The Professional (Spenser)

• Publisher:   Putnam Adult
• Number Of Pages:   304
• Publication Date:   2009-10-05
• ISBN-10 / ASIN:   0399155945
• ISBN-13 / EAN:   9780399155949

A knock on Spenser's office door can only mean one thing: a new case. This time the visitor is a local lawyer with an interesting story. Elizabeth Shaw specializes in wills and trusts at the Boston law firm of Shaw & Cartwright, and over the years she's developed a friendship with wives of very wealthy men. However, these rich wives have a mutual secret: they've all had an affair with a man named Gary Eisenhower- and now he's blackmailing them for money. Shaw hires Spenser to make Eisenhower "cease and desist," so to speak, but when women start turning up dead, Spenser's assignment goes from blackmail to murder. As matters become more complicated, Spenser's longtime love, Susan, begins offering some input by analyzing Eisenhower's behavior patterns in hopes of opening up a new avenue of investigation. It seems that not all of Gary's women are rich. So if he's not using them for blackmail, then what is his purpose? Spenser switches tactics to focus on the husbands, only to find that innocence and guilt may be two sides of the same coin. With its eloquently spare prose and some of the best supporting characters to grace the printed page, The Professional is further proof that "[t]here's hardly an author in the crime novel business like Parker" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

Sadly the days of the hard hitting... hard shooting... unyielding... snappy repartee... private detective Spenser... is no more. The former "MANS-MAN" who spent untold hours with the tough rough-edged men on both sides of the law... is now more content to exchange double-entendre's with the always annoying Susan. In between the relentless honey-dripping dialogue in which Spenser constantly reminds the reader Ad Nauseam that Susan is the most beautiful woman in the world and would look like a runway model even if she wore a ten-year-old unwashed mechanics uniform... Susan dutifully returns serve to Spenser... by unrelentingly jogging the reader's memory as to Spenser being the stud of all studs. And of course for experienced Spenser fans you know it has to be stated at least three times per "short-story" that assuredly Susan has a Ph.D. from Harvard. The concept of the crime to be investigated that this saga is built around is hard to swallow. A female lawyer approaches "Stud" Spenser representing four rich women who all have a similar M.O. They married rich older men... and they're all having adulterous sex with the same man Gary Eisenhower. And now Gary whose real name in a prior life was Goran Pappas is blackmailing all of them with sex tapes of their escapades. Even for a light hearted Spenser tale the fact that all four women still want to keep the amorous affairs alive seems farfetched. Where all credibility dissipates is when for some unknown reason Spenser takes a liking to Eisenhower/Pappas. Parker dutifully reaches into his extensive collection of former notorious Spenser characters... if not physically in the non-action... they are at least mentioned by reputation... such as... Rita Fiore, Tony Marcus, Junior, Ty-Bop, Vinnie Morris, Chollo, Frank Belson and Quirk among others. But as is Parker's wont of late... they're not given any hard exciting action. And of course there is everybody's favorite *HAWK*. If a character could miraculously come to life... Hawk would have an unbeatable lawsuit against Spencer for reasons of neglect and emasculation. Hawk has become nothing but a chauffeur and sometime babysitter... along with being "eye-candy" and the immediate desire of any woman in any situation... except when Susan is raining studly double entendre's on her snookums... that big hunk Spenser. A full literary character castration is performed on Hawk when he has a book at a bar and Spenser says: "WHAT'S THE BOOK?" Hawk responds: "THE NEW ONE BY JANET EVANOVICH." Oy vey! Parker's use of Hawk in the last few years is equivalent to having a souped-up Ferrari locked in your garage that is never taken out on the street. Long time Spenser fans won't be shocked when I tell you that once again Spenser won't quit a case even when he's no longer being paid... thank goodness Susan has a paying job and in case you forgot from the three times you are told that she has a "Ph.D. from Harvard"... late in the book she also says: "IF I WEREN'T A SOPHISTICATED PSYCHOTHERAPIST WITH ADVANCED DEGREES FROM HARVARD, I MIGHT BE FAINTLY SHOCKED." How about a stand-alone series for Hawk? I'm sure we'd all love it, *WE'D BE FOOLS NOT TO!*

For long time fans of Spenser novels this one falls within your favorite old rock band at the local Casino mode; you know you're going to the show even if you suspect that the lead singer may not be able to hit the high notes anymore.
It's Spenser and friends, back again with rich women in trouble and our seemingly ageless lead in the spotlight going through all of the familiar moves supported by a talented backup band.
That being said...hey, it's a new Spenser novel. And let's face it, we ain't exactly boogeying so smoothly ourselves these days. That emotional spandex a little too tight, is it? That six pack ab bookrest starting to spread out to being a small pony keg reading stand?
If you're already a Parker fan you'll like The Professional and, I suppose if you're a die-hard Spenser fan you may even complain some that it isn't as good as Mortal Stakes or Looking for Rachel Wallace or the one read in your favorite hey day as you pony up the money and stand in line for yet another go.
I might whine and complain a little as well but I'll be right in line behind you because hey, it's Spenser and friends, back again!

This just in: Spenser finds women interesting. We know this because he tells us so. Frequently. More than one interesting woman fuels events in The Professional, Parker's front-line Spenser offering for '09. Within the first page or so, Spenser speaks of no less than 4 women who interest him. Of course, his primary interest is Susan Silverman, and he is nothing if not loyal. Still, interested. He's hired by one of them to look into the affairs of a bunch of other women (of as yet undetermined interest levels) who are all having an affair with the same guy and are all being blackmailed by him. That would be the titular Gary Eisenhower, self-employed cad. If ever there was a case for Spenser requiring the constant input of his Sugar Plum, this is it, and constant she is throughout
The Professional. As Spenser digs in, he comes to know Mr. Eisenhower and we see a certain affinity for him. It's kind of odd, at first, but when we think of Spenser's history, he's certainly had his "Swordsman Era", so a bit of appreciation for what Gary is pulling off can be understood. And of course it provides fodder for much cracking of wise between Spenser and Hawk. As he interviews the women involved, Parker reminds us how women love to offer themselves to Ol' Spens in various and sundry fashions. It's always fun to watch, even if somewhat predictable. Look, you wouldn't want to see Springsteen without knowing he'd play "Born To Run", right? Ok, then. Parker mixes in what are essentially cameos from both Hawk and Vinnie Morris, as well as some Underworld flavor courtesy of Tony Marcus and some new players central to the action; middle-level player Chet Jackson and his back-watchers Boo and Zell. Turns out one of the women in Eisenhower's orbit is Jackson's wife. Uh-oh. These three criminals are pretty much the center of action here, and the Mice-and-Men-like relationship between Boo and Zell provides a pleasant soft spot. Parker takes his famously casual approach to events in The Professional, but eventually the bodies do start piling up, and the book gains some altitude. Developments allow Spenser and Susan to spend much time discussing the nature of love, obsession and morality, so if that's a big part of the series for you, The Professional will make you happy. If not, you'll still find plenty to like, as Parker scatters the usual blend of action, humor and thrilling heroics throughout.

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