Parker knows his devoted followers well; ignoring the usual set up descriptions for scenes and
characters preferring to move the story along with brevity and expedition. Spenser's witty repartee
with his Susan and his sidekick Hawk is worth the price of the book. The plot becomes secondary.
Tucked in is always a little lesson for life and few bon mots of French and English lit.

Susan is on the board of directors of a local theater, so when the theater owner says he's being followed, Spenser agrees to investigate as a favor to her. Between Spenser and Hawk, however, they can't find anyone following him.

Then during a performance of an exceedingly long, boring, and pointless play, one of the actors is shot dead with a .22 to the heart, and things start getting more exciting, with the involvement of a Chinese gang and the reappearance (or not) of the stalker.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The mystery was convoluted and complex, yet everything got tied up in the end, and the ending was.... (trying hard to avoid spoilers) .... dark and surprising. I love, love, loved the ending. In a way it was unsatisfying, but that just made me like it more. Gah. I can't explain without giving it away. Suffice to say it's not your usual mystery novel climax.

It was also a relief to read a book from a bit later in the series, with Spenser and Susan more comfortable in their relationship--they've just bought a house in the country, where they live together on weekends, maintaining their separate lives during the week.

Pure Spencer, crisp and witty in dialogue, exciting in plot, delightful to read. And, as always, full of action, suspense, and excellent plot. It's always hard to put down a Robert Parker book. This one is another of his masterpieces. Don't miss it.

Susan has become a board member for a theatre in Port City, a shabby district on the water front that contains a Chinese ghetto filled with many illegal immigrants, including the Death Dragons, a gang that is run by the dai low for the Kwan Chang tong. The dai low in this case is Ronnie Lu, whose wife Rikki is on the board with Susan. Susan brings Spenser to a board meeting one day because the Artistic Director of the board - Demetrius Christopoulous - believes he is being stalked and wishes Spenser's protection.

When one of the actors is murdered during a production later that night, Spenser's priorities shift to finding the murderer; however, no one knows much about the murder victim - Craig Sampson - and certainly no one can come up with a reason for his demise. However, as soon as Spenser begins nosing around in the area, Ronnie Lu shows up with a couple of young Death Dragons to ask Spenser to butt out or face the consequences. This, of course, just makes Spenser decide to call in Hawk and Vinnie Morris for back up.

The addition of Ming Lei to the team for her linguistic skills is something I hope will be permanent. She adds good chemistry. A side plot with a new house Spenser and Susan buy that they are fixing up makes a nice change of pace once and a while during the book. A third thread with another actor - Jocelyn Colby - claiming first to be stalked and then disappearing altogether with a videotape soon showing up at Spenser's office showing her bound to a chair, adds a note of intrigue.

All in all a nice, well-written book. Strong recommend from me.

Robert Parker books are always a good read. Quick, snappy and entertaining, I enjoy them immensely and Walking Shadow is no exception. The book opens with Spenser and Susan, his girlfriend, attending a play in a nearby small coastal town where Susan is on the board of directors. During the performance an actor is shot and killed on stage. Hawk and Vinnie are enlisted to help Spenser find the killer. During their investigation, they discover the small town is not as placid as it seems and the rest of the story is vintage Robert Parker with a few unexpected twists and turns.

I love Spenser novels for their humor and integrity; Spenser and Hawk always win, good triumphs over evil, Spenser is always faithful to Susan and Pearl the dog is always the darling.