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Spenser #32
Cold Service
When Spenser's closest ally, Hawk, is brutally injured and left for dead while protecting bookie Luther Gillespie, Spenser embarks on an epic journey to rehabilitate his friend in body and soul. Hawk, always proud, has never been dependent on anyone. Now he is forced to make connections: to accept the medical technology that will ensure his physical recovery, and to reinforce the tenuous emotional ties he has to those around him.
Spenser quickly learns that the Ukrainian mob is responsible for the hit, but finding a way into their tightly knit circle is not nearly so simple. Their total control of the town of Marshport, from the bodegas to the police force to the mayor's office, isn't just a sign of rampant corruption-it's a form of arrogance that only serves to ignite Hawk's desire to get even. As the body count rises, Spenser is forced to employ some questionable techniques and even more questionable hired guns while redefining his friendship with Hawk in the name of vengeance.
Spenser quickly learns that the Ukrainian mob is responsible for the hit, but finding a way into their tightly knit circle is not nearly so simple. Their total control of the town of Marshport, from the bodegas to the police force to the mayor's office, isn't just a sign of rampant corruption-it's a form of arrogance that only serves to ignite Hawk's desire to get even. As the body count rises, Spenser is forced to employ some questionable techniques and even more questionable hired guns while redefining his friendship with Hawk in the name of vengeance.
305 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
684 people are currently reading
1380 people want to read
About the author
Robert B. Parker
489 books2,294 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 1, 2017
“So if Tony buys it, all we got to do is go up to Marshport and take over the city.” — Spenser
“That be the plan.” — Hawk
“Any operational details? Like how?” — Spenser
“I already give the you the big picture. You supposed to contribute something.” — Hawk
“How about I learn to say ‘don’t shoot’ in Ukranian?” — Spenser
Even as the sun began to set on Spenser, there were a few good reads left in the series. Cold Service, despite some caveats, is one of them. Two books before Parker’s best in a very long while, Hundred-Dollar Baby, and three before the awful Now and Then, Parker returned to the plot of Small Vices. In that entry, Spenser was shot and nearly killed. He had to rehabilitate with help from Hawk, and of course, Susan. But more importantly he had to set things right once he was back in shape, and find redemption. In Cold Service we have that coin flipped, and it is Hawk in that same situation. The similarities in plot end there, though the Gray Man plays an integral part in this one as well.
Though the Susan factor had altered the direction of the series from Valediction onward, and hindered the literary heights Parker’s work had aspired to early on, it was still occasionally great entertainment. This one’s a quick read with a ton of interaction between Spenser and Hawk, who takes the lead in this one because of the story-line. A lot of characters in the Spenser world pass this way in this entry, including Vinnie, the Gray Man, Tony Marcus, Ives, Epstein, and the sexy Rita Fiore. It keeps moving swiftly, and there’s a plot that eventually encompasses the revenge and redemption story. That being said, there are a few strange things about this one, and a wistful caveat.
First, the strange stuff. Some of the dialog Parker gives Vinnie is very odd. It doesn’t sound at all like Vinnie, and is untrue to the character as he'd been portrayed in all the previous entries. A scene near the end when Vinnie comes to tell Hawk and Spenser that Boots is looking to ace Hawk, is glaringly awkward, and doesn’t feel right at all. Another strange thing is Hawk and Spenser ask Susan to help them plan their next move — more than once. And she does help them.
I’m not sure what was going on in these particular scenes, or what caused them to be written as they were, but they feel very un-Parker-like. I’ll leave it at that, and not speculate any further. Fortunately, all the interaction between Hawk and Spenser, and a solid story overcome those few moments of weirdness.
For anyone unfamiliar with the series, the aforementioned won’t be as glaring as it was to me, and the same might be said of my caveat. For those who’ve enjoyed this entire series over the years, however, one can’t read Cold Service and not lament the missed opportunity in Double Deuce that I talked about in my review of that book. Though that book was all about Hawk, Parker had already shifted the focus of the series — nearly completely — to the vain and pretentious Susan Silverman, making it about her and Spenser, ad nauseam. Because of that, Hawk’s younger years weren’t given their due in flashbacks that Double Deuce almost begged for, nor were poignant details of Hawk's past revealed in conversations. And it takes away from this entry.
Because Hawk’s struggles to get out of the ghetto were only alluded to in Double Deuce, and never expounded on, the resonance we might have felt in Cold Service when Hawk is temporarily stripped of that persona which he’d created in order to make it out, is muted. It’s a good story, and still entertaining, but the depth a great writer like Parker could have given this book had he not let the Susan Silverman character smother narratives, and mitigate the need for actual plotting and detecting, makes this effort more surface than substance.
Hawk gets back-shot and is in the hospital recovering. The bookie he was supposed to protect got dusted, as did the man’s wife and family. Only a very young boy survived, and Hawk knows he must do something about that once he is back to being Hawk. As in Small Vices, there is much talk about what the experience has done to Hawk — but not from Hawk himself. His current lover, Cecile, of course doesn’t understand why he doesn’t want her to see him until he’s back to being Hawk. Then she doesn’t understand why he has to keep a part of himself beyond her reach. The reader knows, of course, but the reader would feel it on another level had Parker not blown the opportunity he had in Double Deuce to make Hawk more than just Spenser’s cool and dangerous sidekick. There are flashes of what might have been, and Hawk is a great character, but once this series got back on the rails after jumping the track completely in Catskill Eagle, that kind of resonance was abandoned. It then became enjoyable entertainment, with only brief moments of what it had once been in the beginning.
The ensuing narrative when Hawk is finally back to his old self involves Ukrainians running some Afghan heroin through Marshport, a town controlled by Boots. The reason Tony Marcus is letting it all slide has to do with a daughter neither Spenser or Hawk were aware of, and her choice in men. Spenser talks with the spook, Ives, and he gives him the Gray Man to translate. The Feds have an interest too, and after talking with Epstein, it’s obvious that everyone has their own agenda concerning Marshport, Boots, and the deadly Ukrainians from Odessa. Vinnie gets involved and finally Hawk comes up with a very tricky plan to play everyone, so that he can clean up Marshport, kill the Ukrainians who shot him, and set up a trust fund for the boy, who Hawk views as his responsibility now. Action is sporadic but it’s a swiftly-moving and engaging read on the level Parker kept the series at after Catskill Eagle.
There is some crisp and funny dialog between Hawk and Spenser in this one — only some of the Susan and Vinnie stuff feels off. The story is good, the narrative entertaining. The conclusion is solid as well. After Catskill Eagle, Spenser should never have been as reticent here about the violence, however. The fact that Parker had shifted the series so much toward Silverman is highlighted by his moralizing here. In Catskill he killed a pimp and many others in order to rescue the unfaithful Silverman from a bed she had made herself. Here, however, Spenser has difficulty doing likewise for Hawk, someone of far more substance.
We get some of Susan’s psychobabble in this one, of course, though it’s kept at a minimum. Though there’s never any question that Spenser will be right there at Hawk’s side, how far he’ll go is another matter. It doesn’t ring true, not post-Catskill Eagle, and is just one more odd element that is overcome by a good story, swiftly moving narrative, and excellent exchanges between Hawk and Spenser. Though flawed, a very enjoyable read for a later Spenser.
“That be the plan.” — Hawk
“Any operational details? Like how?” — Spenser
“I already give the you the big picture. You supposed to contribute something.” — Hawk
“How about I learn to say ‘don’t shoot’ in Ukranian?” — Spenser
Even as the sun began to set on Spenser, there were a few good reads left in the series. Cold Service, despite some caveats, is one of them. Two books before Parker’s best in a very long while, Hundred-Dollar Baby, and three before the awful Now and Then, Parker returned to the plot of Small Vices. In that entry, Spenser was shot and nearly killed. He had to rehabilitate with help from Hawk, and of course, Susan. But more importantly he had to set things right once he was back in shape, and find redemption. In Cold Service we have that coin flipped, and it is Hawk in that same situation. The similarities in plot end there, though the Gray Man plays an integral part in this one as well.
Though the Susan factor had altered the direction of the series from Valediction onward, and hindered the literary heights Parker’s work had aspired to early on, it was still occasionally great entertainment. This one’s a quick read with a ton of interaction between Spenser and Hawk, who takes the lead in this one because of the story-line. A lot of characters in the Spenser world pass this way in this entry, including Vinnie, the Gray Man, Tony Marcus, Ives, Epstein, and the sexy Rita Fiore. It keeps moving swiftly, and there’s a plot that eventually encompasses the revenge and redemption story. That being said, there are a few strange things about this one, and a wistful caveat.
First, the strange stuff. Some of the dialog Parker gives Vinnie is very odd. It doesn’t sound at all like Vinnie, and is untrue to the character as he'd been portrayed in all the previous entries. A scene near the end when Vinnie comes to tell Hawk and Spenser that Boots is looking to ace Hawk, is glaringly awkward, and doesn’t feel right at all. Another strange thing is Hawk and Spenser ask Susan to help them plan their next move — more than once. And she does help them.
I’m not sure what was going on in these particular scenes, or what caused them to be written as they were, but they feel very un-Parker-like. I’ll leave it at that, and not speculate any further. Fortunately, all the interaction between Hawk and Spenser, and a solid story overcome those few moments of weirdness.
For anyone unfamiliar with the series, the aforementioned won’t be as glaring as it was to me, and the same might be said of my caveat. For those who’ve enjoyed this entire series over the years, however, one can’t read Cold Service and not lament the missed opportunity in Double Deuce that I talked about in my review of that book. Though that book was all about Hawk, Parker had already shifted the focus of the series — nearly completely — to the vain and pretentious Susan Silverman, making it about her and Spenser, ad nauseam. Because of that, Hawk’s younger years weren’t given their due in flashbacks that Double Deuce almost begged for, nor were poignant details of Hawk's past revealed in conversations. And it takes away from this entry.
Because Hawk’s struggles to get out of the ghetto were only alluded to in Double Deuce, and never expounded on, the resonance we might have felt in Cold Service when Hawk is temporarily stripped of that persona which he’d created in order to make it out, is muted. It’s a good story, and still entertaining, but the depth a great writer like Parker could have given this book had he not let the Susan Silverman character smother narratives, and mitigate the need for actual plotting and detecting, makes this effort more surface than substance.
Hawk gets back-shot and is in the hospital recovering. The bookie he was supposed to protect got dusted, as did the man’s wife and family. Only a very young boy survived, and Hawk knows he must do something about that once he is back to being Hawk. As in Small Vices, there is much talk about what the experience has done to Hawk — but not from Hawk himself. His current lover, Cecile, of course doesn’t understand why he doesn’t want her to see him until he’s back to being Hawk. Then she doesn’t understand why he has to keep a part of himself beyond her reach. The reader knows, of course, but the reader would feel it on another level had Parker not blown the opportunity he had in Double Deuce to make Hawk more than just Spenser’s cool and dangerous sidekick. There are flashes of what might have been, and Hawk is a great character, but once this series got back on the rails after jumping the track completely in Catskill Eagle, that kind of resonance was abandoned. It then became enjoyable entertainment, with only brief moments of what it had once been in the beginning.
The ensuing narrative when Hawk is finally back to his old self involves Ukrainians running some Afghan heroin through Marshport, a town controlled by Boots. The reason Tony Marcus is letting it all slide has to do with a daughter neither Spenser or Hawk were aware of, and her choice in men. Spenser talks with the spook, Ives, and he gives him the Gray Man to translate. The Feds have an interest too, and after talking with Epstein, it’s obvious that everyone has their own agenda concerning Marshport, Boots, and the deadly Ukrainians from Odessa. Vinnie gets involved and finally Hawk comes up with a very tricky plan to play everyone, so that he can clean up Marshport, kill the Ukrainians who shot him, and set up a trust fund for the boy, who Hawk views as his responsibility now. Action is sporadic but it’s a swiftly-moving and engaging read on the level Parker kept the series at after Catskill Eagle.
There is some crisp and funny dialog between Hawk and Spenser in this one — only some of the Susan and Vinnie stuff feels off. The story is good, the narrative entertaining. The conclusion is solid as well. After Catskill Eagle, Spenser should never have been as reticent here about the violence, however. The fact that Parker had shifted the series so much toward Silverman is highlighted by his moralizing here. In Catskill he killed a pimp and many others in order to rescue the unfaithful Silverman from a bed she had made herself. Here, however, Spenser has difficulty doing likewise for Hawk, someone of far more substance.
We get some of Susan’s psychobabble in this one, of course, though it’s kept at a minimum. Though there’s never any question that Spenser will be right there at Hawk’s side, how far he’ll go is another matter. It doesn’t ring true, not post-Catskill Eagle, and is just one more odd element that is overcome by a good story, swiftly moving narrative, and excellent exchanges between Hawk and Spenser. Though flawed, a very enjoyable read for a later Spenser.
January 15, 2013
It was very disappointing to learn that Hawk isn’t bullet proof.
A bookie who is having problems with the Ukrainian mob trying to take over his business hires Hawk to be his bodyguard. Unfortunately, Hawk gets shot in the back several times by a sniper, and the Ukrainians kill the bookie and his entire family except for one small child who was lucky enough to be at day care during the hit. Spenser helps Hawk through his recovery and then backs him up as Hawk embarks a campaign to avenge the bookie’s family as well as finance a nest egg for the surviving kid.
Apparently Robert B. Parker was a very green author because he believed in recycling his plots. This one was first used in Small Vices when Spenser was almost killed and went through a long and painful recovery before going after the person responsible. (This is the second time that RBP generated a book through this recycling program. The first was one he used the same basic plot from Mortal Stakes in Playmates.)
This still could have been interesting because of the dynamic that Spenser feels obligated to help out his friend, but he’s a little uneasy that Hawk’s methods are bloodier than his own. There was also some potential in fleshing Hawk out a bit by showing him dealing with his failure to protect the bookie and being hurt so badly. Unfortunately, RBP has these characters so internalized and locked into their codes of behavior that Spenser and Hawk never talk about any of this. Instead, we’re treated to several exchanges between Spenser and Susan about it as well as Spenser trying to explain things to Hawk‘s girlfriend. It would have worked much better for the two men to deal with it directly instead of it all coming out via their other relationships.
Plus, there’s something kind of chickenshit about Spenser’s behavior here. Hawk has killed enough people to depopulate a small city while helping Spenser and sometimes had to do some fairly dangerous stuff to accommodate Spenser’s often complicated rules that allow him to do violent work but still live with himself. While Spenser never says anything to Hawk or shirks a task, it also seems like Hawk is careful to never put Spenser in a position where he’d have to cross a line he doesn’t want too. I guess RBP didn’t want to get his hero’s hands too dirty or seem like he was bailing on his friend, but it made their relationship seem one-sided.
Next up: Spenser gets his milk money taken in School Days.
A bookie who is having problems with the Ukrainian mob trying to take over his business hires Hawk to be his bodyguard. Unfortunately, Hawk gets shot in the back several times by a sniper, and the Ukrainians kill the bookie and his entire family except for one small child who was lucky enough to be at day care during the hit. Spenser helps Hawk through his recovery and then backs him up as Hawk embarks a campaign to avenge the bookie’s family as well as finance a nest egg for the surviving kid.
Apparently Robert B. Parker was a very green author because he believed in recycling his plots. This one was first used in Small Vices when Spenser was almost killed and went through a long and painful recovery before going after the person responsible. (This is the second time that RBP generated a book through this recycling program. The first was one he used the same basic plot from Mortal Stakes in Playmates.)
This still could have been interesting because of the dynamic that Spenser feels obligated to help out his friend, but he’s a little uneasy that Hawk’s methods are bloodier than his own. There was also some potential in fleshing Hawk out a bit by showing him dealing with his failure to protect the bookie and being hurt so badly. Unfortunately, RBP has these characters so internalized and locked into their codes of behavior that Spenser and Hawk never talk about any of this. Instead, we’re treated to several exchanges between Spenser and Susan about it as well as Spenser trying to explain things to Hawk‘s girlfriend. It would have worked much better for the two men to deal with it directly instead of it all coming out via their other relationships.
Plus, there’s something kind of chickenshit about Spenser’s behavior here. Hawk has killed enough people to depopulate a small city while helping Spenser and sometimes had to do some fairly dangerous stuff to accommodate Spenser’s often complicated rules that allow him to do violent work but still live with himself. While Spenser never says anything to Hawk or shirks a task, it also seems like Hawk is careful to never put Spenser in a position where he’d have to cross a line he doesn’t want too. I guess RBP didn’t want to get his hero’s hands too dirty or seem like he was bailing on his friend, but it made their relationship seem one-sided.
Next up: Spenser gets his milk money taken in School Days.
November 27, 2021
In this 32nd book in the 'Spenser' series, his friend Hawke is almost killed, after which Hawke struggles to regain his self-image. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Spenser's wingman Hawke is shot and nearly killed while protecting a bookie named Luther Gillespie.....and Gillespie and most of his family are subsequently assassinated. The culprits are part of the Ukranian mob who control the city of Marshport near Boston.
To regain his sense of self after his prolonged convalescence Hawke has to destroy the ENTIRE mob element in Marshport and set up a trust fund for the remaining Gillespie child. So Hawke and Spenser spend a lot of time talking to mobsters, thugs, and cops and cooking up a plan to achieve the goal.
It's a thin plot, but the pleasure of these books is not so much the story as it is visiting with familiar characters. I always enjoy the conversation and clever patter among Hawke and Spenser.....and everyone else.
A side issue of the story involves Hawke and his current lady, Cecile, who would like Hawke to be a different kind of man. This is probably a losing proposition for Cecile. LOL
I like lovable pets in stories and some of my favorite scenes are Spenser and Susan at home, catering to the whims of their pooch Pearl.
An enjoyable fast read.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
June 25, 2019
This 32nd entry in the Spenser series repeats so many tropes from the earlier books that it is almost a case of self-plagiarism.
Hawk, gunned down while out on a job and perilously close to death, vows revenge and—after a long rehabilitation—settles the score against a mob of very bad Ukrainians with the help of Spenser and a little assistance from Vinnie. Oh, and somebody else called The Gray Man, (Sound familiar? It should. This is the plot of Small Vices, only that time Spenser was the one almost killed who had to undergo months of rehab. And the Gray Man? He was one who shot Spenser.)
This time around, Hawk’s girlfriend doesn’t understand why Hawk must be Hawk, and so Spenser and Susan—with even more smug psychologizing than usual—explain to her why a man’s gotta be what he’s gotta be and do what he’s gotta do. (Apparently Spenser and Susan do not do a good job of this, for she leaves Hawk anyway. Good for her.)
Spenser and Hawk don’t really know what they’re doing, so they steal part of the plot of a spaghetti western derived from a samurai film, pit the Ukrainians against the local mob of Bohunk-Americans, and watch the bodies pile up. As usual, Spenser has a few qualms about all the killing, but Susan the shrink, with her professional and sexual skills, helps his bruised conscience to heal.
Ho hum. My impression was that Cold Service was a little shorter than most Spensers, but it took me a long time to finish it.
December 19, 2014
Maybe I'm getting cynical but I'm reeling in Spenser speak. "He said....She said...S/he said," and on and on ad nauseam.
So to those of my fine feathers friends, I was thinking of saying good bye on Spenser. However, Parker/Spenser seem to be good when driving. If I miss a couple of paragraphs because of driving, I don't feel I missed a lot and need to go back. Guess with that said, I can put up with a few more "He said, ....." and "She said, ..."
So to those of my fine feathers friends, I was thinking of saying good bye on Spenser. However, Parker/Spenser seem to be good when driving. If I miss a couple of paragraphs because of driving, I don't feel I missed a lot and need to go back. Guess with that said, I can put up with a few more "He said, ....." and "She said, ..."
March 28, 2019
How does Parker keep it going with such a large ensemble cast? The same way poker keeps being fun.
January 6, 2017
Vengeance is a dish best served cold and that is really what this book is all about. Hawk is shot and nearly killed when he is protecting Luther, a local bookie. Luther, his wife and all but one of his kids is killed. Hawk is left for dead but he recovers and is driven to revenge what has happened to him. Spenser tags along to help Hawk.
Lots of bro code in this book too. No feelings shared. Spenser will do anything for Hawk including helping Hawk murder those involved in the shootings. Lots of talk between Spenser and Hawk. Hawk's girlfriend doesn't understand Hawk. He is strong silent and determined. She consults Susan on how she handles Spenser and she gives her advice. Hawk's girlfriend can't handle it and leaves Hawk in the end. Hawk seems to be fine with it because that is what guys do.
Not a lot of action, in fact the end is really told with no description as to what actually took place. It just happened. End of story. Tough guys don't explain much it seems.
Lots of bro code in this book too. No feelings shared. Spenser will do anything for Hawk including helping Hawk murder those involved in the shootings. Lots of talk between Spenser and Hawk. Hawk's girlfriend doesn't understand Hawk. He is strong silent and determined. She consults Susan on how she handles Spenser and she gives her advice. Hawk's girlfriend can't handle it and leaves Hawk in the end. Hawk seems to be fine with it because that is what guys do.
Not a lot of action, in fact the end is really told with no description as to what actually took place. It just happened. End of story. Tough guys don't explain much it seems.
January 5, 2021
Cold Service, the 32nd book in the Spenser series, flips the Spenser/Hawk script as Hawk takes the lead and Spenser becomes his sidekick. The book begins with Hawk in the hospital recovering from gunshot wounds after being shot in the back while he was trying to protect a bookie and his family. The man’s entire family was killed except for his young son.
Now, not only does Hawk feel like a professional failure, but beyond that, he questions his very identity. Both Susan Silverman and Rita Fiore tell him it’s normal to be affected by what happened. Rita says it wasn’t his fault. “‘They shot you in the back; how can it be your fault?’ ‘I ain’t supposed to get shot in the back.’ ‘For crissake,’ Rita said. ‘You’re a man, like other men. You can be hurt. You can be killed.’ ‘Ain’t supposed to be like other men,’ Hawk said. Rita looked at him for a moment. ‘Jesus,’ she said. ‘It must be hard being you.’ Hawk was quiet for a time, then he smiled at her, which was nearly always a startling sight. ‘Worth it, though,’ he said.”
Hawk learns that members of the Ukrainian mob were behind the hit, and he vows to get revenge and in the process, arrange some financial security for the boy who survived. Spenser agrees to help him, although he’s not sure he can buy into the killing that Hawk has in mind. Spenser has always prided himself on killing only if it’s absolutely necessary, and revenge killings usually don’t qualify. But Hawk is Spenser’s best friend and has always been there for him, so he will be there for Hawk too.
Hawk is such a great character, and I love the notion of a Hawk-centric story. And Cold Service is a good one. The setup provides numerous opportunities for the humorous banter that makes Spenser’s relationship with Hawk so enjoyable to readers (and presumably to Spenser and Hawk themselves). Much of it involves racial jokes—of a kind that only good friends could get away with—and they’re mutual. One minute Hawk will be using Black dialect and the next he’ll be speaking the Queen’s English. Or, as Spenser teases him: “‘One minute Stepinfetchit. The next Noël Coward.’ ‘Ah embraces diversity,’ Hawk said.”
But their joking is done in the context of great mutual affection and respect. As the narrator, Spenser often shares his admiration for Hawk: “Hawk drove as he did everything else, as if he were born to do it.” And it’s been clear throughout the series that Hawk admires Spenser and will do anything for him.
This time around, Hawk is the man in charge of the plan, and his plan is about as well developed as Spenser’s plans usually are. When they go to visit a potential suspect, Spenser asks what they’re hoping to accomplish. “‘Hell,’ Hawk said, ‘you ought to know how this works. Start in, poke around, talk to people, ask questions, see what happens? I learned it from you all these years.’ ‘It’s known in forensic circles as the Spenser method,’ I said. ‘Also known as I don’t have any idea what the f*ck I’m doing,’ Hawk said. ‘Also known as that,’ I said. ‘Nice to know you’ve been paying attention.’ ‘Learning from the master,’ Hawk said.”
Susan tells Hawk that it’s hard for him to have a plan because he’s being pushed by emotion, whether he’ll admit it or not. “‘Spenser ain’t got no plan, either,’ Hawk said. ‘He ain’t being pushed by emotion.’ ‘But he won’t impose. You know him nearly as well as I do. He will stay with you, let you run it, go where you want to go.’ Hawk nodded. ‘He do that,’ Hawk said.”
And stay with him Spenser does. Along the way, he is forced to examine the lengths to which he’ll go to help his friend, but it comes as no surprise that he never lets him down.
Now, not only does Hawk feel like a professional failure, but beyond that, he questions his very identity. Both Susan Silverman and Rita Fiore tell him it’s normal to be affected by what happened. Rita says it wasn’t his fault. “‘They shot you in the back; how can it be your fault?’ ‘I ain’t supposed to get shot in the back.’ ‘For crissake,’ Rita said. ‘You’re a man, like other men. You can be hurt. You can be killed.’ ‘Ain’t supposed to be like other men,’ Hawk said. Rita looked at him for a moment. ‘Jesus,’ she said. ‘It must be hard being you.’ Hawk was quiet for a time, then he smiled at her, which was nearly always a startling sight. ‘Worth it, though,’ he said.”
Hawk learns that members of the Ukrainian mob were behind the hit, and he vows to get revenge and in the process, arrange some financial security for the boy who survived. Spenser agrees to help him, although he’s not sure he can buy into the killing that Hawk has in mind. Spenser has always prided himself on killing only if it’s absolutely necessary, and revenge killings usually don’t qualify. But Hawk is Spenser’s best friend and has always been there for him, so he will be there for Hawk too.
Hawk is such a great character, and I love the notion of a Hawk-centric story. And Cold Service is a good one. The setup provides numerous opportunities for the humorous banter that makes Spenser’s relationship with Hawk so enjoyable to readers (and presumably to Spenser and Hawk themselves). Much of it involves racial jokes—of a kind that only good friends could get away with—and they’re mutual. One minute Hawk will be using Black dialect and the next he’ll be speaking the Queen’s English. Or, as Spenser teases him: “‘One minute Stepinfetchit. The next Noël Coward.’ ‘Ah embraces diversity,’ Hawk said.”
But their joking is done in the context of great mutual affection and respect. As the narrator, Spenser often shares his admiration for Hawk: “Hawk drove as he did everything else, as if he were born to do it.” And it’s been clear throughout the series that Hawk admires Spenser and will do anything for him.
This time around, Hawk is the man in charge of the plan, and his plan is about as well developed as Spenser’s plans usually are. When they go to visit a potential suspect, Spenser asks what they’re hoping to accomplish. “‘Hell,’ Hawk said, ‘you ought to know how this works. Start in, poke around, talk to people, ask questions, see what happens? I learned it from you all these years.’ ‘It’s known in forensic circles as the Spenser method,’ I said. ‘Also known as I don’t have any idea what the f*ck I’m doing,’ Hawk said. ‘Also known as that,’ I said. ‘Nice to know you’ve been paying attention.’ ‘Learning from the master,’ Hawk said.”
Susan tells Hawk that it’s hard for him to have a plan because he’s being pushed by emotion, whether he’ll admit it or not. “‘Spenser ain’t got no plan, either,’ Hawk said. ‘He ain’t being pushed by emotion.’ ‘But he won’t impose. You know him nearly as well as I do. He will stay with you, let you run it, go where you want to go.’ Hawk nodded. ‘He do that,’ Hawk said.”
And stay with him Spenser does. Along the way, he is forced to examine the lengths to which he’ll go to help his friend, but it comes as no surprise that he never lets him down.
March 15, 2020
Awesome. Dark. Spenser and Hawk at their best.
November 19, 2023
Cold Service is more of a Hawk mystery than a Spenser mystery. Hawk was shot in the back while protecting someone, and wakes up to discover his client and family (except one small son) have all been murdered. With Spenser's help, he travels the long path to health, and then they work together to seek revenge - for himself and for his dead client. Revenge, in this case, means taking out a large number of mobsters who run the local town of Marshport. Hawk calls the shots in this novel, since it's his case, and Spenser is not much more than a sidekick, albeit an amusing one. I thought it was interesting, but by no means a standout Spenser novel, probably because we are never inside Hawk's mind, and that leads to a comparatively shallow adventure. Kudos to Parker, however, for being able to maintain Hawk's separateness, for not succumbing to the slippery slope of letting Spenser take over. Not too many writers handle 'respect' as uncompromisingly as Parker did. There are no shortcuts to recognizing another person's right to self-agency: it's a hard road for all of us. But Parker provided a blueprint in his depiction of his relationships between Spenser and Hawk as partners without attempts to control, and Spenser and Susan who love with mutual acceptance, and no desire to change each other.
October 21, 2015
Dec 2008: anovel that reveals much more about the psyches of Spenser, Hawk and Susan, but at the same time dips into the cold world of mobs and types of organized crime, in this case Ukranian OC. Not sure I like when Ukranians are the bad guys.... Some sparkling Parker wit, but less so than in other books. Many of the usuals make appearances, including Pearl.
October 2015
Listened to this on audio during a road trip. It played out much better that way, because Joe Mantenga is an amazing voice actor. The books and characters came much more alive. ( in fact, I thought I hadn't read this one because his reading was so much better than my brain at the time,)
October 2015
Listened to this on audio during a road trip. It played out much better that way, because Joe Mantenga is an amazing voice actor. The books and characters came much more alive. ( in fact, I thought I hadn't read this one because his reading was so much better than my brain at the time,)
May 26, 2017
Having Hawk be badly injured, but not really addressing the emotional repercussions to him sucks. Much of the plot being then driven by Hawk is far less interesting than Spenser-led books. Indeed, Spenser sort of tags along. The whole book feels undirected and confused.
I understand what Parker's trying to do here, but it's a terrible failure.
And then in chapter 34, suddenly Parker fundamentally changes one of the central characters in the series, unforgivably. Truly awful. Quitting this book now. Maybe quitting the series.
I understand what Parker's trying to do here, but it's a terrible failure.
And then in chapter 34, suddenly Parker fundamentally changes one of the central characters in the series, unforgivably. Truly awful. Quitting this book now. Maybe quitting the series.
May 4, 2019
Spenser's friend, Hawk, is almost taken out by some baddies while he's protecting a bookie. The bookie, and most of his family, are killed in a power push related to the Ukranian mob in the area.
While Hawk recuperates in the hospital, he asks Spenser for help in setting things right, and getting even. Many hi jinks ensue, along with the usual racial sparring between the guys.
Swift moving, action packed story.
While Hawk recuperates in the hospital, he asks Spenser for help in setting things right, and getting even. Many hi jinks ensue, along with the usual racial sparring between the guys.
Swift moving, action packed story.
May 5, 2025
At this point when I read a Spenser novel it's like catching up with old friends. You know what you're getting now that we're at book 32- snappy dialogue, decent mystery, Hawk and Spenser kicking butt, cameos from old friends. Is it as good as the series used to be- no, but I love them all the same. I wish there had been a little more emotional depth in this one but alas.
July 10, 2021
Service is the operative word here, as in service-able, as far as a Spenser story goes.
Nothing stellar truly.
Beyond this being a rehash of Small Vices (#24 in the Spenser series) with Hawk replacing Spenser as the victim/lead character. Nearly dies, recovers, gets revenge in a far fetched gang-turf dust up, and ends up with a version of Paul Giacomin (lone family survivor: Richard Luther Gillespie) to take responsibility of himself. So now Hawk has all the necessary items to repeat Spenser stories with Hawk doing the heavy lifting.
All the Parker/Spenser boxes get checked:
-Spenser cooks multiple times
-Spenser drinks both coffee (with donuts and a scone) and much alcohol,
-He has sexual and psycho-theraputic encounters with Susan (more than once),
-Bad guys get shot... a lot,
-Police, CIA, FBI... all do nothing about it yet everyone knows something is going on
-And nearly too much back and forth about nothing to include admitting how little they know, no clue what to do about it, and how great they appear, with casual racial slang and references attached.
Cameos by Quirk, Ives, Vinnie, Rugar (aka the Gray Man), Tony Marcus, Ty Bop and Junior and obviously Pearl the wonder dog.
Nothing revelatory, heart wrenching, or even funny to be honest. Just a long slow recovery, mildly engaging read, and filler book in the dwindling Spenser series.
Thanks for reading.
Nothing stellar truly.
Beyond this being a rehash of Small Vices (#24 in the Spenser series) with Hawk replacing Spenser as the victim/lead character. Nearly dies, recovers, gets revenge in a far fetched gang-turf dust up, and ends up with a version of Paul Giacomin (lone family survivor: Richard Luther Gillespie) to take responsibility of himself. So now Hawk has all the necessary items to repeat Spenser stories with Hawk doing the heavy lifting.
All the Parker/Spenser boxes get checked:
-Spenser cooks multiple times
-Spenser drinks both coffee (with donuts and a scone) and much alcohol,
-He has sexual and psycho-theraputic encounters with Susan (more than once),
-Bad guys get shot... a lot,
-Police, CIA, FBI... all do nothing about it yet everyone knows something is going on
-And nearly too much back and forth about nothing to include admitting how little they know, no clue what to do about it, and how great they appear, with casual racial slang and references attached.
Cameos by Quirk, Ives, Vinnie, Rugar (aka the Gray Man), Tony Marcus, Ty Bop and Junior and obviously Pearl the wonder dog.
Nothing revelatory, heart wrenching, or even funny to be honest. Just a long slow recovery, mildly engaging read, and filler book in the dwindling Spenser series.
Thanks for reading.
December 15, 2012
Another Spencer tale from the factory called Robert B Parker. This one looked quite promessing with the likes of Hawk gunned down by some Ukranian gangsters. Hawk faces some revaldiation before he can go and hunt down those he holds responsible for his wounding, and also making them pay for killing his client and thereby making his kid an orphan.
I did expect some interesting moments but mostly it was talking about honour, love and the nature of relationships and how it did change Spencer & Susan. It is about the nature of Hawk and how he looks upon relationships with his Cecile and how she feels about it.
A lot of navelgazing a bit of action but nowhere it gets exciting, even when they throw "the Gray man" into the mix. The story is like a calm little river that streams down to the ocean without any problem.
The story holds little interest and the ending is just as satisfying if you like that kind of story.
It seems that mr Parker was losing his skills in telling a nice exciting story with Spencer in his later days.
I did expect some interesting moments but mostly it was talking about honour, love and the nature of relationships and how it did change Spencer & Susan. It is about the nature of Hawk and how he looks upon relationships with his Cecile and how she feels about it.
A lot of navelgazing a bit of action but nowhere it gets exciting, even when they throw "the Gray man" into the mix. The story is like a calm little river that streams down to the ocean without any problem.
The story holds little interest and the ending is just as satisfying if you like that kind of story.
It seems that mr Parker was losing his skills in telling a nice exciting story with Spencer in his later days.
March 5, 2015
To many readers, “Service” (#32 in the set) was a reenactment of “Small Vices” (#24 in the set), in which Spenser is nearly killed, spends a long time in rehab, then exacts revenge on all the perps. Herein, Hawk is shot in the back after being hired to be a bookie’s bodyguard; and the bookie and his family except one kid at school are subsequently murdered. Hawk goes into rehab and of course is dead set to kill all the killers and provide a flow of money for the surviving child. Spenser must of course honor their relationship by aiding and abetting his revenge, a subject that seems to bother Spenser’s longtime lover Susan.
Meanwhile, Hawk has an apparently serious girlfriend, Cecile, who is also troubled by the whole caper and while wanting Hawk badly, she wants her own version of the man minus the streaks of danger. We readers of course know that is not to be – almost as surely as we know Hawk, with a little help, will get his men. As with most all these tales, the getting there is mildly entertaining and satisfying.
Meanwhile, Hawk has an apparently serious girlfriend, Cecile, who is also troubled by the whole caper and while wanting Hawk badly, she wants her own version of the man minus the streaks of danger. We readers of course know that is not to be – almost as surely as we know Hawk, with a little help, will get his men. As with most all these tales, the getting there is mildly entertaining and satisfying.
October 1, 2007
I am reviewing this because it was first on the list when I did a search for Robert B. Parker. I have read all of the Spenser Mysteries, and continue to pick them up at the library as soon as they get the new ones in. Parker has written tons of books about the Spenser character. If you are from Boston, it is fun to read about the city, as that is where the stories (most of them) are set. Some are better than others. His early ones, beginning with The Godwulf Manuscript, are excellent. Still, they are all enjoyable reads--I can usually finish one in two hours--the dialogue is entertaining, the characters fun to read about. The other series are the Jesse Stone and the Sunny Randall mysteries. Both are entertaining as well--still, Spenser will always be my favorite.
March 9, 2018
I'm a fan of the Spenser stories but this one seemed a little tired. The wit wasn't as witty, the dialogue sounded reworked from scenes in earlier books, and it petered out at the end, not exactly with a whimper but certainly not with a bang.
Even so, a "not as good as the others" Spenser offers some enjoyment for an afternoon's read. It is always a pleasure to admire his precise, detailed, but minimalist writing in setting a scene or describing a character.
Not a book I'd recommend to anyone who is not familiar with the series, but Spenser fans would probably want to read it just to see where the characters are at in the overall arc of the series.
Even so, a "not as good as the others" Spenser offers some enjoyment for an afternoon's read. It is always a pleasure to admire his precise, detailed, but minimalist writing in setting a scene or describing a character.
Not a book I'd recommend to anyone who is not familiar with the series, but Spenser fans would probably want to read it just to see where the characters are at in the overall arc of the series.
November 7, 2017
generic Ukrainian tough guy, pointless, nothing that hasn't been done before by many an author.
August 27, 2025
Robert B. Parker died in 2010 at the age of seventy-seven, but he wrote so many detective novels during his life, novels that revived and changed the genre, that many authors still credit him with the renewed appeal of crime fiction. In the Spenser series of novels (which was made into a TV series starring Robert Urich in the 1980's - must've been hard to pass up all that dialogue!), Spenser and his Black "associate" Hawk speak candidly, seemingly about anything that comes to mind, and Parker was never afraid to use black humor or racial sarcasm to advance the plot. His books were so popular that, even today, his novels continue under "guest authors" using the imprint of "Robert B. Parker's". In Cold Service, published in 2005, Hawk runs afoul of the Ukrainian mob operating in a Boston suburb and winds up seriously wounded in a local hospital. While recuperating he vows revenge, and, as usual, pulls Spenser into his schemes for vengeance. Who's ready for some tough guys rumbling along under their own rules?
February 24, 2020
I am a great fan of Parker's writing style which is terse and still conveys more than more writers achieve in a novel with three times the words. However, he lost me with the content of this novel. It's a Spenser novel and Spenser stands by and fights with his friend, Hawk. While that is admirable, I found the outright MURDERS they do to take revenged, appalling. They justified it with, "they were all very bad dudes." Sorry, my heroes don't succumb to that level.
I have a few other Spencer novels to get through and I hope they contain content that is not so 'low road' and despicable. Not the kind of book I like to read.
I have a few other Spencer novels to get through and I hope they contain content that is not so 'low road' and despicable. Not the kind of book I like to read.
February 27, 2018
The one before this one was Spenser who had failed to protect his client and he had to redeem himself. (Painted Lady). This one is Hawk got shot and his client got killed and Hawk has to redeem himself. So apparently this idea of honor and redemption kept Parker busy for a couple of years.
This one included struggle for control of the underworld. Ukrainians were horrible people. Crime boss love for a daughter and her worthless husband. Hawk and the gang wars kill a lot of people and Susan and Spenser have long (well, in Spenser novels, no one has long conversations) conversations about how Spenser feels about killing people versus loyalty to Hawk.
This one included struggle for control of the underworld. Ukrainians were horrible people. Crime boss love for a daughter and her worthless husband. Hawk and the gang wars kill a lot of people and Susan and Spenser have long (well, in Spenser novels, no one has long conversations) conversations about how Spenser feels about killing people versus loyalty to Hawk.
February 3, 2020
Not the best Spenser book in the series. It had a little too much cold blooded killing and revenge for my taste. It did point out some differences between the characters of Spenser and Hawk in how they handled recovery and revenge.
May 6, 2018
And Hawk got shot this time. The worst is the hospital. Vengeance. Ukrainians who are suppose to be worse than Russians. I was going to list the page that Spenser explains how Susan eats but he didn't do it in this book. Cecile. She just couldn't get Hawk and Spenser so she is off the Cleveland.
October 27, 2023
Thirty-two down, and seventeen to go!
June 23, 2022
Here's Spenser's chance to repay Hawk for all favours. A good study of their characters and their pros and cons.
April 22, 2013
I not only write mysteries, I read them, too. I post reviews on amazon and Goodreads.
Note: this book included in my must-read mysteries pinterest board
This review is dedicated to the people of Boston.
I’m still surprised when I run across someone who is a mystery novel fan but who has never read a book by Robert B. Parker, creator of the Spenser novels that have come to define the mystery genre. His tough-as-nail-with-heart-of-gold private detective, whose first name we never know, is as much a part of the Boston landscape for me as Copley Square or Harvard Yard. The hardback editions of the books–and there around 40 in the series–include a map on the flyleaf with all of Spenser’s haunts labelled on it. Locke-Ober’s Restaurant, Faneuil Hall, his apartment on Marlborough Street and the oft-mentioned swan boats in Boston’s Public Gardens.
But we don’t just read Spenser mysteries for the Boston scenery. We read them for great characters, perfect plots, the crisp sparse language. And Spenser’s firmly rooted code of ethics. He may be a private eye and a self-admitted thug, but he’s got a clear and believable moral compass and expresses it in a way we don’t see very often any more. COLD SERVICE is the Spenser novel that best sets out that code which includes loyalty to friends, standing your ground, but never striking without provocation.
In COLD SERVICE (the title is derived from the saying that revenge is a dish best served cold) his friend Hawk is shot and left for dead. Hawk was protecting a Boston bookie from a Ukrainian mob trying to muscle into the area. Needless to say the bookie and family are dead. With Spenser’s help, Hawk recovers, infiltrates the mob, and stops it from gaining a foothold in Boston.
Not many of the Spenser books revolve so closely around Hawk, although the enigmatic thug/hitman/bodyguard/boxer plays wingman in almost all the books. Dialogue between them is nearly a work of art:
“They tell me I ain’t gonna die.”
“That’s what I heard.”
There were hard things being discussed, and not all of them aloud.
Without giving away the plot twists, let’s just say this is one of the best of the Spenser series, which is one of the best mystery series out there. The Ukrainian mob is opaque and brutish. Help comes but cannot be trusted. Strange alliances must be forged to get at the mob, but they are tenuous at best. The mayor of a small town near Boston holds the key; his administration is synonymous with corruption. Hawk’s quest for vengeance distances him from the surgeon he’s dating and his refusal to adjust his own code eventually pushes her away. Spenser understands Hawk’s code but will not pursue revenge in the same brute force way.
The end is a terrific nail-biter.
Note: this book included in my must-read mysteries pinterest board
This review is dedicated to the people of Boston.
I’m still surprised when I run across someone who is a mystery novel fan but who has never read a book by Robert B. Parker, creator of the Spenser novels that have come to define the mystery genre. His tough-as-nail-with-heart-of-gold private detective, whose first name we never know, is as much a part of the Boston landscape for me as Copley Square or Harvard Yard. The hardback editions of the books–and there around 40 in the series–include a map on the flyleaf with all of Spenser’s haunts labelled on it. Locke-Ober’s Restaurant, Faneuil Hall, his apartment on Marlborough Street and the oft-mentioned swan boats in Boston’s Public Gardens.
But we don’t just read Spenser mysteries for the Boston scenery. We read them for great characters, perfect plots, the crisp sparse language. And Spenser’s firmly rooted code of ethics. He may be a private eye and a self-admitted thug, but he’s got a clear and believable moral compass and expresses it in a way we don’t see very often any more. COLD SERVICE is the Spenser novel that best sets out that code which includes loyalty to friends, standing your ground, but never striking without provocation.
In COLD SERVICE (the title is derived from the saying that revenge is a dish best served cold) his friend Hawk is shot and left for dead. Hawk was protecting a Boston bookie from a Ukrainian mob trying to muscle into the area. Needless to say the bookie and family are dead. With Spenser’s help, Hawk recovers, infiltrates the mob, and stops it from gaining a foothold in Boston.
Not many of the Spenser books revolve so closely around Hawk, although the enigmatic thug/hitman/bodyguard/boxer plays wingman in almost all the books. Dialogue between them is nearly a work of art:
“They tell me I ain’t gonna die.”
“That’s what I heard.”
There were hard things being discussed, and not all of them aloud.
Without giving away the plot twists, let’s just say this is one of the best of the Spenser series, which is one of the best mystery series out there. The Ukrainian mob is opaque and brutish. Help comes but cannot be trusted. Strange alliances must be forged to get at the mob, but they are tenuous at best. The mayor of a small town near Boston holds the key; his administration is synonymous with corruption. Hawk’s quest for vengeance distances him from the surgeon he’s dating and his refusal to adjust his own code eventually pushes her away. Spenser understands Hawk’s code but will not pursue revenge in the same brute force way.
The end is a terrific nail-biter.
February 12, 2025
If you’ve got a long plane ride it will help you pass the time. Otherwise just get on with your life.
September 4, 2022
Starts out with Hawk in the hospital, having been shot 3 times in the back. Obviously Spenser is going to help him avenge this incident.
They even bring in Ruger (AKA: ‘The Gray Man’) , so it gets very interesting, as they try to take out an entire crime unit.
It’s also interesting to see how some of these men have Hawk’s back at times and to see—a very rare sighting—the soft side of Hawk.
Excellent, as always.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Audio:
Joe Mantenga … he’s not exactly the best Spenser but … out of the narrators this series has seen, he is by far.
Spenser Reading Order:
1. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
2. God Save the Child (1974)
3. Mortal Stakes (1975)
4. Promised Land (1976)
5. The Judas Goat (1978)
6. Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980)
7. Early Autumn (1980)
8. A Savage Place (1981)
9. Ceremony (1982)
10. The Widening Gyre (1983)
11. Valediction (1984)
12. A Catskill Eagle (1985)
13. Taming a Seahorse (1986)
14. Pale Kings and Princes (1987)
15. Crimson Joy (1988)
16. Playmates (1989)
17. Stardust (1990)
18. Pastime (1991)
19. Double Deuce (1991)
20. Paper Doll (1993)
21. Walking Shadow (1994)
22. Thin Air (1995)
23. Chance (1996)
24. Small Vices (1997)
25. Sudden Mischief (1998)
26. Hush Money (1999)
27. Hugger Mugger (2000)
28. Potshot (2001)
29. Widow's Walk (2002)
30. Back Story (2003)
31. Bad Business (2004)
32. Cold Service (2005)
33. School Days (2005)
34. Dream Girl (2006)
35. Now and Then (2007)
36. Rough Weather (2008)
36.5 Chasing the Bear (2009)
37. The Professional (2009)
38. Painted Ladies (2010)
39. Sixkill (2011)
39.5 Silent Night (2013)
Spenser: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
continued in the series by Ace Atkins
They even bring in Ruger (AKA: ‘The Gray Man’) , so it gets very interesting, as they try to take out an entire crime unit.
It’s also interesting to see how some of these men have Hawk’s back at times and to see—a very rare sighting—the soft side of Hawk.
Excellent, as always.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Audio:
Joe Mantenga … he’s not exactly the best Spenser but … out of the narrators this series has seen, he is by far.
Spenser Reading Order:
1. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
2. God Save the Child (1974)
3. Mortal Stakes (1975)
4. Promised Land (1976)
5. The Judas Goat (1978)
6. Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980)
7. Early Autumn (1980)
8. A Savage Place (1981)
9. Ceremony (1982)
10. The Widening Gyre (1983)
11. Valediction (1984)
12. A Catskill Eagle (1985)
13. Taming a Seahorse (1986)
14. Pale Kings and Princes (1987)
15. Crimson Joy (1988)
16. Playmates (1989)
17. Stardust (1990)
18. Pastime (1991)
19. Double Deuce (1991)
20. Paper Doll (1993)
21. Walking Shadow (1994)
22. Thin Air (1995)
23. Chance (1996)
24. Small Vices (1997)
25. Sudden Mischief (1998)
26. Hush Money (1999)
27. Hugger Mugger (2000)
28. Potshot (2001)
29. Widow's Walk (2002)
30. Back Story (2003)
31. Bad Business (2004)
32. Cold Service (2005)
33. School Days (2005)
34. Dream Girl (2006)
35. Now and Then (2007)
36. Rough Weather (2008)
36.5 Chasing the Bear (2009)
37. The Professional (2009)
38. Painted Ladies (2010)
39. Sixkill (2011)
39.5 Silent Night (2013)
Spenser: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
continued in the series by Ace Atkins
Displaying 1 - 30 of 366 reviews