Chance

Of the numerous Robert B. Parker novels that I have read featuring his literate and tough (but soft-hearted) Boston detective, Spenser (with an “s”), this is my favorite.

It all begins when Spenser is retained by a Boston mafia boss to find his daughter’s missing husband. The mafia boss isn’t willing to tell him much about his business or about anything else, so Spenser has little to work with. Nonetheless, Spenser is able to track down the missing man in Las Vegas.

Things then get very complicated because Spenser is not the only one looking for the errant husband, and Spenser is left at a loss to figure out what is going on. By the time the “case” is closed, Spenser has taken on two branches of the Italian mob and dealt with show more the black, Chinese, and Russian mobs as well as solving a murder that happens along the way.

Although the plot is pretty convoluted and interesting, it (as in most Spenser novels) is just a side show for the snappy dialog and interplay of fascinating characters. Parker is adept at reproducing mafia tough guy talk and tough guy posing. Spenser and his faithful companion, Hawk are as tough as they come, but much more articulate than their Mafioso antagonists. For example, the following is a colloquy between Spenser and the baddest bad guy in the story:

[Bad Guy]: “You, asshole? You just delivered me the three people on the fucking planet I want to kill most.” [Spenser]: “Killing isn’t comparative,” I said. “I think you mean the three people you most want to kill.”

Spenser’s girlfriend is the Harvard educated psychoanalyst, Susan Silverman. In some of the other books in the series, Parker can be a bit boring in his portrayal of her and too reliant on her near omniscience (as a psychoanalyst) to deduce important elements of the case at hand. In this book, however, she comes off as merely stimulating and exciting, even a bit flakey. I like her better this way.

Parker’s detective novels are hard to put down. Although it took me two days to read this one, I could easily have completed it one.

(JAB) show less

“You staying around?” — Hawk

“Another day or so maybe, make sure I haven’t missed anything.” — Spenser

“Missed anything. We missed every *@#* thing there was to miss out here.” — Hawk


By the time Chance came around in the Spenser canon, which was just before Small Vices, readers’ expectations for the series had permanently shifted toward fast-flowing, enjoyable entertainment with some sparkling exchanges between Spenser and Hawk. Occasional echoes of earlier, more resonating books in the series still peppered some of the entries. Chance is one of the better books during that period, and a pretty fun read.

Like most Spenser novels, it begins swiftly. Well known Boston bad guy Julius Ventura walks into Spenser’s office show more with his pouty daughter Shirley. He doesn’t like Spenser, and doesn’t want to be there, but Shirley’s husband has run off — according to Ventura, but not his daughter. Shirley has Julius wrapped around her finger, though, so he wants Spenser to find Anthony and bring back his son-in-law. Since Julius is the kind of guy who has people of his own for that sort of thing, Spenser smells a rat. Learning Julius approached Hawk first, who said he’d only do it if Spenser would, there is no doubt something is up — or Hawk’s just amusing himself.

It proves to be both. Gino Fish had something going with Julius, because his close associate, Marty Anaheim, is having Spenser tailed. Figuring money is involved, it stands to reason Anthony might have skipped with someone’s, but whose? Finding out isn’t going to be easy, for two reasons. Vinnie, sans Joe Broz, is now working for Gino. And Marty Anaheim? Hawk sums him up:

“Marty Anaheim is the meanest man I ever knew. He lost his hands, he’d bite you to death.”

Anthony was fooling around on Shirley too, which doesn’t surprise Spenser in the least, once he has lunch with her. But Dixie does, and later on provides a sad and poignant moment in the narrative. It seems Anthony not only liked to gamble, but had a “system” he planned on using to break the bank — don’t they all? So suddenly we get Viva Las Vegas, Parker style, with Spenser, Hawk, and Susan — who should have been left at home — in Sin City. Actually, Susan isn’t quite as annoying in this one, but there’s still too much of her and not enough detection.

This one introduces the tough little Panama hat-wearing Bernard, who is tailing them around town while they look for Anthony and enjoy being is Vegas. Well, mostly it’s Susan enjoying it, until she has to bug out, and let the story get going. Spenser does find Anthony, but then what? Marty Anaheim shows up, and Anthony is scared to death. It gets a bit confusing from there on out, with one glaringly exception. When Shirley’s body shows up in Vegas, naked and beaten and raped, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out it doesn’t fit Anthony’s profile, though he certainly had motive. It does, however, fit someone else, and for the life of me, every time I’ve read this over the years I’ve always wondered why it takes so long for Spenser to decide it was that person.

It’s so easy to connect the dots I’m not even going to mark it as a spoiler that Anthony has run off not only with someone’s money, but someone’s wife. Bibi and Dixie are in fact the two best characters in the book, and provide some touching moments. Spenser is Spenser, and even though he and Hawk have solved diddly, he keeps poking around, dissatisfied with not knowing what happened. Someone takes a run at Spenser, and he puts two of them down. So much for poking around where you aren’t wanted.

Eddie Lee from Port City — an earlier entry in the series — gives Spenser a hint at what’s really going on, and it turns out our boy Spenser may be to blame, because when Tony Marcus got put away, it left a vacuum, and some Russians want to move in. That leads Spenser to Joe Broz, a shadow of his former self but still in business. And Jackie the chauffeur for Julius has clued Spenser in on another angle. That confuses matters, though.

Chance is a quick, entertaining read, as every Spenser novel is, but it’s a little disjointed at times. Still, it has some nice exchanges between Hawk and Spenser, Susan isn’t overly irritating here, and there’s a really nice ending which makes the opening prolog all the more poignant. All in all, Chance is well worth your time if you’re looking for a fun read in this genre which will keep you turning pages. For a Spenser from this period in the series, a solid four stars. show less

Typical Spenser. Parker was still not his best, but very enjoyable nonetheless. The Vegas setting was an interesting twist and the look into mob life was intriguing. Left me sated, but vaguely wishing for more.

Synopsis: 'When big-time Boston hoodlum Julius Ventura approaches Spenser and his redoubtable sidekick, Hawk, about locating his only daughter's missing husband, it's clear he's not telling them the whole truth about the blushing bride and the ardent groom. In fact, he may be lying. But something about these missing links appeals to Spenser, and he agrees to take the case. So begins an odyssey into the netherworld of disorganized crime: from the throne rooms of crime lords to the Vegas strip; from two-bit wiseguys with a genius for dangerous liaisons to gangsters' molls in jeopardy; from larceny to homicide. And that's just for openers. All too soon, it becomes clear that what's at stake is not young love, but control of gangland show more Boston. Spenser and Hawk find themselves dead-center in a circus of violence whose shadowy ringmaster is all too familiar to a private eye with a past.' From author website

Review: So who is the 'good guy' in this story? Spenser finishes the case only because he is honor bound to do so. Bad guys get what they deserve. show less

Parker at his best, with the snappy dialogue, fine plot, and engrossing action scenes that brought him a loyal readership. This work is much better than some of his more recent work. Hardboiled noir with an '80s flavor.

Exactly what you'd expect from a Spenser book, except that there is no final question posed about life, the universe and everything as sometimes happen in this series. The daughter of an organized crime leader and her father ask Spenser to find her missing husband. The women in the book are not treated well by men---except for Spenser's significant other, of course. Hawk is here along with characters from previous books in the series.

In the 23rd Spenser novel the usual characters are pulled into an adventure when Spenser accepts a mobster client. The client wants his missing son-in-law found. He doesn't bother to mention that the son-in-law has skimmed a lot of money from the pickups he made for his wife's father. Rival mobsters turn out to be involved too. Spenser and the usual characters Hawk and Susan go from Boston to Las Vegas and back. Spenser noses around Boston suburbs looking for other missing persons. Semi retired mob boss Joe Broz and Boston police detective Lt. Quirk also appear. And I won't forget to mention Pearl the dog. Spenser finds more than he was looking for.