Taming a Sea-Horse

Reading the second entry in the sad April Kyle saga within the Spenser canon directly after reading the first, Ceremony, is almost a shock to the system. Because Ceremony came before Valediction, and Taming a Sea-Horse directly after Catskill Eagle, the change in the series is magnified. There is a......more

After a brief detour into cliche and self-indulgence (A Catskill Eagle), Parker returns with a Spenser that, although it does not break new ground, harvests a fine crop in old familiar fields. It is a typical Spenser tale, in which our hero--together with all the things he does well--does the one th......more

Actual rating is 3.5 stars. This is part of a series. In this one we check in with a character from the previous novel Ceremony. Even with this connection this can be read as a stand alone. In this one, April Kyle has left her escort agency for another one and Spenser checks in on her to see if she i......more

The books where Spenser has to deal with prostitution are always depressing because Parker accurately portrayed it as a nasty and degrading business. But then Spenser usually beats up some pimps so it’s not all bad. Four years earlier, Spenser went looking for April Kyle in Ceremony and rescued her f......more

Our favorite wise ass, flippant P.I. Is back and this time he’s searching for a missing hooker. Someone he has helped previously and feels he has a special connection with. While it is an interesting journey it is mostly depressing considering the situation.......more