Book Review
"Perish Twice" by Robert B. Parker.
G.P. Putnam Sons, 292 pp., $23.95.
Here we have a delightful romp through Boston Common, surrounded by the Charles River and the red brick buildings of Harvard University. Robert B. Parker knows Boston as we know the waterfront, and he's written his best books with the Ritz Bar as the central meeting place.
Murder is the spider who sits in the middle of this web of intrigue and sexual misalliances; you must pay attention as the twists are turning in on themselves as we go. The private eye here is a beautiful divorcee and if tracking a murderer and dealing with an ex whom she still loves isn't enough grief, her unpleasant sister pulls her into her own personal disastrous life.
We get a close-up glimpse of the underworld of prostitution, drugs, and the violence they produce. We meet some of the CEO's who "move and shake" these shadowy regions and find them fascinating, if not exactly friendship material.
It's always amazing to see how fearless these detectives are; by the nature of their enquiries, they know they're searching for people who have killed, and are surely ready to do it again to avoid being caught? Sunny Randall, a policemen's daughter and a former cop herself, is a P.I. who is witty and intelligent. Her client is a prominent feminist whose life and times are a virulent bucket of worms to challenge all comers.
The dialog is the prize in the crackerjack box; it's funny but sharp and discerning, making page turning a pleasure. Parker fills his books with people one would like to know and by the end, one is sad to part with them.
"Perish Twice" is the second outing for P.I. Sunny Randall. We hope her third is in the works at Mr. Parker's place.
"Perish Twice" is available at Dockside Bookshop at Havensight Mall. To check out other Dockside favorites click here.
