Review: Split Image by Robert B. Parker

You'll remember Robert B. Parker died a while ago, but happily I still have several of his books in my gift box to read. Needing a laugh and something light this week as I began therapy for a neck problem, I chose this Jesse Stone novel. Perfect choice. Some people stopped reading Parker in the last few years because they thought he had lost his touch, and certainly his novels had become a little formulaic, but nothing can beat his witty dialogue and his quirky characters. I especially love his portrayal of the mobsters from Boston.

For those who haven't tried the Jesse Stone series, Stone is Parker's second serial hero. The third was Sunny Randall, P.I. in Boston, ex-wife of a mobster's son. Sunny is also the daughter of a cop, and a former cop herself. I like her a lot. In a previous Jesse Stone book, he and Sunny had combined forces to solve a case and it followed as thunder follows lightning that they became involved. Both have ex-spouse issues big time (although I must admit I'm thinking, Get over it already!) and Jesse has a drinking problem because of the above. Both see shrinks (Sunny sees Susan Silverman of the Spenser series). Good grief, sounds like Susie selling sea shells on the seashore of which I have painful memories from when I was a child doing speech therapy for a lisp. :)

Jesse Stone is the chief of police in little Paradise, MA on the coast north of Boston. He's sort of an out-of-control Spenser with a police force that consists of all-wise Molly and "Suitcase" Simpson. Suit started out as Don Knotts but he's been learning well.

The case involves two Boston mobsters who have fancy estates in Paradise and are married to identical twins and a series of murders most certainly linked to them. Meanwhile, Sunny is in Paradise searching for a snooty couple's daughter who has run away from home (can't say I blamed her) and seems to be living in a cult in Paradise. One case is hilarious, the other very touching, and the book is a great beach read, or one to read as you recover from the torture at physical therapy.

Robert B. Parker, 1932-2010

In the mid 1980s I had a weekly book review column in the Northwest Herald, a newspaper covering the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I tried to review as many genres as possible, hoping to interest readers of all stripes and also striving to interest nonreaders as well. I reviewed everything except science fiction since I don't like it, don't read it, and therefore don't know anything about it.

Many years earlier I had tried two or three mystery novels of the Sam Spade type since my mother had been reading them for years. I was offended by the depiction of women as either beautiful but stupid bimbos or saintly mothers, both of which ended up as victims. The love-em-and-leave-em heroes and the torture-em-and-kill-em villains were equally offensive to me. Never read any of them again.

Finally, because I had watched "Spenser for Hire" on television and was interested in reviewing another genre, I picked up what was then a new book by Parker called Taming a Sea-Horse. Well of course I loved it - the witty dialogue, the fascinating characters, recognizing Boston settings (a city I love), everything. From then on I was hooked, especially on Parker books, but in general addicted to mysteries. Still am for that matter.

I read everything I could find by Robert B. Parker and accumulated a collection of his books which I still have.

I'll always think of Hawk as Avery Brooks. That character in particular is so mysterious and interesting, but so is Spenser's girlfriend Dr. Susan Silverman. Each character is not simply witty, but also urbane, well-dressed, multifaceted, intelligent, and has a good heart. These are mysteries after all and Spenser and Hawk don't shy away from killing the bad guys, but of course they're always on the right side. I like the fact that Spenser loves one woman and remains true to her, and even sexy Hawk ends up with a beautiful intelligent woman who he treats well.

I liked his two newer series, Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall, too but Spenser is first in my heart.

Every book is dedicated to Parker's wife Joan. My favorite of all the books is called Three Weeks in Spring which was published in 1978. It's a small book written by the two of them. In 1976 when Joan and "Ace" had been married for 20 years, she found a lump in her breast which proved to be malignant. She chose to have a modified radical mastectomy. The book is about how the two of them, their sons David and Daniel who were 16 and 12 then, and their close friends got through this terrible time. Parker was loving and supportive throughout, but their sense of humor certainly helped. Their book made me cry and laugh and I read it a second time (which I never do).

I've read that it was Joan who found him dead of a heart attack at his desk. A fitting end I suppose, but at 77 much too soon. I feel so badly for Joan, David and Daniel and I also feel sorry that he's gone from mystery writing. I hope Joan will be comforted by how much his fans loved his books and how much we will all miss him.