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The Spenser Collection: Volume I
10 audio cd's in good working order. box has some wear.
Audio CD
First published May 30, 2006
71 people want to read
About the author
Robert B. Parker
490 books2,300 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 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 8, 2022
You can't go wrong with ANY Spenser novels.
#27 Hugger Mugger
After a few pro-bono cases, Spenser takes a sort-of odd one on in order to pay some bills… someone’s shooting horses.
He ends up traveling to the South again (among other places) and as usual, something very strange is afoot. A couple of cooperative locals and a 25 year-old psychopath make for a fun read.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Audio:
Finally: Joe Mantenga … he’s not exactly the best Spenser but … out of the narrators this series has seen, he is by far.
#28 Potshot:
Detective Samuelson who you might remember from past Spenser novels (originally: Candy Sloan’s book) referred a newly widowed client to Spenser … so we’re going back toward the west
After the usual—he irritates the wrong bad guys and proves himself in a fight—some of the locals proposition him … this makes things very interesting. (They want him to take out the local crime gang, which he agrees to take on, in addition to his other case, which is solving a murder.) Spenser of course brings in Hawk, and Vinnie (with Gino Fish’s blessing), Teddy Sap (who we met in Hugger Mugger), Bernard (from Las Vegas), Chollo from L.A., Bobby Horse from L.A., (as well as cooperation from / with Del Rio).
They all rent a house together and it makes for a really entertaining read at times. Potshot may be one of my faves in this series just for this reason.
Henry’s gym seems to continue to get even trendier, if that’s possible.
Pearl is said to be aging, and described to have some physical issues and a gray muzzle.
Overall an extremely fun read, more so than others, because all the collaboration going on makes for even more wit than usual.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Audio:
Joe Mantenga … he’s not exactly the best Spenser but … out of the narrators this series has seen, he is by far.
Spenser Reading Order:
1. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
2. God Save the Child (1974)
3. Mortal Stakes (1975)
4. Promised Land (1976)
5. The Judas Goat (1978)
6. Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980)
7. Early Autumn (1980)
8. A Savage Place (1981)
9. Ceremony (1982)
10. The Widening Gyre (1983)
11. Valediction (1984)
12. A Catskill Eagle (1985)
13. Taming a Seahorse (1986)
14. Pale Kings and Princes (1987)
15. Crimson Joy (1988)
16. Playmates (1989)
17. Stardust (1990)
18. Pastime (1991)
19. Double Deuce (1991)
20. Paper Doll (1993)
21. Walking Shadow (1994)
22. Thin Air (1995)
23. Chance (1996)
24. Small Vices (1997)
25. Sudden Mischief (1998)
26. Hush Money (1999)
27. Hugger Mugger (2000)
28. Potshot (2001)
29. Widow's Walk (2002)
30. Back Story (2003)
31. Bad Business (2004)
32. Cold Service (2005)
33. School Days (2005)
34. Dream Girl (2006)
35. Now and Then (2007)
36. Rough Weather (2008)
36.5 Chasing the Bear (2009)
37. The Professional (2009)
38. Painted Ladies (2010)
39. Sixkill (2011)
39.5 Silent Night (2013)
Spenser: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
continued in the series by Ace Atkins
#27 Hugger Mugger
After a few pro-bono cases, Spenser takes a sort-of odd one on in order to pay some bills… someone’s shooting horses.
He ends up traveling to the South again (among other places) and as usual, something very strange is afoot. A couple of cooperative locals and a 25 year-old psychopath make for a fun read.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Audio:
Finally: Joe Mantenga … he’s not exactly the best Spenser but … out of the narrators this series has seen, he is by far.
#28 Potshot:
Detective Samuelson who you might remember from past Spenser novels (originally: Candy Sloan’s book) referred a newly widowed client to Spenser … so we’re going back toward the west
After the usual—he irritates the wrong bad guys and proves himself in a fight—some of the locals proposition him … this makes things very interesting. (They want him to take out the local crime gang, which he agrees to take on, in addition to his other case, which is solving a murder.) Spenser of course brings in Hawk, and Vinnie (with Gino Fish’s blessing), Teddy Sap (who we met in Hugger Mugger), Bernard (from Las Vegas), Chollo from L.A., Bobby Horse from L.A., (as well as cooperation from / with Del Rio).
They all rent a house together and it makes for a really entertaining read at times. Potshot may be one of my faves in this series just for this reason.
Henry’s gym seems to continue to get even trendier, if that’s possible.
Pearl is said to be aging, and described to have some physical issues and a gray muzzle.
Overall an extremely fun read, more so than others, because all the collaboration going on makes for even more wit than usual.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Audio:
Joe Mantenga … he’s not exactly the best Spenser but … out of the narrators this series has seen, he is by far.
Spenser Reading Order:
1. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
2. God Save the Child (1974)
3. Mortal Stakes (1975)
4. Promised Land (1976)
5. The Judas Goat (1978)
6. Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980)
7. Early Autumn (1980)
8. A Savage Place (1981)
9. Ceremony (1982)
10. The Widening Gyre (1983)
11. Valediction (1984)
12. A Catskill Eagle (1985)
13. Taming a Seahorse (1986)
14. Pale Kings and Princes (1987)
15. Crimson Joy (1988)
16. Playmates (1989)
17. Stardust (1990)
18. Pastime (1991)
19. Double Deuce (1991)
20. Paper Doll (1993)
21. Walking Shadow (1994)
22. Thin Air (1995)
23. Chance (1996)
24. Small Vices (1997)
25. Sudden Mischief (1998)
26. Hush Money (1999)
27. Hugger Mugger (2000)
28. Potshot (2001)
29. Widow's Walk (2002)
30. Back Story (2003)
31. Bad Business (2004)
32. Cold Service (2005)
33. School Days (2005)
34. Dream Girl (2006)
35. Now and Then (2007)
36. Rough Weather (2008)
36.5 Chasing the Bear (2009)
37. The Professional (2009)
38. Painted Ladies (2010)
39. Sixkill (2011)
39.5 Silent Night (2013)
Spenser: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
continued in the series by Ace Atkins
March 21, 2014
Fun story, uneven narration - Joe Mantegna, who played Spencer in the recent A&E movies, does a passable job in narrating this tale. His Spencer is erudite and dry, really done quite well.
He does less well, though, with the other roles. Hawk's accept is different every time he speaks. Susan and the other women sound -- well, anything but sexy. And I'm sure that, even with the "unabridged" label, there would have been some way to elide out the over-repetitive "he said"/"I said" bits of dialog -- what works well on the printed page is horribly distracting when read aloud.
All that said, so to speak, it's a decent enough Spencer tale -- a "Magnificent Seven" with Spencer in the lead (and Hawk as Yul Brynner). A light and frothy audio book quite suitable for commute time.
He does less well, though, with the other roles. Hawk's accept is different every time he speaks. Susan and the other women sound -- well, anything but sexy. And I'm sure that, even with the "unabridged" label, there would have been some way to elide out the over-repetitive "he said"/"I said" bits of dialog -- what works well on the printed page is horribly distracting when read aloud.
All that said, so to speak, it's a decent enough Spencer tale -- a "Magnificent Seven" with Spencer in the lead (and Hawk as Yul Brynner). A light and frothy audio book quite suitable for commute time.
July 11, 2011
I didn't read this specific Spenser novel but I read about 20 of them over the 70s and 80s and 90s or thereabouts.... Great character and of course I loved his side kick who was so brilliantly portrayed. I even enjoyed the 'Spenser for Hire' TV series. They did a pretty good job of it... The books were always a good read, quick, catchy, smart and well-written..... I recommend them to anyone who loves a good p.i. yarn with well-developed characters and a lively pace.
May 22, 2013
Good book, great series, loved the way Robert Parker told his stories and loved the Spenser character along with all his exploits.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews