew to love him over the years and looked forward every spring to a new outing with my private investigator hero. Then Parker introduced the “Jesse Stone” followed by “Sunny Randall”, which was the result of a request from the actress, Helen Hunt, a fan of “Spenser” and friend of Parker’s who was trying to create a serious role which could be built into a franchise, and she wanted him to write it. Parker agreed but struggled with writing a script, and instead produced “Family Honor”, the first Sunny Randall novel. Parker hoped that if he wrote the books, Hollywood could use them as a resource to create scripts. However, that never came to fruition, and with Parker’s passing. Sunny Randall was left on the sidelines while other writers continued the stories of “Spenser” and “Jesse Stone”.
Finally, it was announced in 2019 that the PI adventures of Sunny Randall would continue. The Parker estate put her in the hands of Mike Lupica, a well established and proven sports writer, columnist, and commentator, as well as a longtime personal friend of Parker. Last year Lupica debuted his first outing with resurrecting Sunny in “Blood Feud”. This year, his second outing with Sunny Randall - “Grudge Match” is out and Lupica is certainly hitting his groove.
Our hero, Sunny, is a former cop in her late thirties with definite authority issues, and is someone who's a little less certain of herself. She has a very complicated relationship with her ex-husband Richie Burke, who is Mafia connected. She’s never stopped loving him nor really ever let him go emotionally. When “Grudge Match” starts off, Richie’s ex-wife, Kathryn, has returned from London after five years and brough their six-year old son, Richard, with her. There’s no love lost between Sunny and her, but with Kathryn moving back to Boston it not only put’s a big kink in her relationship with Richie, but makes her face her greatest fears which come in any form of parenting responsibility.
In addition to personal challenges, Sunny finds herself in a dangerous professional partnership when she gets pulled in by Boston bad-boy gangster. Tony Marcus, who she left empty handed with a double-cross at the end of her last book. Even though the two are on shaky ground, Sunny lets Tony talk her into cleaning the slate by looking for a missing person on his behalf. Not just any missing person either. Tony’s girlfriend and trusted business partner, Lisa Morneau, has suddenly disappeared leaving no trace nor reason. Tony says he simply wants to know why, but Sunny knows there must be more that Tony isn’t saying.
Sunny is driven to find Lisa because she is a woman succeeding in a man’s world. But things get dangerous fast. It doesn’t take long before someone is breaking into her apartment and then hours after talking with Lisa’s closest friend and ex-hooker, Callie, Sunny finds out that some unknown assailant(s) have violently interrogated and left her dead. Spike, Richie, and even her police connections are telling her to stop before anything bad happens to her, but Sunny’s guilt over Callie’s murder and her internal stubbornness will not let her give up…
In my opinion, this was a very enjoyable read. Just like Atkins has brought new life to Spenser and Coleman has reenergized Jesse Stone, Lupica’s getting into a groove with reimagining Sunny Randall, her supporting cast, and the beloved historical city of Boston. Bringing Richie’s ex-wife, Kathryn, and son back in the scene causes all kinds of conflict for Sunny, as well as creates plenty of interesting character development. Extending and building on Sunny’s relationship with Tony Marcus and his sidekicks, Junior and Ty Bop, brings a double-edged relationship that brings back a Spenser feel that provides edge, intrigue, and interesting conflict. I also love Sunny’s sessions with the great Dr. Susan Silverman. Their discussions of what drives Sunny and makes her who she is provides worthy moments. And don’t get me started about the surprise appearances from Paradise’s own Officer Molly Crane and Sheriff Jesse Stone. That was absolutely priceless…
Lupica’s two plots work well together, running parallel, then intersecting, while creating tension and conflict on several layers. Conflict between Sunny and Marcus, Sunny and Kathryn, Sunny and other mobsters wanting her to stay out of their business, and even Sunny and Jesse. Lupica uses longtime established Parker characters like police detective Lee Farrell and mobster history from Spenser to bring Boston noir to life in creative and nostalgic ways that are also new and fresh. For me, Lupica is confidently building momentum for future development and growth for our strong-willed (Spenser wannabe) Sunny in this series.
Overall, there are several things to like, especially seeing the life of another Robert B. Parker character given new life. Lupica’s plotting and use of classic Parker characters and Boston locations was a plus. To be fair, taking over another award-wining writer’s series is never easy. It takes time to find the right rhythm of an established character. However, Lupica is hitting a pretty good stride in his second outing, a worthwhile and enjoyable read, and I look forward to Sunny’s next outing.
May 25, 2020
You know Boston private investigator Sunny Randall is the best at what she does when mobster Tony Marcus hires her. Tony says she has balls. Sunny agrees with him. Lisa, Tony's main squeeze and business associate, has packed her bags and disappeared. Tony says he only wants to talk to her. Sunny knows she won't give her up if Lisa doesn't want to go back. But what does Lisa know and has she thrown her lot in with another mobster?
This book reads very much like a Spenser novel even though the authors are different. I like Sunny's therapist being Susan Silverman, Spenser's lady friend. The author even worked Jesse Stone into the storyline. Of all the characters Robert P Parker created - - Spenser, Jesse Stone, Virgil Cole and Sunny Randall - - I would not have said before that Sunny was my favorite, but she sure grew on me a lot in this one.
This book reads very much like a Spenser novel even though the authors are different. I like Sunny's therapist being Susan Silverman, Spenser's lady friend. The author even worked Jesse Stone into the storyline. Of all the characters Robert P Parker created - - Spenser, Jesse Stone, Virgil Cole and Sunny Randall - - I would not have said before that Sunny was my favorite, but she sure grew on me a lot in this one.
April 28, 2020
★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
As I said last year when Lupica debuted his continuation of the Sunny Randall books with Blood Feud , I've had a complicated relationship with Sunny and was ambivalent with the series re-starting. However, I enjoyed Blood Feud (although comments on my post said I came across as lukewarm, I didn't mean to) and really thought that Lupica had a good take on the character.
Thankfully, we don't have a sophomore slump here, I think Lupica's feeling more comfortable in these shoes and delivered something a little more ambitious. Tony Marcus begins this book by describing the best way to hold a grudge—and then goes on to point out all the reasons Sunny has recently given him to hold one against her. If nothing else is clear from this, you do not want Marcus harboring anything for you. He does this just to impress upon Sunny that his offer of employment is something she should strongly consider.
Tony's lover, confidante, right hand, and former employee has left him. Without warning, without notice—and Tony wants her back. He's not that concerned for her safety, he's a little concerned that she defected to some new competition for his turf, but mostly he just wants to know what happened and how he can win her back. Sunny (and this reader) is fairly convinced by Marcus—she doesn't think Marcus wants to hurt her, he just wants her back. Sunny hems and haws, but agrees to take on the case—for her own safety and because she's able to convince herself that she's actually working for Lisa Morneau, not Marcus.
This puts her on a path to explore the world of prostitution in Boston—this isn't the first time Sunny's done something like this, but this time she's working for Marcus, which opens a few more doors. She meets with Lisa's closest friend, someone she helped get out of the life, as well as former colleagues. Sunny also has several run-ins with Marcus's new competitor, who seems like he's wanting to start a war with him.
At some point, the trail leads to Paradise—leading to Sunny meeting up with Jesse Stone. The two banter and flirt a bit, and Jesse offers some help on the Paradise front. It was nice to see them together again (I've often thought the best use of the Sunny character was as Stone's associate).
Now, it's not long before the search for Lisa results in murder—and Lisa herself is frightened, sure that she's next. Which drives Sunny to start to look into why would someone want to threaten her. What does Lisa know that makes her dangerous? And can Sunny use this knowledge to save Lisa and prevent the gang war on the verge of erupting?
While that's going on Richie's (other) ex-wife moves back to Boston with their son, Richard, and now wants Richie to play the role in Richard's life that she'd previously blocked him from. Richie responds as any father worthy of the title would—he's overjoyed and turns his life upside down to accommodate that without a second thought. Sunny recognizes that this is the way he should react, but can't quite get on board with it herself in the same way—for a combination of reasons, some petty, some understandable (maybe some fit under both columns). It's a dicey story for all characters involved and Lupica deals with it well.
Lupica goes out of his way to make sure it's obvious that this takes place in the Parker-verse outside of Paradise. Of course, Sunny sees her therapist, Susan Silverman; Sunny consults Lee Farrell a few times (nice to see him again) and they talk about Frank Belson once or twice (the new captain, too); Vinne Morris pops in briefly; there's a mention of Patricia Utley, and something Tony Marcus says places this at the same time as Angel Eyes . That's nice and pretty fun, but he's almost name-dropping enough to make him seem desperate to prove his legitimacy as a Parker fan. "No, really, I'm qualified to write these books, let me show you how familiar I am with all the series." I think Atkins came close to this in his first two Spenser books, Coleman in his first Jesse Stone, so it's not unique to Lupica. Also, he doesn't get to the point of desperation, but he's close—if he can just dial that back a bit now, he's proved himself.
Feel free to skip this paragraph, I dance right down the border of The Spoiler Zone (and might put a couple of toes into it). My gut reaction to the way things were left with the Richie/Richard storyline is pretty negative. It's hard to get into without spoiling things, but...Richie reacted irrationally to things given his family and who he knows Sunny is, and Sunny took the easy way out with things (Susan Silverman would not approve—if she let herself approve/disapprove of Sunny's actions). Now, this doesn't mean that Lupica fell down in the writing—he's actually writing the characters the way they were created, flaws and all. I'd like to see some growth in the characters and we didn't get that yet—but that could be because he's setting things up for future books. Or, he could be letting these two stagnate where they are (see Parker's treatment of Stone in the later books).
Sunny has a good deal of internal discussion about how she's finding herself in the situations she's facing because of decisions men have reached, and not herself—she's reacting too much to men's choices. She resolves not to be the threatened, but to be the one threatening. I think there's a lot of merit to these lines of thinking—but she seems to go through this (or something pretty close to it) in every book (by Lupica or Parker). At some point, it'd be nice to see her move past this—or add some nuance or wisdom to this consideration.
Lupica keeps things moving throughout—even when Sunny's investigation starts going in circles, the plot keeps going. He writes confidently and with just enough flair to make this fit in the Parker-verse. There's a joke or two that he returns to too often, but it feels in-character for Sunny's narration to do that, so I'm not complaining.
The last line...I'm not going to say anything about it, but I could fill an entire post with what I like about it, what it makes me fear, and how I should've seen it as inevitable. But... I'm not going to say anything about it because I don't play that way. Feel free to talk about it in the comments after the book comes out, though.
So, I have a lot to say about this, it turns out—but it boils down to this: Grudge Match was a fast, easy read—the plot and the prose were as smooth as you could want. Lupica has captured the voice of the Sunny Randall books and has made it his own. While I was bothered by a couple of the character beats toward the end—they didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. If you're a Sunny fan, you'll be entertained. This actually would work as a pretty decent entry point to the series, too—it's pretty accessible (including the ongoing arcs, Lupica makes sure that people who are new to the series or haven't read them since the last Parker in '07 have enough information to tap into them).
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Putnam Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
As I said last year when Lupica debuted his continuation of the Sunny Randall books with Blood Feud , I've had a complicated relationship with Sunny and was ambivalent with the series re-starting. However, I enjoyed Blood Feud (although comments on my post said I came across as lukewarm, I didn't mean to) and really thought that Lupica had a good take on the character.
Thankfully, we don't have a sophomore slump here, I think Lupica's feeling more comfortable in these shoes and delivered something a little more ambitious. Tony Marcus begins this book by describing the best way to hold a grudge—and then goes on to point out all the reasons Sunny has recently given him to hold one against her. If nothing else is clear from this, you do not want Marcus harboring anything for you. He does this just to impress upon Sunny that his offer of employment is something she should strongly consider.
Tony's lover, confidante, right hand, and former employee has left him. Without warning, without notice—and Tony wants her back. He's not that concerned for her safety, he's a little concerned that she defected to some new competition for his turf, but mostly he just wants to know what happened and how he can win her back. Sunny (and this reader) is fairly convinced by Marcus—she doesn't think Marcus wants to hurt her, he just wants her back. Sunny hems and haws, but agrees to take on the case—for her own safety and because she's able to convince herself that she's actually working for Lisa Morneau, not Marcus.
This puts her on a path to explore the world of prostitution in Boston—this isn't the first time Sunny's done something like this, but this time she's working for Marcus, which opens a few more doors. She meets with Lisa's closest friend, someone she helped get out of the life, as well as former colleagues. Sunny also has several run-ins with Marcus's new competitor, who seems like he's wanting to start a war with him.
At some point, the trail leads to Paradise—leading to Sunny meeting up with Jesse Stone. The two banter and flirt a bit, and Jesse offers some help on the Paradise front. It was nice to see them together again (I've often thought the best use of the Sunny character was as Stone's associate).
Now, it's not long before the search for Lisa results in murder—and Lisa herself is frightened, sure that she's next. Which drives Sunny to start to look into why would someone want to threaten her. What does Lisa know that makes her dangerous? And can Sunny use this knowledge to save Lisa and prevent the gang war on the verge of erupting?
While that's going on Richie's (other) ex-wife moves back to Boston with their son, Richard, and now wants Richie to play the role in Richard's life that she'd previously blocked him from. Richie responds as any father worthy of the title would—he's overjoyed and turns his life upside down to accommodate that without a second thought. Sunny recognizes that this is the way he should react, but can't quite get on board with it herself in the same way—for a combination of reasons, some petty, some understandable (maybe some fit under both columns). It's a dicey story for all characters involved and Lupica deals with it well.
Lupica goes out of his way to make sure it's obvious that this takes place in the Parker-verse outside of Paradise. Of course, Sunny sees her therapist, Susan Silverman; Sunny consults Lee Farrell a few times (nice to see him again) and they talk about Frank Belson once or twice (the new captain, too); Vinne Morris pops in briefly; there's a mention of Patricia Utley, and something Tony Marcus says places this at the same time as Angel Eyes . That's nice and pretty fun, but he's almost name-dropping enough to make him seem desperate to prove his legitimacy as a Parker fan. "No, really, I'm qualified to write these books, let me show you how familiar I am with all the series." I think Atkins came close to this in his first two Spenser books, Coleman in his first Jesse Stone, so it's not unique to Lupica. Also, he doesn't get to the point of desperation, but he's close—if he can just dial that back a bit now, he's proved himself.
Feel free to skip this paragraph, I dance right down the border of The Spoiler Zone (and might put a couple of toes into it). My gut reaction to the way things were left with the Richie/Richard storyline is pretty negative. It's hard to get into without spoiling things, but...Richie reacted irrationally to things given his family and who he knows Sunny is, and Sunny took the easy way out with things (Susan Silverman would not approve—if she let herself approve/disapprove of Sunny's actions). Now, this doesn't mean that Lupica fell down in the writing—he's actually writing the characters the way they were created, flaws and all. I'd like to see some growth in the characters and we didn't get that yet—but that could be because he's setting things up for future books. Or, he could be letting these two stagnate where they are (see Parker's treatment of Stone in the later books).
Sunny has a good deal of internal discussion about how she's finding herself in the situations she's facing because of decisions men have reached, and not herself—she's reacting too much to men's choices. She resolves not to be the threatened, but to be the one threatening. I think there's a lot of merit to these lines of thinking—but she seems to go through this (or something pretty close to it) in every book (by Lupica or Parker). At some point, it'd be nice to see her move past this—or add some nuance or wisdom to this consideration.
Lupica keeps things moving throughout—even when Sunny's investigation starts going in circles, the plot keeps going. He writes confidently and with just enough flair to make this fit in the Parker-verse. There's a joke or two that he returns to too often, but it feels in-character for Sunny's narration to do that, so I'm not complaining.
The last line...I'm not going to say anything about it, but I could fill an entire post with what I like about it, what it makes me fear, and how I should've seen it as inevitable. But... I'm not going to say anything about it because I don't play that way. Feel free to talk about it in the comments after the book comes out, though.
So, I have a lot to say about this, it turns out—but it boils down to this: Grudge Match was a fast, easy read—the plot and the prose were as smooth as you could want. Lupica has captured the voice of the Sunny Randall books and has made it his own. While I was bothered by a couple of the character beats toward the end—they didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. If you're a Sunny fan, you'll be entertained. This actually would work as a pretty decent entry point to the series, too—it's pretty accessible (including the ongoing arcs, Lupica makes sure that people who are new to the series or haven't read them since the last Parker in '07 have enough information to tap into them).
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Putnam Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.
May 22, 2020
Lupica carries the torch for deceased master of mystery Robert B. Parker. Like Ace Atkins (who inherited Parker's "Spenser" character), Lupica nicely assimilates Parker's staccato phrasing, crisp dialog and witty repertoire. The plot for "Grudge Match" involves a missing woman who is caught between a pair of Boston underworld figures. Great literature, it ain't. But the book is hard to beat for a lazy day on the deck.
June 18, 2020
I'm really glad this series continues since I am a fan of Robert B. Parker. It's such fun to read about his three characters Spenser, Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone since their stories connects. For instance in this one Jesse appears a bit and Sunny visits with Spensers girlfriend and the bad guys is the same. It is very well written and I stongly recommend it.
July 12, 2020
When I think of Mike Lupica, I'm drawn to his sports background as a snarky, left-leaning sports columnist on ESPN and the Daily News always targeting Conservatives, the Yankees and ND football...In spite of that, I'm glad the Parker Estate has made him the voice of Boston PI Sonny Randall...In this one, Sonny is engaged by mobster Tony Marcus to find his girlfriend and business confidante who has disappeared...Complicating her search are the police, mob rivals and a new, possible step-child, in her life...a great take on Parker's style and a great addition to the Spenser Universe!!!
May 21, 2020
When my favorite author, Robert B. Parker died unexpectedly in January 2010 I was devastated. He was a great mystery/detective writer with several viable series in the genre. After his death the owners of his estate decided, together with Parker's publishers, to continue his series: Jesse Stone, Spenser, and Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch.
The Jesse Stone series has been continued, through 2016 with six novels, one a year, the first three by Parker's longtime friend and collaborator, Michael Brandman, and the last three by Reed Farrel Coleman. The Spenser novels have continued with the one Parker was working on at his death completed by his longtime literary agent Helen Brann, and through 2016 with five others by journalist/writer Ace Atkins. Parker's Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch series has been continued by actor and screenwriter Robert Knott with three novels published through 2016.
The Sunny Randall series received an 8th installment titled Grudge Match. Written by a longtime friend of Parker's, sports journalist, and bestselling author, Mike Lupica. Lupica does justice to the previous work of Robert B. Parker in this splendid continuation of the late author’s Sunny Randall series. . . . he hits the sweet spot by balancing Sunny’s professional hyper-competence with first-person narration that exposes her fears and self-doubts.
From the publisher:
When Sunny's long-time gangster associate Tony Marcus comes to her for help, Sunny is surprised--after all, she double-crossed him on a recent deal, and their relationship is on shakier ground than ever. But the way Tony figures it, Sunny owes him, and Sunny's willing to consider his case if it will clear the slate.
Tony's trusted girlfriend and business partner has vanished, appears to have left in a hurry, and he has no idea why. He just wants to talk to her, he says, but first, he needs Sunny to track her down. While Sunny isn't willing to trust his good intentions, the missing woman intrigues her--against all odds, she's risen to a position of power in Tony's criminal enterprise. Sunny can't help but admire her, and if this woman's in a jam, Sunny would like to help.
But when a witness is murdered hours after speaking to Sunny, it's clear there's more at stake than just Tony's love life. Someone--maybe even Tony himself--doesn't want this woman on the loose...and will go to any lengths to make sure she stays silent.
The Jesse Stone series has been continued, through 2016 with six novels, one a year, the first three by Parker's longtime friend and collaborator, Michael Brandman, and the last three by Reed Farrel Coleman. The Spenser novels have continued with the one Parker was working on at his death completed by his longtime literary agent Helen Brann, and through 2016 with five others by journalist/writer Ace Atkins. Parker's Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch series has been continued by actor and screenwriter Robert Knott with three novels published through 2016.
The Sunny Randall series received an 8th installment titled Grudge Match. Written by a longtime friend of Parker's, sports journalist, and bestselling author, Mike Lupica. Lupica does justice to the previous work of Robert B. Parker in this splendid continuation of the late author’s Sunny Randall series. . . . he hits the sweet spot by balancing Sunny’s professional hyper-competence with first-person narration that exposes her fears and self-doubts.
From the publisher:
When Sunny's long-time gangster associate Tony Marcus comes to her for help, Sunny is surprised--after all, she double-crossed him on a recent deal, and their relationship is on shakier ground than ever. But the way Tony figures it, Sunny owes him, and Sunny's willing to consider his case if it will clear the slate.
Tony's trusted girlfriend and business partner has vanished, appears to have left in a hurry, and he has no idea why. He just wants to talk to her, he says, but first, he needs Sunny to track her down. While Sunny isn't willing to trust his good intentions, the missing woman intrigues her--against all odds, she's risen to a position of power in Tony's criminal enterprise. Sunny can't help but admire her, and if this woman's in a jam, Sunny would like to help.
But when a witness is murdered hours after speaking to Sunny, it's clear there's more at stake than just Tony's love life. Someone--maybe even Tony himself--doesn't want this woman on the loose...and will go to any lengths to make sure she stays silent.
June 21, 2020
Although it took the powers-that-be some time to find a suitable author to continue Robert B. Parker’s Sunny Randall series following his unfortunate passing, they struck gold with Mike Lupica. BLOOD FEUD was a successful first outing for Lupica, and he takes the character to new heights in GRUDGE MATCH.
Sunny previously had enlisted the aid of Boston crime kingpin Tony Marcus in a quid pro quo arrangement that she later reneged upon. So it is somewhat surprising that Tony retains Sunny’s services as a private investigator at the start of GRUDGE MATCH.
Tony is at loose ends. Lisa Morneau, his professional and personal partner, has disappeared. He has reason to suspect that she has jumped the fence and gone over to Gabriel Jabari, an up-and-comer in the Boston-area crime hierarchy who has made no secret of the fact that he wants to overthrow Tony and take his place. Gabriel gleefully denies any knowledge of where Lisa might have gone, but this does little more than antagonize rather than reassure Tony.
Sunny uses her contacts in law enforcement, including a police chief of a certain Boston suburb who is very well-known to fans of Parker’s novels. Some interesting things happen in her personal life as well. Richie Burke, her ex-husband, finds himself with custody of his young son and broaches the idea of Sunny filling in for his ex-wife in a maternal role. She has mixed emotions about this, as she does for the sudden and unsettling attraction she develops for an enigmatic law enforcement officer who steadily has interjected himself into the hunt for Lisa.
Sunny eventually finds Lisa --- it might be more accurate to say that the reverse is true --- but the latter’s appearance is a puzzling one that causes more problems than it resolves. It seems that Lisa’s resurfacing and the aftermath are going to put Boston’s criminal organizations on the brink of war. Some twists, turns and unexpected alliances occur before the novel reaches its conclusion, but they may not be enough to save the city.
This new iteration of the series will appeal not only to its many fans, but also to those who are unfamiliar with Sunny Randall or have been away for a while. The magic that Lupica works on these mysteries will make a believer out of you.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Sunny previously had enlisted the aid of Boston crime kingpin Tony Marcus in a quid pro quo arrangement that she later reneged upon. So it is somewhat surprising that Tony retains Sunny’s services as a private investigator at the start of GRUDGE MATCH.
Tony is at loose ends. Lisa Morneau, his professional and personal partner, has disappeared. He has reason to suspect that she has jumped the fence and gone over to Gabriel Jabari, an up-and-comer in the Boston-area crime hierarchy who has made no secret of the fact that he wants to overthrow Tony and take his place. Gabriel gleefully denies any knowledge of where Lisa might have gone, but this does little more than antagonize rather than reassure Tony.
Sunny uses her contacts in law enforcement, including a police chief of a certain Boston suburb who is very well-known to fans of Parker’s novels. Some interesting things happen in her personal life as well. Richie Burke, her ex-husband, finds himself with custody of his young son and broaches the idea of Sunny filling in for his ex-wife in a maternal role. She has mixed emotions about this, as she does for the sudden and unsettling attraction she develops for an enigmatic law enforcement officer who steadily has interjected himself into the hunt for Lisa.
Sunny eventually finds Lisa --- it might be more accurate to say that the reverse is true --- but the latter’s appearance is a puzzling one that causes more problems than it resolves. It seems that Lisa’s resurfacing and the aftermath are going to put Boston’s criminal organizations on the brink of war. Some twists, turns and unexpected alliances occur before the novel reaches its conclusion, but they may not be enough to save the city.
This new iteration of the series will appeal not only to its many fans, but also to those who are unfamiliar with Sunny Randall or have been away for a while. The magic that Lupica works on these mysteries will make a believer out of you.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
August 13, 2020
I like Sunny Randall, the detective Robert B. Parker created at the request of Helen Hunt (who wanted to play her on the screen).
She was the only Parker character who sat idle as the family franchised off Spenser, Jesse Stone and Cole and Hitch. So I am pleased Mike Lupica has stepped in to write his second installment in Sunny's continuing story.
It is one immersed in Parker's Boston. Gangster Tony Marcus comes to Sunny when his girlfriend goes missing. Sunny takes on the challenge, at times consulting with Stone (who she once dated) and her psychiatrist, Susan Silverman (the woman in Spenser's life).
So there's kind of a wink and a nod to the other Parker properties. But Lupica does a good job of continuing Sunny's story ark and developing it enough that you care where she and her husband Ritchie and all of the other supporting cast members might be headed.
I was a bit puzzled, though, by the number of times Lupica had Sunny complain or ponder about men making the decisions in her life. It always strikes me a bit ironic when a male author tries to take on a female lead character and then has her complain about men determining her fate.
Even so, it's a good entry in the series and shows Lupica is as well-qualified for the new franchise as are all of the other authors who have continued Parker's life's work, which is just another example of how prolific an author he was.
She was the only Parker character who sat idle as the family franchised off Spenser, Jesse Stone and Cole and Hitch. So I am pleased Mike Lupica has stepped in to write his second installment in Sunny's continuing story.
It is one immersed in Parker's Boston. Gangster Tony Marcus comes to Sunny when his girlfriend goes missing. Sunny takes on the challenge, at times consulting with Stone (who she once dated) and her psychiatrist, Susan Silverman (the woman in Spenser's life).
So there's kind of a wink and a nod to the other Parker properties. But Lupica does a good job of continuing Sunny's story ark and developing it enough that you care where she and her husband Ritchie and all of the other supporting cast members might be headed.
I was a bit puzzled, though, by the number of times Lupica had Sunny complain or ponder about men making the decisions in her life. It always strikes me a bit ironic when a male author tries to take on a female lead character and then has her complain about men determining her fate.
Even so, it's a good entry in the series and shows Lupica is as well-qualified for the new franchise as are all of the other authors who have continued Parker's life's work, which is just another example of how prolific an author he was.
October 12, 2025
I've read 1 or 2 Robert B Parker books, but none from the Sunny Randall series, so I'm starting at #8, not even written by RBP who passed the series to Mike Lupica to continue after his death. It seems to me that Lupica has done a pretty good job.
The story itself is good but nothing that special or different. I spotted the twist ages back and the plot is solid but unremarkable. So far, so 3-star. However, there's a few aspects that make it better.
The writing is really good, especially the dialogue - at least so it seems to me, given my almost total ignorance of Boston-American. I was convinced.
But above all, some of the characters really come to life and in particular Sunny the protagonist who is terrific: never short of a smart arse quip, often fantastically annoying and always, she got some balls on her.
And crucially, the relationships convince. The ambiguity helps too, that there are some really bad people, but there are some worse. There's a kind of redemption even, that's slightly convenient and almost verging on saccarine but just avoids that.
I shall read more RBP, he'll be fun to hunt down in second hand bookshops. But I'll also hunt down the Mike Lupica sequels. Imperfect but thoroughly enjoyable.
The story itself is good but nothing that special or different. I spotted the twist ages back and the plot is solid but unremarkable. So far, so 3-star. However, there's a few aspects that make it better.
The writing is really good, especially the dialogue - at least so it seems to me, given my almost total ignorance of Boston-American. I was convinced.
But above all, some of the characters really come to life and in particular Sunny the protagonist who is terrific: never short of a smart arse quip, often fantastically annoying and always, she got some balls on her.
And crucially, the relationships convince. The ambiguity helps too, that there are some really bad people, but there are some worse. There's a kind of redemption even, that's slightly convenient and almost verging on saccarine but just avoids that.
I shall read more RBP, he'll be fun to hunt down in second hand bookshops. But I'll also hunt down the Mike Lupica sequels. Imperfect but thoroughly enjoyable.
March 18, 2020
Some days I really need a great read, today being forced to stay inside because of the Covid-19 pandemic, was one of them! What a stroke of good luck that I had this book to read. As a long time Robert Parker fan I’ve read every Sunny Randall novel, and enjoyed them. Amazingly since Mike Lupica took over writing them, none of the luster has been lost.
In this intricately plotted story, loyal Parker fans get to glimpse lots of our favorite villains and heroes. I must say that seeing Sunny stubbornly solve a case involving one of the worst of the Boston’s bad guys, (who actually hired her) was really a great read.
Another plot point was the appearance of Richie’s son and how she will handle this development. Despite the fact that Richie is the great love of her life, there are endless conflicts.
The bottom line is, if you’re a Robert Parker fan, you will really enjoy this one.
Thank you Netgalley for helping me get through a difficult day with this ARC.
In this intricately plotted story, loyal Parker fans get to glimpse lots of our favorite villains and heroes. I must say that seeing Sunny stubbornly solve a case involving one of the worst of the Boston’s bad guys, (who actually hired her) was really a great read.
Another plot point was the appearance of Richie’s son and how she will handle this development. Despite the fact that Richie is the great love of her life, there are endless conflicts.
The bottom line is, if you’re a Robert Parker fan, you will really enjoy this one.
Thank you Netgalley for helping me get through a difficult day with this ARC.
August 3, 2020
To date I have completed all the books in the Robert Parker collection. My first choice is the Jesse Stone novel series; second is the Spencer group, and third would be the Sunny Randall mysteries. I also enjoyed the westerns. As for this latest book, I think Mike Lupica has done a stellar job of following in the style of Parker. His sense of characcter development via her comments, and the typical Parker humor that Lupica has continued, make for excellent reading. I enjoyed getting back in touch with my "old friends" who seem to appear over and over again when a new novel is issued.
An easy two-day read for me. Recommended.
An easy two-day read for me. Recommended.
October 29, 2020
(3). Sunny Randall was a late entry into the Robert B. Parker lineup. One of those characters that appeared in his other books who finally got their own space. That fact the estate has kept it going is interesting, and I have to say, Lupica has worked it well. This is by far the best one yet. Sunny has all of her gang here, Spike, Ritchie, Dad and a few others, and the story has plenty of twists and turns, the pages turn easily. I was pleased to see this, as Lupica’s recent effort on the Jesse Stone franchise was so weak. Good stuff.
November 11, 2020
Cheers to Robert/Mike! Great entertaining book.
Keep the success going, please we need it.
Thank you.
Keep the success going, please we need it.
Thank you.
January 3, 2021
Grat plot.
November 30, 2024
Lupita's got it! In fact, he felt so easy writing in the shadow of the great Robert B. that I think I saw some of his humor peeking through. I'll definitely finish the series, and am grateful to him for taking up the thread.
November 4, 2022
I had not read any Sunny Randall books before, and Lupica, to some extent, assumed I had. Still, I had no problem following the various characters, even when I did not know their back stories. The mystery in the book is fair and challenging, and the bad guys have enough good in them to make them interesting. The plot was slow to start but engaging throughout.
April 8, 2022
Mike Lupica's version of Sunny Randall is a delight for murder mystery fans who love a strong heroine. She is consistent and cheeky as she negotiates the border between the world of police and the life of a PI. I especially love the cross references to Spencer and Jesse Stone with my beloved Boston in the background.
October 27, 2022
Sunny is hired by Tony Marcus to look for one of his girls, Lisa Morneau. Marcus considers this as payment for betraying him in the last book.
Oh, and Richie’s ex-wife, Kathryn, returns from England with their son, Richard.
Sunny goes to the last place she was seen, a bar owned by Gabriel Jabari. When she gets home, she discovers her house has been searched. She then goes to see an old friend, Callie Hardin. Lisa helped Kelly get out of the business.
Later that day, Callie is beaten and killed. Jabari is waiting at Sunny’s house. He tries to hire her. He says he is going to make a move on Marcus soon and she should be on the right side of history. He denies killing Callie. Sunny refuses the job offer.
Lisa calls Sunny and hangs up. Sunny takes a trip to Paradise, following a lead on Lisa Morneau. The trip comes to nothing. Lisa calls her again and hangs up again.
Sunny decides to follow Jabari and finds he is seeing Tony Marcus’s ex-wife, Natalie Goddard. Sunny later learns they are siblings.
Lisa is murdered and Tony and Jabari both deny killing her.
Richie’s ex-wife decides to leave their son with him. Sunny does not want a family.
One of the cops involved in the official investigation of the murders is on the take.
Oh, and Richie’s ex-wife, Kathryn, returns from England with their son, Richard.
Sunny goes to the last place she was seen, a bar owned by Gabriel Jabari. When she gets home, she discovers her house has been searched. She then goes to see an old friend, Callie Hardin. Lisa helped Kelly get out of the business.
Later that day, Callie is beaten and killed. Jabari is waiting at Sunny’s house. He tries to hire her. He says he is going to make a move on Marcus soon and she should be on the right side of history. He denies killing Callie. Sunny refuses the job offer.
Lisa calls Sunny and hangs up. Sunny takes a trip to Paradise, following a lead on Lisa Morneau. The trip comes to nothing. Lisa calls her again and hangs up again.
Sunny decides to follow Jabari and finds he is seeing Tony Marcus’s ex-wife, Natalie Goddard. Sunny later learns they are siblings.
Lisa is murdered and Tony and Jabari both deny killing her.
Richie’s ex-wife decides to leave their son with him. Sunny does not want a family.
One of the cops involved in the official investigation of the murders is on the take.
June 13, 2020
Robert B Parker passed away in 2010. And a decade later I am still reading about the exploits of the characters he created, like Spenser, Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall. It's a sort of literary immortality, I suppose-though there is nothing particularly deathless about the latest Sunny Randall novel, Grudge Match. I have a love/hate relationship with Sunny, mainly because though I feel she can be fun to read about I also feel she is a derivative character, essentially a Spenser clone. In Grudge Match there were just too many parallels between the two characters to ignore. Spenser cooks, Sunny paints-because you see they both have "culture" that mysterious thing. Both are wiseacres who sprinkle literary references via witty bon mots. Both are possessed of an identical moral code. Both have at least one character to whom the appellation sidekick could be attached-they do some of the heavy lifting and can drop anything they are doing at a moment's notice to go with the man character on whatever the current quest is. Both have a colorful "pet" Boston mobster they have an understanding with, plus an "in" with Boston PD. Yes some of those things are standard private eye novel tropes. But all of them are commonalities of both characters. After a while it gets kid of wearying. As for the novel itself: meh. It's somewhere in the middle of great and miserable, so it gets three stars.
September 24, 2020
Tough broads; wise-cracking crime bosses; Susan Silverman - with lots of oblique references back to Spencer; flirting with Jesse Stone; Bawstan; and a good facsimile of Parker's style - but the story just never really took flight.
Perhaps the reason is just a tad too many self-referential call backs to old books, old cases, old characters.
All-in-all it added up to an "ok" but not enough to have me waiting for the next Sunny Randall book.
Perhaps the reason is just a tad too many self-referential call backs to old books, old cases, old characters.
All-in-all it added up to an "ok" but not enough to have me waiting for the next Sunny Randall book.
October 23, 2020
I agree with Tony who told Sunny she wasn't as smart as she thought she was. Someone breaks into her house but takes nothing, destroys nothing, and as a former police officer and current PI it never occurs to her someone might have planted a bug? And the villain is so stupid he leaves her dog locked in a closet so she can't miss the fact someone's been in her house? The conclusion is that he agrees with Tony--she's just not smart. A really annoying book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2021
Sunny should take a long extended vacation thus ending her series. The author tried and failed to bring Robert's characters to life only to bore a reader. Read every single work and this was by far the worst.
July 9, 2020
Robert B.Parker always had bad guys in his books, buy also lots of charm and humor.
This book has none of that.
This book has none of that.
January 3, 2021
Definitely not written by Robert Parker.
March 4, 2021
I was not sure about Lupica continuing the series - the previous novel, the first in the continued series, managed to keep the feel of the series but had the subtlety of an elephant in a glass store. This one is a lot better - even if there are some clunky moments (why does Lupica persist with falling into narrative to show a conversation by essentially printing all they say instead of letting it be a conversation is beyond me) but the barbed political commentary is gone (regardless of your side in it, it did not belong and felt like cheap shots - and dated the book badly and quickly).
At the end of the last book, Sunny and Richie were back to being an item again (funny what a shotgun wound will do to a relationship), Tony Marcus lost the guns he thought were his (and blamed Sunny for it) and one of the Burke brothers was dead.
This novel opens a few months later and nothing much had changed. But as expected it soon does, Tony hires Sunny to find his missing lover and Richie's ex-wife comes back in Boston with his son (now 6 years old). Of course with Tony being the main crook in charge of prostitution and the lover, Lisa, being his right hand, nothing is what it looks like. And a challenger coming out of nowhere does not help much. Neither do a pair of eager cops with their own motives.
There is some background in the book so it MAY be read as a standalone but... Lupica pulls in the whole set of characters across the extended universe - even April Kyle is mentioned, Spencer does not make an appearance but is mentioned and Jesse even assists a bit so if you are just coming in or if you had just read the Sunny books or none at all, it will almost sound like a checklist of names that mean nothing. But inside of the universe, it pulls in threads from books across the decades in the same way Parker used to - and it works. I liked the ending and it fits where the other 2 series had gone since Parker's death so even if it may be morally grey (or worse), it matches the characters - noone is just good or bad in Parker (and friends)' Boston.
The book is weak on characterization - but it does not need to do anything more for long term readers - we know all these people and the ones we do not know get defined by their actions. Lupica still struggles a bit with Sunny's depiction (in places she sounds almost dumb... and not in the places she means to) but it is a lot better depiction of the one in the last book. And with Lupica taking over the Jesse series as well, we probably will see even more connections between the series.
There is a lot of things that this novel could have done better. But I still loved to get back to the universe and it is vastly improved compared to the previous one. And the fact that all the in-universe details did not contradict previous books made me a happy reader.
At the end of the last book, Sunny and Richie were back to being an item again (funny what a shotgun wound will do to a relationship), Tony Marcus lost the guns he thought were his (and blamed Sunny for it) and one of the Burke brothers was dead.
This novel opens a few months later and nothing much had changed. But as expected it soon does, Tony hires Sunny to find his missing lover and Richie's ex-wife comes back in Boston with his son (now 6 years old). Of course with Tony being the main crook in charge of prostitution and the lover, Lisa, being his right hand, nothing is what it looks like. And a challenger coming out of nowhere does not help much. Neither do a pair of eager cops with their own motives.
There is some background in the book so it MAY be read as a standalone but... Lupica pulls in the whole set of characters across the extended universe - even April Kyle is mentioned, Spencer does not make an appearance but is mentioned and Jesse even assists a bit so if you are just coming in or if you had just read the Sunny books or none at all, it will almost sound like a checklist of names that mean nothing. But inside of the universe, it pulls in threads from books across the decades in the same way Parker used to - and it works. I liked the ending and it fits where the other 2 series had gone since Parker's death so even if it may be morally grey (or worse), it matches the characters - noone is just good or bad in Parker (and friends)' Boston.
The book is weak on characterization - but it does not need to do anything more for long term readers - we know all these people and the ones we do not know get defined by their actions. Lupica still struggles a bit with Sunny's depiction (in places she sounds almost dumb... and not in the places she means to) but it is a lot better depiction of the one in the last book. And with Lupica taking over the Jesse series as well, we probably will see even more connections between the series.
There is a lot of things that this novel could have done better. But I still loved to get back to the universe and it is vastly improved compared to the previous one. And the fact that all the in-universe details did not contradict previous books made me a happy reader.
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