Robert B. Parker's Lullaby: A Spenser Mystery

Atkins has more than captured the essence of Spenser. I have been rereading all the old Spenser novels (via Audible) and thus the whole enivronment is fresh in my mind. I honestly can not tell that this book was written by a different author. He has captured the universe entirely, including references to unseen characters from previous tomes that fit right into the flow. There is no sense that he used a "checklist" to ensure that he covered all the bases - something very common with follow-on works. Everything here felt right. He captures Susan and Hawk perfectly, and his references to inside-Boston stuff was spot on.
Finally, the story was compelling and held my interest. The new characters were well-developed and felt as if they belonged in the Spenser universe.

Ace gets an A+ from this avid Parker reader. (Are you ready to do another Cole and Hitch?) I'm looking forward to the next Spenser - may he live forever!

Thank you to the Parker estate for letting this series continue.

Joe Mantegna is the perfect reader for this series. I've listened to several others, who range from OK down to horrible - but Joe captures the spirit and attitude of the stores perfectly. (I'm aware that he portrayed Spenser in some made-for-TV movies that were not well received by most Spenser fans, but reading is not the same as acting). Joe does the multiple roles well, and I think he does the best Hawk of any of the readers.

In short, I strongly recommend this novel to either long-time Parker fans, or new readers. You won't be disappointed!

When Robert B. Parker died, you would figure Spenser did as well, but Ace Atkins has kept him alive...the flavor, the crassness, all of it is the Spenser, those of us fans of the original stories are so familiar with. This story was not extraordinary, though the client was fun, But what made it good was the fact that Spenser, Hawk, and Susan are all here and truly the same characters with the same humor and action that Parker so prolifically provided.
Joe Mantegna has done most of the Spenser readings (as well as played Spenser is several TV movies) and so he adds the right touch of sardonic wit to make the book work. If you are a Spenser fan, this will all work for you...if you've never done a Spenser book, go back and listen to the older Spenser books, this one will still be here waiting for you when you come back.

No

There was something about the work that failed to hold my interest. I can't put my finger on it but it just wasn't as good as Parker's Spenser.

As crime stories go, this is pretty good. The problem lies in where the bar is set for this series. Spenser is an American icon and Robert B. Parker was the absolute master of the genre. His use of language was lean and spare, yet packed a punch comparable to Spenser's right cross, and his literary voice was unmistakeable. Asking another writer to pick up his mantle is like asking someone to carry for Hemingway. If you're a casual ran of the genre and aren't overly familiar with Parker, this is a worthy listen. If, like me, you loved Parker's novels and waited for each new Spenser novel the way a child awaits Christmas, then this is a frustrating listen. A Spenser novel is like great jazz. Atkins knows all the notes and he plays them well. But they aren't his notes and it's not his solo he's riffing on. When you listen, you keep telling yourself "That's not Coltrane." With this listen, that same thought kept coming to me: That's not Parker. And I don't mean that as a knock on Ace Atkins. His books, with his own characters, are excellent and I enjoy them -- because he writes them with his own literary voice. Taking over for a master artist is a thankless task, and as efforts to carry on a legend go, this is a worthy effort. But by definition, any such effort is missing that master's touch.

This didn't have that Parker ending, but it was good.

Joe Mantegna was my favorite narrator for Parker's novels. It was a great pairing -- equal to the incredible pairing of James Lee Burke's words and Will Patton's narration. You hear echoes of that great Parker-Mantegna chemistry as he reads this book. He does a wonderful job. But it's not Parker.

It inspired me to go back and listen to the original Spenser novels again. And it inspired me to go looking for more of Ace Atkins' novels. Not sure it inspired me to buy the next effort in this series. This one reminded me of how much we all lost when Parker passed away, and how much this genre owes to its now past master.

I did try making the dish Atkins described early in the book: sweet potatoes, andouille sausage and onions sautéed together with a little real maple syrup and a hint of brown sugar. It was delicious. I added some granny smith apple to mine the second time I made it and it was exceptional.

As a Spencer’s fan to be able to continue to enjoy the reading his histories is fabulous news.

There is one thing that changed (for good): The frequency of “I said… He said” has been reduced to a minimum! This makes the reading more fluent and enjoyable.

This is definitely a Spenser story. It's all there: the fight against evil, the artless philosophizing about life, and, of course, working mostly pro bono. My only complaint is that i don't think Atkins quite got Hawk right; he just seemed more talkative than usual. Nonetheless, I'm delighted that Spenser has not passed along with Parker.

Just finished Lullaby. Mr Atkins does a pretty good job of capturing the essence of Spenser. Good listen, just not Mr. Parker.

The reparte of Spencer with all characters in book.

Not on the edge but thoroughly entertained and chuckling often.

He is good enough to tell the story, but has always seemed the wrong voice for Spencer

No, spacing the tale was for me more enjoyable.

The author's death greaves me greatly. I always knew I would like his books.

Though he is a new author for Spenser, he is the same old Spenser. For you old timers,we must suspend our knowledge. He had served in Korea (which makes him about 80, as well as Hawk and Susan). But there is much action and witty remarks. Maybe too many witty comebacks but still very fun

I like the relationship between the new client and Spenser

The fight sceen in the bar

I laughed out loud a number of times

There was talk of too much swearing and drinking. I liked that they used a part of Boston not known for its manners

The character of Maddie made me laugh as she resisted Spenser's desire to help her/change her/improve her life. Her attitude toward life was both realistic and sad, but I giggled as she resisted Spenser and Susan's attempts to improve or change her approach to negotiating her days. She absolutely tolerated no coddling, no interference with what she perceived as the "right" approach to avenging her mother's death, and, yet, small insights about her feelings emerged with such hints as the fact that she had a toy tiara on her head when Spenser first visited her.
None of the characters reacted in a stereotypical fashion.....the convict was not grateful for Spenser's help, the "dirty" cops don't get their comeuppance, the old foe ends up being sympathetic at the end. But Hawk is always Hawk, and Spenser is always Spenser.

Maddie is spectacular. Mantegna does a good job with her cynical voice. I will always remember the scorn in his/her voice when she announced that the "cops" gave her a card so she could see someone to talk about "her feelings and crap."

Maddie is my favorite, but Mantegna does a great job with the by-play between Hawk and Spenser. His "Hawk" is, by far' the best of all the narrators.

Spenser Meets His Match.