Now and ThenRobert B. ParkerPublished 2006 |
|
Reviewed and Researched by Lisa Shea
Now and Then
Buy Now and Then from Amazon.com
Spenser for Hire Master Listing
|
Lisa's Notes Let me first say that I have read all the Spenser novels and the associated books. I have a solid grounding in "Spenser Lore". You really need to have that background to be able to understand and enjoy this book. If you tried to pick this up as your first entry into the Spenser world, you would probably be very confused, since so much of it relies on back story. Way back in the dawn of time, Susan ran off on Spenser. After great trials and tribulations they got back together again, but it has always gnawed at Spenser's psyche that it happened. He has dealt with MANY cheating spouses since then, but for whatever bizarre reason when this particular man comes into his office and tells Spenser of his adulterous wife, Spenser hits his breaking point. For whatever reason, it suddenly becomes the neon-bright symbol of the scar in his past. This then infects (ahem, affects) everything that goes on. Even though there are serious terrorist issues at work, and stories of FBI agents being compromised, Spenser pretty much ignores all of that end-of-the-world concern that would have Jack Bauer looking for someone to torture. Instead, Spenser meanders along, doing his usual stirring up the hornet's nest and sitting back to see what happens. I adore Spenser. I adore the series. I am very aware that Spenser by this point would be over seventy years old, that there are so many books out that it must be challenging for author Parker to come up with new sparse-but-snappy dialogue. I gave Parker great credit for his description of the "tarnished knights" protecting the lady who herself was slightly tarnished. Not too long ago Spenser would be a spot-free glowing boy scout and Susan his beacon of perfection. I like very much that the Spenser world is getting even a tiny glimmer of reality in it. I like the bright glints of wit. "Has Timmy fallen down a well?" Spenser asks of his pup. That being said, this is almost Spenser Lite. The plot is one of the mildest, simplest I've seen. It feels watered down. In another section a poem is hinted at, which I love, and then the book actually lays out the meaning and poem in great detail - as if we were too dense to "get" the reference on our own. The final resolution of the issue feels very wrong for MANY reasons which I can't go into here for spoiler reasons. What it really seems to be is that Parker isn't writing more Spenser novels as much as he is tidying up a few loose threads in preparation for Spenser to retire. I am very much in favor of wrapping things up neatly - but even so, a series as great as the Spenser series should go out with a strong, vibrant finish. Instead, it feels as if it is petering out with a tired sigh, which is a great shame. I would almost wish that Parker would decide "OK the next book will be Spenser's last" and give it a real full experience and give us that final memory with Spenser. SPOILER ALERT!!!! Spenser wants to get the bad guy, because he's a cheater and, oh yes, perhaps a murderer too. So what does he do? He lures in six relatively innocent kids into his house and mows them down. Oh wait, he saves two of them from death. That's nice of him. Then he says "Ah well, the cops can take care of the bad guy." Also, Spenser in the past stood by his honor. In this one he is *repeatedly* and directly lying to the police. In the past he would just smile or say "You know I won't do that" when asked a question. In this book he would be asked a direct question and he would explicitly lie to them. That felt very wrong to me. Also, after all these years, the extremely sudden "oh wait maybe now that we're 70 we should get married for no real reason" seems extremely forced and soap-operaish. They have a Mass license plate with ARP7JDS?? Mass plates only have SIX digits ... and when Alderson goes up and talks with him for maybe 5 minutes max based on the dialogue, Epstein says he was in there for forty minutes. Maybe he took a LONG time to walk up those stairs. I also had an issue with the college being an "exfoliating swamp of unusual ideas." Exfoliating swamp. Hmmmm. I have issues how he always claims that EVERY woman MUST have tons of makeup in her home and that they make important decisions based on this fact of life. I know many women who do NOT keep tons of makeup around, or in fact have much of any. Note in his drawer he keeps a S&W .357 magnum with 6 rounds in the cylinder. |
|
Traveling in Spenser's Footprints * His office * Chillingsworth's in Brewster with Susan * Kendall square college right across from bridge * Marriott hotel * Brand Island Road in Milton * PF Chang's in Park Square * Kendall Tap Bar * Alderson's condo - Mt Auburn and University Road, unit 112 * Lobby bar at the Marriott * Holiday Inn at Govt Center, Cambridge Street * House looks out at Marlboro Street, sees public garden across Arlington * Cornwall's - Kenmore Square * Longfellow bridge - Cambridge End * The Tap Bar again, brick, long, tiffany lamps, horseshoe bar * Dunkin Donuts, Fresh Pond Circle * Bench in public garden * Harbor health club * Flora restaurant in Arlington * Her house, Linnaean Street * Magazine Street - Lyndon Holt's place, grey clapboard * Red - Hilliard Street, Cambridge * Taft U in Walpole - student union cafe * Susan's house, head out and go L towards Mass ave * Bristol Lounge at the 4 seasons hotel * Drives to cleveland, Holiday Inn there * Church of the Redeemer on Euclid * Coyle State in Parma * Fred Schuler on Ontario Street * Tudor house at Laurel Heights * Workman's First Bank * Laurel Hieghts police station * Quirk's office * Locke-Ober's * left bodies in shopping center in Porter Square |
|
Spenser's Menu and Drinks * Gewurztraimer, cold plum soup and broiled cape scallops * sweet and sour pork * 2 scotch + sodas at Govt Center Holiday Inn, then 3 more at home "tall glass, a lot of ice" * lamb shank with carrots and onions * Blue Moon Belgian White Ale (says it's his favorite) * Scotch tall glass with ice, soda precisely to rim, stir with handle of spoon * Susan's house - Riesling * 2 Scotch with susan, she has martini. Gnocchi for him, salmon for her. * whole wheat linguine, pignolia nuts, zucchini, squash. * Susan - sauvignon blanc, him - tall scotch and soda * Susan - vodka on the rocks, one of only times he'd seen her drink heavily * Susan - dinner at the Harvest * Zaftig's in Brookline - latkes, applesauce, coffee * He has 5 cups of coffee * coffee - apple turnover at Student U * coffee and donuts at Epstein's office * "a beer" at the 4 seasons * sandwich and beers at Cleveland * Dewar's scotch + soda in Cleveland hotel * coffee in Tower City * coffee and cinnamon bun on way home * Laurent Perrier pink champagne to celebrate with Susan * coffee and raspberry turnovers * more pink champagne |
Buy Now and Then from Amazon.com
Spenser for Hire Master Listing