God Save the Child

Appie Knoll is the kind of suburb where kids grow up right. But something is wrong. Fourteen-year-old Kevin Bartlett disappears. Everyone thinks he's run away -- until the comic strip ransom note arrives.

It doesn't take Spenser long to get the picture -- an affluent family seething with rage, a desperate boy making strange friends...friends like Vic Harroway, body builder. Mr. Muscle is Spenser's only lead and he isn't talking...except with his fists. But when push comes to shove, when a boy's life is on the line, Spenser can speak that language too.

"Spenser is everyman's fantasy: social critic, gourmet cook, physically fit, sculptor, and of course, unabashed participant in a non-destructive sexual relationship. Parker has taken his place beside Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald." (The Boston Globe)©1987 Robert B. Parker; (P)2009 Random House

Weak 3 stars. Just ok.

My mind wandered at times. Other books in the series are better.

The plot was not well developed. I wanted a better understanding of the son’s motivations and why certain bad guys were working together. Someone is killed in the end. I wanted more details about that. And I was annoyed with the ending. It was incomplete.

This is book 2 in the series. Here Spenser meets Susan Sullivan who is a high school guidance counselor. Susan continues as Spenser’s love interest in future books.

The narrator Michael Prichard was very good.

Genre: PI mystery

Another good Spenser story

This is the second book in a great series. Michael Prichard is one of my favorite narrators and did an excellent narration. I thought the ending of the story was a bit rushed and abrupt. Overall a good story.

Love Spenser, but this story was weak

Spenser is a great character and this is the second book I have read in this series. The story in this book was poor, but I would still read more Spenser stories.

A great follow up!

Yes it's not the most inventive story but it's very entertaining. Spenser's charm is what keeps a sub par plot from sinking. I liked the book but if this wasn't a Spenser novel it would of felt bland. I wonder how readers felt back in the 70's when this was release? Maybe a weak follow up? I disagree. It keeps things interesting with small mystery but as said before...all because of Spenser. The reader is great and you can tell he understands Spenser's humor. Check it out!

SAY HELLO TO CLASSIC SPENSER

THOUGHT I WOULD REVISIT SPENCER'S ORIGINS THROUGH AUDIBLE OFFERINGS, AND AM PLEASED I DID. THIS IS CLASSIC SPENCER: TOUGH, WITTY, AND SENSITIVE TO BOOT. THE PLOT IS NICE, AND LIKE MOST SPENCER PLOTS ITS NOT REALLY ABOUT THE MYSTERY, ITS MORE ABOUT THE PEOPLE. ROBERT PARKER'S EYE FOR THE LITTLE DETAILS IS WHAT CARRIES THESE STORIES. ALTHOUGH PARKER HAS WRITTEN SOME PHILIP MARLOW/ RAYMOND CHANDLER STORIES, HIS STYLE IS MORE SUITED TO THE STARK OBSERVANCES OF HAMMETTE,S CONTINENTAL OP, THAN IT IS TO THE PURPLE PROSE OF CHANDLER'S MARLOW. ITS GREAT STUFF NO MATTER HOW YOU COMPARE IT. PARKER IS ONE OF THE GREATS, AND HAD TAKEN THE CLASSIC PRIVATE EYE INTO THE NEXT CENTURY, MAKING HIS CHARACTER OF SPENCER INTO THE IDEAL FOR TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND AMERICAN MACHISMO. IT IS A REAL TREAT TO START AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS IMPORTANT SERIES AND WORK MY WAY THROUGH IT AGAIN, TO SEE HOW SPENSER HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS. ALL THE SPENSER NOVELS ARE GREAT ENTERTAINMENT. AND AUDIBLE HAS DONE A FINE JOB MAKING THEM AVAILABLE TO A LISTENING AUDIENCE. IF I HAVE ANY NEGATIVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS AUDIBLE OFFERING IS THAT NARRATOR MICHAEL PRICHARD SOMETIMES SOUNDS MORE LIKE HE SHOULD BE PITCHING MOTEL EIGHT TO LEAVE THE LIGHT ON FOR YOU, RATHER THAN CHEWING THE MORDANT TOUGH GUY TALK OF A PRIVATE EYE. BUT OVER ALL THIS IS A GREAT LISTEN.