Mortal Stakes

Spenser is hired by the Boston Red Sox to find out if a player is throwing games. His investigation leads him to discoveries about the player and his wife which prompt him to fight for them, rather than simply turn his findings over to his client. For the first three quarters, this is just regular Spenser fare (good, but not super special), but in the last fourth, Spenser must decide what to do when his own moral code sends him conflicting messages and the resulting character development is stellar. One ten-page section of this book makes it my second all-time favorite Spenser (behind [Early Autumn], which is just aces from start to finish).

Something about the smartass detective quietly mulling over his lonely life in between mouthing off to gangsters and tough guys, drinking prodigiously, casually dating two gorgeous and liberated 70s women, and listing off the results of his epicurean tastes for meals and his hip, fashionable love of flared pants and ankle boots has completely won me over to this series.

Spencer and baseball, one of his first loves. I always enjoy early Spencer, with it's rich description and fleshed out mystery. Nothing says period piece quite like "paisley jacket." He goes undercover at the Boston Red Sox, travels to a small town in Illinois, then on to New York in his background investigation. I enjoyed his sense of humor that no one else appreciates, and all the details that get pared down in later books. It's a sticky mystery with a mix of real-world not-quite perfect and emotionally satisfying revenge resolutions. Notable for minimal inclusion of Susan, and daliance with another beauty who utterly fails to fall for his wit.

Marty Rabb is a very good baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Socks but he is being blackmailed by someone who has discovered his wife in a previous life been a prostitute who had also starred in a pornographic film. Rabb is asked to throw games when asked by the blackmailer but the league has heard rumblings and has hired Spenser to investigate.

His investigation leads him to figure out who is doing the blackmailing and who else knows about it. Soon he has some seriously dangerous people gunning for him. So much so that the police warn him that he is being targeted and to be careful.

The plot is clever and holds the reader's attention but Spenser's smart mouth one liners became tiresome after awhile for this reader.

Blackmail and Sports. Spenser gets asked to learn if a star pitcher is deliberately giving up points and is involved in gambling. What he discovers is the pitcher’s wife is being blackmailed by a sports announcer because of trouble she got into after running away from home. The challenge for Spenser is figuring how to stop the blackmailing without hurting the wife or damaging the pitcher’s career. Well plotted and a lot of character development.

I got this one at the public library. I'm not doing them in order, although this one is from the early days.
Much better story than the last one I read. Hard decisions for good people, including our hero who did what he had to and then felt guilty. I could relate to that.

His relationship with Susan is making me uncomfortable, and I mostly try not to think about it. They are good for each other, that is clear, but they are not examples that fit my moral code.

Okay so this is the third book in the series. It's a case involving fixing baseball games. Spenser gets hired by the team manager but ends up sticking up for the ball player and his wife.
The book is very much a 70s flashback. Spenser is Mr. Player in this one with two love interest. Maybe one love interest and one lust interest. Spenser is still as sarcastic as ever.
In this book Spenser crosses the line. It bothers him. It would bother me if it didn't bother him. He is old school and more than a little macho but it does matter to him about doing the right thing. Spenser has to do the wrong thing for a very right cause. This is a nice quick read series.