Writers

Robert B. Parker has to be one of my all time favorite authors. He writes crime novels with four recurring characters.

Spenser - of the old TV show "Spenser for Hire" (1985 - 1988) with actor Robert Urich is the character he has written about the most. This week I listened to a Spenser book on CD. Parker sure knows how to write dialogue, and his characters, especially Spenser, a Boston private detective, is a smart ass. The wordplay between Spenser his lover Susan, and his faithful side kick Hawk makes me laugh out loud.

I love how Parker describes food, making it tantalizingly real. I want to sip the beer with him and munch the sandwiches he prepares. I especially like his treatment of animals in his books - mostly dogs. Spenser's dog Pearl helped inspire our dog Odie Pearl's name. My friend Cheri named her Boston Terrier, Spenser at my suggestion. Parker truly loves his canines and it shows.

Another of Parker's characters is Jesse Stone, an alcoholic small town police chief in the northeast. Jesse is a tragic figure, hopelessly in love with his ex-wife, whom he followed from Los Angeles. They can't live together and can't seem to stay apart. Tom Selleck most recently portrayed this character on a TV movie - and part of the storyline dealt with Jesse's aging dog, and how he finally says goodbye. This caused yours truly to blubber out loud. Good thing nobody else watched it with me.

Parker is also effective in portraying a woman in the character of Sunny Randall, another detective who is also in love with an ex, but can't seem to live with him. She's got a nifty little terrier of some type. Some of Parker's books deal in historical fiction, which I also enjoy. His characters aren't always lawful, but they have well established moral codes that I appreciate. Plus they always win! Not always 100%, but they prevail.

Actor Joe Montanye, who has such a soothing voice, reads the Spenser books. He does a great job of all the voices, even the women. Even though Parker books have a definite recipe that doesn't change much, I like these books a lot.