Blue Screen by Robert Parker
Mystery
Finished on 8/8/06
Rating: A (9/10 Terrific)
Once again, Robert Parker hits a home run. Boston PI Sunny Randall returns, along with a familiar face to fans of Parker’s Jesse Stone series. Sunny has been hired to protect a beautiful (but spoiled) actress, whose next role does not involve a box office hit, but rather a publicity stunt in which she is to play on the Connecticut Nutmegs’ National League baseball team. Say what?! Sunny manages to keep the prima donna in line but when a dead body turns up, she finds herself working alongside (very closely alongside) Stone, the Chief of Police in Paradise, Mass. Hmmm.
Parker’s snappy dialogue and Sunny’s new friendship keep the pages turning. I was up until well after midnight, unable to close the book until I could see how Sunny would fare.
As I've said in previous reviews, I really like Sunny. She's a gutsy, intelligent woman who hasn't lost touch with her feminine side. She also happens to have a thing for Viggo Mortensen. Good taste. (Note to fans of Parker's western novel, Appaloosa -- Mortensen has been cast to play Everett Hitch - yet another book I must read!).
Having been introduced to Jesse Stone, I’m eager to start in on Night Passage, the first in the Jesse Stone series.
Sounds good. I've never read one of Parker's, but I'll be fixing that.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of his others, but if you start with the Sunny Randall series, I think it's a good idea to begin with the first (Family Honor). Sunny's relationships evolve over the course of the series and while each mystery is a stand-alone, the background history between some of the characters is better when read in order. Just my two cents.
ReplyDeleteOF COURSE, ROBERT PARKER IS MY FAVORITE MYSTERY WRITER EVER!! EVER! I do not particularly care for his Sunny Randall novels, nor the other guy, but I love Spenser books so much that I collect them and even, shh, reread them from time to time. He portrays Spenser as so real I wish I knew him. I love the repartee between he, Susan, and (I'm forgetting the name, now!) his best friend.
ReplyDeleteI also have enjoyed his book, Baseball, and School Days, which aren't Spense specific.
It's so funny to me that you like him also. Kindred spirits, did you say?
I LOVE Robert B. Parker. I think my favorite character is Hawk in the Spenser series. So deep and mysterious, and utterly capable. Thanks for this review!
ReplyDeleteTo Love, Honor and Dismay
I knew I liked you, Bellezza. :) Isn't Parker wonderful? Hubby has read all the Spenser books so I'll get to them eventually. Nothing wrong with re-reading, imo. I plan to read all of Lehane's Kenzie/Genaro and Coben's Bolitar series again some day. Just need to figure out when to sleep.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, Andrew. Always nice to see a new visitor to my blog.