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Sunny Randall #6
Spare Change
Called back from retirement when a serial killer from a long-unsolved case reemerges, detective Phil Randall teams up with daughter and Boston private eye Sunny Randall throughout a series of murder investigations in which the victims resemble Sunny.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
574 people are currently reading
1005 people want to read
About the author
Robert B. Parker
492 books2,311 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 360 reviews
September 7, 2011
Robert Parker created a fantastic character in Sunny Randall, a female Boston PI. SPARE CHANGE continues her adventures. For some, this book will be old-hat; there are only so many plots that mystery writers have and Parker seems to be recycling some of the motifs in this one. But others, like me, will find this story quite entertaining.
The plot is simple: someone is killing people by shooting them in the back of the head, and then leaves three coins at the crime scene as a calling card. For the first half of the story, Parker ratchets up the suspense, creating a great atmosphere. But then the proverbial wheels fall off. But Gavin, you gave this one four stars. Why? Well, I'm glad you asked.
Mostly my rating reflects Parker's writing style. His short, pithy sentences and conversations move his novels at a brisk pace. (And as a father of three year old twins I can appreciate a story that gets moving.) For the most part, his stories never seem to lag, including this one. But, Parker has a tendency to focus on the minutiae. Sunny is an already established character; six previous novels have given the reader a chance to care about her and her family. Parker thought it best to rehash aspects of Sunny's life which caused the story to become mundane, filler. (I, for one, don't really care about how much Sunny and her sister, Elizabeth, challenge each other for the affection and attention of their father.) Plus, Sunny's mother, Emily, has giant portions of the novel dedicated to her drinking problem that everyone notices but never does or says anything about….this type of writing is grating.
But Parker does know how to get many characters interacting with each other without making a story require a crib sheet detailing a who’s-who. Basically, this is a fast-paced, cotton-candy for the brain type of read.
(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for those who are looking for an afternoon read…with or without children interrupting every five minutes.)
SIDE NOTE: Best line: "Literature is, after all, simply the voice of the culture." So true. So true.
The plot is simple: someone is killing people by shooting them in the back of the head, and then leaves three coins at the crime scene as a calling card. For the first half of the story, Parker ratchets up the suspense, creating a great atmosphere. But then the proverbial wheels fall off. But Gavin, you gave this one four stars. Why? Well, I'm glad you asked.
Mostly my rating reflects Parker's writing style. His short, pithy sentences and conversations move his novels at a brisk pace. (And as a father of three year old twins I can appreciate a story that gets moving.) For the most part, his stories never seem to lag, including this one. But, Parker has a tendency to focus on the minutiae. Sunny is an already established character; six previous novels have given the reader a chance to care about her and her family. Parker thought it best to rehash aspects of Sunny's life which caused the story to become mundane, filler. (I, for one, don't really care about how much Sunny and her sister, Elizabeth, challenge each other for the affection and attention of their father.) Plus, Sunny's mother, Emily, has giant portions of the novel dedicated to her drinking problem that everyone notices but never does or says anything about….this type of writing is grating.
But Parker does know how to get many characters interacting with each other without making a story require a crib sheet detailing a who’s-who. Basically, this is a fast-paced, cotton-candy for the brain type of read.
(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for those who are looking for an afternoon read…with or without children interrupting every five minutes.)
SIDE NOTE: Best line: "Literature is, after all, simply the voice of the culture." So true. So true.
November 20, 2014
Loved it, of course! I did realize with each page I turned that it would be the last... this is the end of Sunny books and I'm quite sad. Spare Change killer has returned and is sending notes to Sunny's father. He has asked Sunny for help to catch this elusive killer from his days at being a detective. Sunny is thrilled to be working on the new crime task force with Phil.
"And I want you to help me," my father said. "Because?" "You were a cop. You're smart. You're tough. You're pretty." My father grinned at me. "You, too, are a paradigm of law-enforcement perfection, and you're my kid." I looked at him across the flat, deadly photographs. He was thick, squat man with big hands that always made me think of a stonemason. "Because I'm pretty?" I said. "You get that from me," he said. Will you help? "Daddy," I said, "I'm flattered to be asked."
So goes the cat and mouse chase which really leads to one person who was on the scene the whole time... waiting to become part of the investigation. He thinks he is smarter than the task force. Sunny knows they have the killer, the killer knows they know but clues and facts are needed to arrest the man. Richie is back and I want Sunny and him as a couple. They seem perfect for each other and when you arrive at the end of the title, you realize why Sunny can't be married and settle down like most people. A tragic flaw she will have to overcome someday...maybe... Rosie is Rosie, Spike is Spike and thankfully Uncle Felix is not needed in this score. A single event creates the second killing rampage, love gone on unrequited. It could have easily been a stalker story but it was much more than that.
"He sat looking into the camera for a long moment, as if he wasn't sure what to say next. Then he smiled. 'I'll miss you, Sunny,' he said. 'I really will.' He stood abruptly and walked out of the shot. The camera stared for a moment at the empty chair and then the screen went blank."
Awwww Robert this is how I feel now that you are gone and that beautiful brain went to Heaven. I need more Sunny.....
"And I want you to help me," my father said. "Because?" "You were a cop. You're smart. You're tough. You're pretty." My father grinned at me. "You, too, are a paradigm of law-enforcement perfection, and you're my kid." I looked at him across the flat, deadly photographs. He was thick, squat man with big hands that always made me think of a stonemason. "Because I'm pretty?" I said. "You get that from me," he said. Will you help? "Daddy," I said, "I'm flattered to be asked."
So goes the cat and mouse chase which really leads to one person who was on the scene the whole time... waiting to become part of the investigation. He thinks he is smarter than the task force. Sunny knows they have the killer, the killer knows they know but clues and facts are needed to arrest the man. Richie is back and I want Sunny and him as a couple. They seem perfect for each other and when you arrive at the end of the title, you realize why Sunny can't be married and settle down like most people. A tragic flaw she will have to overcome someday...maybe... Rosie is Rosie, Spike is Spike and thankfully Uncle Felix is not needed in this score. A single event creates the second killing rampage, love gone on unrequited. It could have easily been a stalker story but it was much more than that.
"He sat looking into the camera for a long moment, as if he wasn't sure what to say next. Then he smiled. 'I'll miss you, Sunny,' he said. 'I really will.' He stood abruptly and walked out of the shot. The camera stared for a moment at the empty chair and then the screen went blank."
Awwww Robert this is how I feel now that you are gone and that beautiful brain went to Heaven. I need more Sunny.....
June 8, 2021
After a break of three decades, PI Sunny Randall and her ex-cop dad investigate the return of a serial killer. His calling card? The leaving of a few coins besides his victims.
Though the crux of the plot takes some accepting, this is an enjoyable read in which the characters pull you in, and along for the ride. And what’s more, for me, at 191 pages long it doesn’t suffer from the wordage diarrhoea that afflicts so many current lardy-arsed books that masquerade under the genre title of ‘THRILLER.’ This knows when to stop, and doesn’t feel the need to bloat out with extraneous information. We have the crimes, we have clearly defined recognisable characters, and we’re expertly guided by a master of their relationships to one another.
Another good solid read from the very much missed Robert B. Parker.
Though the crux of the plot takes some accepting, this is an enjoyable read in which the characters pull you in, and along for the ride. And what’s more, for me, at 191 pages long it doesn’t suffer from the wordage diarrhoea that afflicts so many current lardy-arsed books that masquerade under the genre title of ‘THRILLER.’ This knows when to stop, and doesn’t feel the need to bloat out with extraneous information. We have the crimes, we have clearly defined recognisable characters, and we’re expertly guided by a master of their relationships to one another.
Another good solid read from the very much missed Robert B. Parker.
October 5, 2012
Sonny Randall is no longer a cop. I think she’s a private investigator but that’s not really clear. What is clear is that she has some kind of creepy crush on her dad, she has a weird sibling rivalry thing going on with her mother and she’s trying to talk her ex-husband into dating her again – because that seemed to work out well last time.
The Spare Change killer is back, after haunting Chicago three decades earlier by shooting random people and leaving a handful of spare change tossed across his victims. Sonny’s father led the investigation that never went anywhere. Now he’s being called back in to consult and he’s asked Sonny to come with him.
Sonny uses her female intuition to immediately discern who the killer is with absolute certainty. She then goes on dates with him but only to the bar where her enormous friend named Spike works.
That’s pretty much the whole story. There are little anecdotes with Sonny gloating about how much more time she gets to spend with her father than her mother does, being embarrassed by her family when they do pretty much anything, having awkward conversations with her recently remarried ex-husband and beating up her best friend’s dead-beat boyfriend.
Then there’s a chapter where some things happen and they all go home.
Perhaps the most striking thing about this book is how lonely it feels. Even when Sonny is in the midst of people she supposedly loves she cynically analyzes every action they make. Her thoughts about others seem to drip with contempt for their petty little lives. It makes the book feel lonely, and depressed, like Sonny lives inside of a bubble where she is the only real person and everyone else is just an NPC in the world’s most mundane role playing game.
I think the biggest disappointment of the book was the mystery. It was only talked about on occasion and usually it was to reiterate the fact that Sonny knew the killer already and was just waiting for the rest of the world to figure it out. The rest of the book is just little scenes of Sonny, being the only character in a crowd of non-players.
I can’t really recommend this book. It was short, it was depressing – and not even in a good way.
The Spare Change killer is back, after haunting Chicago three decades earlier by shooting random people and leaving a handful of spare change tossed across his victims. Sonny’s father led the investigation that never went anywhere. Now he’s being called back in to consult and he’s asked Sonny to come with him.
Sonny uses her female intuition to immediately discern who the killer is with absolute certainty. She then goes on dates with him but only to the bar where her enormous friend named Spike works.
That’s pretty much the whole story. There are little anecdotes with Sonny gloating about how much more time she gets to spend with her father than her mother does, being embarrassed by her family when they do pretty much anything, having awkward conversations with her recently remarried ex-husband and beating up her best friend’s dead-beat boyfriend.
Then there’s a chapter where some things happen and they all go home.
Perhaps the most striking thing about this book is how lonely it feels. Even when Sonny is in the midst of people she supposedly loves she cynically analyzes every action they make. Her thoughts about others seem to drip with contempt for their petty little lives. It makes the book feel lonely, and depressed, like Sonny lives inside of a bubble where she is the only real person and everyone else is just an NPC in the world’s most mundane role playing game.
I think the biggest disappointment of the book was the mystery. It was only talked about on occasion and usually it was to reiterate the fact that Sonny knew the killer already and was just waiting for the rest of the world to figure it out. The rest of the book is just little scenes of Sonny, being the only character in a crowd of non-players.
I can’t really recommend this book. It was short, it was depressing – and not even in a good way.
March 9, 2020
A great ending to Parker’s Sunny Randall series. It’s unfortunate that he never got to write another one. It was cool to see Sunny work with her dad. Maybe Parker knew this would be the last Randall book. Sunny was just start to figure things out about herself. So now the Stone and Randall series have been read, only a few Spenser’s left. Kind of a bummer. I’m not sure what I think of books written by other authors when the original dies, just to keep the franchise going. I wonder if Parker wanted that or if someone just wanted the cash flow to continue?
July 13, 2013
We have been enjoying knocking off the six-book Sunny Randall series, featuring Parker’s feisty Boston PI – and surely regret that the author’s passing makes “Spare Change” the final entry. We suspect Parker fancied himself an amateur psychologist since (of the three novel’s we’ve read of her so far) there are continued discussions of Sunny’s therapy sessions in which she further explores the conundrum of her failed marriage to Ritchie despite their ongoing love affair. Moreover, some scenes with her family deepen our understanding of those relationship issues, although apparently much of that may have been repeated information laid out in previous books.
The plot may not have been the most original, but it was definitely suspenseful and engaging. Twenty years ago a series of killings, each marked with three coins by the body, were never solved by Sunny’s father Phil when he was a high-ranking police officer. Suddenly, the “Spare Change” killer seems active again as a few more bodies surface, even after the police form a well-publicized task force, including a now retired Phil as a consultant, to vigorously pursue a solution. To her delight, Phil asks Sunny to help out as well, so it becomes a father-daughter thing that involves the family way more than usual. When one killing leads to sweeping up every person in the vicinity, from which thirty or so are interviewed, a man named Bob Johnson takes way too much interest in the investigation and seems particularly suspicious. Sunny interviews him privately and notices unwarranted sexual tension in the room, and decides on the spot that he’s the killer. The rest of the story deepens their investigation into him as we readers wonder if the group is on the right track or not.
So overall, we were quite pleased with the mystery, almost reminiscent of Sandford’s “Prey” series, with all kinds of entertaining asides with Sunny and family to spice up the story. We highly recommend!
The plot may not have been the most original, but it was definitely suspenseful and engaging. Twenty years ago a series of killings, each marked with three coins by the body, were never solved by Sunny’s father Phil when he was a high-ranking police officer. Suddenly, the “Spare Change” killer seems active again as a few more bodies surface, even after the police form a well-publicized task force, including a now retired Phil as a consultant, to vigorously pursue a solution. To her delight, Phil asks Sunny to help out as well, so it becomes a father-daughter thing that involves the family way more than usual. When one killing leads to sweeping up every person in the vicinity, from which thirty or so are interviewed, a man named Bob Johnson takes way too much interest in the investigation and seems particularly suspicious. Sunny interviews him privately and notices unwarranted sexual tension in the room, and decides on the spot that he’s the killer. The rest of the story deepens their investigation into him as we readers wonder if the group is on the right track or not.
So overall, we were quite pleased with the mystery, almost reminiscent of Sandford’s “Prey” series, with all kinds of entertaining asides with Sunny and family to spice up the story. We highly recommend!
October 15, 2014
My first, and last, Sunny Randall so I guess it's just as well that I accidentally picked up the last book in the series. Sunny and her two times a week therapy sessions with Susan Silverman yet completely oblivious to her flaming Electra complex. The only point to her BFF, Julie, seems to be to have someone more self-obsessed and icky than Sunny herself. Oh, and there's a serial killer who Sunny susses out the minute he hits on her.
November 5, 2019
Sunny "I'm Not Spenser In A Dress" Randall culminates her Electral complex by actually working with her father on an unsolved set of serial killer murders which seem to now have been passed on to another generation. Highlights for those of you playing along at home/Spoilers:
1)Lots of sequences to show how weak and pathetic Sunny's mother and sister are compared to Sunny, and for Sunny to wonder why Dad Doesn't Love Her Best. Truth is, Dad is a self sufficient Spenser type who adores being the rescuer and not having to show his own feelings.
2)Julie, Sunny's "best friend," who may have originally been intended to be the Not Susan Shrink for Sunny to relate to, continues her pathetic downward spiral. We last see her--or really hear her--screaming and cussing at Sunny, who is clearly dismissing her as bestie and makes a snide remark about Julie's thighs looking chunkier than hers.
3)Parker perhaps was writing these so rapidly he got confused about his characters' details. Not only did Richie marry a different girl than the first girl after Sunny, wasn't that wife expecting a baby? No mention of that here, and here we go again with the "I love you, I just can't live with you," bit that is based on Parker's own life,which he gifted to Spenser and probably to Jesse Stone as well. Richie, by the way, is a cipher. He's just there to be in Sunny's life, and their relationship is dull as dishwater.
4)More Susan/Joan Parker worship. She is probably the only female character that Sunny isn't snide about:
"Dr. Silverman smiled and nodded. I always felt sort of pale and insubstantial when I was with her. She was such a presence. Her black hair was so thick. Her eyes were so big. Her intelligence was so palpable." Can I puke now?
So here is my summary of Robert Parker: the only woman he thought worthwhile was his wife. Otherwise, throughout his books there are only a few female characters who really are dimensional and believable, not either helpless, sniveling bundles of weakness, harridans, or hookers There's Rachel Wallace,the brilliant feminist author/unabashed lesbian, whom I guess Parker/Spenser can treat as a man. There's Patricia Uttley, who runs a high class call girl service (but there's the hooker factor), and there's Molly, the cop who works with Jesse Stone, who manages to have a life outside of work and seems pretty balanced. And that's about it.
Marriages never work. There's either infidelity or murder, or people are seen stuck in pathetic, unhappy lives that they stubbornly cling to. Children are seldom seen, and if so are either in crisis to be rescued, or are whining brats. Family life isn't ever just a happy thing.
Sad to say, but Parker really, really didn't like women.His books started off hearkening back to Raymond Chandler, and for everything he added to Spenser, I don't think he ever got far from that original mold.
1)Lots of sequences to show how weak and pathetic Sunny's mother and sister are compared to Sunny, and for Sunny to wonder why Dad Doesn't Love Her Best. Truth is, Dad is a self sufficient Spenser type who adores being the rescuer and not having to show his own feelings.
2)Julie, Sunny's "best friend," who may have originally been intended to be the Not Susan Shrink for Sunny to relate to, continues her pathetic downward spiral. We last see her--or really hear her--screaming and cussing at Sunny, who is clearly dismissing her as bestie and makes a snide remark about Julie's thighs looking chunkier than hers.
3)Parker perhaps was writing these so rapidly he got confused about his characters' details. Not only did Richie marry a different girl than the first girl after Sunny, wasn't that wife expecting a baby? No mention of that here, and here we go again with the "I love you, I just can't live with you," bit that is based on Parker's own life,which he gifted to Spenser and probably to Jesse Stone as well. Richie, by the way, is a cipher. He's just there to be in Sunny's life, and their relationship is dull as dishwater.
4)More Susan/Joan Parker worship. She is probably the only female character that Sunny isn't snide about:
"Dr. Silverman smiled and nodded. I always felt sort of pale and insubstantial when I was with her. She was such a presence. Her black hair was so thick. Her eyes were so big. Her intelligence was so palpable." Can I puke now?
So here is my summary of Robert Parker: the only woman he thought worthwhile was his wife. Otherwise, throughout his books there are only a few female characters who really are dimensional and believable, not either helpless, sniveling bundles of weakness, harridans, or hookers There's Rachel Wallace,the brilliant feminist author/unabashed lesbian, whom I guess Parker/Spenser can treat as a man. There's Patricia Uttley, who runs a high class call girl service (but there's the hooker factor), and there's Molly, the cop who works with Jesse Stone, who manages to have a life outside of work and seems pretty balanced. And that's about it.
Marriages never work. There's either infidelity or murder, or people are seen stuck in pathetic, unhappy lives that they stubbornly cling to. Children are seldom seen, and if so are either in crisis to be rescued, or are whining brats. Family life isn't ever just a happy thing.
Sad to say, but Parker really, really didn't like women.His books started off hearkening back to Raymond Chandler, and for everything he added to Spenser, I don't think he ever got far from that original mold.
December 21, 2020
I’m crazy for my dad
There are so many kinds of crazy. Love, adolescence, sex, parenting, fear, obsession, marriage and alcohol and ownership.. This story explores the range. Good almost unimaginable plot. More time on the couch with Susan Silverman, and work with Quirk and Belson. Only regret is that Jesse Stone is back in Paradise. I wish Parker had started these 15 years earlier.
There are so many kinds of crazy. Love, adolescence, sex, parenting, fear, obsession, marriage and alcohol and ownership.. This story explores the range. Good almost unimaginable plot. More time on the couch with Susan Silverman, and work with Quirk and Belson. Only regret is that Jesse Stone is back in Paradise. I wish Parker had started these 15 years earlier.
October 27, 2018
Talk about disappointing. I expected so much more than this from a world-renowned bestselling author. My number one reason for the 1-star was the annoying use of the dialogue tags "he said" "she said," and "I said," and their variation for virtually EVERY piece of dialogue in the book. Many other reviewers mentioned this as well, and to me, it is a deal breaker. Where the heck was the editor on this book? Did Parker figure he'd try something "daring" with this technique and go for some sort of unimaginable "enhancement" of the story? I found myself for long stretches listening only to detect if Parker let a chunk of dialogue go by WITHOUT slapping a "he said" on it.
Another detraction was the lack of action in this mystery. Most scenes consisted of long conversations between characters with very little progress made in each scene. Surprisingly, Parker managed to maintain a modicum of tension and suspense despite these sluggish scenes.
The plot was mildly interesting although revealing the Spare Change killer was mildly anticlimactic since the MC, Sunny Randall, suspected him all along. Other than that, I found little to enjoy in this book. That's disappointing because I know from reading several books in Parker's "Spencer" series that Parker was a seriously talented mystery writer.
Another detraction was the lack of action in this mystery. Most scenes consisted of long conversations between characters with very little progress made in each scene. Surprisingly, Parker managed to maintain a modicum of tension and suspense despite these sluggish scenes.
The plot was mildly interesting although revealing the Spare Change killer was mildly anticlimactic since the MC, Sunny Randall, suspected him all along. Other than that, I found little to enjoy in this book. That's disappointing because I know from reading several books in Parker's "Spencer" series that Parker was a seriously talented mystery writer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2016
I'm not sure if my dislike was because I mostly listened to this book, but the constant "I said", "he said", "my father said". etc. became extremely annoying. I almost didn't want to finish it because of that and also the story wasn't all that interesting.
Sunny was a boring character. I didn't understand why so many people liked her. The rest of the characters seemed very flat and didn't have much to offer.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
2.5 stars
Sunny was a boring character. I didn't understand why so many people liked her. The rest of the characters seemed very flat and didn't have much to offer.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
2.5 stars
August 23, 2016
Rated 3.5
It was a good mystery but I think I need to start from the begining of the series.
It was a good mystery but I think I need to start from the begining of the series.
September 26, 2019
This book is weird in so many ways. The chase isn't normal, the end isn't normal, and what's with Sunny's best friend?. I'm not fond of all the psycho babble either.
May 31, 2017
When I started this I didn't realize it was the last in the Sunny Randall series. I might have put it off and read the two in between that I hadn't yet got to, but even so, each stands alone, and can be enjoyed independently. In this novel Sunny's father comes out of retirement, a former police officer who had once worked a serial murder case by a killer dubbed The Spare Change Killer, as he leaves 3 coins with each body. The case was never solved some 17 years prior. It appears he's either back at it, as bodies start to fall, or he's got a copy cat murderer. Sunny's dad, Phillip Randall asks his daughter to consult with him on this case, which she readily accepts. The killer is daring and dangerous (obviously), figuring him out is a challenge. He's attracted to Sunny as he follows the case on news media. When Sunny becomes bait, the novel ratchets up the tension. I found this case really interesting, and it kept me engaged.
For me, the big draw to the series is the personal relationships, not just the cases. Sunny has been referred to by many readers as a female Spenser, and in some basic ways, her wit, humor, and love of her dog, makes it seem so. Yet, she is her own person, a strong, likable character who gets the job done, she just can't seem to handle her own personal love life, otherwise she is well put together. We get to know more about Sunny's family, and her relationship with each one. Her mother, who can't seem to face a day without her bourbon, her sister who is dysfunctional and needy, and her hero, her Dad. The women in his life have always competed for his attention, and he loves them all the same, showing respect for their choices with subtle guidance, and supporting them in each endeavor. I enjoyed getting to know him.
Sunny still loves her ex-husband, Ritchie, and he admittedly still loves her, but in this installment he is married to someone else. Sunny is trying to figure out her needs and what to do about them, with the help of a shrink, Dr. Silverman (Spenser's lady-love). The reader is left with a positive feeling about where the road will take Sunny and Ritchie, appropriately since this is the last installment in the series. I've enjoyed it. If you'd like to read the series here is a list of how they go in order, from first to last.
1) Family Honor
2) Perish Twice
3) Shrink Rap
4) Melancholy Baby
5) Blue Screen
6) Spare Change
For me, the big draw to the series is the personal relationships, not just the cases. Sunny has been referred to by many readers as a female Spenser, and in some basic ways, her wit, humor, and love of her dog, makes it seem so. Yet, she is her own person, a strong, likable character who gets the job done, she just can't seem to handle her own personal love life, otherwise she is well put together. We get to know more about Sunny's family, and her relationship with each one. Her mother, who can't seem to face a day without her bourbon, her sister who is dysfunctional and needy, and her hero, her Dad. The women in his life have always competed for his attention, and he loves them all the same, showing respect for their choices with subtle guidance, and supporting them in each endeavor. I enjoyed getting to know him.
Sunny still loves her ex-husband, Ritchie, and he admittedly still loves her, but in this installment he is married to someone else. Sunny is trying to figure out her needs and what to do about them, with the help of a shrink, Dr. Silverman (Spenser's lady-love). The reader is left with a positive feeling about where the road will take Sunny and Ritchie, appropriately since this is the last installment in the series. I've enjoyed it. If you'd like to read the series here is a list of how they go in order, from first to last.
1) Family Honor
2) Perish Twice
3) Shrink Rap
4) Melancholy Baby
5) Blue Screen
6) Spare Change
June 13, 2019
This was my first book by Robert B. Parker and I enjoyed it for the most part. I made my father read it with me because it was definitely as if my father and I were Phil and Sunny Randall. They bantered like we do, sass like we do, and discuss life as we do. It felt sometimes as if Robert Parker was spying on us. I enjoyed the story and most of the characters. The mystery was good, but Sunny did spend a lot of time "knowing it all" (I'm not that bad. My dad might disagree though). My main complaint was all the "I said" then "Dad said" then "I said" then "Dad said" in the book. It made the writing very choppy. A thesaurus might have helped with that a little. But the plot and main characters sold me on the series. Dad and I will definitely read another one.
January 23, 2020
Good story and I enjoyed listening to the audiobook, but Kate Burton's accent often sounds more like Maine than Boston.
I discovered this audio CD edition at my local library and jumped right in, assuming that the story would be engaging and that I would not miss much, having jumped into the series randomly.
In fact, it's the sixth book in Mr. Parker's Sunny Randall series, and even though I was not familiar with Sunny's family, I knew many of the other characters from his Spenser series (and the many episodes of the Spenser for Hire tv show I watched when I was a teen).
Overall, it was a good piece of brain candy and a fairly typical example of Mr. Parker's style of writing. I will likely look for more of the books in this series at our local library, especially when I'm in the mood for some brain candy.
I discovered this audio CD edition at my local library and jumped right in, assuming that the story would be engaging and that I would not miss much, having jumped into the series randomly.
In fact, it's the sixth book in Mr. Parker's Sunny Randall series, and even though I was not familiar with Sunny's family, I knew many of the other characters from his Spenser series (and the many episodes of the Spenser for Hire tv show I watched when I was a teen).
Overall, it was a good piece of brain candy and a fairly typical example of Mr. Parker's style of writing. I will likely look for more of the books in this series at our local library, especially when I'm in the mood for some brain candy.
July 14, 2018
Do you wonder where writers get their ideas. Robert B. Parker had such amazing ideas, plots for his books. This is the last one I have for Sunny Randall. She works great with her former cop father, Phillip. Her mother is a wimp but her father seems to like that, Em. Elizabeth is like her mother. lolol
July 10, 2018
I love Robert Parker. His use of economy, his flawed characters. This isn't one of the best books, but it's Parker, so that means something.
September 3, 2018
I am sad that this is the last Sunny Randall book. I've read the last two and probably won't go back to read he first four. Maybe the plot is pretty far-fetched but it was entertaining!
August 10, 2007
SPARE CHANGE (PI/Polc. Proc- Sunny Randall-Boston-Cont) - VG
Parker, Robert B. – 6th in series
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN:
First Sentence: I sat with my father at the kitchen table and looked at the old crime-scene photographs.
*** PI Sunny Randall joins forces the police and FBI in trying to catch a killer. Twenty years ago, her father, Phil Randall, was head of the police task force trying to catch “The Small Change Killer.” The killings stopped and no one was ever caught. Now the pattern is being repeated. Sunny thinks she’s identified the killer but they need proof and a connection to the killings in the past.
*** I am a Parker fan. Even though I get tired of his protagonists angst over relationships, there is also a point to it. He creates interesting characters, including his villains. His dialogue is sharp with an element of humor. He knows how to give the reader a sense of location and place. The plot is tight and balances life with suspense. When I pick up a Parker book, I never have to wonder whether I’m going to enjoy it; it’s a guaranteed good read.
Parker, Robert B. – 6th in series
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN:
First Sentence: I sat with my father at the kitchen table and looked at the old crime-scene photographs.
*** PI Sunny Randall joins forces the police and FBI in trying to catch a killer. Twenty years ago, her father, Phil Randall, was head of the police task force trying to catch “The Small Change Killer.” The killings stopped and no one was ever caught. Now the pattern is being repeated. Sunny thinks she’s identified the killer but they need proof and a connection to the killings in the past.
*** I am a Parker fan. Even though I get tired of his protagonists angst over relationships, there is also a point to it. He creates interesting characters, including his villains. His dialogue is sharp with an element of humor. He knows how to give the reader a sense of location and place. The plot is tight and balances life with suspense. When I pick up a Parker book, I never have to wonder whether I’m going to enjoy it; it’s a guaranteed good read.
November 16, 2016
She just keeps getting better!
As we know, Sunny's dad was a policeman, Phil Randall and his most challenging case was the "Spare Change Killer". One of his biggest regrets was that he was not successful in catching this serial predator. Well, all is not lost, it's 30 year later and surprise, he's back.
Though Phil is retired, he's convinced to come back for this one. He brings with him his daughter Sunny and together they work to bring the serial killer to justice. After interviewing the witnesses to the latest murder, Sunny is sure she's identified the killer and since there is no evidence, she sets a trap they all feel sure will trap him, at least they hope so. As the murders escalate, they all bear a striking resemblance to Sunny, eerily so. Her father is concerned as is the police department that Sunny is putting herself in too much danger. But what's a girl to do?
As we know, Sunny's dad was a policeman, Phil Randall and his most challenging case was the "Spare Change Killer". One of his biggest regrets was that he was not successful in catching this serial predator. Well, all is not lost, it's 30 year later and surprise, he's back.
Though Phil is retired, he's convinced to come back for this one. He brings with him his daughter Sunny and together they work to bring the serial killer to justice. After interviewing the witnesses to the latest murder, Sunny is sure she's identified the killer and since there is no evidence, she sets a trap they all feel sure will trap him, at least they hope so. As the murders escalate, they all bear a striking resemblance to Sunny, eerily so. Her father is concerned as is the police department that Sunny is putting herself in too much danger. But what's a girl to do?
April 22, 2012
Sunny Randall joins forces with her father Phil in order to crack an old case which resurfaces again. A serial killer dubbed "The Spare Change" killer seems to have resurrected himself after 30 year. The crime was not solved 30 years ago, and Sunny's father was the cop on the case at the time. This brings Sunny together with her father to try and find if he is back, or if it is a copycat killer, and end it for good. The MO is the same, blunt force to the back of the head and change left near the body. Sunny finds the killer on her own, lacking solid evidence. Few believe her, but eventually she is able to snare him into a trap, setting herself up to become the next victim, the murderer is eventually killed in a shootout.
Somewhat predictable, but a good read
Somewhat predictable, but a good read
November 7, 2015
The last of the Sunny Randall series. I liked the series in general. This one disappointed me a bit.
Parker, in spite of his English PhD, never seemed to master the simple punctuation of a question mark. He frequently has characters ask questions without using it. He may have rushed the books or had a lazy editor...or something.
Don't you find that odd. Can you see my point.
He never bothered to learn much about guns, and in this novel has cops looking for brass ejected from a...revolver?
That said, I love all three series and all their characters. They jump to life. By years end I will have read them all, I think.
Parker, in spite of his English PhD, never seemed to master the simple punctuation of a question mark. He frequently has characters ask questions without using it. He may have rushed the books or had a lazy editor...or something.
Don't you find that odd. Can you see my point.
He never bothered to learn much about guns, and in this novel has cops looking for brass ejected from a...revolver?
That said, I love all three series and all their characters. They jump to life. By years end I will have read them all, I think.
March 15, 2017
This is my first Sunny Randall series read. Mr. Parker was a terrific author and amazing wordsmith but writing a female protagonist didn't come off well for him . . . at least to me. I liked the story but Sunny came off as kind of weird and flat as a person, and certainly odd as far as her relationship with her family in general and father specifically are concerned. I just could not relate to or bond with her character.
I would have rated it a 3 star but Mr. Parker's lack of firearm knowledge continues to disturb me. Having his men and even divers search for ejected shell casings from a revolver is more than I can overlook.
I would have rated it a 3 star but Mr. Parker's lack of firearm knowledge continues to disturb me. Having his men and even divers search for ejected shell casings from a revolver is more than I can overlook.
June 26, 2019
A few reasons for the 1 star-
Every piece of dialogue ended with “I said” or “he said”. Even if a character asked a question it would be ‘“What is the weather today?” he said.’ Got very annoying very quickly. Seemed written on an elementary school level.
The plot was lackluster. Very little info is given about the crimes, it’s mostly detailed information about the kinds of clothes they all wear. Or the alcohol they like. It also all seemed very anticlimactic since everyone knew who the killer was from the beginning.
To me, the characters were flat and unlikable. And the relationship between Sunny and her father was....uncomfortable.
Every piece of dialogue ended with “I said” or “he said”. Even if a character asked a question it would be ‘“What is the weather today?” he said.’ Got very annoying very quickly. Seemed written on an elementary school level.
The plot was lackluster. Very little info is given about the crimes, it’s mostly detailed information about the kinds of clothes they all wear. Or the alcohol they like. It also all seemed very anticlimactic since everyone knew who the killer was from the beginning.
To me, the characters were flat and unlikable. And the relationship between Sunny and her father was....uncomfortable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2016
Wow. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who would like Mr. Parker's style of writing, however I am most certainly not one of them. To me, it seemed as though the book was meant to be a play. There was hardly any back story to any of the characters, the print was so big I felt as though I should have been reading to my daughter, and the plot wasn't worth the read. I can safely say that I will never again attempt to read a book by this author. Sorry!
September 22, 2008
an easy read
December 15, 2014
Pretty good, weirdly for a whodunit we knew whodunit pretty early on.
September 26, 2016
This was more like it. Back to the Sunny I know.
June 10, 2019
A very badly written novel that did not feel like a good mysterz.
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