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CeremonyRobert B. ParkerPublished 1982 |
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Reviewed and Researched by Lisa Shea
Spenser's back in Smithfield with Susan, who doesn't seem to mind the escapades of the previous book. A student of hers, April, has run off to Boston, and Susan wants Spenser to go fetch her. Susan has been working in the High School guidance system, for 2 years now, and is still taking classes at Harvard.
It turns out the girl's working for Red, who's working for Tony Marcus. Hawk helps out a bit. We see Henry Cimoli, who runs the health club. Belson and Quirk back them up unofficially - what a show of friendly assistance! Susan's dog is shot, Spenser finds and loses the girl, and in the end they bring down a sex ring run by a person high up in the education system. The girl doesn't want to go home so they end up bringing her to their favorite madam out in New York.
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Lisa's Notes This is quite different than the movie version. For example, the father is swearing about the daughter while the mother defends her. The movie reverses that. Susan's now driving a red Ford Bronco. It's 10 days until Thanksgiving when we begin. Note that Susan is actually cooking in this one, with Spenser correcting her. Susan and Susan are at odds over how to handle the situation - he wants to save the girl, and she's more worried about the whole ring and shutting it down. She only gives him a week to solve it before she takes down the whole ring. Susan does a lot of "they don't know how to act" about kids in high school. Spenser goes to see Amy who is "pretending to be an adult". Susan actually is in trouble in this one - between the dog and the mob attacking her at the end. She's not had that kind of direct stress before. Plus she's a High School counsellor and getting into more serious stuff at work, and feels she can make more of a difference. Amy was actually bad and was sent to the Zone; in the movie she doesn't know why. Also in the book he does an elaborate break-in; in the movie he just sort of hops in. Spenser begins his "separate lives but together" discussions about how he and Susan live. Her eyes were "Lovely, dark and deep" - one of my favorite Frost poems. Susan becomes TANGIBLE in this one :) Her bedroom at her house was upstairs, though. Wasn't it always downstairs? Random musings - Spenser's gun is a .38 Smith & Wesson detective special. He drives a convertible MG. He quit smoking in '62, in Korea. When he was small, horses pulled trash wagons and milk carts. He was born in 1936 - and there were horses?? He was reading Sartoris and a novel by John le Carre. His pay is $200/day. He waves at the art director he's never met. |
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Traveling in Spenser's Footprints * Gas station, south edge of Smithfield * Bowling alley, ditto * Mitchell Poitras 360 Beacon St (later says it's 383) * Cafe Vendome on Commonwelath Ave * The Combat Zone, Boston * Copley Plaza in Boston to pick up Hawk * The Slipper - corner Boylston and Washington * 318 1/2 Chandler St, apt 3b * Rebecca's Cafe * Runs with Susan on Main St Smithfield * JJ Donovans in Northmarket * Providence - Biltmore Plaza * Westminster Mall * Angel and Stimpson - deep blue victorian with sunrises * Warren Tavern in Charlestown * Beer in gallagher bar; hawk - wine and soda * exeter st book store cafe * Harbor Health Club for Henry and Hawk * Buddy Fox's in south end at Clarendon & Tremont * Vice was a slovenly guy at police HQ on Berkeley * Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cambridge rotates |
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Spenser's Menu and Drinks * Pilsner Urquell at Susan's house * 2 bottles of Great Western Champagne * Molson Golden Ale * Cheeseburger & 3 beers at the cafe * 3 bottles Rolling Rock extra pale and meatloaf sandwich from rebeccas * Hawk - white wine; Spenser - draft beer * Spenser's place - gin and 7 up for her; he got Rolling Rock extra pale * Rolling Rock, duck and black coffee at tavern * Dom Perignon '71 for Thanksgiving * Coffee and Grand Marnier * New Beaujolais with Patricia Utley * Spenser beer; Hawk & Susan pina colada * Schlitz beer |
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