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A review by brianlokker
A Catskill Eagle by Robert B. Parker, Robin Waterfield
4.0
I enjoyed this twelfth entry in the Spenser series quite a bit, despite its premise, which I found to be somewhat absurd.
The premise? That Spenser would criss-cross the country and willingly commit multiple crimes, including cold-blooded murder, in order to rescue Susan Silverman from the clutches of her new boyfriend, Russell Costigan. Absurd, too, that not only Hawk but Quirk and Belson would knowingly enable Spenser and assist him in this quest, just because … hey, it's Susan! It's all especially absurd given the fact that Susan had willingly embraced Costigan's clutches and apparently continued to do so, while also wanting Spenser to rescue her. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised, as it's been well established by now that Spenser idealizes Susan beyond all rationality.
Nonetheless, once I managed to suspend my disbelief at this premise, the story was strong. Lots of action, and lots of Hawk. The camaraderie between Spenser and Hawk is one of my favorite aspects of the Spenser series: mutual, unquestioning trust between them (which of course explains Hawk's willingness to go all-in on Spenser's Susan quest), leavened by great doses of trash talk and wit. The two are together for most of the book, and even though Spenser can't resist constantly reminding himself and everyone else that, by God, we're doing this for Susan, the humor of his interaction with Hawk and their toughness together in action redeem the story.
A Catskill Eagle also benefits from appearances by several characters from earlier books, in addition to the usual supporting cast of Quirk, Belson, and Henry Cimoli, along with Hawk. Rachel Wallace (Looking for Rachel Wallace) provides significant research support to Spenser, while Paul Giacomin (Early Autumn) and Hugh Dixon (The Judas Goat) give him moral and financial support, respectively. The fact that people from Spenser's earlier cases sometimes become a part of his ongoing world, or at least make cameo appearances, rewards readers who have read the series in order.
So I certainly recommend A Catskill Eagle to fans of Spenser, especially those who also enjoy Hawk (I can't imagine any who don't!). If you're new to the Spenser series, this may not be the book to start with. But read a few of the earlier ones, and then give this one a try too.
The premise? That Spenser would criss-cross the country and willingly commit multiple crimes, including cold-blooded murder, in order to rescue Susan Silverman from the clutches of her new boyfriend, Russell Costigan. Absurd, too, that not only Hawk but Quirk and Belson would knowingly enable Spenser and assist him in this quest, just because … hey, it's Susan! It's all especially absurd given the fact that Susan had willingly embraced Costigan's clutches and apparently continued to do so, while also wanting Spenser to rescue her. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised, as it's been well established by now that Spenser idealizes Susan beyond all rationality.
Nonetheless, once I managed to suspend my disbelief at this premise, the story was strong. Lots of action, and lots of Hawk. The camaraderie between Spenser and Hawk is one of my favorite aspects of the Spenser series: mutual, unquestioning trust between them (which of course explains Hawk's willingness to go all-in on Spenser's Susan quest), leavened by great doses of trash talk and wit. The two are together for most of the book, and even though Spenser can't resist constantly reminding himself and everyone else that, by God, we're doing this for Susan, the humor of his interaction with Hawk and their toughness together in action redeem the story.
A Catskill Eagle also benefits from appearances by several characters from earlier books, in addition to the usual supporting cast of Quirk, Belson, and Henry Cimoli, along with Hawk. Rachel Wallace (Looking for Rachel Wallace) provides significant research support to Spenser, while Paul Giacomin (Early Autumn) and Hugh Dixon (The Judas Goat) give him moral and financial support, respectively. The fact that people from Spenser's earlier cases sometimes become a part of his ongoing world, or at least make cameo appearances, rewards readers who have read the series in order.
So I certainly recommend A Catskill Eagle to fans of Spenser, especially those who also enjoy Hawk (I can't imagine any who don't!). If you're new to the Spenser series, this may not be the book to start with. But read a few of the earlier ones, and then give this one a try too.