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Sunny Randall #13
Robert B. Parker's Booked
Boston PI Sunny Randall investigates a popular book critic on a mean streak . . . only for her to wind up dead, in the latest thriller in Robert B. Parker’s bestselling series.
World famous author Melanie Joan Hall asks for Sunny's help in tracking down Book Babe, the screen-name of an enormously popular book reviewer, who has trolled her with a deeply insulting one-star review. This usually wouldn’t matter except that Book Babe has thousands of followers, and her unwarranted blast has Melanie's publisher threatening to pull all her books.
But Sunny's investigation reveals that the reviewer and Melanie have a rich history—in fact, she may even have good reason to hate the torn-up author. And when Book Babe suddenly turns up dead, casting Melanie as a possible suspect, Sunny finds herself in a complicated web, which, if she can't untangle fast enough, might just put a target on her back.
World famous author Melanie Joan Hall asks for Sunny's help in tracking down Book Babe, the screen-name of an enormously popular book reviewer, who has trolled her with a deeply insulting one-star review. This usually wouldn’t matter except that Book Babe has thousands of followers, and her unwarranted blast has Melanie's publisher threatening to pull all her books.
But Sunny's investigation reveals that the reviewer and Melanie have a rich history—in fact, she may even have good reason to hate the torn-up author. And when Book Babe suddenly turns up dead, casting Melanie as a possible suspect, Sunny finds herself in a complicated web, which, if she can't untangle fast enough, might just put a target on her back.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2026
About the author
Alison Gaylin
41 books1,803 followersUSA Today and international bestselling author Alison Gaylin has won the Edgar and Shamus awards, and has been nominated for many more, including the L.A. Times Book Prize, the ITW Thriller, the Strand Book Award, the Anthony and the Macavity. She is currently at work on her 15th novel.
Series:
* Samantha Leiffer Mystery
* Simone Glass Mystery
Series:
* Samantha Leiffer Mystery
* Simone Glass Mystery
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 30, 2026
This is a fast paced Sunny story written well by Alison Gaylin. Spike is in the story a great deal and some other Parker characters make cameos.
It’s a a good mystery.
If you liked Robert Parker’s Sunny Randall books, you’ll enjoy this one, too.
It’s a a good mystery.
If you liked Robert Parker’s Sunny Randall books, you’ll enjoy this one, too.
May 14, 2026
Robert B Parker’s Booked by Alison Gaylin is a terrific example of taking another writer’s character and making it your own. Sunny (Sonya) is a private investigator in Boston who is engaged-to-be-engaged to her ex-husband who is miles away on the Jersey Shore, running a restaurant, which he loves. Sunny has a life she loves and she is not sure what to do: she hates the Jersey Shore. Her assistant is an ex-influencer turned health addict named Blake, who has just called to let her know that some crazy lady is on her way to Sunny, who is at Spike’s restaurant. It turns out that they both know this crazy lady: Melanie Joan Hall, a famous romance writer as well as a woman who has been Sunny’s client in the past. She is hysterical about a drunken post she had made the night before, berating a book reviewer about a one-star review they had posted regarding her upcoming memoir. OK, it was bad, but it set off an entertaining investigation that lead to discovering who made the post as well as a host of other, interesting things.
Melanie Joan followed up her outrageous comment with with other bad behavior despite Sunny and company’s best efforts to keep her in a hotel room and out of trouble. She may be a woman of a certain age, but she is creative. Her publisher was the first to get involved: he dumped her. That made her go a little more nuts. This was an extremely entertaining recounting of a bizarre investigation. Full of interesting characters and twists and turns no one saw coming. What a great character Sunny is but she is nearly overshadowed by Blake and certainly by Melanie Joan. Good read.
I was invited to read Robert B Parker’s Booked by Putnam. All thoughts and opinions are mine,. #Netgalley #Putnam #AlisonGaylin #RobertBParkersBooked
Melanie Joan followed up her outrageous comment with with other bad behavior despite Sunny and company’s best efforts to keep her in a hotel room and out of trouble. She may be a woman of a certain age, but she is creative. Her publisher was the first to get involved: he dumped her. That made her go a little more nuts. This was an extremely entertaining recounting of a bizarre investigation. Full of interesting characters and twists and turns no one saw coming. What a great character Sunny is but she is nearly overshadowed by Blake and certainly by Melanie Joan. Good read.
I was invited to read Robert B Parker’s Booked by Putnam. All thoughts and opinions are mine,. #Netgalley #Putnam #AlisonGaylin #RobertBParkersBooked
May 21, 2026
I’m generally not a fan of ghostwritten novels - when you die, you die. It was good enough for Steinbeck and Hemingway, right? I don’t read any Ludlum or Clancy “new” books, but I had largely given up on them before they died. Similarly, I stopped reading Robert Parker several years before he died - I just felt he’d gotten stale and formalistic. I cautiously tried the Ace Atkins Spenser books, which I feel are much better than Parker’s efforts in his last years. And now Alison Gaylin, a talented author, has revived the Sunny Randall series, bringing one of my favorite Parker characters back in a fresh way, gone are the endless whining over lost loves and self analysis, this Sunny is bold, stubborn and fearless, and a loyal friend, even to Melanie Joan, who is a bit of a witch. As an author, I loved Gaylin’s handling of book publishers and agents, and her disdain for the social media-driven world we live in. This book was a clever attack on AI generated novels and the bots that have taken over online commentary. The ending was very clever, with multiple twists that surprised. I’m tempted to read some of Gaylin’s pre-Sunny novels.
Did Not Finish
May 30, 2026Robert B. Parker's Booked - Alison Gaylin
Pub Date - 4/12/26 | GP Putnam's Sons
Rating - DNF
Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and GP Putnam's Sons for this gifted advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
When bestselling author Melanie Joan Hall hires Boston PI Sunny Randall to uncover the identity of a powerful online book critic whose scathing review threatens her career, Sunny discovers the two women share a complicated past. But when the reviewer turns up dead, Melanie becomes a prime suspect and the case takes a deadly turn. As Sunny digs deeper, she finds herself caught in a tangled web of secrets, grudges, and murder.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I got through almost 50% of the book and all it contained was an awful client making her life even worse instead of better while she tries to find the mysterious "book babe". I was not invested in this story at all and didn't care what happened. Since there wasn't much movement, I chose to DNF.
#bookreview #arc #mysteryandthrillers
Pub Date - 4/12/26 | GP Putnam's Sons
Rating - DNF
Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and GP Putnam's Sons for this gifted advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
When bestselling author Melanie Joan Hall hires Boston PI Sunny Randall to uncover the identity of a powerful online book critic whose scathing review threatens her career, Sunny discovers the two women share a complicated past. But when the reviewer turns up dead, Melanie becomes a prime suspect and the case takes a deadly turn. As Sunny digs deeper, she finds herself caught in a tangled web of secrets, grudges, and murder.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I got through almost 50% of the book and all it contained was an awful client making her life even worse instead of better while she tries to find the mysterious "book babe". I was not invested in this story at all and didn't care what happened. Since there wasn't much movement, I chose to DNF.
#bookreview #arc #mysteryandthrillers
May 31, 2026
I am definitely late to the Robert B. Parker game, but when I saw that Alison Gaylin had written this one about an author whose life goes out of control I had to pick it up. The book is short, the chapters even shorter, but this book packed a punch. Great characters who I can’t wait to get to know in other books. Laughs and disasters with suspense makes me eager to pick up earlier books and delve into Sunny’s world as a PI in Boston. Thanks Mom I finally read one.
May 24, 2026
Allison Gaylin has taken over the responsibility from Mike Lupica for writing the adventures of Sunny Randall, a private investigator living in Boston and one of Robert B. Parker’s characters from his classic “Spenser” universe.
Sunny is a former cop in her late thirties with definite authority issues, and at times 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 and is currently engaged to be engaged to him again. However, Richie is currently the general manager of “Candy’s Room” restaurant and bar on the Jersey Shore, so Sunny is retaining her somewhat independent lifestyle taking care of Rosie, her English bull terrier, which aligns with her PI cases in the historical city of Boston that she loves.
I found Gaylin’s series debut in 2023 - “Bad Influence” – provided more of a struggle than enjoyment as the writer tried her best to fit into Sunny Randall’s character, world, and mystery plotlines. Gaylin returned in 2024 with her second Sunny Randall novel – “Buzz Kill” – and demonstrated some plotting improvements, but there was still some more work needed to fully connect with Sunny’s established world. Now, in 2026 we get Gaylin’s third Sunny Randall novel – “Booked” – which includes continued improvements in storylines as well as capturing the essence of Sunny’s unique world. This one was easily her best one so far.
When “Booked” begins, Sunny is receiving a request for help. The kind of investigative assistance that Sunny does best. A famous bestselling writer, Melanie Joan Hall wants her to track down the Book Babe, which the screen name of a widely popular book reviewer with a large following. It seems that the Book Babe has been trolling Melanie’s work with an onslaught of continuous terrible reviews through social medial. The negative impact is hitting Melanie hard, even to the point that her publishers are considering dumping her.
This is a job for Sunny, and she takes it on full steam ahead, only to discover that there is more to the story than Melanie is letting on. The deeper Sunny digs, the more she discovers about Melanie’s history, and finds that not everyone’s views are the same about what really happened. Sunny finds herself needing help from the other side of the law to find the identity of Book Babe.
But before she can finish confirming who the book reviewer is, another popular romance writer steps up to defend Book Babe publicly. Lacking self-restraint, Melanie’s response is to go on a morning show and slam her back in a verbal tirade that makes her look even more desperate and disrespectful than before. Things only get worse when Book Babe is found dead, shot in the head from behind, and Melanie just became the number one murder suspect. Her only hope is Sunny, racing against time to unravel what happened and find a killer that may strike again…
Just as she did in her previous Sunny Randall novel, Gaylin continues to get a better grasp and understanding of Sunny’s persona and style, her world, her family, friends, and supporting characters that come in and out of the books, like Rita Fiore and Susan Silverman. She is hitting on the essence of who Sunny is an expanding on her relationships with family and interactions with others during her investigations. This one was a solid step forward.
Like her last book in this series, this one was a better and more cohesive read. The overall mystery storyline wasn’t fragmented and all over the place trying to fill in page count. It was layered with clues, surprises, and the dots connected together in a nice climax that was improved over the prior freshman outing. In fairness, stepping into his Robert B. Parker’s world and unique writing style is not an easy exercise for any writer to attempt to pull off. It’s got to be downright demanding and near impossible to pull off. Because of the improvements in this book, let’s just say that my previous concerns have been abated enough to appreciate her contributions to the Sunny Randall series.
Let me share what I feel were some examples of those improvements. Gaylin really got into Sunny Randall’s head. She showed (not told) what makes Sunny unique, her strengths and weaknesses, and even more importantly, her relationships. For example, Gaylin did a good job of exploring Sunny and Richie’s complex relationship and their struggles. By having Sunny try to be honest with Richie when she doesn’t like something rather than just stew and get angry, was a nice way to help Sunny attempt to change and grow. This step is needed to keep Sunny fresh in her development and growth, and I appreciated seeing it.
Gaylin also strengthened her use of other primary and secondary characters that she inherited, including Sunny’s sidekick, Spike; her retired father, her mouthy uptight mother, and her cougar sister Elizabeth. They all felt real and authentic without any painful road bumps. Spike serves Sunny well as her own version of Hawk (thank you, Spenser), and her father provides that supportive mentoring that we all appreciate.
In my mind, Gaylin’s found her rhythm in adopting Robert B. Parker’s style of short rhythmic chapters, plot movement, and strong conversations that her mentor previously established for his literary world. This may appear to be an easy approach to learn and mimic, but it is most certainly not. For the most part, she’s melding her style into Parker’s.
As for the things that I didn’t like, there were fewer of them than last time.
First, the beginning of the book was slow, introducing the mystery elements and setting up the characters that Sunny was working for. Like the last one. It took somewhere around fifty to seventy pages for the conflict/tension to start heating up. In addition, there was not a real sense of real danger or intrigue for Sunny most of the way through the novel. She was more focused on the investigation aspects, but other than one scene near the end and the climax, I never felt any fear of her being in danger. I would like to see more moments of danger or life-threatening situations to elevate suspense and drama for her. Maybe it's me, but it just feels like Gaylin is playing it a bit safe rather than putting Sunny in some more riskier circumstances. That’s just my two cents…
The other thing is something that is not Gaylin’s fault but is probably more concerning. I love Robert B. Parker’s Spenser and Jesse Stone series. Both of them are foundational mystery series with some of the most classical characters in the genre. For me, Spenser is on the Mount Rushmore of all-time mystery characters as well as him and Hawk as mystery partners. I feel fortunate that the writers (Ace Atkins and Mike Lupica) following Parker’s passing of the torch have handled the series with both respect for the past along with instilling new creativity in moving these characters forward into new adventures.
I felt the same way about the Jesse Stone series. The authors following Parker (especially Reed Farrel Coleman, Mike Lupica, and now Christopher Farnsworth) have done a brilliant job of expanding Stone’s Paradise community, relationships, and constant personal battle with alcoholism. For me, Coleman created some of the highest moments of emotion possible with Jessie’s storyline arc over the last three books he wrote, and Farnsworth has found a way to breathe new life, professional and personal conflicts into Jessie’s life that makes this series one of my current favorites to read.
Why do I share those thoughts? Because as much as I’ve enjoyed Sunny Randall, I have also struggled at times with what I feel are her limitations. She’s modeled after Spenser and Stone – independent, stubborn, works better on her own (not team oriented), and has that certain sarcastic attitude and wit. The only difference is that she is a female. Nothing wrong with that at all. I read a lot of mystery series with a female lead, so I want to be clear that this is not the issue that I am going to raise.
The real issue that I struggle with is that she feels very boxed in at times to me and not stretched as much as she could be. For example, nothing dangerous really seems to happen to her. She’s not threatened to the level that makes me feel conflict, danger, and risk. Also, let’s be honest. Her personal relationships are limited. As much as she wants to date around with others like Tony Gault and Jesse Stone, her heart is always going to be with her ex-husband, Richie. Like Spenser’s unique relationship with Susan, Sunny can’t live (commit to a formal marriage) with Richie, but she can’t live without him.
I recognize that I may be seeing things through a shaded dark glass, the Sunny Randall universe has not been developed with the same depth of storylines and characters as the other two Parke series. I completely understand that Gaylin is only three books into her journey of exploration with Sunny and is just really getting started on expanding Sunny’s scope and world. To be honest, this is not her fault, and she needs more time to build her own vision for this series, and I am on board with her on this.
I think the issue is bigger than the writer. Maybe it is just too much of the same thing – two private investigators and one sheriff all doing the same type of work kind of like the Law and Order, CSI, and NCIS spinoff franchises. My honest and heartfelt fear is that it’s because Sunny is the less popular and less exciting child in the family. Her world feels more closed and restricted than her two older fictional brothers. I personally felt that even Robert B. Parker struggled with writing Sunny at times, and that is why she wasn’t fully explored as much as Spenser and Stone (that and he only wrote six books with her, which is less than the other two series). That is my concern.
The best answer to fixing that is for Gaylin to take the training wheels off and create higher level tension and conflict, along with building strong relationships that we are excited to read about. I fear it’s a big task, but I wish Gaylin the best in getting it done and will do my part by staying on as a reader and supporting her effort. That is my commitment.
Overall, Gaylin’s improvements in the plotting (this one was the best of her three entries in the series in my opinion) and her strengthened ability to capture the relationships made the difference. My grade is a B-minus or 3.5 out of 5 stars and I can honestly say that I will be interested in reading her next Sunny Randall novel. Let’s build some momentum…
Sunny is a former cop in her late thirties with definite authority issues, and at times 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 and is currently engaged to be engaged to him again. However, Richie is currently the general manager of “Candy’s Room” restaurant and bar on the Jersey Shore, so Sunny is retaining her somewhat independent lifestyle taking care of Rosie, her English bull terrier, which aligns with her PI cases in the historical city of Boston that she loves.
I found Gaylin’s series debut in 2023 - “Bad Influence” – provided more of a struggle than enjoyment as the writer tried her best to fit into Sunny Randall’s character, world, and mystery plotlines. Gaylin returned in 2024 with her second Sunny Randall novel – “Buzz Kill” – and demonstrated some plotting improvements, but there was still some more work needed to fully connect with Sunny’s established world. Now, in 2026 we get Gaylin’s third Sunny Randall novel – “Booked” – which includes continued improvements in storylines as well as capturing the essence of Sunny’s unique world. This one was easily her best one so far.
When “Booked” begins, Sunny is receiving a request for help. The kind of investigative assistance that Sunny does best. A famous bestselling writer, Melanie Joan Hall wants her to track down the Book Babe, which the screen name of a widely popular book reviewer with a large following. It seems that the Book Babe has been trolling Melanie’s work with an onslaught of continuous terrible reviews through social medial. The negative impact is hitting Melanie hard, even to the point that her publishers are considering dumping her.
This is a job for Sunny, and she takes it on full steam ahead, only to discover that there is more to the story than Melanie is letting on. The deeper Sunny digs, the more she discovers about Melanie’s history, and finds that not everyone’s views are the same about what really happened. Sunny finds herself needing help from the other side of the law to find the identity of Book Babe.
But before she can finish confirming who the book reviewer is, another popular romance writer steps up to defend Book Babe publicly. Lacking self-restraint, Melanie’s response is to go on a morning show and slam her back in a verbal tirade that makes her look even more desperate and disrespectful than before. Things only get worse when Book Babe is found dead, shot in the head from behind, and Melanie just became the number one murder suspect. Her only hope is Sunny, racing against time to unravel what happened and find a killer that may strike again…
Just as she did in her previous Sunny Randall novel, Gaylin continues to get a better grasp and understanding of Sunny’s persona and style, her world, her family, friends, and supporting characters that come in and out of the books, like Rita Fiore and Susan Silverman. She is hitting on the essence of who Sunny is an expanding on her relationships with family and interactions with others during her investigations. This one was a solid step forward.
Like her last book in this series, this one was a better and more cohesive read. The overall mystery storyline wasn’t fragmented and all over the place trying to fill in page count. It was layered with clues, surprises, and the dots connected together in a nice climax that was improved over the prior freshman outing. In fairness, stepping into his Robert B. Parker’s world and unique writing style is not an easy exercise for any writer to attempt to pull off. It’s got to be downright demanding and near impossible to pull off. Because of the improvements in this book, let’s just say that my previous concerns have been abated enough to appreciate her contributions to the Sunny Randall series.
Let me share what I feel were some examples of those improvements. Gaylin really got into Sunny Randall’s head. She showed (not told) what makes Sunny unique, her strengths and weaknesses, and even more importantly, her relationships. For example, Gaylin did a good job of exploring Sunny and Richie’s complex relationship and their struggles. By having Sunny try to be honest with Richie when she doesn’t like something rather than just stew and get angry, was a nice way to help Sunny attempt to change and grow. This step is needed to keep Sunny fresh in her development and growth, and I appreciated seeing it.
Gaylin also strengthened her use of other primary and secondary characters that she inherited, including Sunny’s sidekick, Spike; her retired father, her mouthy uptight mother, and her cougar sister Elizabeth. They all felt real and authentic without any painful road bumps. Spike serves Sunny well as her own version of Hawk (thank you, Spenser), and her father provides that supportive mentoring that we all appreciate.
In my mind, Gaylin’s found her rhythm in adopting Robert B. Parker’s style of short rhythmic chapters, plot movement, and strong conversations that her mentor previously established for his literary world. This may appear to be an easy approach to learn and mimic, but it is most certainly not. For the most part, she’s melding her style into Parker’s.
As for the things that I didn’t like, there were fewer of them than last time.
First, the beginning of the book was slow, introducing the mystery elements and setting up the characters that Sunny was working for. Like the last one. It took somewhere around fifty to seventy pages for the conflict/tension to start heating up. In addition, there was not a real sense of real danger or intrigue for Sunny most of the way through the novel. She was more focused on the investigation aspects, but other than one scene near the end and the climax, I never felt any fear of her being in danger. I would like to see more moments of danger or life-threatening situations to elevate suspense and drama for her. Maybe it's me, but it just feels like Gaylin is playing it a bit safe rather than putting Sunny in some more riskier circumstances. That’s just my two cents…
The other thing is something that is not Gaylin’s fault but is probably more concerning. I love Robert B. Parker’s Spenser and Jesse Stone series. Both of them are foundational mystery series with some of the most classical characters in the genre. For me, Spenser is on the Mount Rushmore of all-time mystery characters as well as him and Hawk as mystery partners. I feel fortunate that the writers (Ace Atkins and Mike Lupica) following Parker’s passing of the torch have handled the series with both respect for the past along with instilling new creativity in moving these characters forward into new adventures.
I felt the same way about the Jesse Stone series. The authors following Parker (especially Reed Farrel Coleman, Mike Lupica, and now Christopher Farnsworth) have done a brilliant job of expanding Stone’s Paradise community, relationships, and constant personal battle with alcoholism. For me, Coleman created some of the highest moments of emotion possible with Jessie’s storyline arc over the last three books he wrote, and Farnsworth has found a way to breathe new life, professional and personal conflicts into Jessie’s life that makes this series one of my current favorites to read.
Why do I share those thoughts? Because as much as I’ve enjoyed Sunny Randall, I have also struggled at times with what I feel are her limitations. She’s modeled after Spenser and Stone – independent, stubborn, works better on her own (not team oriented), and has that certain sarcastic attitude and wit. The only difference is that she is a female. Nothing wrong with that at all. I read a lot of mystery series with a female lead, so I want to be clear that this is not the issue that I am going to raise.
The real issue that I struggle with is that she feels very boxed in at times to me and not stretched as much as she could be. For example, nothing dangerous really seems to happen to her. She’s not threatened to the level that makes me feel conflict, danger, and risk. Also, let’s be honest. Her personal relationships are limited. As much as she wants to date around with others like Tony Gault and Jesse Stone, her heart is always going to be with her ex-husband, Richie. Like Spenser’s unique relationship with Susan, Sunny can’t live (commit to a formal marriage) with Richie, but she can’t live without him.
I recognize that I may be seeing things through a shaded dark glass, the Sunny Randall universe has not been developed with the same depth of storylines and characters as the other two Parke series. I completely understand that Gaylin is only three books into her journey of exploration with Sunny and is just really getting started on expanding Sunny’s scope and world. To be honest, this is not her fault, and she needs more time to build her own vision for this series, and I am on board with her on this.
I think the issue is bigger than the writer. Maybe it is just too much of the same thing – two private investigators and one sheriff all doing the same type of work kind of like the Law and Order, CSI, and NCIS spinoff franchises. My honest and heartfelt fear is that it’s because Sunny is the less popular and less exciting child in the family. Her world feels more closed and restricted than her two older fictional brothers. I personally felt that even Robert B. Parker struggled with writing Sunny at times, and that is why she wasn’t fully explored as much as Spenser and Stone (that and he only wrote six books with her, which is less than the other two series). That is my concern.
The best answer to fixing that is for Gaylin to take the training wheels off and create higher level tension and conflict, along with building strong relationships that we are excited to read about. I fear it’s a big task, but I wish Gaylin the best in getting it done and will do my part by staying on as a reader and supporting her effort. That is my commitment.
Overall, Gaylin’s improvements in the plotting (this one was the best of her three entries in the series in my opinion) and her strengthened ability to capture the relationships made the difference. My grade is a B-minus or 3.5 out of 5 stars and I can honestly say that I will be interested in reading her next Sunny Randall novel. Let’s build some momentum…
May 12, 2026
I have read at least some of all of Robert B. Parker's series and the Sunny Randall series has been my favorite. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me. When Sunny is hired by an author friend whose career is being ruined by an online scandal, she quickly discovers the identity of the person writing terrible things about her client online. When that person is found murdered, Sunny's client becomes the prime suspect. This was a quick read but I never really got into it. None of the characters were very interesting and Sunny's client was an idiot who kept making bad situations worse. I think this series has run its course. #NetGalley. #Booked
May 17, 2026
When a beloved and prolific author the caliber of Robert B. Parker leaves us, as he did when he passed away in 2010, he leaves behind a hole that seemingly cannot be filled and all the timeless characters he created left in limbo. That is, until other great authors like Reed Farrell Coleman, Christopher Farnsworth, and Mike Lupica pick up the mantle and keep things moving forward.
Another author that has stepped in to fill the void is Alison Gaylin, who has penned new work in Parker’s P.I. Sunny Randall series and continues to do so with the latest release of BOOKED. This novel is not only a worthy entry in the Sunny Randall series, but it is also a scathing deep dive into the modern publishing industry and reveals a dark peek behind the curtain of how best-selling authors and novels are created and dismantled with equal ease.
Sunny’s day takes a turn when she receives a phone call from one of her best friends, best-selling author Melanie Joan Hall, who is claiming that both her career and life are over. Melanie is about to release her long-awaited memoir, Stronger Alone, but claims the release and success of this upcoming title are now at serious risk due to the online shaming it received from an anonymous book reviewer with the tag name of Book Babe who posts her reviews on a site called ReadAnon. The scathing review prompted Melanie to resort to an immediate drinking binge whereby in the middle of said binge she chose to respond in a highly unprofessional manner to what she deemed to be an online troll seeking to ruin her career. Regrettably, many online readers and fans saw these posts before she could take them down and the onslaught of anti-Melanie sentiment is blowing up the internet, essentially cancelling her.
Once Melanie’s long-time publisher, Scepter, decides to not move forward with her memoir and eventually terminates her long-term contract, she turns to Sunny to help in outing this anonymous poster Book Babe and righting this downward spiral her life and career is now in. Sunny and her team figure that Book Babe is most likely a woman, as they found older posts where she discussed her pregnancy. This helps to somewhat narrow things down as Sunny continues to push Melanie to think of anyone she may have wronged who would have reason to come after her in such a public way.
The first suspect is the actress that Melanie had fired from the film version of her novel A Girl and Not a God, a relative unknown named Natalie Blythe. Sunny and her colleagues locate Natalie, who now operates outside the entertainment world as a yoga and new age healing practitioner, and they become convinced after a long discussion that she is not Book Babe. Plus, she had signed an NDA after her termination from the film and is still being paid out by Melanie’s agent.
All eyes then move to the author who seems to be filling the void created by Melanie’s firing from Scepter, and ironically a previously unknown author that Book Babe is now heralding, named Leila Donnelly. Sunny has a rather good feeling that they may be on the right track after chatting with Leila who is somewhat combative. However, before they can officially out her as Book Babe she is found murdered. Now, a full-on murder investigation is taking place with Melanie at the center of it as the publicly decried murder suspect.
Watching Sunny Randall operate is always a thing of beauty and the characters here are all dynamic and fully fleshed out. Gaylin works gracefully to make ROBERT B. PARKER’S BOOKED and engaging and clever mystery from start to finish.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
Another author that has stepped in to fill the void is Alison Gaylin, who has penned new work in Parker’s P.I. Sunny Randall series and continues to do so with the latest release of BOOKED. This novel is not only a worthy entry in the Sunny Randall series, but it is also a scathing deep dive into the modern publishing industry and reveals a dark peek behind the curtain of how best-selling authors and novels are created and dismantled with equal ease.
Sunny’s day takes a turn when she receives a phone call from one of her best friends, best-selling author Melanie Joan Hall, who is claiming that both her career and life are over. Melanie is about to release her long-awaited memoir, Stronger Alone, but claims the release and success of this upcoming title are now at serious risk due to the online shaming it received from an anonymous book reviewer with the tag name of Book Babe who posts her reviews on a site called ReadAnon. The scathing review prompted Melanie to resort to an immediate drinking binge whereby in the middle of said binge she chose to respond in a highly unprofessional manner to what she deemed to be an online troll seeking to ruin her career. Regrettably, many online readers and fans saw these posts before she could take them down and the onslaught of anti-Melanie sentiment is blowing up the internet, essentially cancelling her.
Once Melanie’s long-time publisher, Scepter, decides to not move forward with her memoir and eventually terminates her long-term contract, she turns to Sunny to help in outing this anonymous poster Book Babe and righting this downward spiral her life and career is now in. Sunny and her team figure that Book Babe is most likely a woman, as they found older posts where she discussed her pregnancy. This helps to somewhat narrow things down as Sunny continues to push Melanie to think of anyone she may have wronged who would have reason to come after her in such a public way.
The first suspect is the actress that Melanie had fired from the film version of her novel A Girl and Not a God, a relative unknown named Natalie Blythe. Sunny and her colleagues locate Natalie, who now operates outside the entertainment world as a yoga and new age healing practitioner, and they become convinced after a long discussion that she is not Book Babe. Plus, she had signed an NDA after her termination from the film and is still being paid out by Melanie’s agent.
All eyes then move to the author who seems to be filling the void created by Melanie’s firing from Scepter, and ironically a previously unknown author that Book Babe is now heralding, named Leila Donnelly. Sunny has a rather good feeling that they may be on the right track after chatting with Leila who is somewhat combative. However, before they can officially out her as Book Babe she is found murdered. Now, a full-on murder investigation is taking place with Melanie at the center of it as the publicly decried murder suspect.
Watching Sunny Randall operate is always a thing of beauty and the characters here are all dynamic and fully fleshed out. Gaylin works gracefully to make ROBERT B. PARKER’S BOOKED and engaging and clever mystery from start to finish.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
May 17, 2026
When a beloved and prolific author the caliber of Robert B. Parker passes away, as he did in 2010, he leaves behind a hole that seemingly cannot be filled, and all the timeless characters he created are left in limbo. That is, until other great writers like Reed Farrel Coleman, Christopher Farnsworth and Mike Lupica pick up the mantle and keep things moving forward.
Another author who has stepped in to fill the void is Alison Gaylin. Her latest release, ROBERT B. PARKER'S BOOKED, is not only a worthy entry in the Sunny Randall series, it is also a deep dive into the modern publishing industry and offers a rare peek behind the curtain of how bestselling authors and novels are created and dismantled with equal ease.
Sunny’s day takes a turn when she receives a phone call from a longtime friend, bestselling author Melanie Joan Hall, who insists that her life is over. Melanie is about to release her long-awaited memoir, Stronger Alone, but says its publication is now at serious risk due to the online shaming it receives from an anonymous book reviewer with the screen name Book Babe who posts reviews on a site called ReadAnon.
The scathing review prompts Melanie to resort to an immediate drinking binge. In the middle of it, she chooses to respond in a highly unprofessional manner to who she deems to be a troll seeking to ruin her career. Regrettably, many people see these posts before she can take them down. The onslaught of anti-Melanie sentiment is blowing up the internet, essentially canceling her.
Once Melanie’s longtime publisher, Scepter, decides not to move forward with her memoir and eventually terminates her long-term contract, she turns to Sunny to help expose Book Babe and stop her downward spiral. It is believed that Book Babe is most likely a woman as older posts discuss her pregnancy. This narrows it down somewhat as Sunny continues to push Melanie to think of anyone she may have wronged who would have reason to come after her in such a public way.
With the help of her assistant, Blake James, and her best friend, Spike, Sunny figures out Book Babe's identity. However, before she can be officially outed, Book Babe is found murdered. Now, a full-on homicide investigation is taking place with Melanie at the center of it as the publicly decried suspect.
Watching Sunny Randall operate is always a thing of beauty. All the characters here are dynamic and fully fleshed out. Gaylin works gracefully to make ROBERT B. PARKER’S BOOKED an engaging and clever mystery from start to finish.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Another author who has stepped in to fill the void is Alison Gaylin. Her latest release, ROBERT B. PARKER'S BOOKED, is not only a worthy entry in the Sunny Randall series, it is also a deep dive into the modern publishing industry and offers a rare peek behind the curtain of how bestselling authors and novels are created and dismantled with equal ease.
Sunny’s day takes a turn when she receives a phone call from a longtime friend, bestselling author Melanie Joan Hall, who insists that her life is over. Melanie is about to release her long-awaited memoir, Stronger Alone, but says its publication is now at serious risk due to the online shaming it receives from an anonymous book reviewer with the screen name Book Babe who posts reviews on a site called ReadAnon.
The scathing review prompts Melanie to resort to an immediate drinking binge. In the middle of it, she chooses to respond in a highly unprofessional manner to who she deems to be a troll seeking to ruin her career. Regrettably, many people see these posts before she can take them down. The onslaught of anti-Melanie sentiment is blowing up the internet, essentially canceling her.
Once Melanie’s longtime publisher, Scepter, decides not to move forward with her memoir and eventually terminates her long-term contract, she turns to Sunny to help expose Book Babe and stop her downward spiral. It is believed that Book Babe is most likely a woman as older posts discuss her pregnancy. This narrows it down somewhat as Sunny continues to push Melanie to think of anyone she may have wronged who would have reason to come after her in such a public way.
With the help of her assistant, Blake James, and her best friend, Spike, Sunny figures out Book Babe's identity. However, before she can be officially outed, Book Babe is found murdered. Now, a full-on homicide investigation is taking place with Melanie at the center of it as the publicly decried suspect.
Watching Sunny Randall operate is always a thing of beauty. All the characters here are dynamic and fully fleshed out. Gaylin works gracefully to make ROBERT B. PARKER’S BOOKED an engaging and clever mystery from start to finish.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sunny Randall has been around the block more than a few times – this is the 13th in the series (the third, I believe, by this author) – and I’ve read most of them. For sure this one is on my list of favorites. The plot involves books and murder, so for an avid reader of murder mysteries like me, what’s not to like?
Sunny, a private detective based in Boston, has a lot on her plate right now. For openers, she’s re-engaged to be re-married to her ex, Richie Burke, the son of long-time and mostly likable mobster Dominick Burke. Richie lives and works in New Jersey, though, not that far from Boston but far from Sunny’s favorite place to be. So, she’s dragging her feet a bit on planning wedding details. She’s also a long-time friend of wildly popular author Melanie Joan Hall, who has a new book coming out in a few months (her memoir, a bit off her usual genre).
Problem is, a top online book reviewer/influencer who’s identity remains secret just gave Melanie’s book one star (out of a high of 5), and Melanie is devastated. In a drunken state after she saw it, she fired off a truly nasty response – which, along with the lousy review, went viral. Distraught over her fans turning on her and worried that her publisher will dump her, Melanie wants to set things straight. So, she contacts her friend Sunny with a plea for help; find out who the reviewer, code name Book Babe, really is so she can deliver an in-person apology.
With help from her competent assistant Blake James and best friend Spike, Sunny manages to uncover Book Babe’s identity – and in the process learns there’s more to her relationship with Melanie than Melanie revealed. No surprise, then, when Book Babe turns up dead, Melanie turns into a prime suspect.
Now, Sunny has an even bigger task at hand: finding evidence that proves Melanie didn’t do more than just kindle a grudge against the reviewer. The situation becomes so tense that Sunny is forced to hire hot-shot attorney Rita Fiore, who coincidentally is currently dating former Sunny love interest Jesse Stone, the Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief who happens to have a book series all his own.
For the rest of the details, how the investigation works its way to the truth and how it all ends, you’ll have to read it for yourself – I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else. It’s well worth the effort, IMHO, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in on the action by way of a pre-release copy.
Sunny, a private detective based in Boston, has a lot on her plate right now. For openers, she’s re-engaged to be re-married to her ex, Richie Burke, the son of long-time and mostly likable mobster Dominick Burke. Richie lives and works in New Jersey, though, not that far from Boston but far from Sunny’s favorite place to be. So, she’s dragging her feet a bit on planning wedding details. She’s also a long-time friend of wildly popular author Melanie Joan Hall, who has a new book coming out in a few months (her memoir, a bit off her usual genre).
Problem is, a top online book reviewer/influencer who’s identity remains secret just gave Melanie’s book one star (out of a high of 5), and Melanie is devastated. In a drunken state after she saw it, she fired off a truly nasty response – which, along with the lousy review, went viral. Distraught over her fans turning on her and worried that her publisher will dump her, Melanie wants to set things straight. So, she contacts her friend Sunny with a plea for help; find out who the reviewer, code name Book Babe, really is so she can deliver an in-person apology.
With help from her competent assistant Blake James and best friend Spike, Sunny manages to uncover Book Babe’s identity – and in the process learns there’s more to her relationship with Melanie than Melanie revealed. No surprise, then, when Book Babe turns up dead, Melanie turns into a prime suspect.
Now, Sunny has an even bigger task at hand: finding evidence that proves Melanie didn’t do more than just kindle a grudge against the reviewer. The situation becomes so tense that Sunny is forced to hire hot-shot attorney Rita Fiore, who coincidentally is currently dating former Sunny love interest Jesse Stone, the Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief who happens to have a book series all his own.
For the rest of the details, how the investigation works its way to the truth and how it all ends, you’ll have to read it for yourself – I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else. It’s well worth the effort, IMHO, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in on the action by way of a pre-release copy.
November 9, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and the Putnam for this eARC.
Robert B. Parker’s Booked, continued by Alison Gaylin, is a sharp, character-driven mystery that blends literary satire with classic detective grit. Sunny Randall returns in top form, navigating the cutthroat world of publishing and the darker corners of personal vendetta.
In this thirteenth installment of the Sunny Randall series, Boston’s favorite PI is hired by bestselling author Melanie Joan Hart to investigate a mysterious online reviewer known only as “Book Babe.” What begins as a seemingly petty case—tracking down a troll who left a scathing one-star review—quickly escalates when the reviewer ends up dead. Sunny finds herself tangled in a web of literary feuds, buried secrets, and professional jealousy, where the line between criticism and cruelty blurs.
Sunny Randall remains a compelling lead—witty, emotionally complex, and refreshingly self-aware. Gaylin captures her voice with precision, honoring Parker’s legacy while deepening Sunny’s psychological texture. Her relationships, especially with her therapist Julie and her ex Richie, continue to evolve, adding emotional resonance to the procedural beats.
The novel’s setting in Boston’s literary scene offers a fresh backdrop for the series. Gaylin skewers the publishing industry with sly humor and insider detail, from egotistical authors to fragile reputations built on social media clout. The murder mystery is tightly plotted, with red herrings and character reveals that keep the tension simmering. Yet it’s the emotional stakes—Sunny’s empathy for the victim, her growing disillusionment with fame, and her own struggles with identity—that give the story its depth.
Thematically, Booked explores reputation, revenge, and the power of words. It asks what happens when criticism becomes weaponized, and whether justice can be found in a world where perception often outweighs truth. Sunny’s investigation is as much about understanding the motive as it is about solving the crime, and Gaylin handles this balance with finesse.
For longtime fans of the series, Booked is a satisfying continuation that respects Parker’s style while allowing Sunny to grow.
For newcomers, it’s an accessible entry point—smart, fast-paced, and emotionally grounded. It’s a mystery that entertains, provokes, and lingers.
Robert B. Parker’s Booked, continued by Alison Gaylin, is a sharp, character-driven mystery that blends literary satire with classic detective grit. Sunny Randall returns in top form, navigating the cutthroat world of publishing and the darker corners of personal vendetta.
In this thirteenth installment of the Sunny Randall series, Boston’s favorite PI is hired by bestselling author Melanie Joan Hart to investigate a mysterious online reviewer known only as “Book Babe.” What begins as a seemingly petty case—tracking down a troll who left a scathing one-star review—quickly escalates when the reviewer ends up dead. Sunny finds herself tangled in a web of literary feuds, buried secrets, and professional jealousy, where the line between criticism and cruelty blurs.
Sunny Randall remains a compelling lead—witty, emotionally complex, and refreshingly self-aware. Gaylin captures her voice with precision, honoring Parker’s legacy while deepening Sunny’s psychological texture. Her relationships, especially with her therapist Julie and her ex Richie, continue to evolve, adding emotional resonance to the procedural beats.
The novel’s setting in Boston’s literary scene offers a fresh backdrop for the series. Gaylin skewers the publishing industry with sly humor and insider detail, from egotistical authors to fragile reputations built on social media clout. The murder mystery is tightly plotted, with red herrings and character reveals that keep the tension simmering. Yet it’s the emotional stakes—Sunny’s empathy for the victim, her growing disillusionment with fame, and her own struggles with identity—that give the story its depth.
Thematically, Booked explores reputation, revenge, and the power of words. It asks what happens when criticism becomes weaponized, and whether justice can be found in a world where perception often outweighs truth. Sunny’s investigation is as much about understanding the motive as it is about solving the crime, and Gaylin handles this balance with finesse.
For longtime fans of the series, Booked is a satisfying continuation that respects Parker’s style while allowing Sunny to grow.
For newcomers, it’s an accessible entry point—smart, fast-paced, and emotionally grounded. It’s a mystery that entertains, provokes, and lingers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Alison Gaylin returns with
Robert B. Parker’s Booked,
the thirteenth book in the Sunny Randall series. Sunny is a private investigator and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. While most of this book takes place there, part of it takes place in Union, Connecticut and in New York City.
Author Melanie Joan Hall askes for Sunny’s help in tracking down a popular book review, who has written a one-star review of Melanie’s soon-to-be released memoir. This reviewer has thousands of followers, and her review has Melanie’s publisher threatening to pull all of her books. (She has a contract for two more romance novels).
Sunny’s investigation shows that the reviewer and Melanie have a history. When the reviewer suddenly turns up dead, and Melanie is a major suspect, Sunny must determine what has really happened.
Sunny is good at her job, but she has two major fears: change and commitment. She knows how to manipulate people, but also tends to tell jokes that don’t land well with others very often.
It was great to reconnect with characters from previous books in this series as well as a cameo appearance by one of the characters in another Parker series. I’ve only read four of the early books in this series and that was before 2017 so I won’t do a comparison of styles. The first half of the book is mainly related to the set-up and investigation. It felt very slow-paced. After that, it picked up in pacing and added some action. Unfortunately, I felt the antagonist was too obvious, although there was a small surprise near the end. One thing that struck me was that almost everyone in the story had their own agenda. Relationships with friends and family was one of the most compelling aspects of the story.
Overall, this is an engaging private detective story with a solid mystery.
Putnam – G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Alison Gaylin provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for May 12, 2026.
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My 3.47 rounded to 3 stars review is coming soon.
Author Melanie Joan Hall askes for Sunny’s help in tracking down a popular book review, who has written a one-star review of Melanie’s soon-to-be released memoir. This reviewer has thousands of followers, and her review has Melanie’s publisher threatening to pull all of her books. (She has a contract for two more romance novels).
Sunny’s investigation shows that the reviewer and Melanie have a history. When the reviewer suddenly turns up dead, and Melanie is a major suspect, Sunny must determine what has really happened.
Sunny is good at her job, but she has two major fears: change and commitment. She knows how to manipulate people, but also tends to tell jokes that don’t land well with others very often.
It was great to reconnect with characters from previous books in this series as well as a cameo appearance by one of the characters in another Parker series. I’ve only read four of the early books in this series and that was before 2017 so I won’t do a comparison of styles. The first half of the book is mainly related to the set-up and investigation. It felt very slow-paced. After that, it picked up in pacing and added some action. Unfortunately, I felt the antagonist was too obvious, although there was a small surprise near the end. One thing that struck me was that almost everyone in the story had their own agenda. Relationships with friends and family was one of the most compelling aspects of the story.
Overall, this is an engaging private detective story with a solid mystery.
Putnam – G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Alison Gaylin provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for May 12, 2026.
----------------------
My 3.47 rounded to 3 stars review is coming soon.
June 1, 2026
Alison Gaylin is the new author writing the Sunny Randall series for the Parker family.
In this one, Sunny gets pulled in to investigate when a past client, Melanie Joan Hall is trolled by a famous book reviewer who gives her a one-star review. Melanie resents it and after getting drunk said some things she probably shouldn’t have said.
Book Babe – the reviewer apparently can make or break an author’s career.
Melanie’s publisher has threatened to fire her over it. Sunny suggests they go talk to Book Babe. The only problem is that no one knows who Book Babe is.
Other characters pop up in this book. Sunny’s ex-husband Richie who she is now pre-engaged to be engaged to. Spike who owns a restaurant and seems like the only person who can calm Melanie down. Tony, Melanie’s agent, I think, who Sunny had a relationship with, in the past. Blake, her assistant and Rosie her dog.
To make matters worse, someone dies and Melanie is the prime suspect. Sunny’s job becomes more difficult because while trying to run down her leads she meets some unsavory characters who threaten harm.
This was a fun read. I am familiar with the Parker books, but I haven’t read much in this series. I have seen her mentioned in the Jesse Stone books. I liked the way the author mentions and brings in characters from that series. I used to be a huge fan of those books. I do also like the Spencer books that were the ones I got hooked on first. I do also like the adaptation of the Jesse Stone series that Tom Selleck starred in several years ago.
This series does have a lighter feel than either the Spencer or Stone series.
I do highly recommend this book and may try to read more in the future.
This is a new release – published May 12, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and G P Putnam Sons for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.
For the full review - go to Virginia-Gruver.com
In this one, Sunny gets pulled in to investigate when a past client, Melanie Joan Hall is trolled by a famous book reviewer who gives her a one-star review. Melanie resents it and after getting drunk said some things she probably shouldn’t have said.
Book Babe – the reviewer apparently can make or break an author’s career.
Melanie’s publisher has threatened to fire her over it. Sunny suggests they go talk to Book Babe. The only problem is that no one knows who Book Babe is.
Other characters pop up in this book. Sunny’s ex-husband Richie who she is now pre-engaged to be engaged to. Spike who owns a restaurant and seems like the only person who can calm Melanie down. Tony, Melanie’s agent, I think, who Sunny had a relationship with, in the past. Blake, her assistant and Rosie her dog.
To make matters worse, someone dies and Melanie is the prime suspect. Sunny’s job becomes more difficult because while trying to run down her leads she meets some unsavory characters who threaten harm.
This was a fun read. I am familiar with the Parker books, but I haven’t read much in this series. I have seen her mentioned in the Jesse Stone books. I liked the way the author mentions and brings in characters from that series. I used to be a huge fan of those books. I do also like the Spencer books that were the ones I got hooked on first. I do also like the adaptation of the Jesse Stone series that Tom Selleck starred in several years ago.
This series does have a lighter feel than either the Spencer or Stone series.
I do highly recommend this book and may try to read more in the future.
This is a new release – published May 12, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and G P Putnam Sons for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.
For the full review - go to Virginia-Gruver.com
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Robert B. Parker is one of my all-time favorite fiction writers. Literally, he was a master in dialogue. The only ones that can hold a candle to him (which would have been a weird thing to do) are Lawrence Block and James Scott Bell.
After his death, his estate decided to hire writers to carry on his legacy. One of the biggest complaints I see is “They don’t write the characters as well as Parker.” Nope. They don’t. And no one can. He created these characters. And to be honest, there is no one that will ever replace him as a writer. It’s time to move on and enjoy having further books telling tales of characters that we love.
That being said, I was done with Sunny Randall. Mike Lupica just didn’t have the character down at all. I think he is doing a great job with the Spenser series, but it just felt off when he wrote Sunny or Jesse Stone. I think he has found his character and needs to stay with it.
When I was approved by NetGalley to read the ARC of “Robert B. Parker’s Booked”, I caved and listened to the audiobooks of Alison Gaylin’s previous two Sunny Randall books to prepare for this novel. Alison has found the character we lost after Parker’s passing. This had the feel of a Sunny Randall novel.
The mystery is really good. The Parker Universe characters are there (not all, but still fun seeing them interact). And as always, Sunny is still whole-heartedly in love with her ex, but it’s complicated.
I hope Ms. Gaylin is in charge of writing Sunny Randall for the rest of her career. It’s good to have Sunny back.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
After his death, his estate decided to hire writers to carry on his legacy. One of the biggest complaints I see is “They don’t write the characters as well as Parker.” Nope. They don’t. And no one can. He created these characters. And to be honest, there is no one that will ever replace him as a writer. It’s time to move on and enjoy having further books telling tales of characters that we love.
That being said, I was done with Sunny Randall. Mike Lupica just didn’t have the character down at all. I think he is doing a great job with the Spenser series, but it just felt off when he wrote Sunny or Jesse Stone. I think he has found his character and needs to stay with it.
When I was approved by NetGalley to read the ARC of “Robert B. Parker’s Booked”, I caved and listened to the audiobooks of Alison Gaylin’s previous two Sunny Randall books to prepare for this novel. Alison has found the character we lost after Parker’s passing. This had the feel of a Sunny Randall novel.
The mystery is really good. The Parker Universe characters are there (not all, but still fun seeing them interact). And as always, Sunny is still whole-heartedly in love with her ex, but it’s complicated.
I hope Ms. Gaylin is in charge of writing Sunny Randall for the rest of her career. It’s good to have Sunny back.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
April 23, 2026
Robert B. Parker’s Booked, a Sunny Randall mystery by Alison Gaylin, continues the adventures of Robert B. Parker’s iconic private investigator. The familiar cast is all here: Sunny’s loyal dog Rosie, her best friend Spike, her ex—and once again fiancé—Richie, and Richie’s father, the Irish mobster Desmond.
Despite the presence of these well-known characters, the plot doesn’t quite measure up to earlier entries by Parker or even some of the continuation novels. At times, it feels comparatively bland. In fact, more than halfway through the book, a character describes an author’s latest work as “paint by numbers”—a phrase that, unfortunately, seems to apply here as well.
That said, the story does gain traction. By the final quarter, the various threads begin to come together, ultimately delivering something that feels true to the spirit of the series.
While I wouldn’t recommend Booked as an entry point for new readers, longtime fans of Sunny Randall will likely still find it a worthwhile read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Despite the presence of these well-known characters, the plot doesn’t quite measure up to earlier entries by Parker or even some of the continuation novels. At times, it feels comparatively bland. In fact, more than halfway through the book, a character describes an author’s latest work as “paint by numbers”—a phrase that, unfortunately, seems to apply here as well.
That said, the story does gain traction. By the final quarter, the various threads begin to come together, ultimately delivering something that feels true to the spirit of the series.
While I wouldn’t recommend Booked as an entry point for new readers, longtime fans of Sunny Randall will likely still find it a worthwhile read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 13, 2026
This latest in the Sunny Randall series gets off to a slow start, but stay with it. It's more of a pleasurable read than a page-turner that will keep you up late. You'll enjoy spending time with Sunny and her supporting cast; the mystery builds gradually and Ms. Gaylin is a skillful and entertaining story-teller.
What kept me from awarding that 5th star is that the dramatic tension revolves around something that I just don't care about: social media, and how and why it is being used to ruin the career (and life) of a long-term friend and client of Sunny. Yes, almost everybody is engaged with that stuff, but it doesn't mean readers want even more exposure to it in their fiction. (And note to GP Putnam staff if they're paying attention to reviews: the copy-editing in my Kindle edition is a bit sloppy. E.g., a main character is named Hall, and early on her butler refers to her as Ms. Hart a couple of times.)
What kept me from awarding that 5th star is that the dramatic tension revolves around something that I just don't care about: social media, and how and why it is being used to ruin the career (and life) of a long-term friend and client of Sunny. Yes, almost everybody is engaged with that stuff, but it doesn't mean readers want even more exposure to it in their fiction. (And note to GP Putnam staff if they're paying attention to reviews: the copy-editing in my Kindle edition is a bit sloppy. E.g., a main character is named Hall, and early on her butler refers to her as Ms. Hart a couple of times.)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Boston P. I. Sunny Randall is a gritty, no nonsense investigator who always gets her man, or woman depending on her case. Sunny has been asked by a writer friend to track down an online book reviewer who continues to sabotage her writing. The online reviews are so many and so bad that the author is in jeopardy of losing her book contracts with her publisher. But that’s not all she may lose.
With a cast of characters all with their own agenda and Sunny’s friend pulling some dumb stunts of her own, this case just might not work out to a happy conclusion for anyone. One of the fun parts of this book, if you have been a reader of Robert B. Parker’s books, you may well recognize some names from his other books, which brought back some good memories.
Thank you to Netgalley and J.G. Putnam for the eARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book without remuneration and this
With a cast of characters all with their own agenda and Sunny’s friend pulling some dumb stunts of her own, this case just might not work out to a happy conclusion for anyone. One of the fun parts of this book, if you have been a reader of Robert B. Parker’s books, you may well recognize some names from his other books, which brought back some good memories.
Thank you to Netgalley and J.G. Putnam for the eARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book without remuneration and this
May 19, 2026
Book #13 in the Sunny Randall series. Sunny Randall is a private investigator who always seems to accept cases that turn into much more than presented. It's a good thing Sunny is just as good at getting out of trouble as she is at getting in trouble. In BOOKED, Sunny takes on the case of author Melanie Joan Hall. Hall has asked Sunny to track down the identity of a reader who constantly criticizes Hall's books. Hall's books are best sellers, but this reader, Book Babe, has just as many followers as Hall, and her reviews are threatening Hall's ranking; even her publisher is questioning the legitimacy of her reviews. Sunny finds Book Babe and discovers there is more than reader/author angst between the two women. Now Book Babe is murdered, and guess who the primary suspect is? Now, Sunny must find the killer before Hall writes from prison.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In ROBERT B. PARKER’S BOOKED, written by Alison Gaylin, Sunny Randall is a Boston private investigator. Sunny takes a case for a famous author, Melanie Joan Hall. In her personal life Sunny is engaged to be engaged to her ex-husband, Richie Burke, but is slow-walking marriage plans.
I am as interested in Sunny’s P.I. case as I am in her personal life. Alison Gaylin does a good job capturing Robert B. Parker’s writing style. I especially like the mention of the Boston Red Sox. The characters are well-developed, and Sunny has a good relationship with Spike. This is an interesting mystery, and I look forward to finding out more about Sunny’s relationship with Richie. Thank you, Putnam and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of ROBERT B. PARKER’S BOOKED.
I am as interested in Sunny’s P.I. case as I am in her personal life. Alison Gaylin does a good job capturing Robert B. Parker’s writing style. I especially like the mention of the Boston Red Sox. The characters are well-developed, and Sunny has a good relationship with Spike. This is an interesting mystery, and I look forward to finding out more about Sunny’s relationship with Richie. Thank you, Putnam and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of ROBERT B. PARKER’S BOOKED.
May 21, 2026
Predictable. After reading it, that's what I thought. I love the characters of Sunny, Spike, and Martha the dog. I love the fact that this book, and the Jesse Stone and Spenser books are in the same realm and there are a lot of shared characters. Jesse is a former boyfriend of Sunny, Spenser's wife is her therapist, and the lawyer for the accused is Rita Fiore (who is prominently featured in the Jesse Stone and Spenser books). Rita and Jesse had a fling a few times, and Rita has tried to get Spenser, but he is married!
The plot was about somebody posting a negative book review for an author, and from those words, a lot of things happen. Oh, Artificial Intelligence is involved!
Overall, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more Sunny books.
The plot was about somebody posting a negative book review for an author, and from those words, a lot of things happen. Oh, Artificial Intelligence is involved!
Overall, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more Sunny books.
October 26, 2025
I doubt that Robert Parker would have approved of this novel about characters he had created. I would describe the first half of this book as “women’s fiction “ and found it distinctly uninteresting. After more than 50% of the boring story, there is a murder and things become somewhat more like a Parker novel. However, this is not enough to save this tedious novel even with a somewhat surprising conclusion.
I thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Booked" is a private investigator whodunnit that was twisty and fun to read! Some aspects of the plot are a little silly, but I thought it was pretty good overall. This is a book about books/authors and also talks about relevant issues today (but I can't spoil that!). Also, while it is a part of a series, the author does a thorough job of "catching you up" so it reads just fine even without the prior books. Imagine it as a criminal minds episode; you can skip around the episodes and you'll still enjoy.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book was a little slow for me at first, but once the action picked up I found myself unable to put it down. I thought the ending had a unique twist that was pretty satisfying to read. There were a lot of characters to keep track of but it was also nice to have a lot of suspects to keep things interesting.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I want to say a big thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I want to say a big thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sunny Randall is firmly in the capable hands of Alison Gaylin. The usual characters appear, but unfortunately for some of us, that includes the trying Melanie Joan Hall. The plot seems to take place over a matter of days, so there's not as much psychological introspection, and the barest of subplots. The narrative seems fairly standard, even routine, but more than one complete detours keep the pages turning. (preview copy provided by NetGalley)
May 13, 2026
I love Robert B. Parker’s characters living on in the capable hands the author’s estate has approved to continue the stories. Not all meet his high standards and style, but they are always enjoyable and this is no different. Private Investigator Sunny Randall gets involved in the book biz, AI and murder in Booked. It takes a bit long to get to the crime but once it does the earlier clues come together for a satisfying ending.
Published in 2026
Grade: B
Published in 2026
Grade: B
May 16, 2026
I’ve missed reading about what Sunny and spike are doing !! Melanie is soooooo dramatic! Like but the way she was framed was not fair. So sad at what happened to book babe.. her son was only like 3 now he will have to grow up with his mother. Like so sad. Happy that Sunny and Ritchie are back together… Now I’m sad again because i have to wait so long if there is another book 😭😂😭😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2026
Enjoyed this new book in the Sunny Randall series. Enjoyed these when Robert B Parker was writing them, and have enjoyed the continuing series with Alison Gaylin. The characters are great, and the story/pacing is always great too. Can't wait to read more in this series. #RobertBParkersBooked #NetGalley
May 25, 2026
can’t get enough
This is an easy read, but satisfying. Phil Randall is always good in a scene. Spike is loyal and true. Some philosophizing about life and personal growth and a couple of gunshots. And a trick ending that pulls all the threads together tidily and well. I want the next one already.
This is an easy read, but satisfying. Phil Randall is always good in a scene. Spike is loyal and true. Some philosophizing about life and personal growth and a couple of gunshots. And a trick ending that pulls all the threads together tidily and well. I want the next one already.
May 31, 2026
My rating is not strictly about the story. The author did a fine job. My rating is more influenced by the principal character, Sunny Randall. I should have stopped reading her series years ago. She is RBP's weakest character. I don't enjoy books about characters with head problems. Yeah, that's on me.
November 23, 2025
This sharp, modern mystery tracks detective Sunny as one brutal book review ignites chaos across the literary world. A superstar author, a ruthless online critic, and rising tensions spark a deadly chain of events. It kept me constantly wondering: what truth is hiding between the lines?
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