Family honor (original 1999; edition 1999)

I absolutely adore Robert B. Parker's books and have for years. Sunny Randall is Parker's first female private eye, but she has much in common with Spenser and Jesse Stone while still being her own character. She believes in being as self-sufficient as possible, but doesn't have the same set moral code that Spenser does. Like Jesse she's working through a divorce that hasn't ended the relationship with her ex, but she doesn't have the same alcohol problems and she has a much more secure support network. One of my favorite parts of the book was getting to see the Boston crime network that Parker has created from a different viewpoint than Spenser's. In this outing Sunny is hired to find a 15 year old runaway from a wealthy, but not so loving, home. Sunny finds Millicent fairly quickly, but then struggles to figure out what precisely is the right thing to do with her. Return her to the parents who don't appear to care? Let her return to her life hooking on the streets? Keep her? Then a couple of goons show up also looking for Millicent and everything gets much more complicated. While Parker's Spenser series continues to please, the Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone series provide an opportunity to play with characters who are a little less finished and set in their ways - there's more room to grow here. I'm looking forward to re-reading the rest of the series and reading the new entry Spare Change for the first time. ( )

first book in a fun, light-hearted mystery series by author robert parker about a female free lance private investigator. really enjoyable. ( )

Sonny Randall used to be a cop, now she's a PI in Boston, living with her dog, Rosie, painting, and trying hard to work out where her relationship with her ex-husband is going to go from here (the weekly dinner's out aren't helping) and where her relationship with cop Brian is going to go either.

This case has her looking for runaway Millicent Patton, her parents appear to be a bit unconcerned and really only looking for her for form's sake. When Sunny finds her she has to decide what she's going to do with her. When there's an attempt on both of their lives Sunny has to find out a lot more about her client's backgrounds.

I really did enjoy reading this one, Sunny came across as a strong woman who takes no prisoners and who understands what working in a man's world involves. ( )

This is the first of the Sunny Randall novels (though I happened to read it last). I didn't like it as well as the sequels, but it definitely had potential. Here, Parker introduces Sunny's friend Spike, dog Rosie, and ex-husband Richie, as well as police officer Brian Kelley, who makes an appearance in later Sunny Randall mysteries. Parker lays the groundwork for an entertaining series, but Sunny's character is still a bit rough around the edges. She becomes more polished and less bossy as the series continues. Also, curiously, she grows an inch taller and gains ten pounds. ( )

Great first in a series. I'm discovering Parker late, and I'm glad:) ( )