Synopses & Reviews
P.I. Spenser, knight-errant of the Back Bay, returns in this stellar addition to the iconic New York Timesbestselling series from author Ace Atkins. What started out as a joke landed seventeen-year-old Dillon Yates in a lockdown juvenile facility in Boston Harbor. When he set up a prank Twitter account for his vice principal, he never dreamed he could be brought up on criminal charges, but thats exactly what happened.
This is Blackburn, Massachusetts, where zero tolerance for minors is a way of life.
Leading the movement is tough-as-nails Judge Joe Scali, who gives speeches about getting tough on todays wild youth. But Dillons mother, who knows other Blackburn kids who are doing hard time for minor infractions, isnt buying Scalis line. She hires Spenser to find the truth behind the draconian sentencing.
From the Harbor Islands to a gated Florida community, Spenser and trusted ally Hawk follow a trail through the Boston underworld with links to a shadowy corporation that runs New Englands private prisons. They eventually uncover a culture of corruption and cover-ups in the old mill town, where hundreds of kids are sent off to for-profit juvie jails.
Review
“Handpicked by the Parker estate to be the keeper of the flame for the Spenser franchise, award-winning author Ace Atkins…rises flawlessly to the occasion.”—
Kirkus Reviews "Lullaby is pure Spenser…pitch-perfect.”—BookReporter.com
“Wisecrack-filled dialogue and…[a] vivid sense of place. Atkins succeeds…in a book that hits all the usual Spenser notes.”—Chicago Sun-Times
“Atkins captures Parker's distinctive voice, the sardonic, self-deprecating, sharply observant first-person narration that makes the Spenser books so compelling, and so much fun…And best of all, it has Spenser...Lucky for us, he's not done yet.”—Tampa Bay Times
“Even the most fanatical Parker fans would be hard pressed to identify any aspect of this Spenser novel that doesn’t read as if it were penned by Spenser’s late creator.”—Publishers Weekly
“A brisk read.”—Boston Daily
“Atkins has brought back everything we love about Robert B. Parker’s Boston P.I. Spenser…[He] takes the reins of the Spenser series with self-assured ease…He also proves he’s the right man for the job.”—Mystery People
Review
andnbsp;andldquo;Handpicked by the Parker estate to be the keeper of the flame for the Spenser franchise, award-winning author Ace Atkins rises flawlessly to the occasion.andrdquo; andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
Review
andnbsp;andldquo;Atkins succeeds. He doesnandrsquo;t sound like somebody trying to emulate Parker. He sounds like Parker in a book that hits all the usual Spenser notes. He has the wisecrack-filled dialogue down and Parkerandrsquo;s cadences, too: Spenser, thankfully, sounds like Spenser. You also get the vivid sense of place, flexing of muscles and spare plot that were hallmarks of Parkerandrsquo;s 39 Spenser booksandhellip;.Itandrsquo;s a feat when a writer creates characters who live and breathe on the page and make readers care and keep coming back for more. To manage that with someone elseandrsquo;s characters, let alone with an icon like Spenser, is a minor miracle. Ace Atkins pulls it off.andrdquo; andmdash;Chicago Sun-Times
Review
andnbsp;andldquo;Even the most fanatical Parker fans would be hard pressed to identify any aspect of this Spenser novel that doesnandrsquo;t read as if it were penned by Spenserandrsquo;s late creator.andhellip;Atkins hits all the familiar marks...as he offers familiar pleasures.andrdquo; andmdash;Publishers Weekly
Review
andnbsp;andldquo;A brisk read. Atkins gets the important things right, from Spenserandrsquo;s dark sarcasm to the gritty attitude of Mattie Sullivan, a 14-year-old Southie girl trying to solve her motherandrsquo;s murder.andrdquo; andmdash;Boston Dailyandnbsp;
Review
andquot;Ace Atkins has proven an exceptionally talented writer.... Taking on the challenge of continuing the much-loved Spenser series is a daunting task. Ace Atkins responds with a knock-out punch in round one. Parker would most definitely approve.
andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp;andmdash;Shelf Awareness
andldquo;Itandrsquo;s all there: andnbsp;The crisp, rhythmic sentences. The ironic banter. The distinctly Spenserian attitude toward life that Atkins adopted as his own. And yet, those who have read both Parker and Atkins closely may also detect a muted, indefinable quality thatandrsquo;s pure Atkins. And thatandrsquo;s a very good thingandhellip;. Parker lives. Spenser is back.andrdquo;andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andnbsp; andmdash;Bruce DeSilva, Edgar Award Winning author ofandnbsp;Cliff Walk
andnbsp;andldquo;It's the real deal. Atkins captures Parker's distinctive voice, the sardonic, self-deprecating, sharply observant first-person narration that makes the Spenser books so compelling, and so much fun.andrdquo; andmdash;Tampa Bay Times
andnbsp;andldquo;In Lullaby, Ace Atkins has brought back everything we love about Robert B. Parkerandrsquo;s Boston P.I. Spenser, and he makes it look seamless and easyandhellip;. Atkins takes the reins of the Spenser series with self-assured ease. He also proves heandrsquo;s the right man for the job.andrdquo; andmdash;MysteryPeople.comandnbsp;
Review
Praise for Ace Atkins “Spenser is as tough and funny as ever, and Atkins has become a worthy successor.” —Booklist “Even the most fanatical Parker fans would be hard pressed to identify any aspect of this Spenser novel that doesnt read as if it were penned by Spensers late creator.” —Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
"Handpicked by the Parker estate to be the keeper of the flame for the Spenser franchise, award-winning author Ace Atkins...rises flawlessly to the occasion."--Kirkus Reviews When fourteen-year-old Mattie Sullivan asks Spenser to look into her mother's murder, he's not convinced by her claim that the wrong man was convicted. Mattie is street-smart, wise beyond her years, and now left to care for her younger siblings and an alcoholic grandmother in a dilapidated apartment in South Boston. But her need for closure and her determination to make things right hits Spenser where he lives.
As Spenser becomes more involved, he thinks that Mattie may be onto something after all. And he's going to need the help of his friend Hawk to find peace for Mattie--a job that's more dangerous than he ever thought.
Synopsis
When fourteen-year-old Mattie Sullivan asks Spenser to look into her mother’s murder, he’s not convinced by her claim that the wrong man was convicted. Mattie is street-smart, wise beyond her years, and now left to care for her younger siblings and an alcoholic grandmother in a dilapidated apartment in South Boston. But her need for closure and her determination to make things right hits Spenser where he lives.
As Spenser becomes more involved, he thinks that Mattie may be onto something after all. And he’s going to need the help of his friend Hawk to find peace for Mattie—a job that’s more dangerous than he ever thought.
Synopsis
When fourteen-year-old Mattie Sullivanand#160;asks Spenser to look into her motherandrsquo;s murder, heandrsquo;s not completely convinced by her claim that the police investigation four years ago was botched. Mattie is gruff, street-smart, and wise beyond her years, left to care for her younger siblings and an alcoholic grandmother in a dilapidated apartment in South Boston. and#160;But her need for closure and her determination to make things right hit Spenser where he lives- theyandrsquo;re the very characteristics he abides by.and#160;
Mattie believes the man convicted of the crime is innocent and points Spenser to the Southie toughs who she saw carrying her mother away hours before her murder. Neither the Boston PD nor the neighborhood thugs are keen on his dredging up the past, but as Spenser becomes more involved in the case, he starts to realize that Mattie may be onto something. Spenser will need Hawkandrsquo;s help to find peace for Mattie andndash; a job thatandrsquo;s more dangerous than he ever thought.
About the Author
Robert B. Parker was the author of seventy books, including the legendary Spenser detective series, the novels featuring Jesse Stone, and the acclaimed Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch westerns, as well as the Sunny Randall novels. Winner of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award and long considered the undisputed dean of American crime fiction, he died in January 2010.
Ace Atkins is the author of eleven novels, including the true-crime based White Shadow, Wicked City, Devilandrsquo;s Garden, and Infamous. He is also the author of the Quinn Colson series, which includes The Ranger and the forthcoming The Lost Ones. Bestselling author Michael Connelly has called Atkins andldquo;one of the best crime writers working today.andrdquo; He lives on a farm outside Oxford, Mississippi.