Taming a Sea-Horse

A Spenser Novel

By: Robert B. Parker

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

Nice girls don't. But blond, beautiful April Kyle does. She's a hooker hooked on the wrong guy - and she's on her way to trouble. So is Spenser.

Looking out for April has landed him in the crud of Times Square. It's not a long way to big-business boardrooms where blood money get laundered into long green, sex is a commodity, and young girls are the currency.

Crack another case with Spenser.©1987 Robert B. Parker (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

"Spenser's back and New York's got him...proficient with his gun and fists, not to mention his quick verbal shots." ( Daily News)

Spencer is at it again

I am going through the Spenser series from the beginning and this one is # 13. This is is not one of my favorites so far but I love when all 3 characters, Spencer, Hawk and Susan are in the book. Makes the characters grow.

Parker and Prichard are always fun.

This series, starring Spenser, his girlfriend the beautiful and brilliant Susan Silverman, Ph.D., and the strong but silent man of muscle Hawk, is perhaps the most sustained piece of literature we have known in decades. Parker himself would probably gag at the word "literature," as his desire is to entertain us on every page, and he does this masterfully. This particular story concerns Spenser's continuing fatherly concern over the teenage prostitute April. Although truly a tough guy, Spenser is a marshmallow softie when it comes to girls like April. He voluntarily goes to New York to track her down, and in essence to save her from the demeaning job of being a prostitute. He keeps running in to the fact that she chooses this work. He had placed her with the high-class call girl operation of Ms. Patricia Utley in New York, with the high-browed intention that April become a high-class call girl, the one whom we imagine wears jewels and furs and charges $500 for her services, with clients who are polite, well-dressed and well-mannered. April, however, falls downhill into the pimp operation of a crude black man who dresses like a pimp, runs a string of "girls," pretends to be a student at Juilliard, and who carries a very sharp knife. His name is Robert. Spenser repeatedly calls him Bob. There is some serious fighting between them. Spenser meets April at a coffee shop, and finds that Robert is sitting at the bar. watching the conversation very carefully. Spenser eventually catches on to the fact that April does not want to be rescued by the armored hero on the white horse. He reluctantly admits that she is trapped in "the life," and it appears that she wouldn't leave it for any reason. Spenser's dreams of taking her back to Boston and making an "honest woman" out of her are just that: dreams. He is bitterly disappointed.
Michael Prichard does his usual excellent job of narration, and Parker's wit is just as sharp as ever. It is astounding to note that Parker wrote FORTY of these books in his incredible career, and I have yet to read one that was not funny and truly enjoyable reading. Have fun your own self.

Needed more Hawk

This one was okay but I would have liked more Hawk and more Susan. Spenser's witism always lands better and is returned with them. The food talk wasn't as good as it usually is but other descriptive details are were on par.

Parker Perfect

Love Spenser as well as Jesse. All the books are fine, and this is no exception.

Spencer's version on Superman Always Entertains!

Loved it. We love all his books. The characters are relatable and always entertaining.

1 of Parker's best

For me, the older Spenser books are the better ones.

Good balance of plot & character, some great fight scenes, and of course Hawk.

Prichard turns in his usual superb performance.

Classic Spenser

Wish Hawk had been in the story a bit more, always like those the best. However, this one is a solid journey into the world of Spenser…

Not as good as most Spenser books

I love Robert Parker's character Spenser, the detective. However, this is not as good as the majority of the books in the series.

Reader had a lobotomy.

Great story. The reader is horrible. No feeling. Siri could do better. So very sad.