The Widening Gyre

I've systematically been working my way through Robert Parker's Spenser novels, and this is likely to be one of my favorites. His best work (like Looking for Rachel Wallace) embed larger themes within a compelling mystery and this is one of those. The mystery surrounding a congressman's philandering wife triggers Spenser to think about love, devotion, and it's role in his own life. Good stuff.

Plus, I just really like Spenser.

The details of Spenser's relationship with Susan are more interesting than the crime in this one. A politician's wife has manage to get herself filmed in an orgy. Spenser has to try to keep this from ruining her. You don't really care one way or the other.

Clever plot that includes born again in politics. Perhaps anticipates the politics of the 2000’s. Some interesting father son dynamics as well. Women’s rights still a little behind. Clever blackmail by a college student.

Trouble on the home front and jumping into politics. Not such a stretch from the previous novel of prostitution. I liked this one better than the last few. There was just something about it that grabbed my attention, and it wasn't merely the granny f***ers.

What will happen when I have more work work to do, instead of watching the computer work? I'll have to stay up all night to feed my new Spenser addiction. Love the evolution of the Susan and Spenser relationship but I can see what is coming as well.

Spenser in DC, squeezing a crime boss, protecting a fundamentalist candidate, digging around in sleaze again. The true heir to Mickey Spillane. But not enough Hawk!

Another cracker of a story, gulped down on a wet afternoon. Just such compelling writing!