Robert B. Parker's Kickback (Spenser Book 43)

Every year, at just about this time, a book arrives at my home. For years, the author of the series of books was Robert B. Parker; for the last few years, it has been Ace Atkins, who picked up Parker's mantle after the iconic writer passed away. That's what happened this week. The book was "Robert B. Parker's Kickback." I opened it lovingly, cracked open a beer, put my feet up, and read the following opening paragraph: <i>On the first day of February, the coldest day of the year so far, I took it as a very good omen that a woman I'd never met brought me a sandwich. I had my pair of steel-toed Red Wings kicked up on the corner of my desk, thawing out, when she arrived. My morning coffee and two corn muffins were a distant memory.</i> It is spring, and all is right with the world because Spenser is on the case yet again. I am happy to report that "Kickback" is the best of Atkins' four Spenser books; they've all been worthy successors to the Parker canon, but with each book he seems to gain confidence and familiarity, adopting the Boston PI's first person narration with increasing ease. "Kickback" has all the elements that one would like from a Spenser novel. Our hero finds himself facing off against authority figures of surpassing arrogance - in this case, corrupt Massachusetts judges who are sending teenagers guilty of minor crimes off to an Alcatraz-like detention center without benefit of counsel or trial. The judges have managed to convince the municipality that this is the kind of requisite tough love that will return the teens to the straight and narrow, but Spenser is smart enough - in part because he probably would've been one of those teenagers - to know exploitation and corruption when he sees it. One of the things that is interesting about "Kickback" is that Atkins is allowing his protagonist to age a bit, to show some vulnerability. He's just come off knee surgery: "A life's work of busting heads and kicking butts could be hard on the joints," he says at one point. And he seems to be comfortable with some level of diminished capacity: "I was still able to leap medium-size buildings in a single bound, but my X-ray vision was a bit iffy." But even slightly diminished Spenser is worth a visit, because in the end, as important as physicality is to the character, his moral center is far more critical to how he approaches his work and environment. One of the great things about the classic American detective novel is that, when it works, it balances two genres. On the one hand, most of them are, at their heart, westerns - the main character is trying to tame a hostile town. But they also are morality plays, as the detective serves as a kind of personification of ethical behavior, trying to put things as they <i>should</i> be. Raymond Chandler put it this way about his detective hero, Philip Marlowe: <i>Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. He is the hero; he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor—by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it ... The story is this man’s adventure in search of a hidden truth, and it would be no adventure if it did not happen to a man fit for adventure.</i> The good news about Ace Atkins, and "Kickback," is that he makes it work with a specific sense of the place about which he is writing, the characters who embody this world (especially Hawk, one of the best literary sidekicks ever invented), and a plot that moves forward though the mean streets of Boston (with a side and very entertaining detour to Tampa), relentlessly, compellingly, and with plenty of style and irony. If you're a Spenser fan, you'll enjoy it immensely. If you've yet to crack open one of these entertaining yarns, well, it's time ... because this novel works on its own terms, even without the enormous history of its main characters. Which leads me to the business lesson. (You knew there would be one, right?) I had a chance to sit down with Ace Atkins this week as he started his publicity tour for "Kickback." (This has become a nice little tradition for the past several years. Ace probably doesn't enjoy it as much as I do, but for me, it is a rite of spring.) One of the things we talked about was the nature of writing characters that were invented by another writer, and Ace said that he brings to the table an ability to "find great stories for Spenser and Hawk to star in. It is almost like they are actors who are in my company, and I need a vehicle for these guys that's a damned good story for them to be in ... I'm looking for new, modern stories for them to have something good to do." It wouldn't be hard to find a writer who could simply imitate the rhythms of Parker's prose, find some familiar scenarios, and cash in on the name ... but Ace is after something more profound than that. As a former journalist, he 's looking for fresh ways into the characters and stories, for different angles. He may be playing jazz, just like Parker did, but he's riffing on the melody, creating a unique backbeat, finding chords with a different progression. That's a great business lesson. Companies that think they've found the formula, think they've identified the magic sauce, and try to replicate that over and over, almost certainly are going to lose any sense of authenticity, of discovery, of a unique connection to the customer. I'm impressed by how Atkins is nurturing the tradition without being trapped by it, and I'm already looking forward to his next Spenser novel. Spring 2016 cannot come fast enough.

Since Robert B. Parker's death in 2010, I've sorely missed reading his work, and probably always will. No one can truly replace him or his writing, but I do appreciate Atkins' take on Parker's tough but sensitive Boston private eye. In this novel, Spenser is recovering from knee surgery and almost back to his fighting weight when Sheila Yates from Blackburn, a small town north of Boston, asks Spenser to help her teenage son Dillon who has been incarcerated in a juvenile detention center for a school prank. He's the latest in a long line of kids facing harsh sentences for minor infractions by Judge Joe Scali, a man famous for his stance of zero tolerance for bad behavior. But Sheila suspects Scali's motives are not so noble and hires Spenser to find the truth. Spenser uncovers corrupt judges and a mysterious corporation that runs New England's private prisons, both with links to Boston's criminal underworld. All the while, Dillon befriends a new arrival at the detention center, a young teenager who refuses to bend to the harsh treatment, particularly from one guard known only as "Robocop."As Spenser and Hawk do battle with a variety of criminals, ranging from powerful judges to the latest line of Boston mobsters, the race is on to save the boy, along with countless others languishing on an island purgatory. Atkins keeps the story moving at a brisk clip, with colorful characters old and new, and saucy dialogue throughout the novel. Though Spenser's age has slowed to a crawl (his Army service in the Korean war is no longer mentioned), the shadows of time and mortality pop up again and again in the story, from Spenser's troublesome knee to missing Boston landmarks to once powerful criminal figures like Joe Broz or Tony Marcus either dead or diminished. All in all, a good entertaining read. Ace Atkins isn't quite on Parker's level, but he's probably as close as anyone is likely to get.

Originally posted at www.csdaley.com Anyone who knows me, knows how important Robert B. Parker was to my reading life. The Spenser novels made me a mystery reader. More importantly, they showed me what kind of mysteries I liked. I liked characters. I liked people that were flawed. I liked stories that showed real people, having real problems. I met Robert B. Parker a few times in my life. He signed a few hardbacks for me (which I still have). I didn't get to talk for very long because the line was huge but I was humbled to be able to talk to him even if for just a moment. His death left a giant whole in the world of writers. I was beyond skeptical when they announced that several writers would be picking up Mr. Parker's big characters. While I liked some of his other series (his westerns in particular). I wasn't a giant fan like I was of the Spenser novels. If I was being honest though, I hadn't really enjoyed a Spenser novel completely in years. It wasn't that they were terrible. They had just lost a lot of the shine. I read them all but when he passed away I was ready to shut the door and move on. Then they announced that Ace Atkins would be writing the Spenser novels and I was intrigued. I had read him before and found him a very good writer. Before the first book came out I was hearing some rumblings that it was quite good. I reluctantly picked it up and read it. I was flabbergasted. It was incredibly good. Better than many of Mr. Parker's last entries into the series. I felt like I was cheating on one of my favorite authors but I knew the truth. There was no use denying that Atkins had returned a sense of style and flare to Spenser. I was hooked. The latest entry continues the trend. <em>Kickback</em> is a fairly straight forward story. A group of individuals are doing bad things. In this case, it is jailing teens in a money making scheme. A distraught mom comes to Spenser for help and he then doggedly pursues the bad guys until he annoys them so much they try to kill him. Spenser has always been very good at the annoying thing. Atkins gives us everything we want. A very tight and action packed story. Great characters and great dialogue abound. Like all Spenser novels the story reads incredibly fast (I finished it on one sitting). It is deceptively good. The story just sneaks up on you and makes you care. Atkins has added a few new touches that Mr. Parker never really tried and they work well in here. When I finished the book I felt like I had consumed a great meal and washed it down with a beer. It was completely satisfying. I don't know how Atkins has managed to capture the essence of what Spenser is and how Mr. Parker wrote him but he has. If you are looking for a great summer read to gobble up at the beach or the cabin or anywhere. Pick this book up (and any of the other Atkin's Spenser novels). I eagerly await the next entry. Atkins is a magician and I am a willing astounded audience member.

jI was looking forward to reading this new Spenser novel since I really enjoyed Ace Adkins' two previous efforts (Wonderland and Cheap Shot). Unfortunately, this third novel in the reboot of the series is not as good as the other two. Make no mistake, Adkins has Parker's voice nailed. You can hardly tell the difference in the writing between the two, and Adkins shows the proper respect for the characters. He also seems to be taking on some of the bad habits that Parker indulged in at the end of his career. This book has several third person passages from the point of view of a young juvenile who runs afoul of the corrupt Blackburn, Mass judicial system. These passages seem to be inserted to beef up the page count. While they do boast the suspense a tad, I found myself dreading them whenever I came to a new third person section. The plot is a bit far fetched. Not only are the cops inept and corrupt, but they could never get away with the kind of stuff portrayed in this novel. Neither could the corrupt judges, who are in bed with organized crime. The third person sections have a brutal corrections officer nicknamed "Robocop." The villains in this one are so mean and evil, they're virtually caricatures. The plot really moves well in the Spenser passages, and Adkins has the redoubtable detective, and his pal, Hawk, partake in the customary fist and gun fights. These are handled with Adkins' usual aplomb, but the ending slows to a shuffle and meanders into an anticlimax. Don't get me wrong. If you're looking for pure Spenser, you probably won't be disappointed because, as I said, Adkins has captured Parker's characters and voice perfectly. But this one is not up to his usual standards.

This is a kindle e-book novel from my local library book 44 in the series Spenser is hired by a mother concerning her son who has been arrested and sent to a juvenile detention center for a number of months. His investigation leads to the mafia run detention scam from police officers, judge, and elected officials. Another will written Spenser novel. I would highly recommend this series and authors to 👍 readers of romantic murder mystery adventure novels 👍🔰. 2024 😀👒😡😮🏡

KICKBACK Is the latest Spenser novel crafted beautifully by Ace Atkins, clearly a writer who holds the series, and the much loved characters that comprise it, with the same amount of respect as their creator did. This is Mr Atkin’s fourth attempt at re-creating the legend of Spenser and Co, and the book simply *works*. This story revolves around justice (but don’t they all?) - but more so than your standard Spenser novel ever did. It appears that juvenile offenders in the town of Blackburn, Massachusetts, are being given penalties that far outweigh the nature of their crimes, and Spenser and Co are asked by an associated family member of one such juvenile to investigate the matter. Links are soon found running between the Boston Underground and various organisation that run and control some of the state prisons and it is not long before Spenser and Hawk decide to turn the tides of ill-intent back on it’s many sources in order to determine how many rats they can drown in the (metaphorical) city sewers. The magic of a good Spenser novel (just pick one at random) was often created by Mr Parker when he stopped to smell the metaphorical roses. And the parallels of the associated epiphanies taken from the book’s universe, and given to the reader were often uncanny in their accuracy. KICKBACK is no exception. It is the kind of book that makes you glad you decided to pre order the hard cover, as the moments of enlightenment that you find more than make up for the expense incurred by the reader by having such early access to the wonders found within. The Spenser novels are timeless. They are essentially about love, and the forces of good battling and (hopefully) overcoming the powers of evil in the terrifying reality that the reader finds themselves in every day. So it is no wonder they continue to sell so well, even so long after the series first commenced. May you write on, Mr Atkins, and may you continue to bless the world, and the fans of the Spenser Legacy, for many years yet. BFN Greggorio!

I don't write reviews, but this time I had to. When Robert Parker passed away, so did Spenser. The first attempt by Ace Atkins to resurrect the character was shaky, and a series of books - particularly the disastrous one that had been started by Mr. Parker and finished by his agent after he died - just went to prove that you can't go home again. But I always loved the character and so decided to give this latest book another try, albeit with reduced expectations. To my absolute delight, this one exceeded them all. Ace Atkins finally found his voice with "Kickback", and so did Spenser, Susan, Hawk and the entire Parker universe. This Spenser is gritty, moral, tough and yet aging. The book stands up to Parker's best, and is even better than some of the Spensers he penned in his later years. The adage was wrong; It was good to come home again to a great character and a gripping storyline. This is the Spenser I knew and loved - my annual beach companion. Atkins aced it: a perfect summer read.

This is another solid Spenser book by Atkins. One thing I loved about Lullaby, was that just where I thought Robert B. Parker would have ended the story, Ace kicked it into a second gear! Here I feel he wrapped it up exactly as RBP would have. That's not a bad thing, but I felt (and please note I am a lifelong Parker fan, so don't pelt me with tomatoes) that near the end Parker was mailing it in. His voice was there, the dialogue still alive and fresh, but the plots and the wrap ups were less than Parkeresque. Atkins took all the best of Parker and added more in Lullaby. Ace Atkins as far as I'm concerned is the only one to succeed with carrying on Parker's legacy. Although, Kickback ended predictably and didn't have the same energy Atkins last Spenser novels had, it still stands head and shoulders above the efforts to continue, Jesse Stone or Cole and Hitch. They should be left to rest as they pale in comparison to the originals. Atkins continues Spenser with respect and nearly no drop off. I wished we found they identity of the boy left on the island (For a second I allowed myself to believe he was a young Quinn Colson, rescued by Spenser), it seemed odd to never mention the name and then never reveal it. Perhaps Ace was going for the "everyboy" it could have been any of the kids we know. I'm not sure. Still another seamless Spenser novel that Parker would have been proud to have read. I can not give a better recommendation then that.

Always a pleasure to return to these characters.

Spenser books never disappoint with new plots and lots of suspense along the way. Always wait for more. Keep it up.

If you like this series, if you love to hear about Spenser and Hawk and Susan, and a bit of Vinnie for extras, then this is more of the same. This was the first continuation of the series after Parker died, I think, so obviously Atkins tried hard to stick to the formula. His later books are a bit better, he introduces his own ideas.

All of these Spenser series are great reading

Love all Robert B. Parker books. Love Ace Atkins Robert B. Parker versions. Great sense of humor between characters.