Early Autumn

If you like Spencer, you will like Early Autumn. This book has all the "Spencer" elements I like, Spencer is his usual sexy wise cracking self and Hawk is involved. Susan is not quite as suppotive of Spencer as she is in other novels, but she is there, and in love with Spencer. Eary Autumn gives good insight into Spencers values for making a young man a "man". It was fun to watch the growth of the young man he befriends. This was a very good prchase for me.

Spenser is hired by Patty Giacomin to find and retrieve her son, Paul, who has been abducted by her ex-husband. Spenser soon realizes that 15-year-old Paul is being used as a weapon in a fierce and unrelenting battle between the Giacomins, neither of whom actually care much about him. Spenser decides to take care of the boy himself, and to attempt to teach him to become autonomous. This creates a certain amount of tension between Spenser and Susan, and a certain amount of danger for Spenser, who discovers that Mel Giacomin has mob connections.

Most of book contains two story lines: Spenser's efforts to find a way to get Paul out of the battle between his parents, and his teaching of Paul to become an independent person at a very young age.

In my opinion, the best part of the story is the work of Spenser to teach young Paul how to deal with the disasters of his family life and prevent them from consuming him.

If you like Spenser, you should find this book very enjoyable; swiftly paced, well-written, and full of telling and enjoyable details.

Yes. It has a good message. Laid out well. Spenser's remarks are typical of Parker and very enjoyable.

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the boy

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This is one of my favorite Robert Parker books and Robert Parker is one of my favorite audio book authors. This plot is different, because there isn't a murder mystery to be solved, but a complicated issue of seeing to it that a neglected, young boy is prepared to lead life as an adult---and, then, unraveling the sordid pasts of his parents so that he can live as he wishes with no interference from his miserable, self-absorbed mother and father. I loved this book.

The moment when Spenser admonishes Susan and tells her not to be "ordinary: because she's jealous of the time he has spent away from her. I enjoyed the fact that her reaction to Spenser's absorbing attempt to care for Paul (who appears in later books) was selfish and self-absorbed. I enjoyed the fact that Paul understands that she resents him. And I enjoyed the fact that she does "come around" but only with limitations. Parker does not go for the stereotypical "feel good" solutions.

My favorite scene occurred when Spenser tells Paul that he was right about his plan for the boy's future and Paul asks, "What..do you want a Nobel Prize?" The "smart" response showed his increase in self-confidence and his adaptation of Spenser's repartee for his own personality.

Jog a mile, punch the bag, expand your mind...grow up!

I am a avid Parker fan and especially the Spenser series.
I found this one to be in poor quality as far as the reader is concerned and the audio.
The story line did not keep my interest. It was almost a carbon copy of Looking for Rachael Wallace. Spenser is showing his "sensitive" side but a wee bit too sappy for me in this novel.
I will continue reading the rest of the series as I know they have great promise.