Potshot: the first entirely disappointing Spenser novel.
Written: Jul 25 '01 (Updated Jul 25 '01)
Product Rating:
Pros: Easy reading. Contains many of the characters from the best Spenser novels. Well-crafted.
Cons: Constantly resorts to stock Parker lines. Standard issue plot; characters seem flat and static.
The Bottom Line: Stale in plot and humor. Longtime readers won't see growth in their favorite characters, and new readers should start with earlier books or they may be turned off.
toby_baldwin's Full Review: Robert B. Parker - Potshot: A Spencer Novel
I have read every virtually every novel by Robert B. Parker (I haven't found the love story Three Weeks in Spring, co-written with his wife), including all of the Spenser books. This is the first one that left me shaking my head and wondering if we'll see another great Spenser book again.
Mr. Parker's main set of characters has become wonderfully fleshed out over the series, and with some recent entries in the series where the plot was only semi-interesting (e.g. Hugger Mugger), the characters carried the book with sharp dialog and good character developments. The problem here is that once again the plot is only passable, but this time the dialog is unoriginal and the recurring characters end the story essentially the same as they began it.
Certain 'snappy' lines have been showing up in these novels for years now. Take "cherchez la femme", for instance, or Spenser's reference to the particular smile of his that makes women take off their clothes and throw them at him. We no longer get variations on these similar themes--it's declined to simple repetition of tired old lines.
The same repetetiveness pervades the plot. Once again Spenser meets several sexy women who may well turn out to be the bad guys, and who will almost certainly throw themselves at him by the end of the story. His voice will get a little husky, but he'll think of Susan and abstain. How many times have we seen it? Too many, considering that it is no longer happening in interesting or new ways.
The largest disappointment is the waste of the great 'cast' in this one. The assorted baddies from Spenser's, such as Vinnie and Chollo and even Hawk, that used to be fascinating blends of volatility and admirability, seem more tame and less interesting as the series continues, and never more so than here. In earlier stories these characters were exciting because Spenser (and the reader) could never be entirely sure whose side they were on, and they were clearly only loyal to Spenser to a certain point. In the situation laid out in Potshot, that tension does not exist. They talk tough, play house, and basically do whatever Spenser tells them.
The best books in the series have focused on Spenser or the other main characters' past, or the relationships between the main characters (like Pastime). Other strong entries have been more plot-driven, but the plot was more original and the humor was strong (like Taming a Sea Horse). Other strong volumes include...well, all of them from the late 1970s (especially starting with God Save the Child) through the early to mid 1990s. The last three (including Hush Money, Hugger Mugger, and Potshot) have seemed to lack the imaginative plotlines, significant character strides, and original wisecracks that make the series great.
I have Gunman's Rhapsody on reserve at the local library. I hope the foray into the old west can bring a sense of freshness and fun back to Mr. Parker's writing. I miss the good old Spenser novels!
Although substandard compared with the rest of the series, I still rated this book "average" due to Mr. Parker's command of the language. Even when he doesn't have much new to say, he says it fairly elegantly.
Murderous marauders lay siege to the small town of Potshot, Arizona, and the law is helpless to stop them. But when Boston P.I. Spenser comes to town,...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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