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Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980)

by Robert B. Parker

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Spenser (6)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,1062218,033 (3.82)48
Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. HTML:â??Crackling dialogue, plenty of action, and expert writing.â?ťâ??The New York Times

Rachel Wallace is a tough young woman with a lot of enemies. 

Spenser is a tough guy with a macho code of honor, hired to protect a woman who thinks that kind of code is obsolete. Privately, they will never see eye to eye.

But when Rachel vanishes. Spenser is ready to lay his life on the lineâ??to find Rachel Wallace.

â??A rare kind of book.â?ťâ??Chica
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» See also 48 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 22 (next | show all)
Pretty good, especially for one of those early in the series.

Spenser gets to be macho, all the while his client is so decidedly anti-macho. It gives it that bit more depth than other early Spenser books, that can be very straightforward (even if still a lot of fun). ( )
  cwebb | Nov 20, 2023 |
Though one of the early Spensers, there are elements here which make this one rank surprisingly low within the Spenser canon. First, we have too much Susan Silverman. While she isn’t plopping down in the bathroom sink, so that she can be close to a mirror while putting on her makeup, as in Hugger Mugger, a little of her still goes a looong way for this reader. Also, there is no Hawk, as even towards the end, Spenser wants to do this one on his own. As yet there is no Vinnie, my favorite of the Parker posse.

The real problem with this one, however, is the thoroughly dislikable Rachel Wallace. She is a caustically angry and hostile gay feminist whose few valid points are muted by her own chip-on-the-shoulder hatred towards men, and anything related to them. As Spenser explains to her when her publisher hires him to protect her — because of threats about a book she is releasing — her being lesbian isn’t a problem for him, but her being angry and impossible to work for, and get along with, might become an issue. And it does, because even back when Parker wrote this, the "victim" culture so prevalent today had begun to surface.

While the dialog and story are average to above average for the series, and there are some nice moments, having such an unlikable client wears on the reader more than it does the very Boston-liberal/libertarian Spenser. Frankly, when Rachel Wallace fires Spenser, the reader wants to breathe a sigh of relief that she won’t be in the story any longer. Her absence, however, drives the second half of the book, because unlike the reader, Spenser feels obligated to go find her.

Spenser’s sense of guilt seems a literary contrivance on this occasion. It simply gave Spenser a reason to go looking for her — and therefore give us a resolution — something the reader did not always get in later Spenser entries. The good part is that because she’s been kidnapped, Rachel Wallace and her palpable anger isn’t in the second half of the story until Spenser finds her. The bad part is that her presence is always abrasive and in some way unpleasant for both the reader, and Spenser.

The psychobabble and gobbledygook at the end of the book is just eye-rollingly inane. Other than learning that Parker must have been on a Syrian bread kick around this time — Spenser must eat it at least three times in the book — there was nothing new when I went back to read this again after many years. It's rare for one of the earlier Spenser novels to rank as low as a small handful toward the end of this great series do, but this one unfortunately does. I have friends who like this one more than I do, but it wasn’t my favorite when I first read it many years ago, and having read so many great ones in the series since then, it really pales in comparison now. ( )
  Matt_Ransom | Oct 6, 2023 |
First edition signed fine
  dgmathis | Mar 16, 2023 |
Very quick read with a story that keeps moving. Despite the length, the characters were well developed and likable. Fun read. ( )
  misterysun | Feb 27, 2023 |
This has to be one of the better Spensers though all are good. Robert B. Parker was a masterful writer, nobody did dialog better. In looking for Rachel Wallace Spenser is hired to protect a controversial author during the Boston part of a book tour. The author, Rachel Wallace, is kidnapped after she fired Spenser. She didn't like his response to an insurance executive who kicked her out of a cafeteria where she was meeting with woman employees of the insurance company. Will Spenser go look for Rachel Wallace after she fired him? Read it to find out.

Parker died in 2010. His series have been continued by other authors but none of them are as good as he was. Robert Parker was an professor of English as well as a mystery writer. He had a doctorate form Boston University and taught Northeastern Univerity. ( )
  MMc009 | Jan 30, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 22 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (4 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Robert B. Parkerprimary authorall editionscalculated
Deutsch, MichelTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Holleman-Mast, M.J.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Prichard, MichaelNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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For Joan, David and Daniel---my good fortune.
First words
Locke-Ober's Restaurant is on Winter Place, which is an alley off Winter Street just down from the Common.
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"S-p-e-n-s-e-r. like the English poet"
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. HTML:â??Crackling dialogue, plenty of action, and expert writing.â?ťâ??The New York Times

Rachel Wallace is a tough young woman with a lot of enemies. 

Spenser is a tough guy with a macho code of honor, hired to protect a woman who thinks that kind of code is obsolete. Privately, they will never see eye to eye.

But when Rachel vanishes. Spenser is ready to lay his life on the lineâ??to find Rachel Wallace.

â??A rare kind of book.â?ťâ??Chica

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Rachel Wallace is a tough young woman with a lot of enemies.

Spenser is a tough guy with a macho code of honor, hired to protect a woman who thinks that kind of code is obsolete. Privately, they will never see eye to eye.

But when Rachel vanishes. Spenser is ready to lay his life on the line to find Rachel Wallace.
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