Back Story - Hardcover

Robert B. Parker

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786254513 ISBN 13: 9780786254514

Publisher: Thorndike Press, 2003

Synopsis

A New York Times Bestseller

In 1974, a revolutionary group called the Dread Scott Brigade held up the Old Shawmut Bank in Boston's Audubon Circle, and Emily Gordon was shot and killed. The perpetrators have remained at large for nearly three decades. Enter Paul Giacomin, the closest thing to a son Spenser has. When Paul's friend Daryl Gordon -- daughter of Emily -- seeks closure about her mother's death, they turn to Spenser.

About this title

Review

In this 30th entry in one of mystery fiction's longest-running and best-loved series, Spenser--the tough yet sensitive Boston private eye with no first name--takes on an unsolved murder nearly three decades old. The client, an actress, is a friend of Paul Giacomin, Spenser's surrogate son (who first appeared in 1981's Early Autumn). Her mother was slain by leftist radicals at a bank holdup in 1974, and now she wants to know who fired the shot. As Spenser digs into the past, he soon learns that powerful people on both sides of the law want the case left alone--badly enough to kill.

These death threats provide a fine excuse for Hawk, Spenser's extremely scary (yet sensitive) bad-guy pal, to tag along in nearly every scene as bodyguard. The interaction of the two friends is one of this series's familiar pleasures, as is the presence of Susan Silverman, Spenser's longtime love interest. Another pleasure is Parker's stripped-down prose, a marvel of craftsmanship as smooth as 18-year-old Scotch. (Plus we get the first meeting between Spenser and Jesse Stone, hero of another Parker series.) Alas, the whole enterprise feels a little tired. The plot never generates much sustained suspense, and the author's adoration for his central characters renders them at times almost cartoonesque. Still, Back Story is excellently prepared comfort food, even if it isn't five-star cuisine. --Nicholas H. Allison

About the Author

Robert B. Parker was the author of more than fifty books. He died in January 2010.

About this edition

• Publisher: Thorndike Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0786254513
• ISBN 13: 9780786254514
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 363