Double Deuce (Spenser)

When 14-year-old Devona Jefferson and her three-month-old baby Crystal are shot down near the projects at 22 Hobart St (thus called Double Deuce), a committee of the residents comprised of women, old men and the reverend Orestes Tillis contact Hawk and ask him to help weed out the gangs who have taken over the neighborhood. Hawk agrees to help and brings in Spenser. Understandably suspicious of Spenser, many of the residents outright state that they do not want him there - the most outspoken being Tillis, who calls Spenser the White Satan and says that he will not support Spenser being there. Hawk says that Spenser is there with him and if anyone has a problem with that, then both he and Spenser will be on their way. Spenser and Hawk spend a lot of time around the Double Deuce, trying to work out who runs the Hobarts (the local gang) as well as who spiked (shot) Devona and her baby. As they investigate, connections to their old "friend" Tony Marcus pops up - it seems that Marcus has been using the Hobarts to run drugs through the area. In many ways, this was a very difficult book to read - not to say I did not enjoy it, but it was full of uncomfortable truths about the disenfranchised who surround us every day. It paints a very bleak picture of life in the projects. I would recommend this book to just about anyone - read it and think about it.

Spenser and Hawk are both noble, honorable men of the highest caliber. They are the best of friends, willing to join the other in the deadliest of fights, all the other has to do is ask. In this story, some people in a ghetto neighborhood are desperate to rid their neighborhood of the scourge of gangs and drugs. They turn to Hawk to help them, but are unable to offer him anything in return. Hawk agrees and then asks Spenser to assist him at the same rate of pay. While we learn a great deal about Spenser's past in the Spenser series of books, Hawk is an enigma. In this book, we learn a little bit about him, but he remains circumspect about his past. All we learn is that he probably grew up in a very dangerous environment and through unusual circumstances managed to survive to adulthood. Hawk uses those skills to probe the neighborhood and deal with the members of a violent youth gang. A teen mother and her new baby have been ruthlessly gunned down and the prime suspect is a gang led by a very tough kid named Major Johnson. They proclaim their innocence, although they are coy about it, as they enjoy the attention from Hawk, someone they respect. There is a subplot as well. Spenser and Susan agree to live together, so Spenser moves in with Susan. Although they "get along", there is a great deal of underlying tension. Susan eats healthy and Spenser eats hearty. Finally, they agree that they love each other and will stay together, but they dissolve their cohabitation union. Hawk also has a love interest, a beautiful black woman who tries to get inside him but fails. When Hawk shoots past her to wound a man threatening to kill her, she decides that her interest in Hawk is not that strong. As always, the dialog in this Spenser novel is entertaining and would uplift even the weakest plot, which this one is not. There are strong supporting minor characters, including an ex-nun who works with gang members. She drinks whiskey with Spenser and he even takes note of her in a non-professional way. This is one of the better Spenser novels.

I love all the Spenser books but this one is my favorite! It'sprobably because Hawk is my favorite character but remains somysterious. "Double Deuce" gives us more inner Hawk than in any other book. I wish someone would tackle an annotation of the Spenser series - I'd buy it!

this book allows the Hawk persona to be explored and developed and gives some insight into the charm(?) mystique that is Hawk Spenser is an enjoyable character in print and was beguiling on the tv. VIVA LA PARKER

I had never watched the Spenser series on televison until I picked up this hardcover.Now I find myself watching the series every chance I get. The two main characters were very strong, especially the prescence of Hawk. The subject matter intrigued me. This is a real threat in housing developments all over the country.Young punks holding entire communities hostage. The dialogue was snappy and to the point. The interaction between the villains and the protagonists -streetwise. I like Mr. Parker's style and this book moved along very fast. This book reminds me of some of Elmore Leonard's best work and I can't wait to dive into more books by this author.I recommend this book to all mystery fans.