The omnibus showcases the adventures of a renowned Boston private investigator, Spenser. In "Pastime," he confronts a long-buried crime linked to a young victim seeking closure. "Double Deuce" plunges him into a violent conflict with a local street gang. Meanwhile, "Paper Doll" presents a chilling mystery surrounding the murder of a seemingly perfect suburban woman, leaving Spenser questioning the nature of the crime. Each story highlights his relentless pursuit of truth and justice amidst complex social issues.
When a mature, beautiful and composed April Kyle strides into Spenser's office, the Boston PI recognises his once and future client. Now a well established madam herself, April oversees an upscale call girl operation in Boston's Back Bay. Still looking for Spenser's approval, she hesitates before asking for his help again. Her all female business is a success but some men are trying to take it away from her and she needs Spenser's help. She claims not to know who the threats are coming from, but when Spencer investigates he finds a troubling surprise.
“[Robert B.] Parker's brilliance is in his simple dialogue, and in Spenser.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer A bitter divorce is only the beginning. First the father hires thugs to kidnap his son. Then the mother hires Spenser to get the boy back. But as soon as Spenser senses the lay of the land, he decides to do some kidnapping of his own. With a contract out on his life, he heads for the Maine woods, determined to give a puny 15 year old a crash course in survival and to beat his dangerous opponents at their own brutal game.
When a Massachusetts boy is accused of mass murder, his socially prominent grandmother, who hires Spenser to investigate, is convinced of his innocence. But Spenser isn't convinced of anything--except that there's trouble ahead...
Rachel Wallace is a woman who writes and speaks her mind. She has made a lot of enemies -- enemies who threaten her life.Spenser is the tough guy with a macho code of honor, hired to protect a woman who thinks that code is obsolete.Privately, they will never see eye to eye. That's why she fires him. But when Rachel vanishes, Spenser rattles skeletons in blue-blooded family closets, tangles with the Klan and fights for her right to be exactly what she is. He is ready to lay his life on the line to find Rachel Wallace.
Jesse Stone has a problem no officer of the law likes to face: Dead bodies keep appearing, but clues do not. A man takes his dog out for a run on the beach, only to be discovered hours later - with two holes in his chest. A woman drives her Volvo to the store to do some grocery shopping, and is then found dead, her body crumpled behind her loaded shopping cart. A commuter takes a shortcut home from the train, and never makes it back to his house. Hunting down a serial killer is difficult and dangerous in any town, but in a town like Paradise, the media are always on his back.
When Spenser's closest ally, Hawk, is brutally injured and left for dead while protecting bookie Luther Gillespie, Spenser embarks on an epic journey to rehabilitate his friend in body and soul. Spenser quickly learns that the Ukrainian mob is responsible for the hit, but finding a way into their tightly knit circle is not nearly so simple. Their total control of the town of Marshport, from the bodegas to the police force to the mayor's office, isn't just a sign of rampant corruption - it's a form of arrogance that only serves to ignite Hawk's desire to get even.
Boston P.I. Sunny Randall goes on the road to protect a bestselling author—and uncovers a world of dark secrets—in the new novel by the Grand Master. Melanie Joan Hall is a bestselling author in a bind. Her publisher needs her to tour on behalf of her latest blockbuster, and Melanie Joan needs a bodyguard-cum-escort to protect her from an overbearing ex-husband whose presence unnerves her to the point of hysteria. Sunny’s cool demeanor, cop background, and P.I. smarts are an instant balm for the older woman. Sunny begins to sense that Melanie Joan’s ex—a psychotherapist—is not your basic stalker, and when an incident at a book signing leaves the ex bloodied and the author unconscious, it’s clear the stakes are high. Having decided that the only way to crack the case is from the inside, Sunny enters therapy, only to discover some disturbing truths about herself . . . while putting her life on the line. Gripping, nuanced, and filled with Parker’s signature dialogue and psychological insight, Shrink Rap is a winner.
Ellis Alves, a brutal criminal with a history of rape, becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a white college girl. A determined defense attorney believes in his innocence and hires private detective Spenser to uncover the truth. However, Spenser soon faces a deadly threat from a mysterious killer.
