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Spenser #44
Robert B. Parker's Slow Burn
Boston PI Spenser faces a hot case and a personal crisis. It's another thrilling adventure in the iconic "New York Times" bestselling series by author Ace Atkins.
The fire at a boarded-up Catholic church raged hot and fast, lighting up Boston’s South End and killed three firefighters who were trapped in the inferno. A year later, as the city prepares to honor their sacrifice, there are still no answers about how the deadly fire started. Most at the department believe it was just a terrible accident - faulty wiring in a century-old building. But Boston firefighter Jack McGee, who lost his best friend in the blaze, suspects arson.
McGee is convinced department investigators aren’t sufficiently connected to the city’s lowlife to get a handle on who's behind the blaze. So he takes the case to Spenser. Our hero quickly learns not only that McGee might be right, but that the fire might be linked to a rash of new arsons spreading through the city. Spenser follows the trail of fires to Boston’s underworld, bringing him, his trusted ally Hawk, and his apprentice Sixkill, toe-to-toe with a dangerous new enemy who wants Spenser dead and doesn’t play by the old rules. The challenge? Spenser needs to find the firebug before he kills again – and stay alive himself.
Librarian's note: this is one of the Ace Atkin's Spenser series. As of 2021, there are 9 volumes by Atkins. The first was "Lullaby" in 2012, the 40th in the overall series created by Robert B. Parker; the most recent, "Someone to Watch Over Me," is the 48th.
The fire at a boarded-up Catholic church raged hot and fast, lighting up Boston’s South End and killed three firefighters who were trapped in the inferno. A year later, as the city prepares to honor their sacrifice, there are still no answers about how the deadly fire started. Most at the department believe it was just a terrible accident - faulty wiring in a century-old building. But Boston firefighter Jack McGee, who lost his best friend in the blaze, suspects arson.
McGee is convinced department investigators aren’t sufficiently connected to the city’s lowlife to get a handle on who's behind the blaze. So he takes the case to Spenser. Our hero quickly learns not only that McGee might be right, but that the fire might be linked to a rash of new arsons spreading through the city. Spenser follows the trail of fires to Boston’s underworld, bringing him, his trusted ally Hawk, and his apprentice Sixkill, toe-to-toe with a dangerous new enemy who wants Spenser dead and doesn’t play by the old rules. The challenge? Spenser needs to find the firebug before he kills again – and stay alive himself.
Librarian's note: this is one of the Ace Atkin's Spenser series. As of 2021, there are 9 volumes by Atkins. The first was "Lullaby" in 2012, the 40th in the overall series created by Robert B. Parker; the most recent, "Someone to Watch Over Me," is the 48th.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2016
732 people are currently reading
1661 people want to read
About the author
Ace Atkins
71 books1,557 followersAce Atkins is the author of twenty-eight books, including eleven Quinn Colson novels, the first two of which, The Ranger and The Lost Ones, were nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel (he has a third Edgar nomination for his short story "Last Fair Deal Gone Down"). He is the author of nine New York Times-bestselling novels in the continuation of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series. Before turning to fiction, he was a correspondent for the St. Petersburg Times and a crime reporter for the Tampa Tribune, and he played defensive end for Auburn University football.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 436 reviews
February 9, 2017
Spenser tries to track down a serial arsonist. I sure hope he doesn’t get burned by the experience….
OK, I apologize for that one.
Three firefighters were killed in a blaze of undetermined origin, and a year later there are still no answers. That doesn’t sit well with a fireman friend of Spenser who thinks it was arson and believes the authorities haven’t done enough to find whoever was responsible. Spenser starts nosing around and as usual manages to piss off some very dangerous people in the process.
I’ve noted in other reviews what a fantastic job that Ace Atkins has done in taking over the Spenser character following the death of Robert B. Parker, and this is another great continuation of that work. Once again Spenser is still the same guy that RBP created back in the ‘70s, and yet there’s an amazing freshness and energy for the forty-fourth book in a series.
What’s most interesting about this one is that Atkins is now introducing the very real possibility of change to the Spenserverse. RBP didn’t monkey with the successful formula he’d created after the first 20 or so books. He locked Spenser and the other characters into a kind of limbo where age became meaningless, and yet their past timeline didn’t change. RBP was so committed to keeping things the same that even when he’d occasionally acknowledge the passage of time by letting Spenser’s dog Pearl die of old age he still avoided any impact by just having him get another dog that looked exactly like her and naming her Pearl also.
Part of the appeal of a series is the familiarity so it’s understandable why RBP played it like that, but a lack of change also removes the possibility of growth to the characters as well as real consequences to their actions. Atkins started his time with the series with everyone in their same roles, but he’s been subtly laying the groundwork for change to occur. Now he’s starting to deliver on that with characters like Quirk and Vinnie getting new jobs that actually shift their dynamics a bit as well as adding a new female cop as a frenemy to Spenser. There’s also a couple of other real and permanent adjustments to Spenser’s world including one event that’s probably the biggest shake-up in thirty books.
All of these things have helped things feel less permanent in the series, and that helps add a sense of stakes to the proceedings. For example, when Spenser fights a large thug in one scene the outcome is very much in doubt, and making Spenser a little more fallible adds drama to the story. Overall, there’s a sense that Atkins has been quietly shaping Spenser to be a better fit for the 21st century rather than keeping him in an increasingly unrealistic stasis. As one character tells Spenser, “Those days are long over. Get with the fucking times, or they’re gonna get with you.”
It’s the way that Atkins artfully balances the updating of the series while still knowing and respecting the core of what made it great that makes his version of Spenser such a treat to read.
OK, I apologize for that one.
Three firefighters were killed in a blaze of undetermined origin, and a year later there are still no answers. That doesn’t sit well with a fireman friend of Spenser who thinks it was arson and believes the authorities haven’t done enough to find whoever was responsible. Spenser starts nosing around and as usual manages to piss off some very dangerous people in the process.
I’ve noted in other reviews what a fantastic job that Ace Atkins has done in taking over the Spenser character following the death of Robert B. Parker, and this is another great continuation of that work. Once again Spenser is still the same guy that RBP created back in the ‘70s, and yet there’s an amazing freshness and energy for the forty-fourth book in a series.
What’s most interesting about this one is that Atkins is now introducing the very real possibility of change to the Spenserverse. RBP didn’t monkey with the successful formula he’d created after the first 20 or so books. He locked Spenser and the other characters into a kind of limbo where age became meaningless, and yet their past timeline didn’t change. RBP was so committed to keeping things the same that even when he’d occasionally acknowledge the passage of time by letting Spenser’s dog Pearl die of old age he still avoided any impact by just having him get another dog that looked exactly like her and naming her Pearl also.
Part of the appeal of a series is the familiarity so it’s understandable why RBP played it like that, but a lack of change also removes the possibility of growth to the characters as well as real consequences to their actions. Atkins started his time with the series with everyone in their same roles, but he’s been subtly laying the groundwork for change to occur. Now he’s starting to deliver on that with characters like Quirk and Vinnie getting new jobs that actually shift their dynamics a bit as well as adding a new female cop as a frenemy to Spenser. There’s also a couple of other real and permanent adjustments to Spenser’s world including one event that’s probably the biggest shake-up in thirty books.
All of these things have helped things feel less permanent in the series, and that helps add a sense of stakes to the proceedings. For example, when Spenser fights a large thug in one scene the outcome is very much in doubt, and making Spenser a little more fallible adds drama to the story. Overall, there’s a sense that Atkins has been quietly shaping Spenser to be a better fit for the 21st century rather than keeping him in an increasingly unrealistic stasis. As one character tells Spenser, “Those days are long over. Get with the fucking times, or they’re gonna get with you.”
It’s the way that Atkins artfully balances the updating of the series while still knowing and respecting the core of what made it great that makes his version of Spenser such a treat to read.
June 28, 2018
This is the forty-fourth book in the Spenser series and the fifth to be written by Ace Atkins in the wake of Robert B. Parker's death. As any number of other reviewers have noted, Atkins has pretty effectively restored the series to its glory years, and with this many books under his belt, he is beginning to make the series his own.
With Atkins at the helm, Spenser's universe is slowly changing. New characters are appearing, and the man himself is now moving into the modern day, particularly with regard to technology. Spenser long ago stopped aging somewhere in his early fifties, which is a very good thing. When the detective first appeared in The Godwulf Manuscript in 1973, he was a veteran of the Korean War. He would thus now be somewhere in his middle eighties and might have some difficulty beating up large, well-muscled bad guys who are only in their twenties. At one point in this novel, Spenser notes that he once served in the Army. He says that he didn't do much in the Army, but Atkins gives us no hint as to when or where Parker might have served, and in this case has clearly learned a valuable lesson from his predecessor.
As this book opens, Spenser is approached by a Boston firefighter named Jack McGee. A year earlier, an abandoned Catholic church in Boston's South End went up in an inferno. Three firefighters who were friends of McGee's died fighting the blaze. McGee insists that the fire was deliberately set, although the arson investigators have been unable to determine a cause for the fire. McGee also believes that the fire may well have been connected to a series of arsons that have plagued the city in the past year.
McGee believes that the fire and police departments have given up too easily in attempting to solve the fire at the church and he wants Spenser to look into it. Spenser has no training as an arson investigator and one might well wonder how he could possibly turn up evidence that has eluded the seasoned arson and homicide investigators. McGee believes, though, that Spenser has connections in Boston's underworld that aren't available to the police and fire department investigators and that by probing these sources, Spenser might find the guilty party or parties.
It is, frankly, a pretty thin excuse upon which to build a plot, but who really cares? The story is off and running and it's great to see Spenser back in action. From the reader's perspective, there is no real mystery about who's responsible for the fires. The bad guys are revealed even before the first chapter begins, and the tension depends on the rising stakes, for the fire department, for the city of Boston, and for Spenser personally, as the fires rage out of control. It's another very good read and further proof of the fact that the Parker estate knew exactly what it was doing when it entrusted this iconic series to Ace Atkins.
With Atkins at the helm, Spenser's universe is slowly changing. New characters are appearing, and the man himself is now moving into the modern day, particularly with regard to technology. Spenser long ago stopped aging somewhere in his early fifties, which is a very good thing. When the detective first appeared in The Godwulf Manuscript in 1973, he was a veteran of the Korean War. He would thus now be somewhere in his middle eighties and might have some difficulty beating up large, well-muscled bad guys who are only in their twenties. At one point in this novel, Spenser notes that he once served in the Army. He says that he didn't do much in the Army, but Atkins gives us no hint as to when or where Parker might have served, and in this case has clearly learned a valuable lesson from his predecessor.
As this book opens, Spenser is approached by a Boston firefighter named Jack McGee. A year earlier, an abandoned Catholic church in Boston's South End went up in an inferno. Three firefighters who were friends of McGee's died fighting the blaze. McGee insists that the fire was deliberately set, although the arson investigators have been unable to determine a cause for the fire. McGee also believes that the fire may well have been connected to a series of arsons that have plagued the city in the past year.
McGee believes that the fire and police departments have given up too easily in attempting to solve the fire at the church and he wants Spenser to look into it. Spenser has no training as an arson investigator and one might well wonder how he could possibly turn up evidence that has eluded the seasoned arson and homicide investigators. McGee believes, though, that Spenser has connections in Boston's underworld that aren't available to the police and fire department investigators and that by probing these sources, Spenser might find the guilty party or parties.
It is, frankly, a pretty thin excuse upon which to build a plot, but who really cares? The story is off and running and it's great to see Spenser back in action. From the reader's perspective, there is no real mystery about who's responsible for the fires. The bad guys are revealed even before the first chapter begins, and the tension depends on the rising stakes, for the fire department, for the city of Boston, and for Spenser personally, as the fires rage out of control. It's another very good read and further proof of the fact that the Parker estate knew exactly what it was doing when it entrusted this iconic series to Ace Atkins.
January 28, 2024
4 Stars. Lot's of action - who's burning Boston? A number of arsons have the city on edge. Especially the fire department. It started with an old abandoned church and picked up speed. I enjoy the straight-forward writing style and the unusual sarcasm and colourful witticisms of Spenser, our lead private eye. Can it be a Spenser novel without the usual retinue of some bad, bad guys, and some enjoyable and good, bad guys? Joe Montagna can't do as many different voices as some other audio book readers but he is a joy to listen to. The story? Spenser is working out with Hawk and Z at Henry Cimoli's gym down by the water when an acquaintance, John McGee a Boston firefighter, pulls him aside. He reminds our PI of the fire a year ago at a derelict Catholic Church at which three of Boston's finest lost their lives including his best friend, Pat Dougherty. McGee thinks it was arson, "I'll pay you 'cause you know the worst people in the city." "Shake some trees," he says. Right up Spenser's ally. Great start. PS: I hadn't seen many titles by this author at our local public library - have to check again! Then I found several. Joy. (June 2017)
September 28, 2018
If you aren't a fan of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series, read no further.
It has been over half a decade since Ace Atkins has taken over the Spenser franchise. This is one of his best. I just listened to it on a 400 mile drive with Joe Montegna doing the narration. Montegna did many of the audio books for Parker as well and for me he is pitch-perfect.
I guess I would say the same for Atkins who has all the Parker writing mannerisms down cold. He know the relationships and builds his banter upon them. There are the usual food, drink and Boston location references as well as the sophisticated relationship between Spenser and his "significant other" Susan, who as a psychiatrist, can chime in with some psychological insights when necessary.
The death of three firefighters in an old catholic church has remained unsolved for a year. One of the survivors is willing to hire Spenser to check if it was an arson. Since then, Boston has had many more fires and we know who has set them. As usual, as Spenser investigates he stirs the pot and many old grudges get brought to the surface. This is a good yarn that moves the Spenser saga forward while providing some interesting insights into his background before he became well-known to both law enforcement and criminals in New England's hub.
It has been over half a decade since Ace Atkins has taken over the Spenser franchise. This is one of his best. I just listened to it on a 400 mile drive with Joe Montegna doing the narration. Montegna did many of the audio books for Parker as well and for me he is pitch-perfect.
I guess I would say the same for Atkins who has all the Parker writing mannerisms down cold. He know the relationships and builds his banter upon them. There are the usual food, drink and Boston location references as well as the sophisticated relationship between Spenser and his "significant other" Susan, who as a psychiatrist, can chime in with some psychological insights when necessary.
The death of three firefighters in an old catholic church has remained unsolved for a year. One of the survivors is willing to hire Spenser to check if it was an arson. Since then, Boston has had many more fires and we know who has set them. As usual, as Spenser investigates he stirs the pot and many old grudges get brought to the surface. This is a good yarn that moves the Spenser saga forward while providing some interesting insights into his background before he became well-known to both law enforcement and criminals in New England's hub.
June 17, 2016
Slow, "tortuous," Burn is a more apt title. The marginalization of Hawk and the over saturation of Susan/Pearl contributes little, except boredom. 0 of 10 stars
June 28, 2024
Boston is burning. Fires are consuming the city nightly. Spenser needs to find out why, and who is responsible, before more innocent lives are lost.
November 6, 2023
Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰
This kindle e-book is from my local library 44 in the series.
Spenser is hired to find arsonists that are setting fires around Boston. This leads to trouble with parts of the Boston mafia. Hawk and She are there plus others to help. It all ends will.
I would recommend this series and authors too 👍 readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventure mystery novels 👍🔰. 2023 👒😀😡🏡💘
This kindle e-book is from my local library 44 in the series.
Spenser is hired to find arsonists that are setting fires around Boston. This leads to trouble with parts of the Boston mafia. Hawk and She are there plus others to help. It all ends will.
I would recommend this series and authors too 👍 readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventure mystery novels 👍🔰. 2023 👒😀😡🏡💘
January 26, 2022
Gotta hand it to Ace Atkins-- he's managed to take over the Spenser series invisibly-- no hiccups and no ostensibly obvious alterations in style to suggest a change of authors ever occurred.
In this 44th entry, arson is the subject, and Spenser, aided by his ever faithful pals, Hawk and Sixkill, is on the case. This isn't a mystery novel, since we know who's cleverly torching the buildings. It's more of a "how long will it take Spenser to figure it out" kind of story. Characters such as Jack McGee, a veteran Boston firefighter help color the novel, as he continues to believe arsonists are at work, despite being labeled as kind of crazy by his peers. McGee lost some friends fighting an arson caused fire two years prior, and he hires Spenser to find out who might be setting a new string of fires all over Boston.
As Spenser often does, he manages to irritate any number of people, including a mob-boss who wouldn't mind taking Spenser out of the picture permanently. But, between his witty quips and backup from Hawk, et. al., Spenser manages to live on to discover the arsonists' identities. He does lose his own apartment to the arsonists, however, forcing him to move in (temporarily) with his annoying girlfriend, Susan Silverman, around whom he behaves like a lovesick puppy. I really am tired of this relationship and wish they would break up! Oh well, not to be. The only other nit I have is that anyone who ate out at restaurants and enjoyed drinks at various bars as often as Spenser would have to have a small fortune saved up-- it amazes me that for a guy who isn't getting paid for his current job, he can manage to wine and dine (usually with Ms. Silverman) almost daily. As he would say, "Yikes."
Yeah, I know-- it's all part of a Spenser novel, and what would it be if he suddenly became frugal? It might offend the faithful. At any rate, this was a fun story, although kind of thin in terms of suspense, and so I'd rate it 3.5 stars-- rounded up.
In this 44th entry, arson is the subject, and Spenser, aided by his ever faithful pals, Hawk and Sixkill, is on the case. This isn't a mystery novel, since we know who's cleverly torching the buildings. It's more of a "how long will it take Spenser to figure it out" kind of story. Characters such as Jack McGee, a veteran Boston firefighter help color the novel, as he continues to believe arsonists are at work, despite being labeled as kind of crazy by his peers. McGee lost some friends fighting an arson caused fire two years prior, and he hires Spenser to find out who might be setting a new string of fires all over Boston.
As Spenser often does, he manages to irritate any number of people, including a mob-boss who wouldn't mind taking Spenser out of the picture permanently. But, between his witty quips and backup from Hawk, et. al., Spenser manages to live on to discover the arsonists' identities. He does lose his own apartment to the arsonists, however, forcing him to move in (temporarily) with his annoying girlfriend, Susan Silverman, around whom he behaves like a lovesick puppy. I really am tired of this relationship and wish they would break up! Oh well, not to be. The only other nit I have is that anyone who ate out at restaurants and enjoyed drinks at various bars as often as Spenser would have to have a small fortune saved up-- it amazes me that for a guy who isn't getting paid for his current job, he can manage to wine and dine (usually with Ms. Silverman) almost daily. As he would say, "Yikes."
Yeah, I know-- it's all part of a Spenser novel, and what would it be if he suddenly became frugal? It might offend the faithful. At any rate, this was a fun story, although kind of thin in terms of suspense, and so I'd rate it 3.5 stars-- rounded up.
May 4, 2016
The Spenser transfer is complete!
Ace Atkins has been writing good books in the Spenser series. They have been true to form and true to the characters.
But this time around, he is actually aging Spenser a bit, adding levels of character development for the entire cast of characters -- and referring to past and future events in the series (both in his and Parker's time) seamlessly.
This guarantees the franchise will not just survive but grow under the watch of its new author.
I love the character. My first Spenser was my first mystery and changed my reading habits forever. It is so nice to be able to anticipate a new book in the series with the same feelings I used to have for Parker's books. Bravo!!!
Ace Atkins has been writing good books in the Spenser series. They have been true to form and true to the characters.
But this time around, he is actually aging Spenser a bit, adding levels of character development for the entire cast of characters -- and referring to past and future events in the series (both in his and Parker's time) seamlessly.
This guarantees the franchise will not just survive but grow under the watch of its new author.
I love the character. My first Spenser was my first mystery and changed my reading habits forever. It is so nice to be able to anticipate a new book in the series with the same feelings I used to have for Parker's books. Bravo!!!
April 22, 2017
Well plotted but missed Hawk. Nicely narrated by Joe Montegna, whose voice epitomizes Spencer to me. Recommended.
February 25, 2018
A fun read for Spenser fans. I think I may have added a star because Susan wasn't as irritating as she has been in some of the earlier books as written by Parker.
February 16, 2017
This is the first Ace Atkin's Spenser that I haven't, in the back of my head while reading, looked for proof that it's not Parker writing.
I was always conscious that this was NOT Parker and with this one the thought didn't occur to me once. Whether it's because Atkins has successfully melded into Parker's writing style or because Atkins is good enough on his own that I can disappear into the story doesn't seem to matter.
I'm just happen that Spenser and I can continue our relationship.
I was always conscious that this was NOT Parker and with this one the thought didn't occur to me once. Whether it's because Atkins has successfully melded into Parker's writing style or because Atkins is good enough on his own that I can disappear into the story doesn't seem to matter.
I'm just happen that Spenser and I can continue our relationship.
May 9, 2016
Six years since Parker's death. As each year passes, it's harder to hear his voice. I will continue to say this: as loathe as I am to never read another Spenser novel, it's time for these to stop. Spenser wearing cheater glasses. A grey grizzled Pearl. Susan drinks half a glass of wine at once--the orbits spin. Atkins brings in his own Southern touches. Spenser at a fire station cooking shrimp etouffee and we get a lengthy description of making roux? What the... The family needs to let this cash cow go
May 13, 2016
An excellent Spenser entry as Atkins continues to keep this series interesting. In this latest tale three knuckleheads are trying to burn Boston to the ground to help convince the city to upgrade the fire department. Of course, Spenser, is asked to find who is doing this and why. Recommended.
August 2, 2016
My favorite of the Atkin's Spenser novels so far. Robert B. Parker would be proud.
October 30, 2019
Parker is an excellent writer, and to enjoy his works is quite pleasurable. One thing that is difficult for me is his hard language with about an F-bomb for every sentence. throw in some "Sh's", "d's"it really is hard on me (grosses me out) out with such foul language.
Boston PI Spenser faces a hot case and a personal crisis in this adventure in Robert B. Parker’s iconic New York Times bestselling series.
The fire at a boarded-up Catholic church raged hot and fast, lighting up Boston’s South End and killing three firefighters who were trapped in the inferno. A year later, as the city prepares to honor their sacrifice, there are still no answers about how the deadly fire started. Most at the department believe it was just a simple accident: faulty wiring in a century-old building. But Boston firefighter Jack McGee, who lost his best friend in the blaze, suspects arson.
McGee is convinced department investigators aren’t sufficiently connected to the city’s lowlifes to get a handle on who’s behind the blaze—so he takes the case to Spenser. Spenser quickly learns not only that McGee might be right, but that the fire might be linked to a rash of new arsons, spreading through the city, burning faster and hotter every night. Spenser follows the trail of fires to Boston’s underworld, bringing him, his trusted ally Hawk, and his apprentice Sixkill toe-to-toe with a dangerous new enemy who wants Spenser dead, and doesn’t play by the city’s old rules. Spenser has to find the firebug before he kills again—and stay alive himself.
The fire at a boarded-up Catholic church raged hot and fast, lighting up Boston’s South End and killing three firefighters who were trapped in the inferno. A year later, as the city prepares to honor their sacrifice, there are still no answers about how the deadly fire started. Most at the department believe it was just a simple accident: faulty wiring in a century-old building. But Boston firefighter Jack McGee, who lost his best friend in the blaze, suspects arson.
Boston PI Spenser faces a hot case and a personal crisis in this adventure in Robert B. Parker’s iconic New York Times bestselling series.
The fire at a boarded-up Catholic church raged hot and fast, lighting up Boston’s South End and killing three firefighters who were trapped in the inferno. A year later, as the city prepares to honor their sacrifice, there are still no answers about how the deadly fire started. Most at the department believe it was just a simple accident: faulty wiring in a century-old building. But Boston firefighter Jack McGee, who lost his best friend in the blaze, suspects arson.
Boston PI Spenser faces a hot case and a personal crisis in this adventure in Robert B. Parker’s iconic New York Times bestselling series.
McGee is convinced department investigators aren’t sufficiently connected to the city’s lowlifes to get a handle on who’s behind the blaze—so he takes the case to Spenser. Spenser quickly learns not only that McGee might be right, but that the fire might be linked to a rash of new arsons, spreading through the city, burning faster and hotter every night. Spenser follows the trail of fires to Boston’s underworld, bringing him, his trusted ally Hawk, and his apprentice Sixkill toe-to-toe with a dangerous new enemy who wants Spenser dead, and doesn’t play by the city’s old rules. Spenser has to find the firebug before he kills again—and stay alive himself.
Good read - highly recommend!!!!
Boston PI Spenser faces a hot case and a personal crisis in this adventure in Robert B. Parker’s iconic New York Times bestselling series.
The fire at a boarded-up Catholic church raged hot and fast, lighting up Boston’s South End and killing three firefighters who were trapped in the inferno. A year later, as the city prepares to honor their sacrifice, there are still no answers about how the deadly fire started. Most at the department believe it was just a simple accident: faulty wiring in a century-old building. But Boston firefighter Jack McGee, who lost his best friend in the blaze, suspects arson.
McGee is convinced department investigators aren’t sufficiently connected to the city’s lowlifes to get a handle on who’s behind the blaze—so he takes the case to Spenser. Spenser quickly learns not only that McGee might be right, but that the fire might be linked to a rash of new arsons, spreading through the city, burning faster and hotter every night. Spenser follows the trail of fires to Boston’s underworld, bringing him, his trusted ally Hawk, and his apprentice Sixkill toe-to-toe with a dangerous new enemy who wants Spenser dead, and doesn’t play by the city’s old rules. Spenser has to find the firebug before he kills again—and stay alive himself.
The fire at a boarded-up Catholic church raged hot and fast, lighting up Boston’s South End and killing three firefighters who were trapped in the inferno. A year later, as the city prepares to honor their sacrifice, there are still no answers about how the deadly fire started. Most at the department believe it was just a simple accident: faulty wiring in a century-old building. But Boston firefighter Jack McGee, who lost his best friend in the blaze, suspects arson.
Boston PI Spenser faces a hot case and a personal crisis in this adventure in Robert B. Parker’s iconic New York Times bestselling series.
The fire at a boarded-up Catholic church raged hot and fast, lighting up Boston’s South End and killing three firefighters who were trapped in the inferno. A year later, as the city prepares to honor their sacrifice, there are still no answers about how the deadly fire started. Most at the department believe it was just a simple accident: faulty wiring in a century-old building. But Boston firefighter Jack McGee, who lost his best friend in the blaze, suspects arson.
Boston PI Spenser faces a hot case and a personal crisis in this adventure in Robert B. Parker’s iconic New York Times bestselling series.
McGee is convinced department investigators aren’t sufficiently connected to the city’s lowlifes to get a handle on who’s behind the blaze—so he takes the case to Spenser. Spenser quickly learns not only that McGee might be right, but that the fire might be linked to a rash of new arsons, spreading through the city, burning faster and hotter every night. Spenser follows the trail of fires to Boston’s underworld, bringing him, his trusted ally Hawk, and his apprentice Sixkill toe-to-toe with a dangerous new enemy who wants Spenser dead, and doesn’t play by the city’s old rules. Spenser has to find the firebug before he kills again—and stay alive himself.
Good read - highly recommend!!!!
November 8, 2019
I listened to this audiobook. Spenser books are exactly what I think they are going to be - Spenser, a Private eye, has a literary smarty pants way of talking to low life Boston criminals and clueless cops. Hawk, his best friend, is scary and has witty exchanges with Spenser. The books are quick to read or listen, they are a fun diversion. In this book a firefighter friend comes to Spenser to ask for help in figuring out who set fire a year ago to a Catholic church - a horrible fire that claimed the lives of 3 firefighters. The case is open and the cause is undetermined, but Spenser’s friend is sure that it was arson. Now, there is a firebug setting fires at an alarming rate and suspicions is that it might be the same arsonist. Few clues have the arson investigators stymied. Spenser agrees to look into it and begins to question firefighters who were at the church fire. He begins to look at the other fires set in abandoned buildings to see if he can find a pattern. At first he thinks a local mob boss might be to blame and he angers the mobster. Now he has the mob after him. The reader knows who is setting the fires and why. We are along for the ride as Spenser follows the trail to figure out who is behind the fires.
May 23, 2016
"Slow Burn" is really a three-star book judged by plot merits. The villains are weak, and their end is more anticlimactic than was intended. And yet the Spenser created by Atkins is sufficiently like Parker's early Spenser, though slowed ever so slightly by age, that I can forgive a lot because I so like Spenser's whole world. There vis a fight between Spenser and two of Joe DeMarco's thugs, one of them a real brute, that captures both Spenser's skill at boxing and his slight slowing down (compared to a couple of decades ago). Hawk is still watching his back, as is Zee (who, thankfully, is bound for LA), and Belsen, Quirk, and Henry are still around, as is Susan, who has given up her attempts to explicate Spenser's and Hawk's manliness and coded behavior. There is one nice plot development in which Spenser assumes that Joe DeMarco was behind a string of arsons, resulting in a running war between DeMarcoe's thugs and Spenser and Hawk. That conflict sets up the next book, and I'll look forward to it, knowing that Spenser will win out even if he takes longer to heal from the conflict.
August 27, 2021
Firefighter McGee, suspected of arson, asks Spenser for help
June 27, 2021
First Spenser we listened to, read by Joe Mantegna. Entertaining and very enjoyable for listening to on a long trip.
March 26, 2017
In the 44th Spenser book, this one by Ace Atkins, Spenser is trying to find out who is behind all the fires which are breaking out on a regular basis all over Boston. The first started at a former Catholic Church and three firefighters died trying to stop the blaze. One of the survivors came to Spenser asking for his help because he is convinced it was arson.
Despite there being no mystery to the story because you know who the bad guys are early on, this was an entertaining story. There are changes taking place with Spenser and his wgorld. Sixkill is moving to Los Angeles. Spenser loses his apartment when it too gets burned to the ground. Spenser also faces a tough round of fisticuffs and barely wins in his fight with one of the local mobsters guards. There is also a new lady cop on the scene-Glass.
This is one of those books where you know who the bad guys are and you watch Spenser and crew hunt them down and try to figure out why they are doing what they are doing. Burn baby burn.
Despite there being no mystery to the story because you know who the bad guys are early on, this was an entertaining story. There are changes taking place with Spenser and his wgorld. Sixkill is moving to Los Angeles. Spenser loses his apartment when it too gets burned to the ground. Spenser also faces a tough round of fisticuffs and barely wins in his fight with one of the local mobsters guards. There is also a new lady cop on the scene-Glass.
This is one of those books where you know who the bad guys are and you watch Spenser and crew hunt them down and try to figure out why they are doing what they are doing. Burn baby burn.
May 11, 2016
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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We're introduced to a new world here -- the Boston Fire Department, and the Arson investigators in particular (but not exclusively). It's a little harder for Spenser to work his magic here, at least at first, being very much a duck out of water. But, he keeps at it, and eventually things start falling into place -- even if he makes one serious (and perhaps life-threatening) mistake early on. There's a series of suspected arsons, but the proof is minimal, and it doesn't push the investigators in the right direction -- or any direction, really. The usual motives (fascination with fire, insurance money) don't seem to be involved here.
I should add that the motive for the crimes is interesting, if misguided. I'd almost like to see a bit more of it explored by the good guys, but that's not what this book is about.
Spenser and his allies do their thing, the way they always do (but fueled by a different donut source). The same ol' charm, wise cracks, and fists eventually do their job. I think this one is a notch above Atkins' last -- a couple of notches below Atkins or Parker at their best, but better than Parker's average. The fact that I have to work this hard to decide where exactly in the 40+ this one lies says something -- it's on the good end, I should stress -- but it's hard to distinguish this from the master himself, Robert B. Parker.
There's some good fodder for long-time fans here -- Marty Quirk has a new job, Frank Belson has a new boss (one not particularly taken with Spenser). Not only do we get a callback to Mattie Sullivan, but we get a couple from the more distant parts of Spenser's past -- A Catskill Eagle and Promised Land, one of my least favorites and one of Parker's best. Atkins' ability to use for the current narrative, comment on, and tap into fanboy nostalgia all at the same time is really something to watch.
Atkins is again feeling confident enough in his role here to make significant moves in Spenser's life -- not to mention Pearl's and Sixkill's. I'm not sure I'm crazy about the latter two, but I'm trusting Atkins. I'm pretty sure he has a plan regarding our favorite disgraced athlete that'll pay off. Can't help but wonder what Parker had in store for him, though.
Speaking of plans and things in store -- it's pretty clear that Atkins has a plan for Jackie DeMarco, too. I hope it takes a few books to pull it off, but I fear it won't.
I'm very glad to hear that we've got at least two more of these coming, Atkins is really helping me stay in touch with an old, old friend. I smiled, I chuckled, I even laughed a couple of times, and I reminisced a little, while wondering just how Spenser was going to save the day. All in all, a good way to spend a couple of hours. Now I've just got to count down the months until #45.
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On the Greenway, a carousel turned to calliope music. The two men approached me. They tried to act like they were shopping, but they were as unobtrusive as a couple of linebackers at a Céline Dion concert.Say what you will about the relative merits of Atkins' two current series, but you won't get lines like that from Quinn Colson (maybe from Lille Virgil). (That's not really the best line of the book -- it's just the one that requires the least setup)
We're introduced to a new world here -- the Boston Fire Department, and the Arson investigators in particular (but not exclusively). It's a little harder for Spenser to work his magic here, at least at first, being very much a duck out of water. But, he keeps at it, and eventually things start falling into place -- even if he makes one serious (and perhaps life-threatening) mistake early on. There's a series of suspected arsons, but the proof is minimal, and it doesn't push the investigators in the right direction -- or any direction, really. The usual motives (fascination with fire, insurance money) don't seem to be involved here.
I should add that the motive for the crimes is interesting, if misguided. I'd almost like to see a bit more of it explored by the good guys, but that's not what this book is about.
Spenser and his allies do their thing, the way they always do (but fueled by a different donut source). The same ol' charm, wise cracks, and fists eventually do their job. I think this one is a notch above Atkins' last -- a couple of notches below Atkins or Parker at their best, but better than Parker's average. The fact that I have to work this hard to decide where exactly in the 40+ this one lies says something -- it's on the good end, I should stress -- but it's hard to distinguish this from the master himself, Robert B. Parker.
There's some good fodder for long-time fans here -- Marty Quirk has a new job, Frank Belson has a new boss (one not particularly taken with Spenser). Not only do we get a callback to Mattie Sullivan, but we get a couple from the more distant parts of Spenser's past -- A Catskill Eagle and Promised Land, one of my least favorites and one of Parker's best. Atkins' ability to use for the current narrative, comment on, and tap into fanboy nostalgia all at the same time is really something to watch.
Atkins is again feeling confident enough in his role here to make significant moves in Spenser's life -- not to mention Pearl's and Sixkill's. I'm not sure I'm crazy about the latter two, but I'm trusting Atkins. I'm pretty sure he has a plan regarding our favorite disgraced athlete that'll pay off. Can't help but wonder what Parker had in store for him, though.
Speaking of plans and things in store -- it's pretty clear that Atkins has a plan for Jackie DeMarco, too. I hope it takes a few books to pull it off, but I fear it won't.
I'm very glad to hear that we've got at least two more of these coming, Atkins is really helping me stay in touch with an old, old friend. I smiled, I chuckled, I even laughed a couple of times, and I reminisced a little, while wondering just how Spenser was going to save the day. All in all, a good way to spend a couple of hours. Now I've just got to count down the months until #45.
May 11, 2016
Taking over where another fiction writer left off has to be one of the toughest jobs there is. Not only are you "stuck" with the same locations and characters, you've got to make it all read as if you didn't write it - or face the wrath of hundreds of angry fans of the original author. So when the estate named Ace Atkins to keep Parker's popular Spenser series alive (Parker had penned 37 of them at the time of his death in 2010 and unless I missed one I don't know about, I've read them all), I was among the skeptics.
This one, I believe, is the fifth for Atkins, and I've read all of them as well. And while I'd be the first to say he's never quite reached the same level as Parker, they've all been quite good and mimic the originals close enough for horseshoes, as we natives of Indiana say. What's different? Mostly, IMHO, the banter among the major characters - Boston private investigator Spenser, his main squeeze Susan Silverman and his pal Hawk - seems less snappy than when Parker was writing the dialogue.
The plots, though, are on the whole done well; in this one, arson is the hot topic after an old Catholic church is burned to the ground, killing three firefighters who became trapped inside. Originally deemed a tragic accident, a year later a string of fires take place, each more serious than the last. One long-time Boston firefighter, who lost his best friend in the church fire and always suspected it was arson, wonders if there's any connection and asks Spenser to look into it.
Following the trail to identify the firebug (or bugs) puts Spenser at odds with some unsavory characters from Boston's underworld who have a burning desire to see him and Hawk six feet under. The race is on: Can Spenser find who is setting the fires before the gangsters make good on their threats?
This one, I believe, is the fifth for Atkins, and I've read all of them as well. And while I'd be the first to say he's never quite reached the same level as Parker, they've all been quite good and mimic the originals close enough for horseshoes, as we natives of Indiana say. What's different? Mostly, IMHO, the banter among the major characters - Boston private investigator Spenser, his main squeeze Susan Silverman and his pal Hawk - seems less snappy than when Parker was writing the dialogue.
The plots, though, are on the whole done well; in this one, arson is the hot topic after an old Catholic church is burned to the ground, killing three firefighters who became trapped inside. Originally deemed a tragic accident, a year later a string of fires take place, each more serious than the last. One long-time Boston firefighter, who lost his best friend in the church fire and always suspected it was arson, wonders if there's any connection and asks Spenser to look into it.
Following the trail to identify the firebug (or bugs) puts Spenser at odds with some unsavory characters from Boston's underworld who have a burning desire to see him and Hawk six feet under. The race is on: Can Spenser find who is setting the fires before the gangsters make good on their threats?
October 18, 2016
Another great entry in the post-Parker series of Spenser books. I was thrilled that Hawk was back in a more substantial role (although Atkins hasn't got the same gift for writing their dialogue together as Parker had), and Zee was still around. Susan makes an appearance, and a whole cast of lesser characters appear...often it seemed just to check off that they still existed (although Gino Fish has sadly passed away).
All of this is mere decoration, however, as the heart of the Spenser series is the crime. Here a series of fires are plaguing Boston Fire Department. At first they seem unconnected, but then a "signature" is found linking them all, and anonymous letters start arriving taking credit. As people begin to die, Spenser is let loose. Of course, he solves the crime, but getting there is always the fun and n this series, and this entry is no exception.
I still miss Parker, but the post-Parker entries continue to be high quality and are worthy successors.
All of this is mere decoration, however, as the heart of the Spenser series is the crime. Here a series of fires are plaguing Boston Fire Department. At first they seem unconnected, but then a "signature" is found linking them all, and anonymous letters start arriving taking credit. As people begin to die, Spenser is let loose. Of course, he solves the crime, but getting there is always the fun and n this series, and this entry is no exception.
I still miss Parker, but the post-Parker entries continue to be high quality and are worthy successors.
August 5, 2016
Is this the future of the Spenser series? Are they all going to be from two POVs making it two books smushed into one? And drowning in more foul language than the books have ever had, most of which is there for no other reason than to just because it can be? If it is, this series is definitely going south. Had I been reading the physical book, rather than listenting to the audiobook, I would have skipped right over the scenes from the arsonists' POV. It goes against the model of every book that has ever been written for this series (excluding a single book), takes out almost all of the suspense by saying who's involved and why, and slows everything down to a crawl. At least Sixkill is apparently going away finally.
June 12, 2016
This is the 4th or so of Ace Atkins efforts at "being Robert Parker", and while the others were OK, this one truly make me think "he's got it". It was funny with really cute Spenser remarks -- very like Parker's sense of humor. Deals with arson in some detail -- as well as political issues. The bad guys are really really bad, but of course Spenser has Hawk, Sixkill, and to some extent, Vinnie. Good to have dependable old friends. Hated to see Sixkill leaving for the West Coast, but he may reappear. Susan was especially Susan -- we'll see where Spenser ends up. I loved this one. Keep up the good work.
September 21, 2016
Spenser is hired by Boston firefighter Jack McGee, who believes that a church fire that killed three fellow firefighters was done by an arsonist; the same one that is torching other buildings around the city. Ace Atkins has taken over the writing of Robert Parker’s Spencer novels and it shows. This is not a mystery as the reader knows who the arsonist is and the onset. The suspense is minimal and although the usual characters are there, I didn’t feel anything for them or care. It was just okay.
August 22, 2016
The Parker estate did a great job choosing Atkins...continues the great dialogue & rhythms that move the Spenser series...in this one Spenser & company are working to stop serial arsonists responsible for multiple homicides...good, fun read if your a Parker fan...Keep 'em coming, but don't let Atkins end his excellent Quinn Colson series!
July 4, 2016
Ace Atkins has done it again. Brought Spenser and his troops alive as I once thought only Robert Parker could. The voice is the same, the mix of dry humor and understated strength and, most of all, the "Spenserness" of the story. I have loved this series from the very beginning and was so sad when Parker died so young. But his legacy lives on through the work of Atkins.
May 26, 2017
I have to say that I really enjoyed this latest installment in the continuation of the Robert B. Parker Spenser series.
Ace Atkins has done an outstanding job both keeping the series alive and in little increments advancing some of the character development as well.
While I liked the previous book in the series, I was slightly less impressed by it than others in the series. But this one, with a real sense of subtlety to the story, was excellent.
With a series of arson fires plaguing Boston and there seeming to be no answers as to who is doing them, Spenser is engaged to find the criminals and murderers. A year prior to the start of the book, three firefighters died in a church fire and a friend of one of the victims, a fellow firefighter, wants to know the truth.
Inevitably, the guilty parties are tracked down (their story is told in separate chapters and while there is nothing special about them, it fleshes out their characters a little more. It doesn't enhance them since they are truly unrepentant and two of them are sheep to the group's alpha dog).
But the investigation leads Spenser into conflict with another criminal figurehead and this is where Atkins has helped advance the world of Spenser. Our beloved detective is decidedly part of the "old school" and the new school of criminals don't play by the same "gentlemanly" rules of the past.
Threats and attempts are made, but they carry a more sinister feel because of the new way of doing criminal business in Spenser's Boston.
Hawk is around in the story but he's less involved. Instead, Zebulon Sixkill plays the biggest sidekick role. It's a sort of graduation for him because, as is mentioned throughout the story, Z is leaving Spenser's (and Hawk's) tutelage and moving to Los Angeles to begin life as a detective there.
The relationship between Susan and Spenser is as it ever was, but circumstances do change given the results of a particular event in the book. Still, given the author's facility with the tempo and language, their couples banter remains a winning part of the book.
While it is obvious and probably unnecessary to say, the Spenser character will always be Parker's. But what I like about the continuation of the series under Atkins is how he makes little alterations so that what came before is appropriately honored and then how he turns on a dime and keeps things moving forward so as not to get caught in a repetitive loop of storytelling.
Ace Atkins has done an outstanding job both keeping the series alive and in little increments advancing some of the character development as well.
While I liked the previous book in the series, I was slightly less impressed by it than others in the series. But this one, with a real sense of subtlety to the story, was excellent.
With a series of arson fires plaguing Boston and there seeming to be no answers as to who is doing them, Spenser is engaged to find the criminals and murderers. A year prior to the start of the book, three firefighters died in a church fire and a friend of one of the victims, a fellow firefighter, wants to know the truth.
Inevitably, the guilty parties are tracked down (their story is told in separate chapters and while there is nothing special about them, it fleshes out their characters a little more. It doesn't enhance them since they are truly unrepentant and two of them are sheep to the group's alpha dog).
But the investigation leads Spenser into conflict with another criminal figurehead and this is where Atkins has helped advance the world of Spenser. Our beloved detective is decidedly part of the "old school" and the new school of criminals don't play by the same "gentlemanly" rules of the past.
Threats and attempts are made, but they carry a more sinister feel because of the new way of doing criminal business in Spenser's Boston.
Hawk is around in the story but he's less involved. Instead, Zebulon Sixkill plays the biggest sidekick role. It's a sort of graduation for him because, as is mentioned throughout the story, Z is leaving Spenser's (and Hawk's) tutelage and moving to Los Angeles to begin life as a detective there.
The relationship between Susan and Spenser is as it ever was, but circumstances do change given the results of a particular event in the book. Still, given the author's facility with the tempo and language, their couples banter remains a winning part of the book.
While it is obvious and probably unnecessary to say, the Spenser character will always be Parker's. But what I like about the continuation of the series under Atkins is how he makes little alterations so that what came before is appropriately honored and then how he turns on a dime and keeps things moving forward so as not to get caught in a repetitive loop of storytelling.
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