Thank You Mr. Parker

It is a relief to throw oneself into a good book. It need not be a heavy, ponderous, thought provoking book, but it must be absorbing and well written. When I’m looking for something which will instantly draw me in I choose Robert B. Parker. Yes, he’s the same Parker of “Spenser” fame. I’ve enjoyed his Spenser detective novels and his one-offs, especially “Double Play”. But my current favorites are the books in his Sunny Randall series. Two features of note in any Parker novel: great dialogue and attention to small, illuminating details. Considering the brevity of many of his books, those are significant achievements and emblematic of his talent.