Rocketgirl's Full Review: Robert B. Parker - Family Honor
As a fan of Robert B. Parker's "Spencer" novels, I figured I would enjoy this one, even though it is not about Spencer. This book is the first in a new series starring Sunny Randall, a female private detective. I did like the book, in part because the plot was a lot more involved than the typical Spencer novel.
Sunny is a private detective, divorced from her ex-husband in law, but not in emotional ties. She just couldn't accept his ties to the mob, even though he was a legitimate businessman. But she doesn't hesitate to call for his help when she gets into trouble.
It seems like it should be an easy enough job. Look for a runaway girl of some rich parents. She does find the girl easy enough, but someone wants the girl dead. Someone with lots of resources to make sure she gets dead. Sunny feels that her parents may have something to do with it, so she hides Millicent at her apartment until she can figure out what to do.
As I said, part of the book's appeal is that the plot is much more detailed than a typical Parker book. Spencer books tend to have one main story. Sub-plots often don't have anything to do with crime fighting. Much more of a Spencer book seems to deal with the sub-plots than the main plot. In this book it is the reverse. And there is much more to it to keep you guessing.
I liked Sunny's character, but there was one main problem. If she didn't wear a dress and heels, she would be Spencer. She is a smart-mouth "tough guy" just like Spencer. Much of the dialogue sounds exactly like something he would say, and the way he would say it. She has her bodyguards and she has her mutt, just like Spencer. The biggest real difference is that he has plenty of stuff in the fridge with which to make a nice meal, where she can't cook at all. I felt that making Sunny a carbon copy of Spencer did not show much imagination. Also, wise-cracking P.I.'s are getting real old. I'm looking for some other kind of character. This is the biggest reason I rated the book lower.
On the other hand, the book is a fast read. This is always a big plus for me, since there are so many books and so little time. Sunny gets into trouble almost from the very start. Danger rapidly follows. Despite the droll dialogue, it does help make the book move right along. As usual with most Parker novels, the chapters are very short to help the speed of reading. Also the story is told in first person, so acres of narrative are mercifully absent. Another reviewer commented on Parker writing in first person from a woman's perspective. This might be a real feat, except for Sunny is just Spencer in heels. I personally don't feel it took much to write this way.
The paperback version is only 320 pages, a good length for a novel of this type. Like the Spencer novels, there is very little description of actual violence or "blood and guts." There is little reference to anything sexual. One of the characters is a gay man, Sunny's friend and protector. This may be a turn-off to some, but doesn't bother me. Profanity is very minimal.
Despite the lack of imagination in this book, I still felt it was a pretty good book because of a more mysterious mystery. The Spencer novels really lack mystery at times. This one did a pretty good job at keeping you guessing. This outweighs the negatives. Its too bad the character isn't more original because now she'll have to carry all the way through any future novels. But maybe Parker will "tweak" her a bit as she grows.
The author of the bestselling Spenser novels introduces a heroine unlike any other--private eye Sunny Randall. She s street-smart, sexy, and suddenly ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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