Sunny Randall comes to the aid of three very different women, with deadly consequences. Hired by prominent feminist Mary Lou Goddard to protect her from threatening phone calls and shadowy pursuers, Sunny must contend with Goddard's reluctance to reveal all she knows about the unwelcome attention bestowed upon her.
When a member of Goddard's staff is gunned down, it's called a case of mistaken identity. And when the murder suspect is found to have eaten his own gun, two cases are settled, neither to Sunny's satisfaction.
At the same time, Sunny must help both her dearest friend and her older sister, each of whom face wrenching personal battles. When the murder investigations lead her to the Boston underworld, Sunny's footing-despite backup from her close friend Spike and ex-husband, Richie-is treacherous at best.
'another masterly thriller in the Raymond Chandler mould...Parker at his most readable and enjoyable.'
- Carla McKay, Daily Mail [read the full review]
Robert B. Parker deserves a prize for stamina alone. With mind-boggling frequency, he brings out yet another masterly thriller in the Raymond Chandler mould.
This one features his female Bostonian private eye Sunny Randall who doesn't get an airing as often as Parker's favourite P.I. Spenser, but who is every bit his equal in tough wisecracking talk and action.
Here, Sunny has to deal with three unrewarding women: her snobbish sister Elizabeth whose husband is cheating on her; her irritating friend Julie who is cheating on her husband; and a tiresome celebrity feminist Mary-Lou who has hired her for protections. On top of that, she has to solve a murder that has the cops scratching their heads. Smart and pacy, this is Parker at his most readable and enjoyable.
Carla McKay, Daily Mail
'Parker's wit is mordant and sardonic, and the action is as furious as ever'
- Sunday Times [read the full review]
Spenser, Parker's usual private-eye hero, is here replaced by Sunny Randall, a female investigator in Boston. Randall is hired by Mary Lou Goddard, a prominent feminist, to stop a stalker who is threatening her. Then someone on Goddard's staff is gunned down. As the investigation gets under way, the corpses pile up, the case becomes more convoluted and Randall herself comes under fire after implicating the man who is behind prostitution in Boston. Parker's wit is mordant and sardonic, and the action is as furious as ever.
Sunday Times
'Randall is a classic female sleuth'
- Maxim Jakubowski, The Guardian [read the full review]