Back Story

By: Robert B. Parker

Narrated by: Joe Mantegna

Spenser tries to solve a 30-year-old murder as a favor to an old friend in the brilliant new mystery from the Grand Master.

In 1974, a revolutionary group calling itself the Dread Scott Brigade held up the old Shawmut Bank in Boston's Audubon Circle. Money was stolen. And a woman named Emily Gordon, a visitor in town cashing traveler's checks, was shot and killed. No one saw who shot her. Despite security camera photos and a letter from the group claiming responsibility, the perpetrators have remained at large for nearly three decades.

Enter Paul Giacomin, the closest thing to a son Spenser has. Twice before, Spenser has come to the young man's assistance, and now that Paul is in his 30s, his troubled past is behind him. When Paul's friend Daryl Gordon -daughter of the long-gone Emily - decides she needs closure about the matter of her mother's death, it's Spenser she turns to. The lack of clues and the fact that an FBI intelligence report is missing force Spenser to reach out in every direction - to Daryl's estranged hippie father; to Vinnie Morris and the mob; to the mysterious Ives - and test his resourcefulness and courage.

©2003 Robert B. Parker (P)2003 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The character sketches are Ginsu sharp." (Entertainment Weekly)

"Spenser's back, just the way we like him." (New York Daily News)

excellent Spencer story and production

I really loved this book. Spencer's "adopted" son, Paul, is in the story and I love Paul. He was introduced to us in the Spencer series book, "Early Autumn" . In my opinion, it would be good to have already read or listened to Early Autumn so that you know all about Paul before you listen to Back Story, but it is not necessary since this story can stand on its own. Hawk and Susan are in the story line of Back Story, which helps make it a great book. Also, Spencer meets Jesse Stone in this book. Stone appears in as the Police Chief of the town Paradise. At the first of this book It is revealed in the first of this book that Pearl the wonderdog has passed away - amazingly, Susan and Spencer get a puppy, the same breed as Pearl, to help get over the grief. To make things even more "fun", the story line brings back the memory of the hippie movement and free love. As you can see, in addition to the main story line of a 28 year old cold case murder which Spencer is attempting to solve, there is a lot going on! The reader, Joe Mantegna does his usual great job reading the book. I loves his interpretation of Spencer and of the reoccuring characgers of Susan, Hawk, Quirk, Belson, etc. I expecially love his interpretations of the very well written, witty conversations between Spencer and Hawk.

Joe Mantegna is Spencer

I love the Spencer books, and Joe Mantegna makes him come alive for me. The story is "good trumps evil" even it does smash a few folks around and maybe leaves some not-so-alive. The story was a great read and a small escape into the land where "everything works out in the end".

another winner for Robert Parker

I've listened to most of Parker's books as I'm unable to use my eyes, and never even noticed the "he said, she said" thing until this other reviewer mentioned it. It still isn't a problem. On the contrary, I think it's part of the rythym of his repartee. But, it might not be to everyone's taste. It's very, very dry. Brut supreme and supreme writing, IMHO.

Delightful

This detective mystery had several strong points. The length was just right. The narrator imitated well a Northeastern cop, making the story believable from the beginning. The book was intriguing from the beginning up to the surprise ending. The only negative comment I have is that I don't like profanity, even though I realize it is part of some characters' personalities.

...he's Baa-a-ack!

okay: I haven't enjoyed a Parker novel in awhile, but this one, although not the most innovative, is fun and witty. His last few books have felt forced and written "just because..." Narrator is also excellent and gives each character a voice of his own.

Robert B. Parker does it again

What can I say but another great book from Mr. Parker. As always, he puts you right there on the street with his characters. The research he does is incredible. If you were from the city he puts his characters in and were familiar with that part of the city he's using as background, you'd know exactly where you are in your mind's eye. Mr. Parker doesn't just write, he paints a mental canvas.

Review of Back Story

This is my first story with this author. I like the straightforward language and the good, interesting story. I've been listening to other thriller/detective stories, and this is a good mix of straightforward writing, good, interesting plot, and understandable characters. It's engaging and complete without a lot of wasted words.

He gets at meaningful interactions between characters without wasting words. The reader gets the picture without the author's having to waste words and time with a lot of description and dialogue. I suspect this kind of writing is tough to accomplish, and it's good to read.

So it's 4 stars: good story, concise writing, interesting and tightly drawn characters, and that interesting dialogue: lots of tough guy lingo, and you can see the various characters sizing each other up and staring each other down. And shooting each other.

Mantegna is a good listen, too.

Bob

Parker's Spenser is the best

Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels are best read in chronological order, and this is the latest in the series. The character of Spenser has grown amazingly in the tellings and has become not only a hard-boiled dectective, but the kind of man you want as your best friend. Parker is also to be commended on his fine and subtle sense of sarcasm in the use of dialogue. If ever there was a series that is suited to the audio format the Spenser books are it! There is a wit and charm going on that may not come off in hardcopy if you haven't first heard these books done well; and they are narrated VERY well by Joe Mantegna!

you know what you're gonna get

I think that I have listened to every "Spenser" novel that's available on Audible. It isn't so much that they are fantastic books... it's more that they are predictable in their high-quality. I tend to listen to these short Robert B. Parker novels between larger books... enjoying a mostly mindless story before undertaking another long listen.

Joe Mantegna continues his entertaining portrayal as Spenser... one that he's also become known for in made-for-TV movies. As a side-note, the voices that he gives his female characters in his readings never fail to amuse me. I particularly enjoy when he attempts to pull off a rendition of a woman trying to seduce Spenser. Those laughs alone make the commute fly by quickly.

Superman, Batman, Spencer

Any additional comments?

Classic Parker. Spencer does it again. Mantegna hits the nail on the head.