Ceremony

A Spenser Novel

By: Robert B. Parker

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Spenser's out to make war, not love, as he goes after Boston's entire X-rated industry. Pretty teenager April Kyle has disappeared into the city's darkest underworld, and to rescue her, Spencer pits muscle and wit against bullets and bullies.

Crack another case with Spenser.

©1992 Robert B. Parker (P)2009 Random House

Interesting storyline

Parker is always good, and I appreciated how he addressed the complexity of the subject.

Love it

Good book. Story was interesting and brought the other books back into this book. Recommended.

Another great Spenser tale.

The dead pan narration is surprisingly enjoyable in its contrast to the humor and witism. I even like the Hawk and Susan voices. I especially enjoy their interactions.

ANOTHER SOLID HIT BY PARKER!

FOR ANYONE FOLLOWING MY REVIEWS THEY KNOW BY NOW I AM REVISITING ALL THE SPENSER NOVELS THROUGH AUDIBLE.COM. AND THIS ONE, LIKE THE REST DOESN'T DISSAPOINT. SPENSER'S MORAL COMPASS IS PUT TO THE TEST AS HE SEARCHES FOR A GIRL WHO HAS GONE MISSING IN BOSTON'S SEEDY "COMBAT ZONE". SHE'S RENTING HERSELF OUT FOR SEX; AND TRUTHFULLY DOESN'T MIND THE WORK. HOW SPENSER FINDS HER, EXTRICATES HER FROM THE PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HER, AND STILL STAYS TRUE TO HIMSELF MAKES FOR A WONDERFUL READ FULL OF SOME NICE AND CONCISE ACTION AND, AS ALWAYS, SOME GREAT MEDITATIONS ON THE DIFFERENCES IN HOW MEN AND WOMEN PERCIEVE THE SEX FOR SALE TRADE AS SPENSER USES HIS LIFE PARTNER SUSAN AS A SOUNDING BOARD. AND, OFCOURSE, THERE IS THE PRESENCE OF THE LETHAL HAWK, WHO ACTS AS SPENSER'S ALTER-EGO, DOING THOSE THINGS SPENSER IS UNWILLING TO DO. THEY ARE TWO SIDES TO THE SAME COIN. SO MUCH ALIKE, BUT DIFFERENT IN THE WAYS THEY DEAL WITH THE WORLD AROUND THEM. SPENSER ATTEMPTS TO CONFORM TO A WORLD WHERE THE WORD CIVIL, AS IN CIVILIZATION, IS A VENEER THAT IS WEARING THIN. THE ROT BENEATH THE SUBURBAN SPRAWL IS STARTING TO SHOW. THE BARBARIANS ARE AT THE GATE, AND SPENSER IS A KNIGHT ATTEMPTING TO KEEP CAMELOT ALIVE. HAWK, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS ONE OF THE BARBARIANS. AND HE IS JUST AS HAPPY TO TEAR THE FACADE DOWN. HE DOESN'T BELIEVE IN CAMELOT ANYMORE. PROBABLY NEVER. HE'S A STREET THUG, WHO HAS FITTED HIMSELF WITH A COAT OF SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE. HE DRESSES LIKE A MALE MODEL; BUT HE WEARS HIS EXPENSIVE SUITS LIKE A WOLF WEARS SHEEPS CLOTHING, ONLY TO BLEND IN SO THE SHEEP CAN'T SEE THE WOLF IN THEIR MIDST UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. THIS CONTRAST IS WONDERFULLY ILLUSTRATED THROUGHOUT THE SPENSER NOVELS, ESPECIALLY IN THE HUMOROUS BANTER BETWEEN THE TWO CHARACTERS. AS ALWAYS, SPENSER AND FRIENDS ARE GOOD COMPANY TO SHARE AN ADVENTURE WITH.

I did not like the ending, I thought the story cou

I was very interested in the story it was good all the way down to the very end and now they leave you with a cliffhanger you don't know if the girl goes stays with the Madam or she comes back tries to get with her family I just don't like that kind of guessing game

Ceremony

If you like the Spenser series, you will enjoy this. The story is good, with fewer plot twists than usual.

Okay

Not as exciting as I expected. I love Spencer and his gang, but this book is not one of the more exciting offerings by Robert Parker.

2 ½ stars.

My mind wandered a lot, but it might have been other things going on in my life - not sure.

If you’re new to the series and just want to read some, skip this one. It’s not a lot of muscle and wit. It’s mostly Spenser trying to find a teenage girl who runs away from home and does not want to be rescued.

The narrator Michael Prichard was very good.

This is book #9 in the Spenser series.

Genre: PI mystery

Middle of the road Spenser

Aside from the occasional entertaining set-pieces, this felt like a by-the-books episodic Spenser. That said, episodic Spenser is still a lot of fun.
Some discussion of social morays, sexuality, and autonomy are attempted, but I'm not sure a thesis ever particularly codified. Then again, leaving a complex issue with no easy interpretation is probably exactly what Parker was gunning for.
All-in-all having Susan, Hawk, and Spender pal-ing around for a book was a fun read, but not the best of what I've read so far.