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Spenser #33
School Days
The celebrated series continues as a troubled teenager accused of a horrific crime draws Spenser into one of the most desperate cases of his career.
Lily Ellsworth - erect, firm, white-haired, and stylish - is the grand dame of Dowling, Massachusetts, and possesses an iron will and a bottomless purse. When she hires Spenser to investigate her grandson Jared Clark's alleged involvement in a school shooting, Spenser is led into an inquiry that grows more harrowing at every turn. Though seven people were killed in cold blood, and despite Jared's being named as a co-conspirator by the other shooter, Mrs. Ellsworth is convinced of her grandson's innocence. Jared's parents are resigned to his fate, and the boy himself doesn't seem to care whether he goes to prison for a crime he might not have committed.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
809 people are currently reading
1646 people want to read
About the author
Robert B. Parker
489 books2,288 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database named Robert B. Parker.
Robert Brown Parker was an American writer, primarily of fiction within the mystery/detective genre. His most famous works were the 40 novels written about the fictional private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the mid-1980s; a series of TV movies was also produced based on the character. His works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area. The Spenser novels have been cited as reviving and changing the detective genre by critics and bestselling authors including Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, and Dennis Lehane.
Parker also wrote nine novels featuring the fictional character Jesse Stone, a Los Angeles police officer who moves to a small New England town; six novels with the fictional character Sunny Randall, a female private investigator; and four Westerns starring the duo Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. The first was Appaloosa, made into a film starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen.
Robert Brown Parker was an American writer, primarily of fiction within the mystery/detective genre. His most famous works were the 40 novels written about the fictional private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the mid-1980s; a series of TV movies was also produced based on the character. His works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area. The Spenser novels have been cited as reviving and changing the detective genre by critics and bestselling authors including Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, and Dennis Lehane.
Parker also wrote nine novels featuring the fictional character Jesse Stone, a Los Angeles police officer who moves to a small New England town; six novels with the fictional character Sunny Randall, a female private investigator; and four Westerns starring the duo Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. The first was Appaloosa, made into a film starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen.
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December 5, 2017
“As soon as he was gone they had cleaned out his room. It was as if they had emptied the room of him. Tried to render it pre-Jared, as if they could return life to the time when they had moved here and it was mostly possibility.” — Spenser, walking through Jared’s room
Sandwiched between a very good entry, Cold Service, and the last great Spenser novel, the poignant Hundred-Dollar Baby, Robert B. Parker took a shot at addressing the growing number of school shootings perpetrated by students. He did so with the same elegant and breezy narrative style he’d always used, yet underneath there are serious observations about cause and effect, and personal responsibility for actions despite them which make this one worthwhile.
Susan Silverman is in Durham, North Carolina for a shrink conference, and Hawk is not around. It gives this entry the feel of the early Spenser novels, before its aspirations were smothered by the shift in focus to Silverman and Spenser, and their cloying relationship. Although there’s a phone call with Susan, and Spenser pines for her return on occasion throughout the narrative, we also are reminded how pretentious and vain she can be. On one occasion, Spenser is almost thrilled to see the incredibly sexy guidance counselor/psychologist pumping her own gas, noting in offhand manner that Susan would abandon her vehicle and walk home before she would do so. And the reader can almost hear the regret in Spenser’s narrative voice when he laments that romantic walks in the rain he enjoys, are taboo because Susan is afraid she’ll mess up her hair.
The actual case this time is very unusual, because Spenser decides early on that Jared was indeed one of the two students who walked into the private school and killed so many. The mystery surrounding this one is why, and Spenser isn’t letting go until he discovers the answer — if indeed there is one to be found. Hired by the wealthy and formidable grandmother of Jared, Lily Ellsworth, to prove the seventeen-year-old boy’s innocence, Spenser heads to Bethel County, Massachusetts and discovers no one wants him there. The psychology of a town trying to put something as unfathomable as a school shooting behind it is explored by Spenser’s interactions and conversations with people, which makes a refreshing change from Susan and Spenser bouncing it around ad nauseam.
Chief Cromwell is full of bluster, and he doesn’t want Spenser asking questions because of his own guilt — he got the initial call and wasn’t experienced enough to know how to react. His actions, or rather inactions, might have got more children killed. But that hardly makes it his fault. Garner, the school president, would also like to put the tragedy behind the school. With one boy, Wendell, fingering the other, Jared, and then Jared confessing that he’s guilty, it seems cut and dry. But Spenser is Spenser, and there’s something here he can’t quite put his finger on. Wendell’s mother is described by family in this way:
“Miss Crunchy Granola. She was born in 1963 and grew up to be a hippie.”
Spenser paints a dismissive picture of the aging liberal hippies like Dell’s mother. He has one conversation with her and pretty much writes her off as any help to her son, or his investigation. Jared’s parents are another matter. They moved to the area with a rosy picture of how things were going to be, and now appear to be more concerned about their place in the community post-shooting. Spenser doesn’t have any more luck with Jared, who seems just another jerky young kid. Trying to track down how the two boys acquired the guns puts Spenser in the middle of a world he had long left behind, but remembers well:
“I could taste the stiflement, the limitation, the deadly boredom, the elephantine plod of the clock as it ground through the day. I could remember looking through windows like these at the world of the living outside the school. People actually going about freely.”
His poking around eventually leads him to the brother of a gang-banger named Yang, and we see the misguided scrubs of school, looking for acceptance in any quarter they can find it. It gives Spenser fans a chance to recall another book in the series, when we meet Major again, years down the road. He’s still tough, and still looking for acceptance himself, from a different element of society. He sets up a meet between Spenser and Yang’s brother, and Spenser learns how the boys got the guns. Finally a tip from a kid tells him how they learned to use the weapons. But why did they do it? The answer seems very elusive, and in a conversation with the overtly sexy and flirtatious Rita Fiore, who plays a big role in this one, he asks Rita that very question:
“I’ve been in the criminal law business a long time for someone as young and seductive as I am, and there’s got to be a reason. Doesn’t have to be a good reason. But there’s got to be something.”
When Spenser realizes the story he’s getting in regard to Jared’s school life — from other kids — is in stark contrast to what the wildy sexy guidance counsellor is telling him that Jared told her, he takes off the gloves and does some more serious poking around. It leads to discovering academic betrayals of trust, blackmail, and unplanned murders. Spenser himself makes a bad call by misjudging a kid named Animal, and his error gets a young girl killed. Parker gives the reader just enough to feel Spenser’s regret without going on about it for pages. It is one of the striking differences between the pre-Susan-is-everything entries and the post-Catskill Eagle books. It’s quite telling, because if Susan were a more prominent part of the book, we’d get a lengthy and perhaps tedious discussion of the event, but because she isn’t, we’re left with the moment of deeply felt regret, before Spenser moves on, which is more Hawk-like in nature.
Much of the discussion and discourse here between Spenser and Rita, and others, is about personal responsibility, because no matter how much society wishes to understand causation, and blame someone other than the perpetrator, in the end it is an abstract, because someone must be held accountable or society crumbles. Parker, very knowledgeable about academia and never fond of it, again shows readers, even at a younger level, the tawdriness beneath. Toward that end, he recalls — perhaps not perfectly, a Henry James quote:
“A teacher is a man employed to tell lies to little boys.”
There is a lot going on here, from failure to flourish to sexual blackmail. When Spenser finally gets to the bottom of the why regarding the shooting, he’s in for another revelation. It prompts him to call in Rita Fiore to help him. Her presence in this one is like a breath of fresh air to the reader. She has an impact on the outcome for one of the boys in this really fine entry in the series. In addition to a really good story, some nice exchanges — especially between Spenser and Rita — and some sad and insightful rumination on youth and school, we get a dash of dangerous confrontation, and finally some real violence. We also get some terrific writing:
“The wind shifted outside, and the rain began to rattle against the big picture window next to us. It collected and ran down, distorting reality and blurring the headlights and taillights and traffic lights and colorful umbrellas and bright raincoats into a kind of Parisian shimmer.”
There weren’t many good entries left after School Days. Just the fabulous Hundred-Dollar Baby and the very good, The Professional. Parker’s voice has been completely and utterly lost now that others have taken over writing this series. Like that rain on the window, what this series was is now distorted, until it’s an unrecognizable shimmer. The elegant writing, the artfully but never graphically described violence, the snappy and enjoyable dialog, the politically incorrect humor, and an uncanny sense of where to draw the line at all of the above, were lost once Parker died. If you’ve missed this one, or ignored it because it was one of the later entries, do yourself a favor and read it. Very good stuff.
Sandwiched between a very good entry, Cold Service, and the last great Spenser novel, the poignant Hundred-Dollar Baby, Robert B. Parker took a shot at addressing the growing number of school shootings perpetrated by students. He did so with the same elegant and breezy narrative style he’d always used, yet underneath there are serious observations about cause and effect, and personal responsibility for actions despite them which make this one worthwhile.
Susan Silverman is in Durham, North Carolina for a shrink conference, and Hawk is not around. It gives this entry the feel of the early Spenser novels, before its aspirations were smothered by the shift in focus to Silverman and Spenser, and their cloying relationship. Although there’s a phone call with Susan, and Spenser pines for her return on occasion throughout the narrative, we also are reminded how pretentious and vain she can be. On one occasion, Spenser is almost thrilled to see the incredibly sexy guidance counselor/psychologist pumping her own gas, noting in offhand manner that Susan would abandon her vehicle and walk home before she would do so. And the reader can almost hear the regret in Spenser’s narrative voice when he laments that romantic walks in the rain he enjoys, are taboo because Susan is afraid she’ll mess up her hair.
The actual case this time is very unusual, because Spenser decides early on that Jared was indeed one of the two students who walked into the private school and killed so many. The mystery surrounding this one is why, and Spenser isn’t letting go until he discovers the answer — if indeed there is one to be found. Hired by the wealthy and formidable grandmother of Jared, Lily Ellsworth, to prove the seventeen-year-old boy’s innocence, Spenser heads to Bethel County, Massachusetts and discovers no one wants him there. The psychology of a town trying to put something as unfathomable as a school shooting behind it is explored by Spenser’s interactions and conversations with people, which makes a refreshing change from Susan and Spenser bouncing it around ad nauseam.
Chief Cromwell is full of bluster, and he doesn’t want Spenser asking questions because of his own guilt — he got the initial call and wasn’t experienced enough to know how to react. His actions, or rather inactions, might have got more children killed. But that hardly makes it his fault. Garner, the school president, would also like to put the tragedy behind the school. With one boy, Wendell, fingering the other, Jared, and then Jared confessing that he’s guilty, it seems cut and dry. But Spenser is Spenser, and there’s something here he can’t quite put his finger on. Wendell’s mother is described by family in this way:
“Miss Crunchy Granola. She was born in 1963 and grew up to be a hippie.”
Spenser paints a dismissive picture of the aging liberal hippies like Dell’s mother. He has one conversation with her and pretty much writes her off as any help to her son, or his investigation. Jared’s parents are another matter. They moved to the area with a rosy picture of how things were going to be, and now appear to be more concerned about their place in the community post-shooting. Spenser doesn’t have any more luck with Jared, who seems just another jerky young kid. Trying to track down how the two boys acquired the guns puts Spenser in the middle of a world he had long left behind, but remembers well:
“I could taste the stiflement, the limitation, the deadly boredom, the elephantine plod of the clock as it ground through the day. I could remember looking through windows like these at the world of the living outside the school. People actually going about freely.”
His poking around eventually leads him to the brother of a gang-banger named Yang, and we see the misguided scrubs of school, looking for acceptance in any quarter they can find it. It gives Spenser fans a chance to recall another book in the series, when we meet Major again, years down the road. He’s still tough, and still looking for acceptance himself, from a different element of society. He sets up a meet between Spenser and Yang’s brother, and Spenser learns how the boys got the guns. Finally a tip from a kid tells him how they learned to use the weapons. But why did they do it? The answer seems very elusive, and in a conversation with the overtly sexy and flirtatious Rita Fiore, who plays a big role in this one, he asks Rita that very question:
“I’ve been in the criminal law business a long time for someone as young and seductive as I am, and there’s got to be a reason. Doesn’t have to be a good reason. But there’s got to be something.”
When Spenser realizes the story he’s getting in regard to Jared’s school life — from other kids — is in stark contrast to what the wildy sexy guidance counsellor is telling him that Jared told her, he takes off the gloves and does some more serious poking around. It leads to discovering academic betrayals of trust, blackmail, and unplanned murders. Spenser himself makes a bad call by misjudging a kid named Animal, and his error gets a young girl killed. Parker gives the reader just enough to feel Spenser’s regret without going on about it for pages. It is one of the striking differences between the pre-Susan-is-everything entries and the post-Catskill Eagle books. It’s quite telling, because if Susan were a more prominent part of the book, we’d get a lengthy and perhaps tedious discussion of the event, but because she isn’t, we’re left with the moment of deeply felt regret, before Spenser moves on, which is more Hawk-like in nature.
Much of the discussion and discourse here between Spenser and Rita, and others, is about personal responsibility, because no matter how much society wishes to understand causation, and blame someone other than the perpetrator, in the end it is an abstract, because someone must be held accountable or society crumbles. Parker, very knowledgeable about academia and never fond of it, again shows readers, even at a younger level, the tawdriness beneath. Toward that end, he recalls — perhaps not perfectly, a Henry James quote:
“A teacher is a man employed to tell lies to little boys.”
There is a lot going on here, from failure to flourish to sexual blackmail. When Spenser finally gets to the bottom of the why regarding the shooting, he’s in for another revelation. It prompts him to call in Rita Fiore to help him. Her presence in this one is like a breath of fresh air to the reader. She has an impact on the outcome for one of the boys in this really fine entry in the series. In addition to a really good story, some nice exchanges — especially between Spenser and Rita — and some sad and insightful rumination on youth and school, we get a dash of dangerous confrontation, and finally some real violence. We also get some terrific writing:
“The wind shifted outside, and the rain began to rattle against the big picture window next to us. It collected and ran down, distorting reality and blurring the headlights and taillights and traffic lights and colorful umbrellas and bright raincoats into a kind of Parisian shimmer.”
There weren’t many good entries left after School Days. Just the fabulous Hundred-Dollar Baby and the very good, The Professional. Parker’s voice has been completely and utterly lost now that others have taken over writing this series. Like that rain on the window, what this series was is now distorted, until it’s an unrecognizable shimmer. The elegant writing, the artfully but never graphically described violence, the snappy and enjoyable dialog, the politically incorrect humor, and an uncanny sense of where to draw the line at all of the above, were lost once Parker died. If you’ve missed this one, or ignored it because it was one of the later entries, do yourself a favor and read it. Very good stuff.
January 28, 2013
Spenser gets hired by the grandmother of a teenager accused of being one of two kids who went on a shooting spree in their high school and killed several of the students and teachers. The grandmother is convinced that he is innocent despite being caught at the scene and giving a confession to the police. When Spenser starts investigating he finds that everyone involved, even the kid’s parents and his lawyer, just want to get him put in prison as soon as possible.
I didn’t remember a lot about this one which usually isn’t a good sign, but I was pleasantly surprised because it had several things which set it apart from the weaker Spenser books that make up most of the later part of the series. For starters, the grandmother is actually a decent and smart person that Spenser likes and respects so it’s one of the very few times where his client didn’t end up being a total asshat. There’s also an interesting shift in that Spenser thinks the kid is guilty but is committed to finding out the details that are being overlooked in the rush to get him thrown in jail and most importantly, why they did the shootings in the first place.
Best of all, there’s almost no Susan in this one. Spenser’s annoying lady-love is off at a psychiatric conference so other than a few phone conversations, Spenser is flying solo. In fact, there’s no Hawk either and other than Rita Fiore the book is surprisingly light on most of the regular supporting characters. With Spenser interacting with cops, lawyers, psychiatrists, school officials and students that aren’t part of the usual familiar faces, Robert B. Parker had to stretch a bit and have conversations where the rhythms weren’t the same old patterns he’d done so many times before.
So we get a more engaged Spenser digging into a furball of a case that is making everyone unhappy as well as a few good action scenes to keep it lively. My only real complaint is that .
The lack of Susan makes this one a must-read for Spenser fans.
Next up: April Kyle returns in Hundred Dollar Baby, and it seems like Spenser should be offering her some kind of repeat customer discount at this point.
I didn’t remember a lot about this one which usually isn’t a good sign, but I was pleasantly surprised because it had several things which set it apart from the weaker Spenser books that make up most of the later part of the series. For starters, the grandmother is actually a decent and smart person that Spenser likes and respects so it’s one of the very few times where his client didn’t end up being a total asshat. There’s also an interesting shift in that Spenser thinks the kid is guilty but is committed to finding out the details that are being overlooked in the rush to get him thrown in jail and most importantly, why they did the shootings in the first place.
Best of all, there’s almost no Susan in this one. Spenser’s annoying lady-love is off at a psychiatric conference so other than a few phone conversations, Spenser is flying solo. In fact, there’s no Hawk either and other than Rita Fiore the book is surprisingly light on most of the regular supporting characters. With Spenser interacting with cops, lawyers, psychiatrists, school officials and students that aren’t part of the usual familiar faces, Robert B. Parker had to stretch a bit and have conversations where the rhythms weren’t the same old patterns he’d done so many times before.
So we get a more engaged Spenser digging into a furball of a case that is making everyone unhappy as well as a few good action scenes to keep it lively. My only real complaint is that .
The lack of Susan makes this one a must-read for Spenser fans.
Next up: April Kyle returns in Hundred Dollar Baby, and it seems like Spenser should be offering her some kind of repeat customer discount at this point.
June 26, 2019
School Days (2005) is a good mystery, better than most later Spensers. It is perhaps a little dated, now that Sandy Hook and Marjorie Stoneman-Douglas have changed our attitudes toward school violence, but it perfectly captured at least one of America’s moods in the decade after Columbine, when teenage shooters from affluent families were dismissed as noxious anomalies, nightmare discursions from the American Dream to be wished devoutly away.
Spenser’s mission is to prove one of these shooters not guilty, although he doubts that even the wealthy grandmother who hires him really believes the boy is innocent. Still, there is something strange about the case. The reasons for the shooting are unclear, and—even more puzzling—where did all the guns and ammo come from?
So Spenser begins to look for possible sources of motive and weapons, and comes to realize that, although the boy may indeed be guilty, there are others that deserve a much greater share of the blame.
A few of the things that make this a good Spenser is all that things that are not in it: Hawk, Vinnie, serious death threats on major characters, super bad guys (friend or foe), serious involvement with organized crime, and—best of all—no Susan (who is mercifully out of town, at a conference of shrinks). I’m not saying any of these things—even Susan—is necessarily bad thing—but I find Spenser to be less predictable, and more resourceful on his own.
There is a little too much Pearl the Wonderdog, and a little too much of Spenser whining about Susan’s absence. But Rita Fiore is here, with her great legs, and in great form. In my opinion, we don’t see nearly enough of her.
August 17, 2017
Not the worst book I ever read.
I went through this period in my mid-twenties when I was trying to work out on the elliptical and the bike at the gym, but it was SO BORING that I ended up trying to read. You ever read a book when you are stepping up and down with hips shifting side to side? Yeah, super-challenging with small print books. Oh, this was the mid-to-late 90s, kids, before audio books were a thing beyond the Bible and the classics and phones could be linked to a tv channel or a favorite movie. I discovered mental diversion in the form of thrillers, a genre previously largely unexploited by me. They worked extremely well; I was particularly fond of Robert Parker's Spenser series and Lee Child's series. Fast plotting, larger print, lots of white space, not a lot of extraneous detail; perfect for a fluctuating attention level. My physical copy of School Days is an artifact of those days, but unsurprisingly, I remember nothing about it. I decided to clear it off my shelves, passing it on to my dad, but thought I'd give it one quick perusal before it embarked on its next journey.
It's definitely quick, a one-evening read. This feels like most of the Spenser books as he aged, outlines waiting to be fleshed in, and as such is barely an investigation wrapped in book nostalgia. Chapters generally last four to five pages. We get cursory nods to Spenser patterns; cooking a meal, mention of Hawk, assistance from Healy of the State Patrol, a fight, him being a wiseass and the person he's interacting with resenting it. Friend appearances are mostly limited to Rita the Super Hot Super Smart Lawyer. That is, besides Pearl the Wonder-Dog, able to sniff out yogurt containers in an office. For those that hate Susan, Spenser's long-time lady-love, she's off-screen at a conference for most of the book.
The bare bones is that a rich grandma hires him to prove her grandson 'didn't do it,' a horrific mass shooting at a school in a very wealthy, conservative suburb. The book has aged poorly, in light of the real mass shootings we've since witnessed. The parents, the cops, the teachers and everyone want the kid to 'go away and disappear,' unanswered questions and all, a marked contrast to the dissection and blame we saw after the Columbine shooting. The kids at the private school are nonplussed by the incident, a mere six months ago. In fact, Spencer and the cops are remarkably undisturbed. Puzzling that Spenser doesn't even talk to families of the people killed or the wounded when trying to learn more.
As a final trigger for some folks, the resolution hinges on It makes the book seriously dated.
I gotta say, it's really only worth it for completionists. I'm happy to send it out on the world to find its own way.
AKA: The one where Spencer Thinks the Defendant is Guilty.
I went through this period in my mid-twenties when I was trying to work out on the elliptical and the bike at the gym, but it was SO BORING that I ended up trying to read. You ever read a book when you are stepping up and down with hips shifting side to side? Yeah, super-challenging with small print books. Oh, this was the mid-to-late 90s, kids, before audio books were a thing beyond the Bible and the classics and phones could be linked to a tv channel or a favorite movie. I discovered mental diversion in the form of thrillers, a genre previously largely unexploited by me. They worked extremely well; I was particularly fond of Robert Parker's Spenser series and Lee Child's series. Fast plotting, larger print, lots of white space, not a lot of extraneous detail; perfect for a fluctuating attention level. My physical copy of School Days is an artifact of those days, but unsurprisingly, I remember nothing about it. I decided to clear it off my shelves, passing it on to my dad, but thought I'd give it one quick perusal before it embarked on its next journey.
It's definitely quick, a one-evening read. This feels like most of the Spenser books as he aged, outlines waiting to be fleshed in, and as such is barely an investigation wrapped in book nostalgia. Chapters generally last four to five pages. We get cursory nods to Spenser patterns; cooking a meal, mention of Hawk, assistance from Healy of the State Patrol, a fight, him being a wiseass and the person he's interacting with resenting it. Friend appearances are mostly limited to Rita the Super Hot Super Smart Lawyer. That is, besides Pearl the Wonder-Dog, able to sniff out yogurt containers in an office. For those that hate Susan, Spenser's long-time lady-love, she's off-screen at a conference for most of the book.
The bare bones is that a rich grandma hires him to prove her grandson 'didn't do it,' a horrific mass shooting at a school in a very wealthy, conservative suburb. The book has aged poorly, in light of the real mass shootings we've since witnessed. The parents, the cops, the teachers and everyone want the kid to 'go away and disappear,' unanswered questions and all, a marked contrast to the dissection and blame we saw after the Columbine shooting. The kids at the private school are nonplussed by the incident, a mere six months ago. In fact, Spencer and the cops are remarkably undisturbed. Puzzling that Spenser doesn't even talk to families of the people killed or the wounded when trying to learn more.
As a final trigger for some folks, the resolution hinges on It makes the book seriously dated.
I gotta say, it's really only worth it for completionists. I'm happy to send it out on the world to find its own way.
AKA: The one where Spencer Thinks the Defendant is Guilty.
September 25, 2024
Read this in paperback form
No Susan in this one but an overloaded amount of Pearl2. Meh. No Hawk either 😬
Spenser gets hired by a kid’s rich grandmother to find out if he’s innocent of a school shooting. This one was super sad. Bad parents, bad teachers and a horrible physiologist that took advantage of a young kid. Ick. No one’s really innocent in this one. Yikes.
Everyone gets what they deserve though and I guess that’s important. Meh 😑
No Susan in this one but an overloaded amount of Pearl2. Meh. No Hawk either 😬
Spenser gets hired by a kid’s rich grandmother to find out if he’s innocent of a school shooting. This one was super sad. Bad parents, bad teachers and a horrible physiologist that took advantage of a young kid. Ick. No one’s really innocent in this one. Yikes.
Everyone gets what they deserve though and I guess that’s important. Meh 😑
June 24, 2023
School Days, Book #33 in Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series, finds Spenser investigating a shooting at the private Dowling Academy, where two seventeen-year-old boys killed five of their fellow students, an assistant dean, and a teacher. Both boys have confessed to the crime, but Lily Ellsworth, the grandmother of one of the boys, Jared Clark, believes her grandson is innocent and hires Spenser to prove it.
Spenser soon learns that no one other than Lily wants him to investigate. The school, the police, and even the boys’ parents want to punish the boys and move on. Jared himself is uncooperative, and Spenser finds it hard to believe he’s not guilty. But even if he is guilty, Spenser is determined to find out why he did it and at least try to potentially mitigate his punishment.
This story enables Parker to explore the phenomenon of school shootings that has become an epidemic in the United States. In doing so, he considers how personality, parenting, peer pressure, school environment, gun availability, and other factors may come into play to create the kind of damaged young people who would act as the two boys did here. He doesn’t attempt to provide global answers—this is a mystery novel, not a sociological treatise—but he does a good job of raising some important questions.
Spenser is basically operating on his own in School Days. Hawk doesn’t appear at all (although his name is invoked when Spenser enlists the help of Major Johnson, a young gang leader who met and admired Hawk in Double Deuce, #19). So there’s none of the bromance-style banter between Spenser and Hawk that’s one of my favorite aspects of the series. Spenser does get to do a little wisecracking with local police detective Sergeant DiBella, but it’s not quite the same. Nonetheless, his client Lily recognizes that Spenser is a “wisenheimer,” and the Dowling police chief calls him a “wiseass.” And that’s after they’ve each just met him.
For most of the book, Susan Silverman is, thankfully, absent. Spenser tells us that Susan is at Duke University (shout-out to my alma mater) in Durham, North Carolina, giving a paper on psychotherapy at a “shrink conference.” I assumed she would be back soon enough to resume her role as Spenser’s annoying, if occasionally insightful, inamorata. But no, this time she stayed away until the final chapter (among other things, enjoying dinner at Durham’s late great restaurant, Magnolia Grill). For me, this development was a breath of fresh air. For one thing, it gave Spenser more leeway to hang out with the smart and perpetually sexually suggestive lawyer Rita Fiore, who’s more fun than Susan.
So, in my opinion, School Days is an interesting story about an important topic. The plot keeps moving as Spenser employs his tried and true detecting method of poking around. He disparages himself, as usual: “‘I am finding out more and more about less and less. … I will eventually know everything about nothing,’” he tells Rita. But he does get results, even if those results are not always the best that could be hoped for. Hawk’s absence is a definite minus, but Susan’s absence and Rita’s more frequent presence are pluses. My rating is about 3.5 stars, bumped up to four.
Spenser soon learns that no one other than Lily wants him to investigate. The school, the police, and even the boys’ parents want to punish the boys and move on. Jared himself is uncooperative, and Spenser finds it hard to believe he’s not guilty. But even if he is guilty, Spenser is determined to find out why he did it and at least try to potentially mitigate his punishment.
This story enables Parker to explore the phenomenon of school shootings that has become an epidemic in the United States. In doing so, he considers how personality, parenting, peer pressure, school environment, gun availability, and other factors may come into play to create the kind of damaged young people who would act as the two boys did here. He doesn’t attempt to provide global answers—this is a mystery novel, not a sociological treatise—but he does a good job of raising some important questions.
Spenser is basically operating on his own in School Days. Hawk doesn’t appear at all (although his name is invoked when Spenser enlists the help of Major Johnson, a young gang leader who met and admired Hawk in Double Deuce, #19). So there’s none of the bromance-style banter between Spenser and Hawk that’s one of my favorite aspects of the series. Spenser does get to do a little wisecracking with local police detective Sergeant DiBella, but it’s not quite the same. Nonetheless, his client Lily recognizes that Spenser is a “wisenheimer,” and the Dowling police chief calls him a “wiseass.” And that’s after they’ve each just met him.
For most of the book, Susan Silverman is, thankfully, absent. Spenser tells us that Susan is at Duke University (shout-out to my alma mater) in Durham, North Carolina, giving a paper on psychotherapy at a “shrink conference.” I assumed she would be back soon enough to resume her role as Spenser’s annoying, if occasionally insightful, inamorata. But no, this time she stayed away until the final chapter (among other things, enjoying dinner at Durham’s late great restaurant, Magnolia Grill). For me, this development was a breath of fresh air. For one thing, it gave Spenser more leeway to hang out with the smart and perpetually sexually suggestive lawyer Rita Fiore, who’s more fun than Susan.
So, in my opinion, School Days is an interesting story about an important topic. The plot keeps moving as Spenser employs his tried and true detecting method of poking around. He disparages himself, as usual: “‘I am finding out more and more about less and less. … I will eventually know everything about nothing,’” he tells Rita. But he does get results, even if those results are not always the best that could be hoped for. Hawk’s absence is a definite minus, but Susan’s absence and Rita’s more frequent presence are pluses. My rating is about 3.5 stars, bumped up to four.
May 28, 2019
School Days is book thirty-three in the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker. Private Detective Spenser caught a case of young book Jared Clark accused of taking part in a shooting at his school. Looking at the evidence, Private Detective Spenser thinks there is more to the story and starts to investigate. However, during the investigation, Private Detective Spenser found more then he bargained for that will change the lives of the people who are involved. The readers of School Days will continue to follow Spenser to find out what happens.
I do not usually enjoy books in this series. However, I did enjoy reading School Days; it engaged me from the beginning of the book. I like the way Robert B. Parker portrayed his characters and their interaction with each other throughout this book. School Days was well written and researched by Robert B. Parker. The way Robert B. Parker describe the settings of School Days transported be back to school.
The readers of School Days will learn the consequences for children when parents are indifferent to their needs and feelings. Also, the readers of School Days will understand the importance of love, trust, friendship and loyalty.
I recommend this book.
I do not usually enjoy books in this series. However, I did enjoy reading School Days; it engaged me from the beginning of the book. I like the way Robert B. Parker portrayed his characters and their interaction with each other throughout this book. School Days was well written and researched by Robert B. Parker. The way Robert B. Parker describe the settings of School Days transported be back to school.
The readers of School Days will learn the consequences for children when parents are indifferent to their needs and feelings. Also, the readers of School Days will understand the importance of love, trust, friendship and loyalty.
I recommend this book.
February 13, 2017
As usual we enjoyed this installment of Spenser's adventures. My husband and I are reading as many as we can lately. Fast, easy reading, keeping us entertained with his wit, roving eye, and sense of humor.
As he is hired by a wealthy older woman to investigate whether her grandson was innocent or not of involvement in a school shooting, Spenser is nothing if not thorough. With only Pearl (his girlfriend Susan's German shorthair pointer at his side, he methodically pursues more information from all sources, even though the boy and an accomplice have confessed and are already in custody and awaiting legal proceedings. There is always more to the story than meets the eye, and Spenser will find it.
Thumbs up! We love Spenser.
As he is hired by a wealthy older woman to investigate whether her grandson was innocent or not of involvement in a school shooting, Spenser is nothing if not thorough. With only Pearl (his girlfriend Susan's German shorthair pointer at his side, he methodically pursues more information from all sources, even though the boy and an accomplice have confessed and are already in custody and awaiting legal proceedings. There is always more to the story than meets the eye, and Spenser will find it.
Thumbs up! We love Spenser.
August 16, 2021
“School days. You know. Dear old golden-rule days.”
“So I can’t go at this trying to clear anybody. I just have to find out what happened and why.”
“Saving one is better than saving none.”
An excellent, quick Spenser read. I always love Robert B. Parker’s no nonsense prose. The writing and dialogue is sharp as always and the mystery/story in one of his strongest in awhile. The best part is that Susan, who no one can stand, is very limited in the book. I wish more were like that. Hawk is not mentioned once, which is a letdown, but still the storyline was strong.
“So I can’t go at this trying to clear anybody. I just have to find out what happened and why.”
“Saving one is better than saving none.”
An excellent, quick Spenser read. I always love Robert B. Parker’s no nonsense prose. The writing and dialogue is sharp as always and the mystery/story in one of his strongest in awhile. The best part is that Susan, who no one can stand, is very limited in the book. I wish more were like that. Hawk is not mentioned once, which is a letdown, but still the storyline was strong.
January 12, 2017
In book 33 of the Spenser series Parker takes on issues like Columbine. Kids killing other kids in a mass murder rampage by two boys. We learn what was going on at the school that played a part in the kids shooting spree. There was rumors in my high school when I attended of some of the same stuff going on. The next step wasn't taken as was here though.
Spenser is hired by Grandma to prove Jared innocent. Wendell was caught and said the other shooter in a ski mask was Jared. Jared was arrested and then confessed. The families of the two boys wanted them put in prison. Grandma and Spenser were the only ones who wanted something different. Grandma wanted Jared found innocent, Spenser wants to find out what really happened and why.
Some twists and turns that I enjoy were present. No Susan or Hawk. Just Spenser and Pearl. A man and his spoiled hound.
Spenser is hired by Grandma to prove Jared innocent. Wendell was caught and said the other shooter in a ski mask was Jared. Jared was arrested and then confessed. The families of the two boys wanted them put in prison. Grandma and Spenser were the only ones who wanted something different. Grandma wanted Jared found innocent, Spenser wants to find out what really happened and why.
Some twists and turns that I enjoy were present. No Susan or Hawk. Just Spenser and Pearl. A man and his spoiled hound.
April 16, 2017
One of the better from the later books. This was basically all Spenser. No Hawk, no Vinnie and, thankfully, very little Susan. There was not a lot of action, but what action there was, was good. The story was compelling and fairly timely as it deals with school shootings and sex scandals. All in all a good read.
August 26, 2019
A wealthy lady enlists Spenser to investigate her grandson's affairs. He is under arrest for the school shooting, along with a co-conspirator, that has resulted in seven dead.
Spenser's tactics are his usual - ask questions, probe, and annoy until someone reacts and gives him more leads.
No Susan or Hawk here, and the mystery of why the boy has admitted guilt is what drives the narrative.
Spenser's tactics are his usual - ask questions, probe, and annoy until someone reacts and gives him more leads.
No Susan or Hawk here, and the mystery of why the boy has admitted guilt is what drives the narrative.
December 23, 2012
Lily Ellsworth does not believe that her grandson Jared Clark is guilty of the school shooting, despite the evidence and his confession. She is a grand old dame who has money to hire the best. She chooses to hire Spenser.
Spenser is not entirely convinced of Jared's innocence but, during the investigation, he runs into police, school officials, and even the boy's parents who all seem to want Spenser to stop looking into the shooting and leave things alone. Spenser is determined to get to the bottom of why everyone wants him off the case. As he continues to dig, he finds that the principle is involved with the school pyschologist who is involved with the child and everyone wants to hush it all up.
Spenser decides to fight for Jared, and justice prevails in the end.
This is a light cozy read with a primary lead who will always in my mind be Robert Ulrich.
Spenser is not entirely convinced of Jared's innocence but, during the investigation, he runs into police, school officials, and even the boy's parents who all seem to want Spenser to stop looking into the shooting and leave things alone. Spenser is determined to get to the bottom of why everyone wants him off the case. As he continues to dig, he finds that the principle is involved with the school pyschologist who is involved with the child and everyone wants to hush it all up.
Spenser decides to fight for Jared, and justice prevails in the end.
This is a light cozy read with a primary lead who will always in my mind be Robert Ulrich.
November 19, 2018
From other reviewers, I see that both Spenser and Pearl run amok in this book.
No Thank you.
Skipped
No Thank you.
Skipped
March 21, 2020
For Parker to get 4 stars out of me in a Spenser book without Hawk and Quirk at all and the rest of the crew including Susan barely showing up it had to be a great story. It was. The topic was terrible but nothing not seen often unfortunately. It was handled well and Spenser did what he is known for. He followed it to the end and got what justice was possible.
March 20, 2017
I tried to get into this story, but Parker's writing style is so boring. Even highly interesting sections are deflated from the repetitious sentence structure. Plus, after about the mid-way point the story start to feel like a soap opera or telenovela with it's twists and red herrings.
May 7, 2022
I missed Hawk
December 10, 2023
Thirty-three down, and seventeen to go!
June 15, 2025
This felt like a Spenser of old, a welcome addition to the series. Spenser is pretty much on his own here; no Hawk and no Susan. It's been a long while since we had one like this, and I think the book is better because of it. The plot is pretty heavy, a school shooting and some messed up kids. But as always Spenser and his smart ass remarks help keep it a little bit lighter.
October 27, 2013
Robert Parker is an entertaining author, and that's why his books continue to sell. As one reviewer noted, the stories are all the same, predictable - except for the murdered & victims, and town setting. True, but it's for Spencer (PI) and Jesse Stone (small town chief of police) (the main detective/sleuths) we, Parker's fans)come back for more. The books are easy reads and perfect for a lazy day, before sleep (don't even have to figure anything out) and/or a plane ride. Pick one up. Enjoy. No big deal, but entertaining. Crimes take place in and around Boston, and other locations in New England.
School days a Spenser (his first name is not revealed) novel. A big, handsome, hunk of a private investigator, who has a warped sense of humor at inappropriate times, can kick butt and not afraid to shoot off (not only his mouth) but his gun to defend the helpless and himself.
"School Days" starts off with a surprise visit to Spencer's office from a rich grandmother whose grandson was involved in a school shooting in a upper class white Boston suburb. The grandmother refuses to believe her sixteen year-old grandson is guilty of the horrendous massacre. This theme hits home as I tried not to think too much of the reality of the crime. Grandmother hires Spencer to prove the young man's innocence. Spencer goes after the truth - is the kid really innocent? Or, did he indeed take part in the two man crime? Who else was involved? We meet some unhappy, crafty, lying people in positions of authority. Spencer has a way of bringing out the worst in the "good" people, and the best in the "bad" people at times.
Parker writes with a quick pen, the plot moves, the dialogue is good and at times, funny even if surreal conversations take place.
I did miss a character that is usually in the Spencer mysteries, another big hunk, and quite scary, badass, Hawk. Spencer's girlfriend Susan wasn't in this, but a few phone calls from her out-of-town location. I really not that big on Susan, she's kinda, meh...so that's okay. But, the ballbreaker attorney, Rita, now she's a character and tries to persuade Spence to no avail, to have a kinky good time. You see, the hunk, the "solitary" man really is in love with his shrink girlfriend. The women in Parker's novels are beautiful, and hot - of course! The life of a PI.
Again, an entertaining, no brainer, well-written mystery.
School days a Spenser (his first name is not revealed) novel. A big, handsome, hunk of a private investigator, who has a warped sense of humor at inappropriate times, can kick butt and not afraid to shoot off (not only his mouth) but his gun to defend the helpless and himself.
"School Days" starts off with a surprise visit to Spencer's office from a rich grandmother whose grandson was involved in a school shooting in a upper class white Boston suburb. The grandmother refuses to believe her sixteen year-old grandson is guilty of the horrendous massacre. This theme hits home as I tried not to think too much of the reality of the crime. Grandmother hires Spencer to prove the young man's innocence. Spencer goes after the truth - is the kid really innocent? Or, did he indeed take part in the two man crime? Who else was involved? We meet some unhappy, crafty, lying people in positions of authority. Spencer has a way of bringing out the worst in the "good" people, and the best in the "bad" people at times.
Parker writes with a quick pen, the plot moves, the dialogue is good and at times, funny even if surreal conversations take place.
I did miss a character that is usually in the Spencer mysteries, another big hunk, and quite scary, badass, Hawk. Spencer's girlfriend Susan wasn't in this, but a few phone calls from her out-of-town location. I really not that big on Susan, she's kinda, meh...so that's okay. But, the ballbreaker attorney, Rita, now she's a character and tries to persuade Spence to no avail, to have a kinky good time. You see, the hunk, the "solitary" man really is in love with his shrink girlfriend. The women in Parker's novels are beautiful, and hot - of course! The life of a PI.
Again, an entertaining, no brainer, well-written mystery.
March 30, 2011
At last, a Parker novel that's more about actual detective work than displaying one's level of male hormones, well.. almost..
This time, Spenser is hired to investigate a Columbine-like shooting by the grandmother of one of the shooters. Though he is in custody and has confessed to having a part in the crime, she doesn't think he is guitly and wantsSpenser to prove it.
Spenser sets about in his usual break-all-the rules manner and soon has everybody in the whole town pretty much ticked off at him, including the parents, the lawyers, the cops, and the students. And this time, Parker manages to tick me off as well with Spenser's behavior.
I want to see smart-aleck private eyes. I want them to be tough. However, I want them to observe some conventions, like not allowing his dog to run wild everywhere he goes. I get fed up with his dog being with him everywhere, going in other places where dogs don't belong, etc.
Further, I get tired of every Parker's obsession with food. My brother thinks this demonstrates a certain predisposition to being a gourmet.. if it was just gourmet foods that Spenser is interested in -- well. when he even has to mention Lean Cuisines (or was it Budget Gourmet) frozen dinners.. well.. it just doesn't add anything to the plot.. I don't really give a rat's long tail and the rump it is attached to what Spenser eats and it certainly isn't required in nearly every single chapter.
Finally, Just when I thought Parker would be creative in the conclusion of this novel (and which would have greatly improved my opinion of it.. Spenser has to get into an absurd (and almost comical) shootout that just plain doesn't advance the plot well at all. Does Parker think that Spenser has to shoot a specific number of villains in each novel or something?
This one was better than some.. Parker still waxes on about shrinks and psychology, food, and brute action takes the place of clever crime solving.
This time, Spenser is hired to investigate a Columbine-like shooting by the grandmother of one of the shooters. Though he is in custody and has confessed to having a part in the crime, she doesn't think he is guitly and wantsSpenser to prove it.
Spenser sets about in his usual break-all-the rules manner and soon has everybody in the whole town pretty much ticked off at him, including the parents, the lawyers, the cops, and the students. And this time, Parker manages to tick me off as well with Spenser's behavior.
I want to see smart-aleck private eyes. I want them to be tough. However, I want them to observe some conventions, like not allowing his dog to run wild everywhere he goes. I get fed up with his dog being with him everywhere, going in other places where dogs don't belong, etc.
Further, I get tired of every Parker's obsession with food. My brother thinks this demonstrates a certain predisposition to being a gourmet.. if it was just gourmet foods that Spenser is interested in -- well. when he even has to mention Lean Cuisines (or was it Budget Gourmet) frozen dinners.. well.. it just doesn't add anything to the plot.. I don't really give a rat's long tail and the rump it is attached to what Spenser eats and it certainly isn't required in nearly every single chapter.
Finally, Just when I thought Parker would be creative in the conclusion of this novel (and which would have greatly improved my opinion of it.. Spenser has to get into an absurd (and almost comical) shootout that just plain doesn't advance the plot well at all. Does Parker think that Spenser has to shoot a specific number of villains in each novel or something?
This one was better than some.. Parker still waxes on about shrinks and psychology, food, and brute action takes the place of clever crime solving.
August 2, 2018
Reading “Days” was for us bittersweet as this 33rd in Parker’s original 39-book Spenser series concluded our reading of that entire bibliography. {We are indeed reading the extended set written by Ace Atkins however…} The plot seems all too familiar these days, as two high school kids decide to enter a somewhat exclusive school and seemingly randomly shoot and kill several students and a teacher for no apparent reason. Both killers are captured and destined for at least life sentences if not the death chamber.
Spenser is hired by one of the boy’s grandmother to see if her grandson really did the deed, as he was not apprehended on the scene but was ratted out by his co-culprit. It takes only a couple hours to realize he was indeed one of the two perps, but Spenser is bedeviled by the “why”, especially since he senses the teenager in question is a little bit “off”. Our persistent protagonist eventually learns a great deal about the matter, including where they got the guns, who taught them how to shoot, and just what prompted the whole thing. He wound up pretty satisfied with his research, but it didn’t really do much to change anything.
So the tale was, as with most of these novels, predictably entertaining enough; and we will surely miss the author’s voice. We won’t necessarily miss Susan and some of her “babble” that much, but of course her role will continue, albeit thankfully minimized, in the recent extensions to the set. But we have to give kudos to Parker for providing us many an hour of diversionary reading enjoyment!
Spenser is hired by one of the boy’s grandmother to see if her grandson really did the deed, as he was not apprehended on the scene but was ratted out by his co-culprit. It takes only a couple hours to realize he was indeed one of the two perps, but Spenser is bedeviled by the “why”, especially since he senses the teenager in question is a little bit “off”. Our persistent protagonist eventually learns a great deal about the matter, including where they got the guns, who taught them how to shoot, and just what prompted the whole thing. He wound up pretty satisfied with his research, but it didn’t really do much to change anything.
So the tale was, as with most of these novels, predictably entertaining enough; and we will surely miss the author’s voice. We won’t necessarily miss Susan and some of her “babble” that much, but of course her role will continue, albeit thankfully minimized, in the recent extensions to the set. But we have to give kudos to Parker for providing us many an hour of diversionary reading enjoyment!
May 8, 2009
I just choose this book from the list of 30-odd "Spenser" books by Robert B. Parker. I remember reading them 20 years ago when I did a lot more airplane travel, before laptops and ipods and cell phones.
I also remember moving quickly past Parker to the grittier Elmore Leonard. Spenser was too damn perfect. His sidekick Hawk is able to leap tall building in a single bound, and both of them can beat anyone in a fight. His girlfriend is perfect. Their stupid dog, Pearl, is perfect. It was just too clever.
But a few years ago, I picked another one up - actually, I picked up some books on tape with Joe Montegna doing the reading. And I decided I liked Spenser after all. His sarcasm and dismissal of all forms of bluster - crooks and bureaucrats and overbearing waiters are all fair game.
Yeah, yeah - he's a type. The former-boxer white guy who's best friend is black, his other best friend is gay, his girlfriend is Jewish. He's the PC version of the Lone Ranger, friend of the Indians. He's just so much fun to read, slicing through all the nonsense with a wisecrack.
Keep it up Mr. Parker. And hope Montegna is doing the readings on the new ones. They're great.
I also remember moving quickly past Parker to the grittier Elmore Leonard. Spenser was too damn perfect. His sidekick Hawk is able to leap tall building in a single bound, and both of them can beat anyone in a fight. His girlfriend is perfect. Their stupid dog, Pearl, is perfect. It was just too clever.
But a few years ago, I picked another one up - actually, I picked up some books on tape with Joe Montegna doing the reading. And I decided I liked Spenser after all. His sarcasm and dismissal of all forms of bluster - crooks and bureaucrats and overbearing waiters are all fair game.
Yeah, yeah - he's a type. The former-boxer white guy who's best friend is black, his other best friend is gay, his girlfriend is Jewish. He's the PC version of the Lone Ranger, friend of the Indians. He's just so much fun to read, slicing through all the nonsense with a wisecrack.
Keep it up Mr. Parker. And hope Montegna is doing the readings on the new ones. They're great.
October 29, 2014
I was not sure about this book since its a series.What i mean is this is one of the Detective Spenser's book series.Its not the last one or the first one, so i kinda question it but i really liked this book afterwards.
Spencer the main guy is a detective and its on a case of school shooting.Grandmother of an teenage Massachusetts boy hires Spenser to unrevial the secret of Shooting in his school. Before i bought this book, we know lately there were a lot of school shooting.So this book gave me more information why things like this happen and how can we pretend it.This horrible crime happening in Boston,Massachusetts which Author talks about it a lot.After the book i searched online about the author and he is also from Massachusetts.This explains me how he knew most of the stuff about Massachusetts.
I really liked this book and i think everyone should read it.
Spencer the main guy is a detective and its on a case of school shooting.Grandmother of an teenage Massachusetts boy hires Spenser to unrevial the secret of Shooting in his school. Before i bought this book, we know lately there were a lot of school shooting.So this book gave me more information why things like this happen and how can we pretend it.This horrible crime happening in Boston,Massachusetts which Author talks about it a lot.After the book i searched online about the author and he is also from Massachusetts.This explains me how he knew most of the stuff about Massachusetts.
I really liked this book and i think everyone should read it.
December 19, 2016
3.5 stars. Liker pretty much all of RBP's books, the dialogue is usually sparkling and fast-paced. Spenser's investigating a school shooting, and the entire town seems to want it to go away as quickly as possible. The plot had a solid push to it that propelled the whole thing forward. But I found myself thinking that Spenser's gotten so arrogant and condescending towards pretty much everyone and everything. No one's good enough or would have made the same decision as he and Susan would have. And now every other guy Spenser comes across, it's okay to talk overtly sexual. Even when there's a picture of an adult molesting a child. And when Spenser promises a teen girl he'll protect her and she ends up dead - it's like an oops, my bad - instead of someone who should be devastated. One of my favorite private dicks is acting more like one as the series nears its conclusion.
March 17, 2015
Two boys shoot up a high school near Spenser. Susan is off down South doing some graduate work, so it is up to Spenser and Pearl to solve the case. THere was a case years ago where a woman teacher claimed to be in love with a young student--and later married him. Here, it is a guidance counselor--who must need some guidance herself--and what turned out to be a 14 year old retarded boy whom she was trying to adjust.
May 7, 2018
WOW! WOW! You know, this was like reading about the Parkland shooting except, allegedly there were 2 shooters, but, was there? Susan is at a convention. Pearl (II) misses her and so does Spenser but at least he has Rita Fiore (F ē or /ɛ/ as in bet), lololol. Some "parents" have absolutely no business having children. And the one's mother actually went to a sperm bank, OMG! Abuse by a therapist at a private school, and then the "president" OMG
November 4, 2015
One thing be can be said about Spenser, he has an interesting life. Every time he gets a case, it opens a door to insanity. The books are still kind of repetitive, but I like Spenser and his humor. It's always interesting to see what he's going to do with some of the dodos he has to deal with in the midst of his investigations.
December 15, 2015
Spenser investigates a school shooting on behalf of one of a pair of teenagers, both of whom survive and confess, and he becomes invested, as he does, in the why and how of their crimes. No Susan or Hawk but a few of the usual supporting cast. interesting twist to the story.
October 21, 2014
335 delightful large print pages! I love Spencer... he's a guy I'd always want on my side.
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