ROUGH WEATHER

Parker’s Boston-based PI, Spenser, is hired as a bodyguard for a socialite who is hosting her daughter's wedding on her private island. When the groom is murdered and the bride is kidnapped, Spenser is determined to get to the bottom of the suspicious circumstances—especially the appearance of the Gray Man. Joe Mantegna's characterization of Spenser is as rock-steady as Spenser's integrity. Mantegna IS Spenser: determined and erudite, equally capable of killing a foe and cooking a gourmet meal. The dialogue, sometimes lacking the concise perfection that is Parker's hallmark, is rescued by Mantegna's portrayals of the characters, Spenser himself, Susan (elegantly cultured but remarkably tolerant of Spenser's life-and-death world), and Hawk (ever stalwart and loyal). Thanks to Mantegna's skill, this audiobook is better than the print publication. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]