Ace Atkins continues to deliver good Spenser novels. ( )

A good plot, fast action, short chapters, Spencer and Hawk doing what they do best, Spencer's wit, and a twist at the end all make for an enjoyable read and a good edition to the Spencer series. Ace Atkins does a good job of continuing this very good series. ( )

This review originally appeared on NetGalley at https://www.netgalley.com/book/218279/review/670189.

Someone to Watch Over Me is the forty-eighth novel to feature the tough, smart-talking Boston Private Investigator, Spenser! Almost half a century old and still going strong, the longevity of this series—even after the death of Robert B. Parker years ago—itself is testimony to the brilliance of his creation.

In his ninth appearance penned by Ace Atkins, Spenser’s twenty-two year old protégé called Mattie Sullivan—a recurring character from a previous novel—seeks his help to retrieve the personal belongings of her school friend’s sister from an exclusive club. Expectedly, the relatively simple errand turns into a hunt for a filthy rich paedophile and his female companion who have been preying on underage girls for a long time, protected by some powerful people who share their disgusting idea of fun. The paedophile even owns an island in the Bahamas, away from the reach of the US law enforcement, where he holds captive several girls for his own and his friends' entertainment. Mattie finds more girls willing to talk about their exploitation, and the risk to her life and Spenser’s rises exponentially as a lethal assassin known as The Gray Man, who had almost killed Spenser in their previous encounter, joins the fray. Dodging multiple attempts on his life, Spenser, with the help of his equally smart-mouthed sidekick, Hawk, takes the attack to the child-molester to expose him and free the imprisoned girls.

The plot of Someone to Watch Over Me is fairly simple, with the identity of the villains disclosed early in the narrative. Though I don’t have much experience with Parker’s original series, I have a feeling that this one fits the template perfectly with the already developed characters, witty dialogues and a brisk plot. The action with words and deeds is nonstop and the twist towards the end is totally unexpected. However, the rushed climax is bit of a dampener to the overall experience. While it is a lot of fun to watch Spenser and Hawk in action, I would have liked to see Mattie in a more substantial role. Also, Spenser’s lover’s feud with his shrink girlfriend, Susan Silverman, about Pearl—his latest pet whom he claims to be the reincarnation of his previous dogs of the same name and breed—is tedious and does not add much to the story.

These minor issues apart, Someone to Watch Over Me is another worthy entry to this beloved series and is a very enjoyable, easy read that will appeal to Spenser fans as well as other thriller lovers. I liked it a lot and am thankful to the author and the publisher of this book, and NetGalley, for the e-ARC in return for my unbiased review. ( )

I’ve read just about all the books in the Spencer series, this was easily the worst. I hated the story. I hated the dialogue. I hated the predictability of the plot. Lately Spencer books have acted as a filler between books that I am generally interested in reading. They are not good enough to fill even that minor purpose. Time to shut the franchise down…

I barely skimmed the book. Once I saw the drift of the story, I had no interest in the book. ( )

Someone To Watch Over Me (2021) (Spenser #48) by Ace Atkins/Robert B. Parker. How can you tell that the latest Spenser novel is going to be a good, thrilling story? It has R. B. Parker printed right on the cover. Once again Ace Atkins has echoed the voices created by the late writer and fans can rejoice once more.
Here the story line has been taken from recent headlines. A young girl has been “recruited” by an older woman to act as a masseuse for older “gentlemen”. Much older men. Younger, teenaged girls.
If I said there was a privately owned island involved, a very wealthy, powerful financier and illegal activities of all type and perversion going on, you might say you’ve heard this tale. But when Spenser and Hawk get dragged in to help one of the abused girls, you know things are going to light up and some form of justice will be done.
Yet another great read in this longstanding series of fine, well-told stories. ( )