Crimson Joy

The only redeeming factor of this book was that it jumped right into the action, so you were immediately swept into the investigation. What killed me was that, the ENTIRE story, they felt like they knew who it was or that they were very close to knowing who it was, but also didn't know a darn thing and stated as such. Oh, and they had no physical evidence to actually say "Yes, it's THIS person." In all honesty, very little of what is written in this actually feels like it pertains to the murders themselves and catching the killer.

To be fair, this is the first in this series I've read, so this could be the norm for Parker. It was recommended to me by someone I don't actually know very well, but who hasn't steered me wrong on the couple show more other recommendations he's thrown my way and, from the synopsis, it did, in all fairness SOUND like a good book. I definitely don't intend to read any more in this series though. The chemistry between Spenser and his girlfriend is a bit odd and one exposure to it is good enough for me. Additionally the utter lack of information related to the actual murders, killer, etc was plenty enough to turn me away from the rest of the series. show less

Someone is killing black women using the same MO: duck tape, shot with the same gun, a rose, and leaving evidence of masturbation. He also claims, in a note to the homicide detective in charge, to be a cop. Lt. Quinn asks Spenser to help from outside the department. Soon they are forced to deal with a copycat who has confessed. And then the real bad guy. Predictable.

OK story with the usual humorous banter, but I do get annoyed with the therapeutic babbling indulged in by Susan and Spenser. In this case it even becomes a distraction as the killer and his therapist -- one suspects it's Susan who is bound by confidentiality not to say -- reveal the inevitable: It was Mommy's fault. I mean, really. It's unnecessary and, IMHO, detracts from show more the story and brings little to their relationship. I mean, really. I still prefer the Jesse Stone series. Spenser can't decide whether to be a gourmet cook or detective.

Parker does have the occasional turn of phrase. I particularly liked, "It was one of those days in April when the wind was a velvet conceit on the lingering days of winter." Can't say if that's good writing or not, not having a graduate degree in English, but I liked it. Then again, I could never see what was wrong with, "it was a dark and stormy night," either. show less

Another lovely tight Spenser... High on suspense and emotional impact, but also very funny. Love this guy!

In this one, Spenser and Susan are trying hard to keep their private relationship on an even keel, even though the latest string of murders has their professional lives intersecting far too closely. This book is way farther into the series than where I am (book 2), but I jumped in to join Roberta, Donna and Mamie in a group read. There were several gaps between where I was and here: I hadn't even met Susan or Hawk yet! I liked Spenser less in this relationship than as a lady killer and I hear good things about Hawk, but he had such a minor role here. So, I guess it was a good read, but not great. I am in it of the long haul no matter what though, because I like my fellow readers!

Good. Short, but good. Dialogue is definitely the strong point, as the detectives and cops flip cynical barbs at one another throughout. The M.O. of the killer made for some interesting reading, and I appreciated that, while the killings were gruesome enough, the descriptions weren't as hideously bloody as, e.g. Dashiell Hammett could make them. The killer's motivation comes across the same way, sick but not that sick, with a little surprise twist in the epilogue that you can actually see coming a mile away. Nothing so nausea-inducing as Elizabeth George can come up with, certainly. I want to read more Parkers now.

Dark and a bit disturbing by the end. A patient of Susan's turns out to be a serial killer. It was very well written but a bit creepy for me at times. More hard boiled than I 've been used to from Spenser. I also ran into what seems to be my first slip up; it's Formaggio, not Fromaggio.

Crimson Joy is Robert Parker's 15th novel in the Spenser detective series. Spenser tracks down the "Red Rose" serial killer, a psychopath who preys on middle aged women, and who targets Spenser's own love, Susan, who happens to be the killer's psychotherapist. Susan's professional ethics won't allow her to tell Spenser which of her patients she thinks the killer is, so he has to figure it out by other means. I found the novel reasonably entertaining, but not as compelling as some of Parker's novels. Indeed, it evidences some of the flaws of Parker's later work -- description is minimal, and he relies on dialogue to carry the story along. What results seems like a half- hearted effort on Parker's part to bang out a quick novel. It's also show more a rather short and easy read; although published at 200 pages, given its large margins and empty space it could have been printed at 2/3 that length. show less