God Save the Child

By: Robert B. Parker

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

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

Early Parker, like Early Autumn. Very engaging.

Parker was so prolific for so long that it is sometimes hard to tell one book from another. I may have confused my review of Early Autumn with this one. If so, forgive me. At 63. whatever, the memory begins to fade...perhaps some of you are familiar with this phenomenon.
In any case, this is the book in which Spenser and Susan Silverman meet, and it presages a long, passionate affair in which the two never live together, but maintain their love and commitment to each other. The plot involves a kidnapping of a fifteen-year-old boy for $50,000, money his parents have to borrow. The parents have very serious problems. Spenser is drawn into a spider's web of iniquity and evil-doing, the likes of which the title of the book would never even hint at. Everyone is corrupt, and Spenser is like a dog with a bone: he is so determined that he never lets go. Susan helps him as a consultant, but we soon realize that the work she does is parallel: her clinical work involves her solving the nexus of her patients' lives, just as Spenser's work draws him into the dark side of their lives.
Spenser is so funny that you often can't stop giggling long enough to take him seriously.
This book is also pre-Hawk. Spenser is without his wing-man, and has to ride to the rescue with only his resources. Fortunately, these are considerable. The team of Spenser and Susan is a winner, and will survive decades of very satisfying work. Enjoy this. Few writers can approach Parker in talent, humor, plot or character development.

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.

Early Spenser

I’m enjoying going back to early Parker books. It’s fun to watch the characters evolve.

I almost quit reading because I found the narrator ‘s voice grating. I’m glad I didn’t because about halfway through Prichard’s voice became Spenser’s voice for me.