Perish Twice

I loved this book and found the characters vivid and interesting, including Sunny. To all the naysayers, don't compare Sunny Randall with Spenser. This is apples and oranges. Both characters are work spending my hard-earned money to read about.

Sunny Randall is an amazing woman. She looks like Helen Hunt, who may soon play her on the silver screen, yet she acts like Spenser, whose life she relives in PERISH TWICE. I can't get enough of Spenser, and I am happy Robert Parker is writing other books. The Paradise series is solid, in my opinion, as was Parker's continuation of the Philip Marlowe series. I enjoy how Sunny Randall adapts to a Spenser-like lifestyle. Her hangers-on are similar to the big guy's. The storyline works well, though you are always waiting for Hawk or Susan Silverman to show up. PERISH TWICE is entertaining. I love Parker's writing. Give me more.

Perish Twice is the second in Robert Parker's new series about his female private detective, Ms. Sunny Randall. No one who reads the story will miss the similarities to Spenser. Through the parallels, you can begin to see more clearly Mr. Parker's thesis about what being a good, honest person should be about. What constitutes a proper life for women and men is remarkably similar. As in the Spenser books, most people don't get it. His interpretation of the proper feminist version of goodness and a healthy mind becomes more obvious in Perish Twice than in any other book by Mr. Parker. This transparency is helped by his setting up so many alternative models of women who are either phony, hypocritical, or miserable (or perhaps a little of each). As with the previous Sunny Randall book, Family Honor, this one makes Sunny a little too dependent on her hoodlum ex-in-laws to be totally palatable.The story has four major plot lines. The primary one revolves around a bodyguard job that Sunny does for a high profile feminist, Ms. Mary Lou Goddard. Someone is threatening Ms. Goddard. Sunny soon spots a stalker and tracks him down. The path from there takes many twists. The second one involves Sunny's sister Elizabeth who wants to know if her husband is cheating on her. Sunny quickly finds out that he is, and Sunny plays chaperone and analyst for her emotionally floundering and confused sister. The third relates to her friend, Julie, who suddenly walks away from her marriage. The fourth continues Sunny's relationship with her ex-husband, Richie. Each plot line crosses the others from time to time, providing for a rewarding set of developments.The mystery in the book has two very interesting features. First, it develops surprising depth after what appears to be a very simple beginning and initial plot. Second, Mr. Parker leaves the ending at a place where many stories don't end. As a result, you will have many thoughts about what the story means that you would not otherwise have. That's a fine bit of writing. So you have at least two nice surprises to look forward to enjoying. After you finish this book, you should think about why connecting to other people is so difficult and painful. Another useful question might be why we don't draw more love and support from our connections to one another. What's missing? Put honoring your values ahead of pursuing your needs, if you want to enjoy self-respect.

It's always been my prayer that Robert Parker would live a long life and keep writing so I'd have him to look forward to twice a year even if his new PI, Sunny Randall, is just Spenser in a dress. She. like, Spenser, has attitude and a dog she shares with her ex-husband Richie, who, by the way, is a lot more likeable than the fit, trim, beautiful, brilliant and accomplished Susan Silverman. They're both tough but sensitive. Spenser cooks and Randall paints. The setting, as always, is Boston.There are murders and Sunny solves them, like Spenser, with the help of cops and criminals, but the essence of all Parker's work is the character of Sunny/Spenser and the people they know and accept.For those who may be new to Parker,please read his books in the order in which they were written. You'll be glad you did. There are three series, the most famous being the Spenser novels. There are many of them and that's the wonderful part. There are two books each in the Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall series.All of Parker's books are alike because it seems the author wants to reinforce his message until he's sure we're getting it, and that is that a "normal" life is like a medicine prescribed for everyone, even those who are allergic to it, and that we have to accept the differences in the people around us while believing in ourselves and our values, and that the most useful body parts are ears that listen.

Boston private detective Sunny Randall was once married to Irish mobster Richie Burke. Though divorced, Sunny and Richie still date, make love, spend a lot of time together and share custody of their miniature bull terrier Rosie. Richie wants to remarry his beloved, but the independent sleuth needs her space. Sunny currently is dealing with several situations. At her sister's request, Sunny tails the woman's husband and obtains proof he is cheating on her. Her best friend steps out on her husband and children and wants Sunny to accompany her while obtaining an abortion. Finally, the lesbian head of Great Strides hires Sunny to serve as her bodyguard because someone is stalking her, but the suspect commits suicide neatly wrapping up the case for everyone except Sunny. The private investigator begins an inquest only to end up in the midst of prostitution and the individual who runs the action in the city. Anyone who thinks Sunny Randall is a distaff Spencer because they are Robert B. Parker's Beantown detectives has not read one or the other series. Sunny is not a one-person gangbuster and her books contain a small ensemble ready to help her with little notice. The mystery of PERISH TWICE is a cryptic puzzle that is fun to read as well solve. Mr. Parker remains one of the better writers on the market today and the proof will be when he returns to all the bestseller lists with this fine novel. Harriet Klausner