Boston

Recommended to basketball, crime, and suspense fans.

We hear the novel in the aftermath of the assault as Christine, who pleads guilty to her actions, is attempting to gather wisps of memory together to assist her prominent feminist defense attorney. She chronicles the aberrating events that led from a one-night stand to a sadomasochistic gratification to a murderous and insane jealousy. The book gives information punctuated with the depositions and testimonies of her aghast friends and colleagues, cold and unsympathetic parents, and the articles and transcripts of talk shows and tabloid magazines, who are having a field-day with the story of a woman who had it all, but whose emotional melt-down froze to an icy rage.

This book was a wonderful read. I enjoyed the wry and offbeat humor of Shute's Christine and could recognize her style emulating that of previous works without repeating. Although this book can be provocative due to its sexual deviance, you can really empathize and appreciate this tale of a woman who bears the knowledge that she has committed a crime, yet leaves the reader wondering if she is ever really guilty of it at all.

Sex Crimes is the second novel of author Jenefer Shute, ensuring that after her substantial debut with Life-Size, she is more than just a one-night stand of an author. I look forward to reading much more of her future writing.

The book has been greatly lauded for its simplicity, dialogue, and realistic characters. However, my own reading was that everyone in the book (men, women, law, criminals) spoke more or less the same clipped wise guy talk as everyone else, and not only that, but other than talking about the "Broons" (Boston's pro hockey team, the Bruins), there's little that differentiates the speech from that of countless New York and Brooklyn gangsters. So much so that one occasionally has a hard time keeping track of who is who. So, maybe it was revolutionary to reveal the inner woes of criminals back in 1970, but read today, the book lacks the punch it must once have held.

If you like crime novels, your best bets are Ray Chandler, Jim Thompson or Joe Wambaugh. You may enjoy Chandler or Wambaugh even if you _don't_ particularly like crime novels. Thompson has probably too much of what Southey would call "the yell of savage rage, the shriek of agony, the groan of death" for the unsuspecting reader.

The story is very simple, the dialog is incredibly lifelike and readable. The characters are very real and the story is believable. Its not really a mystery as much as it is a story about some criminals and what they think and feel.

Warning, though. Don't buy this if you like the 'high concept' plots of Grisham and Patterson. This is a very simple story about real people and real criminals. If you're an aspiring writer of crime fiction, definitely check it out especially the dialog.

However, as usual in a Spenser novel, there's more here than just the primary plot. There's insight into racial relations, a theme that Parker explores deeper in the later PASTIME. There's also the very human theme concerning dealing with a person who's abilities you admire, but who is an insufferable so-and-so.

It's a typical fast read and yet leaves you with a feeling that you've picked up something of value from the reading.

Rachel doesn't say anything worthwhile.
Rachel was obnoxious.... which in my 15yrs. (1974-'89) experience of living/working in San Francisco and working along side or in the homes of lesbians is their typical behavior....... so Parker did get that right.

You have to remember this is '80 while reading it - Spenser makes several "questionable" comments, and her foes are definitely many and bigoted. Right from the start Spenser has to protect her, although their personalities clash. He tromps all over her while trying to "save her" because of course she can't take care of herself. Rachel fires him, and *poof* she's kidnapped.

Spenser finds a bigoted family with some deep conflicts. He traces through a KKK member, some loansharks, gets beaten up and drives in the snow in his 1968 Chevy Convertible. Lucky he didn't try it in Susan's MG. Spenser drinks Becks, Molsons and Asti Spumanti. Rachel, of course, is rescued in dramatic fashion. The book ends with her curled up in Spenser's apartment, holding his hand as she sleeps.

My Notes: Well, I suppose even now bigotry exists, maybe I fool myself that it's not as bad as the book makes it out to be. It was pretty nasty for a woman who was just writing books. Spenser, who later has a gay police officer friend, is seriously offensive himself a few times. But I suppose to have him "supporting" a lesbian activist in '80 was a reasonably strong move. He has at various times lobster, shrimp, and oysters, even though he claimed earlier to not like fish.

Susan pokes her head in for a scene and *poof* is gone - not much for a woman he swore eternal love to and couldn't live without only a short while ago. As much as Susan can generally be annoying, I like when she and Rachel talk, and Susan is gently helping the Rachel-Spenser interaction go more smoothly. Rachel says "Jeez does Spenser protect you?" and Susan replies "No, we protect each other, sort of how I'm looking out for him now." Rachel grudgingly admits this is true, and healthy.

Interestingly, Susan knows how to cook in this one - onions, peppers, mushrooms. She even makes ham sandwiches (with the ham from Millerton NY, hickory smoked, no nitrates). She must have forgotten soon thereafter. Susan's power is growing - in this story it says "Her interest in people was emanating. One could almost feel it." It won't be long before the perennial word, "Palpable" shows up!!

Spenser is definitely relaxing into his role in the world - I think (bigotry aside) this is the first book that he's really "comfortable with himself" in. He doesn't question his right to do things, he just does them. He punches the picketer. He jumps in when people try to drag her off. He does his job, period. Susan calls him a "Sir Gawain".

It's interesting to hear Rachel bashing Spenser all the time but admit in the end that she needed him to be what he was to rescue her. I wonder if this is a pre-emptive strike at those reviewers who criticize Spenser for being so "macho" - right in the book you have the arguments both ways. Very entertaining. Sadly, no Hawk at all in this one.

Slated for the priesthood, Terry is afflicted by what his friend, Bright McKay, describes as having a need to see himself as a sinner and life's good things as temptations; Terry is a straight arrow, an idealist doomed to disappointment, a trusting friend destined for betrayal, even by those within the Church. Fastening his star to the Kennedy family, Terry rises in the world of politics, ultimately veering in commercial real estate development, envisioning the rehabilitation of Boston's old ethnic quarters.

Nick is as crooked as they come, his style distinguished by a subtlety that would delight Machiavelli. Inheriting the family flower business, Nick sees beyond its commercial expansion to organizing a protection racket for the Flower Exchange. Powerless to compete head-to-head with the Italian Mafia, he crafts a subservient alliance with them, continuously plotting to expel them from Irish turf.

Although Terry perseveres in loving his brother, Nick is as disloyal as he is devious, using Terry at any opportunity to advance his own interests. Like two speeding comets, the enmities of their relationship ultimately collide in a deeply personal way.

This is not a story of Boston, in spite of the fond (or not so fond) memories it may evoke in Townies; it isn't a story of the Catholic faith or the Irish Catholic culture; it isn't a story of politics peculiar to Boston. While these elements enrich the tapestry of the tale, the story clearly transcends these parochial concerns to reveal a growing mastery of the storytelling art that Carroll realizes in his most recent novel, Secret Father.

However because the author has no strong theological interests, he overlooks the great danger which the Religious Right poses to Evangelical Protestantism. The actual purpose of the Religious Right is to allow people to consider themselves good Protestants while at the same time rejecting important New Testament teachings. For those who are uncomfortable with the Christian target audience being "all men everywhere"(Acts 17:30), the Religious Right permits the establishment of Our Private Religious Club--for "traditional families" only, thank you. And the list of major discrepencies between Religious Right teachings and New Testament teachings is long and substantial. Because Mr Boston overlooks the worst aspect of the Religious Right movement, he has understated his case.

- Patty likes to preach hate, which he is GREAT at. Oh, hate this and that, lets hate all the Hindu and all the Jews and all the Buddhists and all the Mulisms and even Catholics and some Protestants but just not Patty!
- Patty actually proclaims that "he can communicate to God", basically you know he is right there insulting Him by preaching all the blasphemy and hatread.
- Patty is absoutely 100% sure he is going directly to heaven without question, at least that's what he wants people to think that he is! And fool people into feeling free to drink and cuss and harm others just as long as they "find God" at the very last second. By this, he taking more innocent people away from the rightful God that awaits them.

Well there you have it! What kinda of a preacher would preach hate? The last time I went to a chuch I don't remember the preacher preaching hate! Even people of different religions won't preach hate so why would a "Christian" named Patty Robertson be doing so?

Finally, keep in mind that Pat Robertson is a millionaire, and owns several estates. However, I don't remember reading the newspaper saying he made great donations to churchs!

The last word: buy this book to see why Pat Roberstson is so dangerous, it doesn't matter if you're right or left-wing, we should always be viligent and aware of the danger and evil around us to avoid it.

But when Spenser's on the job it's professionalism all the way which makes for a very fiery employer / employee relationship. It also makes for some most amusing situations and gives ample opportunity for Spenser to display his flair for detective work. The relationship between Spenser and Susan is comfortable, as ever, and between Spenser and Hawk as solid as a rock.

The sanctuary of a Spenser book is always a welcome haven for weary readers with the pace of the book high and the pages turning quickly. Light entertainment at it's best; if you're after mystery with a liberal dash of humour then you're in for a real treat here.

This is a bit more of a mystery than others in the series in that you don't discover the murderer's identity until the end, and this is good in adding a bit more suspense than usual.

Spenser's hired to protect a very obnoxius TV star, who's addicted to drugs, alcoholic, arrogant...listed alphabetically, I'd be naming several other character defects before we get to nympho, and that's just past the middle of the alphabet!!! On top of all this, she might be making up all these threats she's supposedly receiving. However, when her double is murdered, Spenser has to take the task of protecting her more seriously. He has a hang-up about protecting women since an unpleasant happening earlier in the series.

I had a suspicion around half way through as to who the murderer was...I won't tell you whether I was right or wrong. However, I believe the suspicion was deliberately & subtly planted by Parker, and if so, I admire him for the way he did it. Like I say, I'll let you find out whether this was deliberate foreshadowing for dramatic effect, or a red herring to distract you.

I do recommend this highly, but if you're not already a Spenser fan, read several earlier books including "The Savage Place" first in order to better appreciate this.