See bears review. ( )

“You staying around?” — Hawk

“Another day or so maybe, make sure I haven’t missed anything.” — Spenser

“Missed anything. We missed every *@#* thing there was to miss out here.” — Hawk


By the time Chance came around in the Spenser canon, which was just before Small Vices, readers’ expectations for the series had permanently shifted toward fast-flowing, enjoyable entertainment with some sparkling exchanges between Spenser and Hawk. Occasional echoes of earlier, more resonating books in the series still peppered some of the entries. Chance is one of the better books during that period, and a pretty fun read.

Like most Spenser novels, it begins swiftly. Well known Boston bad guy Julius Ventura walks into Spenser’s office with his pouty daughter Shirley. He doesn’t like Spenser, and doesn’t want to be there, but Shirley’s husband has run off — according to Ventura, but not his daughter. Shirley has Julius wrapped around her finger, though, so he wants Spenser to find Anthony and bring back his son-in-law. Since Julius is the kind of guy who has people of his own for that sort of thing, Spenser smells a rat. Learning Julius approached Hawk first, who said he’d only do it if Spenser would, there is no doubt something is up — or Hawk’s just amusing himself.

It proves to be both. Gino Fish had something going with Julius, because his close associate, Marty Anaheim, is having Spenser tailed. Figuring money is involved, it stands to reason Anthony might have skipped with someone’s, but whose? Finding out isn’t going to be easy, for two reasons. Vinnie, sans Joe Broz, is now working for Gino. And Marty Anaheim? Hawk sums him up:

“Marty Anaheim is the meanest man I ever knew. He lost his hands, he’d bite you to death.”

Anthony was fooling around on Shirley too, which doesn’t surprise Spenser in the least, once he has lunch with her. But Dixie does, and later on provides a sad and poignant moment in the narrative. It seems Anthony not only liked to gamble, but had a “system” he planned on using to break the bank — don’t they all? So suddenly we get Viva Las Vegas, Parker style, with Spenser, Hawk, and Susan — who should have been left at home — in Sin City. Actually, Susan isn’t quite as annoying in this one, but there’s still too much of her and not enough detection.

This one introduces the tough little Panama hat-wearing Bernard, who is tailing them around town while they look for Anthony and enjoy being is Vegas. Well, mostly it’s Susan enjoying it, until she has to bug out, and let the story get going. Spenser does find Anthony, but then what? Marty Anaheim shows up, and Anthony is scared to death. It gets a bit confusing from there on out, with one glaringly exception. When Shirley’s body shows up in Vegas, naked and beaten and raped, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out it doesn’t fit Anthony’s profile, though he certainly had motive. It does, however, fit someone else, and for the life of me, every time I’ve read this over the years I’ve always wondered why it takes so long for Spenser to decide it was that person.

It’s so easy to connect the dots I’m not even going to mark it as a spoiler that Anthony has run off not only with someone’s money, but someone’s wife. Bibi and Dixie are in fact the two best characters in the book, and provide some touching moments. Spenser is Spenser, and even though he and Hawk have solved diddly, he keeps poking around, dissatisfied with not knowing what happened. Someone takes a run at Spenser, and he puts two of them down. So much for poking around where you aren’t wanted.

Eddie Lee from Port City — an earlier entry in the series — gives Spenser a hint at what’s really going on, and it turns out our boy Spenser may be to blame, because when Tony Marcus got put away, it left a vacuum, and some Russians want to move in. That leads Spenser to Joe Broz, a shadow of his former self but still in business. And Jackie the chauffeur for Julius has clued Spenser in on another angle. That confuses matters, though.

Chance is a quick, entertaining read, as every Spenser novel is, but it’s a little disjointed at times. Still, it has some nice exchanges between Hawk and Spenser, Susan isn’t overly irritating here, and there’s a really nice ending which makes the opening prolog all the more poignant. All in all, Chance is well worth your time if you’re looking for a fun read in this genre which will keep you turning pages. For a Spenser from this period in the series, a solid four stars. ( )

First edition as new

In the 23rd Spenser novel the usual characters are pulled into an adventure when Spenser accepts a mobster client. The client wants his missing son-in-law found. He doesn't bother to mention that the son-in-law has skimmed a lot of money from the pickups he made for his wife's father. Rival mobsters turn out to be involved too. Spenser and the usual characters Hawk and Susan go from Boston to Las Vegas and back. Spenser noses around Boston suburbs looking for other missing persons. Semi retired mob boss Joe Broz and Boston police detective Lt. Quirk also appear. And I won't forget to mention Pearl the dog. Spenser finds more than he was looking for. ( )

Spenser finds missing mob husband in Vegas