New Spencer book from Robert B. Parker

Spencer is my favorite Robert B. Parker character. I know there’s a following for Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone, but there’s something about Spencer that sticks with me.

The 35th book in the series, “Now and Then” was released in October. It opens with Spencer, a Boston private investigator, taking on a new client — a husband who wants to know if his wife is having an affair. Spencer agrees to follow the woman and see what he can find out.

It doesn’t take the gumshoe long to validate the husband’s fears. Yes, his wife is cheating. To get the proof, Spencer calls up his friend, Hawk. Together, they follow the cheating spouse and her boyfriend. They get the proof they need by planting a bug in her purse.

In addition to sweet pillow talk, the recording reveals that Spencer’s client is a FBI agent. His wife is picking her husband’s brain for case information to pass along to her boyfriend who happens to be a booking agent for terrorists.

Into this mix add a double dose of murder, the FBI and a terrorist organization looking for the clandestinely recorded tape and you’ve got all the elements that make Parker’s books such great reads.

In case you were wondering, it wouldn’t be a Spencer book without his great love, Susan, and their dog, Pearl. When Susan becomes the target of terrorists, Spencer pulls in the big guns — Hawk, Vinnie and Chollo. Together, they stand their ground, protect Susan and save the day.

If you’re in the market for a murder mystery, this is a book to curl up with and enjoy.

(Kay Johnson is a staff writer at the Hutchinson Leader. She can be reached at johnson@hutchinsonleader.com).