Over the years I have read a somewhat limited scope of books, at least in terms of series. On an independent scale, I've done pretty well, usually focusing on source materials for famous movies. Some highlights from those adventures are The Godfather, Nothing Lasts Forever (which became Die Hard), 58 Seconds (Die Hard 2), Ordinary People, The Ice Storm, several John Grisham books, both print and audiobook formats, James Patterson (Alex Cross) and The Princess Bride.
In terms of series, my first tackling was the Ian Fleming set of James Bond novels. Many of them were good, while a select few like Moonraker were dry and hard to get through...in fact I never DID finish Moonraker. Diamonds Are Forever still holds a place in my bookshelf since a good portion takes place in old Las Vegas. His final 3 books, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, You Only Live Twice, and The Man With The Golden Gun, had taken on a slightly different, longer-paragraph format that also contained smaller print, at least in paperback. I also read the updated Bond novels by John Gardner written mostly in the 1980s. That Bond was almost certainly designed with the stunt-laden movies as inspiration.
After the Bond phase, I got into the Fletch books by Gregory McDonald. Those books taught me a LOT about writing witty dialogue. There were 9 total original Fletch books, my favorite being Confess, Fletch (probably my most reread book). If one thinks they are getting a Chevy Chase-like character, they are to be disappointed. Fletch does have his wit, but his other character traits are fleshed out better on paper better than Clark W Griswold could muster.
In the mid to late 90s, I got into Elmore Leonard books quite a bit, and even though they weren't a series about a single character, his stories were intriguing and quite well-written. Several of his stories were made into movies on a small AND grand scale, the most famous being maybe Get Shorty and Jackie Brown, though the early 70s' Mr Majestyk with Charles Bronson was pretty good.
I took a break from new reading during the early 2000s for a variety of reasons (depression, starting my school career....not necessarily in that order). In late 2005, I don't remember why, I looked into the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker and picked up an audiobook to listen to coming back from Phoenix. I'm not sure what it was, maybe the voice talent on Joe Mantegna, but I was immediately hooked on this character and started getting more books (print) to get into it more. In my bookshelf, I probably have more Spenser than anything else!
So who is Spenser? Well, he doesn't really have a first name, for one thing. He is a Boston private dick who is a wiseass when it comes to dealing with authority. He is also a gourmet cook who can whip up a great meal with just what he has in his apartment. He was once a police officer who was let go for 'being too much of a fucking hot dog' (Bad Business).
In the early books, Spenser resembles Phillip Marlowe in terms of mood. In the first book The Godwulf Manuscript(1973), Spenser in the course of duty ends up not only bedding his college-age unofficial client, but also her mother, leaving him feeling low about himself. In the next book God Save The Child, he meets the woman who is to become the love of his life, Susan Silverman. They develop a 2-part relationship, in the middle of which she took a self-prescribed break from Spenser to find more out about herself and how she is. The break started in one book and they were reunited in the next one. Through it all, they have never gotten married to each other. They tried living together in one book, but it did not work out the way Susan thought it would. Spenser and Susan have a one of a kind love that requires independence for both of them, though they see each other most days of the week, unless Spenser is on a case requiring overnight work or going out of town.
In 1976's A Promised Land, Spenser encounters a shady old acquaintance named Hawk, a formidable black thug who is working for a gangster. Spenser and Hawk circle each other a bit throughout the book, but at a pivotal moment before police arrive, Spenser tells Hawk to go. In my view, that really set up a truly dynamic duo for the course of 30+ years of Spenser books.
The question is, what makes them so dynamic? Spenser works on the side of the law (most of the time) while Hawk has many underworld connections and is often employed by them as a leg-breaker or otherwise enforcer. Still, while tracking down terrorists in Europe in The Judas Goat (1978), Spenser hires Hawk as extra muscle. In this story, Hawk states that he trusts Spenser and, strangely enough, police lieutenant Martin Quirk because he's a straight shooter. For a few stories afterward, Hawk is still working for the bad guys here and there for good pay, and sometimes requires money from Spenser in exchange for assistance, but that does not last long.
In A Catskill Eagle (1985), Spenser travels to California to break Hawk out of jail so that they can both find Susan (part 2 of their short break). In the course of their search, they end up killing many employees of arms dealer Jerry Costigan as well as some cops owned by Costigan and a pimp and his bodyguard to protect two hookers they forced to let them stay at their apartment. There are many Spenser stories that deal with a certain theme, and this is one of those books. Spenser doesn't really like killing, and he will often opt to let someone go if it is a possibility. Hawk, while respecting Spenser, views this as a moral weakness that could get Spenser killed one day. 'We gonna have to kill him/them' is advice given by Hawk more than once in this friendship.
In 1997's Small Vices, Spenser is shot almost to death by Rugar, a gray-attired/skinned assassin while working on a case. Spenser, Susan, and Hawk travel to Santa Barbara so that Spenser can rehabilitate his body and spirit. Hawk is truly at his best in this story, as he does what he can for his friend, but when it comes time to face Rugar, Hawk knows Spenser has to do it on his own, an almost John Wayne-like 'a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do' philosophy. Eight years later in Cold Service, Spenser helps to rehabilitate Hawk in almost the same way.
In the course of these stories, Spenser and Hawk work out together at Henry Cimoli's gym, often dine together, and quite frequently exchange racial epithets that modern audiences might take offense to ('dumb jigaboo' has been uttered a few times by Spenser in jest). However, while Black, Hawk doesn't have the standard shoulder chip that would otherwise anger someone else. These two men trust each other with their lives, hands down. On this note, Hawk is very loyal to Susan and would die for her if necessary even though she is Spenser's woman. Hawk has been with many nameless women in the series, usually unseen. He does have a brief relationship with a surgeon named Cecile, but after he is shot, she cannot deal with his unwillingness to let his guard down emotionally. It shows that any relationship has to be strictly on his terms. That said, he has chosen Spenser and Susan as his family because they do respect his terms. Susan does not always get it, but even as a therapist she chooses not to dig deeper...what ain't broke does not need fixing.
In the Spenser series there is a plethora of regular characters to back up this motley crew.
Lt/Captain Martin Quirk- a by the book (usually) cop who forms an uneasy relationship with Spenser early on, but several books later Quirk is often bringing donuts and coffee to Spenser's office to discuss business.
Sergeant Frank Belson- a less by the book and more sarcastic cop who has liked Spenser since book one.
Paul Giacomin- Spenser's surrogate son who is introduced in An Early Autumn. His divorced parents toss Paul back and forth like a bargaining chip. Spenser takes this 'unlovely little bastard' who has no social or coping skills and teaches him how to box, work out, and build. Paul appears occasionally in later books, a much more confident and happy young man.
Joe Broz- Joe is a gangster in the early books who frequently clashes with Spenser and often tries to have him killed. As the years go by, Joe is getting too old and losing his once firm control. This is demonstrated by the emergence of his ne'er do well son Gerry, whom Joe tries to groom to take over. When Gerry makes a pathetic run at Spenser and gets a bullet in the knee for his effort, Joe is essentially finished, Gerry is never heard from again.
Vinnie Morris- Joe Broz's bodyguard for a time, but he quits so that he doesn't have to work for Gerry. He is ultra-fast with a gun, faster than Spenser or Hawk. He often helps the two on cases, usually as a bodyguard for clients or a quick gun.
Henry Cimoli- a gym owner who once had a classic style gym for boxers but updated reluctantly with the times. He is a short Italian who can banter with Spenser or Hawk quite well.
Captain Healy- a Massachusetts State cop who occasionally collaborates with Spenser on cases. Like Quirk, he at first maintained an uneasy alliance with Spenser that evolved into good ol sarcastic banter and trust.
Original Spenser creator Robert B. Parker passed over 10 years ago and author Ace Atkins took over the series. I have only read one of his books so far, but it was good enough for me to want to read more.
Who knows what characters I might find next?
