This is the first book in the Spenser series. Spenser is an old-fashioned gum-shoe detective; a private investigator who doesn't suffer fools lightly, one with a tough outer shell but the heart of a Renaissance man with a firm hold on his own code of ethics. The plot moves along like an out of control steam-engine, and the mystery is solid and entertaining. Chock full of larger than life characters and snappy dialogue, I couldn't put the book down. This novel was published in 1973, and with only one or two minor exceptions, it holds up extremely well. I really enjoyed it, and I fully intend on picking up the next in the series in the near future.