Potshot

Just finished Painted Ladies, what a disappointment Ordered copy of Pot Shot...trusting reviewers are correct

It is always a pleasure to read a Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. He has written another winner with his new novel, "Potshot". Mary Lou Buckman hires Spenser to find out who killed her husband, Steve. Spenser must go to Potshot, Arizona where the Buckmans lived and where the murder took place. As he investigates, he finds that many people believe that someone in the Dell killed him. The Dell is a group of thugs who collect "protection" money from businesses in Potshot. Their leader is known as The Preacher. Then a group of Potshot VIP's hire Spenser to rid Potshot of the Dell. Spenser can solve the murder alone, but will need a small army to take on the Dell. He hires Hawk and Vinnie Morris from Boston, Tedy Sapp, a bouncer from Georgia, 2 Los Angeles thugs, and Bernard J. Fortunato, a tough guy from Las Vegas. Things are never what they seem in Potshot. This is an excellent addition to a long-running series, one of the best in American crime fiction.

Recently, Parker has been a letdown. From Thin Air on, his books have lost a lot of their luster, but then Hugger Mugger (his last Spencer) came along and I had hopes that the series was coming back. Potshot goes a long way to undoing the damage done by the few bad books in the series. In this book, Spenser finds himself out of Boston and in the middle of a town in the desert used as a getaway by rich people. His client wants him to chase out a gang of toughs that have apparently killed her husband. To deal with the militant group, Spenser calls forth a whole rogues gallery of people that he has run across in previous books: From his affable sidekick Hawk, or the silent mob gunman Vinnie, and the dangerous hispanic Chollo, to the gay bouncer, Tedy, from Hugger Mugger, the gang's all here. Spencer quickly ascertains that not everything is as it seems and continues to poke his nose in every place that it is not welcome. Fans of the Susan Silverman character might be disappointed as she is not in the book much. To those critics who feel that this rogue's gallery of characters is a selling ploy, I can only shrug. Some of the best points in this book came from the scenes where this mishmash of thugs were just trying to get along. Parker's wit is as sharp as ever and his descriptions are concise and powerful. He is in top form. My only gripe, if this can even be called a gripe, is that this is an incredibly quick read. I finished it the day that I received it. Although I generally recommend that people start at the beginning of the series so they can get a full grasp of all the characters and relationships involved, but I can see no reason why newcomers wouldn't enjoy this novel. A must!

When Spencer first talks to Mary Lou Buckman about investigating the death of her husband he knew it would be a tough job. After all, the suspects were a gang of 40 ne'er-do-wells living in the hills around Potshot, Arizona. These western gangsters had recently been organized by a sociopath known as 'The Preacher,' and were terrorizing the town. A visit to Potshot Spencer that there is something rotten going one. The town, nestled in the mountains was a Mecca for those suffering from urban flight syndrome. Aside from the Preacher and his 40 thieves Potshot's resident population includes a suspiciously inactive police force, a non-productive film producer and a real estate salesman with a way oversexed wife. Spencer quickly discovers that it isn't just Bebe the real estate women who is oversexed. It's seems that almost all the cast has had some history with each other.Realizing this was far more than a one-man job Spencer heads back to Boston to assemble a militia of tough guys that reads like the Robert B. Parker hall of fame. Naturally Hawk is included, and Vinnie, another Boston professional, Tedy Sapp from Georgia, Bernard J. Fortunato, and finally Chollo and Bobby Horse from Los Angeles. This adds up to seven, and if you are getting the feeling that Parker is parodying The Magnificent Seven a bit, you might not be wrong.In addition, while investigating Mary Lou in Los Angeles Spencer is menaced by two employees of Morris Tannenbaum, one of the big West Coast gangster chiefs. It's pretty clear that all is not what it seems, but Spencer is unable to resolve his suspicions. Before he does so, we will be treated to star-crossed lovers, a menacing cartel, and, lest we forget, the gunfight at the not-quite-OK CorralParker specializes in terse, pithy dialogue and plenty of often violent action. Spencer, whose heritage includes Marlowe and Travis McGee, is at his best as the in-your-face, wisecracking detective who is also perfectly capable of quoting poetry and maintaining a tender relationship with Susan, his psychologist girlfriend. In "Potshot" the continuous by-play between the seven heroes adds sparkle to an already exceptional story. I've read all of Parker's Spencer novels, and this will rank as one of the most memorable. Certainly it's one of the most entertaining. Parker has again managed to write a rich and compelling novel in a genre noted more for its excesses than its quality of writing.

For several years now I have felt like Parker was phoning it in - many of the recent Spenser books have had unconscionably wide margins and low page counts - but this recent outing must be considered a return to form. All the usual dry banter with Hawk and Susan is as enjoyable as always, as is Spenser's smart-mouth style and grace under pressure. But there is also a strong plot line to carry the story forward, a genuine puzzle that widens, deepens and resolves very satisfactorily.The best part, however, is getting to spend quality time with almost all the hard cases Spenser has charmed in the past, including the inimitable Bernard J. Fortunato. There are indeed seven of them, contrary to another review's count: a conscious homage to the Magnificent Seven. They are a tough crew indeed - honorable after their fashion, but as Hawk very memorably states at the end, not like Spenser. If I were to quibble, it's that the climactic gunfight misses the last degree of intensity and reality, and many of the true bad guys don't get their full comeuppance. But it is still worth the trip to get there: you're in the hands of a master, writing at the top of his game. This series is a national treasure, and he can't write enough of them.