This book is written by the author of the world famous Spenser and Jesse Stone mysteries (among others) Robert B. Parker. This is his second book targeted for the youth market, but I'll be the first to say adults will truly enjoy it also. The reader is first introduced to a shy, young, sad boy by the name of Jason Green. His Father had died and his Mother has buried what's left of her life in a bottle. He didn't like sports so a lot of kids in school thought he was a "sissy". What he did enjoy was old movies and drawing. Each night at dinner his Mother would get drunk and then Jason would have the rest of his night down to a science. He'd go out for a walk down to the beach to a secluded spot to be by himself to think about things, and by the time he got home his Mother would be passed out drunk, and Jason would just go to bed like nothing happened. Then one fateful night while Jason was in his special spot he overheard a man and woman talking about some illegal endeavors, but they couldn't see him. The man and woman were afraid of being seen together so the woman left first. Then the man saw Jason and said: "You heard everything." Jason said: "I didn't hear anything."

The tide later brought in Jason's dead body. The rumor around school was that he had used steroids and committed suicide. The cast of characters that are introduced on both sides of the law form the backbone of the story involving the unrelenting quest to clear Jason's name and uncover the criminal element in William Dawes Regional High School. The main protagonist is fifteen-year-old Terry Novack who is working extremely hard learning how to box from George, a black fifty-five-year-old former boxer who works at the local gym. Terry is extremely dedicated to following all the rules, regulations, and training regimens that George sets out. The idea is to find out if Terry truly has the proper character to be a boxer before he actually gets in the ring. Throughout the story George is instrumental not only in the physical and mental part of boxing, but he also conveys sage advice to Terry in his own unique brand of English, that includes numerous sentences that are devoid of many integral verbs and adjectives. Terry's trusty sidekick is his good friend and burgeoning love interest Abby Hall. Abby is a tremendous student, extremely cute, and becomes the "spy" to Terry's "boxer" in this coming of age story of loyalty and the many obstacles in growing up in today's young world of dwindling role models.

While just about all the other kids in school thought Jason was gay and didn't care that he died, Terry remembered that years ago when his own Dad had died, that the day of his Dad's wake, "there was a kid, by himself, Jason Green, wearing a suit coat and tie. He walked past the funeral parlor man at the door, who looked at him as if he didn't belong, and came straight up to Terry. Hi, he said. I wanted to tell you something. My Father died when I was ten, Jason said, after a while you won't feel so bad as you do now. Terry nodded. You'll get used to it, Jason said. Terry nodded again. I just wanted you to know, Jason said. Thank you, Terry said. Thanks for coming."

That memory empowered Terry to enlist his (girl) friend Abby and all their other friends as they fought the powers that be at the school that included the muscle-bound hot-tempered principal Mr. Bullard, All-State football player Kip Carter, and even Gubernatorial candidate Mrs. Trent, as Terry would not be stopped short of his goal of clearing Jason's name. Terry, Abby, and their friends tackle the questions of steroid use, first kisses, and love and sex, at the right time in the right way.

I recommend this book to readers all across the age spectrum. Parents can feel very confident that if they give this book as a gift to teenagers that the right message will be presented. Older Robert B. Parker fans will take a small delight in recognizing characteristics in George that resemble Hawk, and Terry and Abby could almost be a teenage Spenser and Susan. A delightful book.

The boxer and the Spy by Robert B. Parker overall is a pretty good book. In this story a teen's shy classmate mysteriously passes away. "Officials" confirmed it was because of a steroid overdose, but teenager Terry doesn't think that's the case. Along with his uprising boxing hobby Terry plays detective with his partner, and best friend Abby, to see what really happened. Terry encounters many obstacles when some people don't want him poking his nose into the recent death that happened in small town New England. His boxing skills come in handy in this interesting mystery.
This book has good quality writing in it. Not too much and not too little detail. Personally, I would recommend it for a middle school age, not so much high school. It could entail more description of events or maybe more action. The boxer and the spy is a great read though. It's hard to put down once you get in to the story. On a scale of one to ten I'd have to rate this book as a seven. It's one of the better books I've read, but not the best. If you like mysteries but not anything spooky or scary this is a great book for you. Also it's a really gender friendly novel. Something a boy or a girl could enjoy reading.
Overall I did enjoy reading this book and think you would too. I'm not sure I would recommend it to any of my friends, but I do think this would be a good book to read as a class; to analyze what's happening and to predict what will happen next. This thrilling mystery would make a good choice of a book to read.

Reviewed by Dylan James (age 12) for Reader Views (10/08)

Terry is a boxer, a spy, an admirer, and above all else, a teenager. A prominent boxer, Terry takes lessons every day at school. He never could have thought how much he might need those lessons until he snoops around. Something terrible has happened at Terry's school. Someone that Terry and several other people at school knew well has been found washed up on the beach, stone dead. The common thought is that he was on steroids and the drug had crazed him out, but Terry didn't think that was likely. Terry and his crush work together in an inspiring tale of courage and curiosity. But they'd better hurry; killers don't wait long before becoming restless.

This is a fast-moving adventure filled with curiosity, learning, and fighting. This would be an almost ideal book for teenagers in high school. It broaches on how the main character acts around his crush, when to go learn about something (like steroids), and that there are dangerous people out there. Some parents might be worried about their kids reading this book though, because of the casual ways Terry's friend's smoke, or talk about sex. But I think most parents would be okay with this book, because Terry, the main character, doesn't do anything bad. Even if someone like the principle looks nice and easygoing, that may not be the case. The flow of this story could have been better; the movement from slow investigating to fast results shook me a little.

This story could really draw me in, not the way where maybe I care about the characters but in the way that I just simply couldn't put this book down; I HAD to know what was going to happen. I was drawn in from the beginning; it instantly throws in suspense. What really happened to this kid? "The Boxer and the Spy" by Robert B. Parker is a great mystery/adventure, and I think even people that normally dislike mystery will be satisfied with this book. I know I was.

As it turns out this was a book for Young Adults. When I bought it I did not realize this, but still I was not disappointed. It is an excellent story, a delight to read.

I will give it to my Grandson to read and when he has finished it I think my Niece would also enjoy it.

Good book for a teenager. I thought it was for an adult but enjoyed it thoroughly.