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Spenser #46
Robert B. Parker's Old Black Magic
Iconic, tough-but-tender Boston PI Spenser delves into the black market art scene to investigate a decades-old unsolved crime of dangerous proportions.
The heist was legendary, still talked about twenty years after the priceless paintings disappeared from one of Boston's premier art museums. Most thought the art was lost forever, buried deep, sold off overseas or, worse, destroyed as incriminating evidence. But when paint chips from the most valuable piece stolen, "The Gentleman in Black" by the Spanish master El Greco, arrive at the desk of a Boston journalist, the museum finds hope and enlists Spenser's help.
Soon the cold art case thrusts Spenser into the shady world of black market art dealers, aged Mafia bosses, and old vendettas. A five-million-dollar-reward by the museum's top benefactor, an aging and unlikable Boston socialite, sets Spenser and pals Vinnie Morris and Hawk onto a trail of hidden secrets, jailhouse confessions, and decades-old murders.
This is classic Spenser doing what he does best.
Librarian's note: this is one of the Ace Atkin's Spenser series. As of 2021, there are 9 volumes by Atkins. The first was "Lullaby" in 2012, the 40th in the overall series created by Robert B. Parker; the most recent, "Someone to Watch Over Me," is the 48th.
The heist was legendary, still talked about twenty years after the priceless paintings disappeared from one of Boston's premier art museums. Most thought the art was lost forever, buried deep, sold off overseas or, worse, destroyed as incriminating evidence. But when paint chips from the most valuable piece stolen, "The Gentleman in Black" by the Spanish master El Greco, arrive at the desk of a Boston journalist, the museum finds hope and enlists Spenser's help.
Soon the cold art case thrusts Spenser into the shady world of black market art dealers, aged Mafia bosses, and old vendettas. A five-million-dollar-reward by the museum's top benefactor, an aging and unlikable Boston socialite, sets Spenser and pals Vinnie Morris and Hawk onto a trail of hidden secrets, jailhouse confessions, and decades-old murders.
This is classic Spenser doing what he does best.
Librarian's note: this is one of the Ace Atkin's Spenser series. As of 2021, there are 9 volumes by Atkins. The first was "Lullaby" in 2012, the 40th in the overall series created by Robert B. Parker; the most recent, "Someone to Watch Over Me," is the 48th.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2018
About the author
Ace Atkins
56 books1,456 followersAce Atkins is the author of twenty-eight books, including eleven Quinn Colson novels, the first two of which, The Ranger and The Lost Ones, were nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel (he has a third Edgar nomination for his short story "Last Fair Deal Gone Down"). He is the author of nine New York Times-bestselling novels in the continuation of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series. Before turning to fiction, he was a correspondent for the St. Petersburg Times and a crime reporter for the Tampa Tribune, and he played defensive end for Auburn University football.
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April 9, 2020
I received a free advance copy from NetGalley for review.
I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like. And I like books by Ace Atkins.
Spenser is asked to look into a famous unsolved art heist, but since it occurred twenty years ago the trail is very cold and the museum people he’d be working for are couple of overbearing snobs guaranteed to be a pain in the ass. The only reasons to take the case are a five million dollar reward for the return of one particular painting and that Spenser has been asked to finish the job by another private investigator who is dying from cancer. Spenser greatly respects this detective who spent years trying to track down the lost art, and if you know anything about Spenser you can probably guess that he cares a lot more about fulfilling this guy’s last request than the money.
While the heist was successful it was the work of clumsy smash-and-grab thieves, not a highly skilled Ocean’s 11 kind of crew, and there are rumors that the painting has been floating around Boston’s organized crime underworld for two decades. As Spenser looks for the long lost Gentlemen in Black he’ll find that the painting has left a bloody trail in its wake since it was taken off a museum wall. He’s also got competition in the form of another unscrupulous investigator trying to get the reward.
This is the seventh Spenser novel that Ace Atkins has done since taking over the series after the death of Robert B. Parker, and Atkins has long since proven that the he was the right writer for the job. He still has Spenser behaving very much like the guy fans have known and loved for years with the detective trying to solve the case while cracking wise as well as cracking heads, and there is plenty of eating and drinking and general banter along the way. Atkins has kept all those familiar elements while subtly refreshing the series by not being afraid to incorporate some changes in the lives of Spenser and his supporting cast.
Most of that updating this time comes in the form of Vinnie Morris. Vinnie has long been one of Spenser’s ‘good’ criminals who is an occasional ally, and as he’s done for others in the series Atkins adds some depth and personality that makes Vinnie more of a unique character than just another version of Spenser with a few differing surface traits. While Hawk is off in South America on one of his secret missions (And I really want a spin-off series about Hawk’s adventures.) Vinnie more than fills the role of Spenser’s back-up buddy here. Atkins also now has the confidence to add some Southern touches with Spenser making his versions of a few country style dishes as well as taking a trip to Memphis where he gets some barbecue and works in a few Elvis references along the way.
The story was obviously inspired by the real heist of Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990, and it’s a juicy concept of a case with plenty of good twists and turns. We also get a lot of fun interactions of Spenser irritating all kinds of unpleasant people from an angry police captain to a murderous mobster to a snooty stuffed shirt on the museum board. Overall, it’s another remarkably solid outing that most fans of Spenser and PI novels in general would enjoy.
I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like. And I like books by Ace Atkins.
Spenser is asked to look into a famous unsolved art heist, but since it occurred twenty years ago the trail is very cold and the museum people he’d be working for are couple of overbearing snobs guaranteed to be a pain in the ass. The only reasons to take the case are a five million dollar reward for the return of one particular painting and that Spenser has been asked to finish the job by another private investigator who is dying from cancer. Spenser greatly respects this detective who spent years trying to track down the lost art, and if you know anything about Spenser you can probably guess that he cares a lot more about fulfilling this guy’s last request than the money.
While the heist was successful it was the work of clumsy smash-and-grab thieves, not a highly skilled Ocean’s 11 kind of crew, and there are rumors that the painting has been floating around Boston’s organized crime underworld for two decades. As Spenser looks for the long lost Gentlemen in Black he’ll find that the painting has left a bloody trail in its wake since it was taken off a museum wall. He’s also got competition in the form of another unscrupulous investigator trying to get the reward.
This is the seventh Spenser novel that Ace Atkins has done since taking over the series after the death of Robert B. Parker, and Atkins has long since proven that the he was the right writer for the job. He still has Spenser behaving very much like the guy fans have known and loved for years with the detective trying to solve the case while cracking wise as well as cracking heads, and there is plenty of eating and drinking and general banter along the way. Atkins has kept all those familiar elements while subtly refreshing the series by not being afraid to incorporate some changes in the lives of Spenser and his supporting cast.
Most of that updating this time comes in the form of Vinnie Morris. Vinnie has long been one of Spenser’s ‘good’ criminals who is an occasional ally, and as he’s done for others in the series Atkins adds some depth and personality that makes Vinnie more of a unique character than just another version of Spenser with a few differing surface traits. While Hawk is off in South America on one of his secret missions (And I really want a spin-off series about Hawk’s adventures.) Vinnie more than fills the role of Spenser’s back-up buddy here. Atkins also now has the confidence to add some Southern touches with Spenser making his versions of a few country style dishes as well as taking a trip to Memphis where he gets some barbecue and works in a few Elvis references along the way.
The story was obviously inspired by the real heist of Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990, and it’s a juicy concept of a case with plenty of good twists and turns. We also get a lot of fun interactions of Spenser irritating all kinds of unpleasant people from an angry police captain to a murderous mobster to a snooty stuffed shirt on the museum board. Overall, it’s another remarkably solid outing that most fans of Spenser and PI novels in general would enjoy.
May 28, 2020
Akins has taken over Parker’s Spenser series and honestly, has probably surpassed the final decade of books that Parker himself was able to push out. Still, reading the merging of such a long-running (1973, people!) series into the style of a new author is interesting, with both things that improve, and that detract. I suppose I could view it as just another kind of writer’s evolution.
In this edition, a dying private eye begs Spenser to take the Unfinished Case, a 60 million dollar painting that was stolen twenty years, along with two other lesser ones. There happens to be a five million dollar reward for its return, but no one was interested, until a month ago, when the museum’s board started receiving letters hinting that it could be exchanged for a larger sum. Spenser agrees, despite the antagonism of the head of the board and the mercurial museum director (who can resist a dying man?).
There’s a lot of stuff I enjoyed here. The writing feels mid-series; not quite as elaborate and verbose as the first volumes, but not the screen-play writing of Parker’s final decade. There’s working out at Henry’s gym, lunch with Susan, walks with Pearl, and its interesting to see those included and updated enough to make them feel organic, but less dated. Henry, for instance, has ditched the Pilates and gone back to the old weight-lifting gym with a bit of Cross-fit space. Susan apparently eats, although Spenser notes she’s juicing, so he can only find wilted vegetables in her fridge. Kudos, I suppose, to Atkins, for managing to make her as annoying as always. There are also guest appearances by Quirk and Belson. Vinnie felt the most off to me, but perhaps I could put that down to missing some volumes.
Where it seems to be the most different is the widely convoluted plotting. Spenser has mostly always been of the “annoy the principles until I get attacked” school of detecting, and he’s sort of doing that here. However, everyone is keeping back information. Also, when you think about it, he’s working a case of a sixty million dollar painting. It’s more than a little odd to think he’s going to bring something very new to the table besides doggedness and connections. Vinnie ends up being the deux ex machina here, despite not wanting to be inovlved at first, and… well, whatever. The thing is, you aren’t supposed to think too hard about Spenser cases. You are supposed to read quickly, enjoy and dispose. When Atkins starts asking us to think harder, it starts pulling at the rug that underlies all of Spenser. Just not sure we’re supposed to go there.
The ending itself was dissatisfying, a sort-of-resolution that ended up leaving me with even more questions the day after finishing, and that definitely isn’t Parker. I think I’d have to take down a full half star for that, because it breaks a couple of Parker’s rules So. Wouldn’t rule out another, but I’m good for awhile.
And that title? Not sure what that had to do with anything.
Two and a half stars, rounding down.
In this edition, a dying private eye begs Spenser to take the Unfinished Case, a 60 million dollar painting that was stolen twenty years, along with two other lesser ones. There happens to be a five million dollar reward for its return, but no one was interested, until a month ago, when the museum’s board started receiving letters hinting that it could be exchanged for a larger sum. Spenser agrees, despite the antagonism of the head of the board and the mercurial museum director (who can resist a dying man?).
There’s a lot of stuff I enjoyed here. The writing feels mid-series; not quite as elaborate and verbose as the first volumes, but not the screen-play writing of Parker’s final decade. There’s working out at Henry’s gym, lunch with Susan, walks with Pearl, and its interesting to see those included and updated enough to make them feel organic, but less dated. Henry, for instance, has ditched the Pilates and gone back to the old weight-lifting gym with a bit of Cross-fit space. Susan apparently eats, although Spenser notes she’s juicing, so he can only find wilted vegetables in her fridge. Kudos, I suppose, to Atkins, for managing to make her as annoying as always. There are also guest appearances by Quirk and Belson. Vinnie felt the most off to me, but perhaps I could put that down to missing some volumes.
Where it seems to be the most different is the widely convoluted plotting. Spenser has mostly always been of the “annoy the principles until I get attacked” school of detecting, and he’s sort of doing that here. However, everyone is keeping back information. Also, when you think about it, he’s working a case of a sixty million dollar painting. It’s more than a little odd to think he’s going to bring something very new to the table besides doggedness and connections. Vinnie ends up being the deux ex machina here, despite not wanting to be inovlved at first, and… well, whatever. The thing is, you aren’t supposed to think too hard about Spenser cases. You are supposed to read quickly, enjoy and dispose. When Atkins starts asking us to think harder, it starts pulling at the rug that underlies all of Spenser. Just not sure we’re supposed to go there.
The ending itself was dissatisfying, a sort-of-resolution that ended up leaving me with even more questions the day after finishing, and that definitely isn’t Parker. I think I’d have to take down a full half star for that, because it breaks a couple of Parker’s rules So. Wouldn’t rule out another, but I’m good for awhile.
And that title? Not sure what that had to do with anything.
Two and a half stars, rounding down.
April 8, 2020
This is another very entertaining Spenser novel, written by Ace Atkins who took over the series following the death of Robert B. Parker. This is the seventh of the novels that Atkins has written, and he long ago established his bona fides as the right person to take over from the master. It's not an exaggeration to say that the series now belongs to him almost as much as it does to Parker.
This story is based on an actual art theft that occurred in Boston in 1990, and as the book opens, Spenser is asked to help recover a hugely valuable painting The Gentleman in Black, by the Spanish master, El Greco, which was stolen twenty years earlier from the Winthrop Museum. The request comes from another detective, an old friend named Locke. Locke has been pursuing the painting practically since its theft, but now Locke is dying and wants Spenser to take over the quest.
New evidence has recently come to light that the painting may still be in the Boston area, and the Winthrop is offering a five million dollar reward for its safe return. But Spenser doesn't agree to take the case for the reward; he's doing it for an old friend.
The people at the museum are generally priggish pains in the butt, and they blow hot and cold on Spenser's efforts to find their missing painting. They're more a hindrance than a help, but still, of course, he perseveres. His sidekick, Hawk, is out of town, and Sixkill has moved to California, so Spenser will turn to an old criminal acquaintance, Vinnie Morris, to serve as his backup this time around.
The quest will take Spenser through a maze of the Boston underworld, with a short side trip to the King's hometown of Memphis. There's a lot of double-crossing and dirty dealing, and Spenser has no idea who he can really trust, save for Morris who has his own reason for joining the crusade.
Through it all, Spenser remains the tough, wise-cracking P.I. that readers of the series have come to love and, as an added bonus, we see very little of Spenser's girlfriend, Susan Silverman, in this novel.There's hardly any of the smarmy, nausea-inducing interplay between the two that disrupts so many of the books in this series, and for that, this reader is especially grateful. An extra half of a star just for that.
This story is based on an actual art theft that occurred in Boston in 1990, and as the book opens, Spenser is asked to help recover a hugely valuable painting The Gentleman in Black, by the Spanish master, El Greco, which was stolen twenty years earlier from the Winthrop Museum. The request comes from another detective, an old friend named Locke. Locke has been pursuing the painting practically since its theft, but now Locke is dying and wants Spenser to take over the quest.
New evidence has recently come to light that the painting may still be in the Boston area, and the Winthrop is offering a five million dollar reward for its safe return. But Spenser doesn't agree to take the case for the reward; he's doing it for an old friend.
The people at the museum are generally priggish pains in the butt, and they blow hot and cold on Spenser's efforts to find their missing painting. They're more a hindrance than a help, but still, of course, he perseveres. His sidekick, Hawk, is out of town, and Sixkill has moved to California, so Spenser will turn to an old criminal acquaintance, Vinnie Morris, to serve as his backup this time around.
The quest will take Spenser through a maze of the Boston underworld, with a short side trip to the King's hometown of Memphis. There's a lot of double-crossing and dirty dealing, and Spenser has no idea who he can really trust, save for Morris who has his own reason for joining the crusade.
Through it all, Spenser remains the tough, wise-cracking P.I. that readers of the series have come to love and, as an added bonus, we see very little of Spenser's girlfriend, Susan Silverman, in this novel.There's hardly any of the smarmy, nausea-inducing interplay between the two that disrupts so many of the books in this series, and for that, this reader is especially grateful. An extra half of a star just for that.
May 8, 2020
For many of us who followed Robert B. Parker’s Spenser, there is something comfy about these cases. Note, I said “comfy” not “cozy” because there is a level of raw meat involved in many of them. I believe that Ace Atkins is the right guy to keep the world supplied with Spenser stories.
I probably would have passed on another one of this series, or at least put it lower in the TBR stack if it were not for the hook. For those who know Boston, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a unique place to view art. Since 1990, visitors are treated to more than a dozen blank spots on the wall that held paintings and prints that were stolen in a bold robbery: They are items that have never been recovered. In this novel, Atkins (and Spenser) take a crack at solving a similar fictional theft and recovering the lost items.
I used the word “comfy” earlier and I should at least devote a paragraph to why I think it fits. This is an aging Spenser but, as his friend Susan Silverman notes, the “kid” is still intact: Much of the same walk and talk with both underworld characters and the cops. A lot of offbeat characters and Spenser’s insights into what makes them “tick.” Hawk is not available and he is missed. Silverman has a minor role and that, for me, is preferable to when she is front and center. Instead, Spenser has Vinnie Morris guarding his back for some of the time.
We also get time with Boston cop, and old “friend,” Frank Belson who remarks: “C’mon, Spenser. Cooperation isn’t a two-way street. Between us, it’s the shit street where we both live.”
Yes, there are the usual: cultural references; cooking ingredients; Boston geography and verbal repartee with all comers. All in all, this one comes across as one of the more satisfy in the “new” series of Spenser novels.
I probably would have passed on another one of this series, or at least put it lower in the TBR stack if it were not for the hook. For those who know Boston, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a unique place to view art. Since 1990, visitors are treated to more than a dozen blank spots on the wall that held paintings and prints that were stolen in a bold robbery: They are items that have never been recovered. In this novel, Atkins (and Spenser) take a crack at solving a similar fictional theft and recovering the lost items.
I used the word “comfy” earlier and I should at least devote a paragraph to why I think it fits. This is an aging Spenser but, as his friend Susan Silverman notes, the “kid” is still intact: Much of the same walk and talk with both underworld characters and the cops. A lot of offbeat characters and Spenser’s insights into what makes them “tick.” Hawk is not available and he is missed. Silverman has a minor role and that, for me, is preferable to when she is front and center. Instead, Spenser has Vinnie Morris guarding his back for some of the time.
We also get time with Boston cop, and old “friend,” Frank Belson who remarks: “C’mon, Spenser. Cooperation isn’t a two-way street. Between us, it’s the shit street where we both live.”
Yes, there are the usual: cultural references; cooking ingredients; Boston geography and verbal repartee with all comers. All in all, this one comes across as one of the more satisfy in the “new” series of Spenser novels.
August 1, 2023
4 Stars. Spenser is at his sarcastic best in this one. I love his come-backs but I'm certain he could drive people in positions of authority crazy. Does he ever answer a question with a straight response? Maybe when he and his lovely Susan are together and sex is imminent, or when Pearl is looking at him inquisitively. Back to the story! Everyone in Boston remembers the theft of three works of art from the prestigious Winthrop Gallery twenty years ago. The statute of limitations on the theft is running out and the gallery has posted a $5M reward for their return, no questions asked. Its feisty director has been receiving letters about the theft, especially of El Greco's "Gentleman in Black," and she brings Spenser in. His suspicious nature leads him to ask about the original theft, and about the roles played by Boston's mob families. When he finds one of the younger members is now in the art scene, surely the black market, we're on our way. Bodies pile up and old grudges surface. He and Vinny Morris, yes they've reconciled, even take a trip to Elvis-land, that's Memphis, for a little rocking and rolling. My kind of detective story. (March 2019)
April 28, 2024
Rating 4.80
While I'd become familiar with Parker's Jesse Stone films, I'd yet to read any of the 50 Spenser stories and as usual, began with Robert B. Parker's Broken Trust which is #50. While I enjoy a well written mystery, a helping of sarcasm fits nicely with ex-cops turned PI who know the ropes, play the game and fend off danger like a fly on your shoulder. Such is the case with Spenser.
Twenty years ago the Winthrop Museum was the target of an inside job where several paintings were lifted. Among them a Picasso sketch and El Greco's "The Gentleman in Black" worth over $60MM. Feds, cops and others did their best but none of them were ever recovered. Marjorie Phillips summons Spenser to a board meeting due to a mysterious letter requesting she come to the Frog Pond with $500K if she wants the Picasso sketch. And while valuable, the board was adamant that whomever this was knew the whereabouts of the El Greco and offered a $5M reward for its return.
Having checked Spenser's years with the Boston PD, and underworld connections, he's offered a contract to find 'The Gentleman' and a portion of the reward as well. Spenser's usual sidekick Hawk is in South America and his backup is ex-mob guy, Vinnie who like Hawk is slick, skilled and connected.
A complex, well paced plot that takes them through countless mob and ex-mob types, gallery owners, prison thugs, ex FBI agents and small time thieves, the labyrinth he flies through is both deep and wide. Spenser being a tough guy with connections maintains a sense of humor even when 357 magnums are pointed at him.
A favorite scene toward the end of the book where Spenser meets with Capt Glass. Boston PD.
She says, "I'm disappointed in your Spenser" to which Spenser replies, "My girlfriend is a therapist. She'll help me deal with your disapproval" which doesn't go over well. She adds, "You lied to us. I can understand you lying to me. But lying to Lt. Belson? Haven't you two been friends for a long time?" Spenser considers this and says, "Okay. I touched up my hair but I thought it made me look younger" Gotta love this guy!
His interactions with just about every character are similar and funnier with the 'wise guys' who are all familiar with his wise cracks and hand them back like a tennis match. Well paced, filled with twists and the classic unexpected curve ball in the final pages, this is a fun, action packed story that PI fans will enjoy. This being the second one, I plan to read several others by Atkins since he's got Spenser dialed in to a 'tee'. Highly recommended for fans of sarcasm, mystery and action.
While I'd become familiar with Parker's Jesse Stone films, I'd yet to read any of the 50 Spenser stories and as usual, began with Robert B. Parker's Broken Trust which is #50. While I enjoy a well written mystery, a helping of sarcasm fits nicely with ex-cops turned PI who know the ropes, play the game and fend off danger like a fly on your shoulder. Such is the case with Spenser.
Twenty years ago the Winthrop Museum was the target of an inside job where several paintings were lifted. Among them a Picasso sketch and El Greco's "The Gentleman in Black" worth over $60MM. Feds, cops and others did their best but none of them were ever recovered. Marjorie Phillips summons Spenser to a board meeting due to a mysterious letter requesting she come to the Frog Pond with $500K if she wants the Picasso sketch. And while valuable, the board was adamant that whomever this was knew the whereabouts of the El Greco and offered a $5M reward for its return.
Having checked Spenser's years with the Boston PD, and underworld connections, he's offered a contract to find 'The Gentleman' and a portion of the reward as well. Spenser's usual sidekick Hawk is in South America and his backup is ex-mob guy, Vinnie who like Hawk is slick, skilled and connected.
A complex, well paced plot that takes them through countless mob and ex-mob types, gallery owners, prison thugs, ex FBI agents and small time thieves, the labyrinth he flies through is both deep and wide. Spenser being a tough guy with connections maintains a sense of humor even when 357 magnums are pointed at him.
A favorite scene toward the end of the book where Spenser meets with Capt Glass. Boston PD.
She says, "I'm disappointed in your Spenser" to which Spenser replies, "My girlfriend is a therapist. She'll help me deal with your disapproval" which doesn't go over well. She adds, "You lied to us. I can understand you lying to me. But lying to Lt. Belson? Haven't you two been friends for a long time?" Spenser considers this and says, "Okay. I touched up my hair but I thought it made me look younger" Gotta love this guy!
His interactions with just about every character are similar and funnier with the 'wise guys' who are all familiar with his wise cracks and hand them back like a tennis match. Well paced, filled with twists and the classic unexpected curve ball in the final pages, this is a fun, action packed story that PI fans will enjoy. This being the second one, I plan to read several others by Atkins since he's got Spenser dialed in to a 'tee'. Highly recommended for fans of sarcasm, mystery and action.
May 11, 2018
I won't say I liked the plot in this book as well as others I've read, but my husband and I - both long-time fans of the Spenser series - agree that the Boston private eye's "voice" here is more true to that of original series author, the late Robert B. Parker. In 2011, Parker's estate chose Ace Atkins to carry on the legacy, and he's written - if my research is correct - six Spenser books prior to this one (all of which we've read and enjoyed).
Twenty years after an extremely valuable El Greco painting was stolen from a ritzy Boston art museum, it's whereabouts remain unknown. One of Spenser's old friends who's spent years trying to solve the case is dying, and he doesn't want to exit this world amid unfinished business. So, he asks Spenser to take on the case and insists that the museum director and chief board member go along with the arrangement. Uppity creatures that they are, they hold their noses and agree - or so it appears. Sweetening the pot is the chance at a $5 million reward, and the lengths to which some characters will go to get a piece of that action isn't surprising.
The trail leads to some very shady characters, several with mob connections and not-so-pleasant past encounters with Spenser, who gets capable assistance from Vinnie Morris - a criminal Spenser has come to (for the most part) trust. Conspicuous in his absence, though, is Spenser's long-time pal and back-up guy, Hawk, who's said to be somewhere in South America cavorting with a woman (despite the fact that the book description at Amazon inexplicably claims Spenser gets help from both Vinnie and Hawk). Since Hawk's presence has been rather limited in the last couple of books in the Atkins series, I can't help but suspect that he's being phased out. Frankly, IMHO, Hawk hasn't been the same since his words were crafted by his creator; still, I love the guy and hope he's just on hiatus.
Most of the book is just Spenser doing what he does best; following leads, chowing down (sometimes with his girlfriend, Susan Silverman), interjecting amusing one-liners and trying his best not to get killed. The investigation puts him in contact with old police colleagues and members of the aforementioned mob, most of whom would never get invited to Spenser's wedding (should he and Susan ever decide to tie the knot, which is unlikely). Along the way, the list of characters with names ending in "i" or "o" grew too long for me to keep them straight, but in the end, Spenser prevails as usual (and with a little twist, yet).
Bottom line? A quick and easy read and another solid entry in an excellent series.
Twenty years after an extremely valuable El Greco painting was stolen from a ritzy Boston art museum, it's whereabouts remain unknown. One of Spenser's old friends who's spent years trying to solve the case is dying, and he doesn't want to exit this world amid unfinished business. So, he asks Spenser to take on the case and insists that the museum director and chief board member go along with the arrangement. Uppity creatures that they are, they hold their noses and agree - or so it appears. Sweetening the pot is the chance at a $5 million reward, and the lengths to which some characters will go to get a piece of that action isn't surprising.
The trail leads to some very shady characters, several with mob connections and not-so-pleasant past encounters with Spenser, who gets capable assistance from Vinnie Morris - a criminal Spenser has come to (for the most part) trust. Conspicuous in his absence, though, is Spenser's long-time pal and back-up guy, Hawk, who's said to be somewhere in South America cavorting with a woman (despite the fact that the book description at Amazon inexplicably claims Spenser gets help from both Vinnie and Hawk). Since Hawk's presence has been rather limited in the last couple of books in the Atkins series, I can't help but suspect that he's being phased out. Frankly, IMHO, Hawk hasn't been the same since his words were crafted by his creator; still, I love the guy and hope he's just on hiatus.
Most of the book is just Spenser doing what he does best; following leads, chowing down (sometimes with his girlfriend, Susan Silverman), interjecting amusing one-liners and trying his best not to get killed. The investigation puts him in contact with old police colleagues and members of the aforementioned mob, most of whom would never get invited to Spenser's wedding (should he and Susan ever decide to tie the knot, which is unlikely). Along the way, the list of characters with names ending in "i" or "o" grew too long for me to keep them straight, but in the end, Spenser prevails as usual (and with a little twist, yet).
Bottom line? A quick and easy read and another solid entry in an excellent series.
November 23, 2023
Ace Atkins could be Robert B. Parker's Doppelganger! He took the baton and carried on the Spenser series without a hitch! How fortunate for all of us listeners/readers that the beat goes on. What better way to pay homage to Mr. Parker than to continue writing his beloved Spenser series? Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Old Black Magic is smart, funny, and not only is Spenser Boston's best PI, he is a gourmet cook! Love hearing his mouth watering descriptions of the various scrumptious meals he throws together so effortlessly!
I have read all the books in this series to date, and (as always) am very much looking forward to (#47) the next one.
Please keep the Spenser magic going for a long time, Mr. Atkins! In addition, I can't say enough about what an incredibly gifted narrator Mr. Mantegna is! Perfection!!
Old Black Magic is smart, funny, and not only is Spenser Boston's best PI, he is a gourmet cook! Love hearing his mouth watering descriptions of the various scrumptious meals he throws together so effortlessly!
I have read all the books in this series to date, and (as always) am very much looking forward to (#47) the next one.
Please keep the Spenser magic going for a long time, Mr. Atkins! In addition, I can't say enough about what an incredibly gifted narrator Mr. Mantegna is! Perfection!!
July 3, 2018
"I thought the private detective motto was 'We never sleep.'" - suspect Alan Garner
"That's the Pinkertons. I have a different [one]." - Spenser
"And what's that?" - Garner
"Coffee before justice." - Spenser
The Beantown P.I. returns in another really good twisty mystery-adventure. This time Spenser is asked to work a cold case - on behalf of an older, ailing colleague - involving stolen artwork from a museum heist twenty years ago and a lot of nefarious characters. My one minor gripe was the noticeable absence of Spenser's dependable 'man Friday' Hawk, though former mob enforcer Vinnie Morris adequately fills the 'riding shotgun' / witty bantering role. A sample of their dialogue -
"I'm looking for three paintings. One of them is called 'The Gentleman in Black.'" - Spenser
"What is it? A velvet painting of Johnny Cash?" - Vinnie
"Actually, it's the Juan de Silva y Ribera, third marquis of Montemayor . . ." - Spenser
"Oh, sure. That son of a bitch." - Vinnie
I liked it, and I think Atkins' work here was respectfully reminiscent of Parker's style and plotting.
"That's the Pinkertons. I have a different [one]." - Spenser
"And what's that?" - Garner
"Coffee before justice." - Spenser
The Beantown P.I. returns in another really good twisty mystery-adventure. This time Spenser is asked to work a cold case - on behalf of an older, ailing colleague - involving stolen artwork from a museum heist twenty years ago and a lot of nefarious characters. My one minor gripe was the noticeable absence of Spenser's dependable 'man Friday' Hawk, though former mob enforcer Vinnie Morris adequately fills the 'riding shotgun' / witty bantering role. A sample of their dialogue -
"I'm looking for three paintings. One of them is called 'The Gentleman in Black.'" - Spenser
"What is it? A velvet painting of Johnny Cash?" - Vinnie
"Actually, it's the Juan de Silva y Ribera, third marquis of Montemayor . . ." - Spenser
"Oh, sure. That son of a bitch." - Vinnie
I liked it, and I think Atkins' work here was respectfully reminiscent of Parker's style and plotting.
May 7, 2018
Oh Spenser, how I've missed you! It's been at least 15 years since I've read a Spenser novel, not counting the rereads. I certainly understand why Ace Atkins was chosen by the Parker estate to take on this series. This book was everything I remember a Spenser novel being. Spenser still pisses off the cops, cooks up a storm, has Pearl and Susan! And hangs out at Henry's gym. The only thing missing was Hawk. This had a very Maltese Falcon feel to it, which was fun for me. I gave this 5 stars, because I absolutely loved getting reintroduced to Spenser. In reality it was probably a solid 3.5 or 4 stars (8 of 10). I will definitely go back and read the other books written by Ace Atkins.
June 13, 2018
This is the most recent of the post Robert B. Parker Spenser novels and it well worthy of some praise.
Some of the late Parker written novels were meandering more about Parker and his dame. The continuation novels show a far leaner and more PI oriented approach towards Spenser and they feel far more adventurous somehow.
Anyhow Spenser gets approached by a collegae in the PI trade to pickup his work concerning a twenty year old robbery concerning three paintings being stolen form the Boston museum. The man has run out of time as he is dying and wants a decent PI finishing of his work. When Spenser decides to honor the mans request he'll quickly finds out that the board of the museum make a vipers nest look friendly. And in essence the board would prefer an English PI with more art experience to solve this old crime. The mans best work is following Spenser and having an aftershave that is crime against nature.
Quickly Spenser finds that this investigation is a more or less who is who of the Boston underworld of old and everybody seems to know something and somebody about a missing Greco painting. All want their cut and yet nobody can deliver or knows enough. In his investigation Spenser is end around a few times and does need his "friend" Vinnie's expertise to find his way and keep him alive. With Hawk being in South America and Z in LA, he turns out to be brilliantly chosen character as guide in the Boston underworld.
It is a really well written whodunit that gets it solution that seems to fit to search and worthy of a Spenser book.
Very well written and with a wicked sense of humor that fits Spenser so well. Atkins is more than worthy continuation writer for Robert B. Parker. I spend some fun time with this book.
Some of the late Parker written novels were meandering more about Parker and his dame. The continuation novels show a far leaner and more PI oriented approach towards Spenser and they feel far more adventurous somehow.
Anyhow Spenser gets approached by a collegae in the PI trade to pickup his work concerning a twenty year old robbery concerning three paintings being stolen form the Boston museum. The man has run out of time as he is dying and wants a decent PI finishing of his work. When Spenser decides to honor the mans request he'll quickly finds out that the board of the museum make a vipers nest look friendly. And in essence the board would prefer an English PI with more art experience to solve this old crime. The mans best work is following Spenser and having an aftershave that is crime against nature.
Quickly Spenser finds that this investigation is a more or less who is who of the Boston underworld of old and everybody seems to know something and somebody about a missing Greco painting. All want their cut and yet nobody can deliver or knows enough. In his investigation Spenser is end around a few times and does need his "friend" Vinnie's expertise to find his way and keep him alive. With Hawk being in South America and Z in LA, he turns out to be brilliantly chosen character as guide in the Boston underworld.
It is a really well written whodunit that gets it solution that seems to fit to search and worthy of a Spenser book.
Very well written and with a wicked sense of humor that fits Spenser so well. Atkins is more than worthy continuation writer for Robert B. Parker. I spend some fun time with this book.
June 6, 2018
ROBERT B. PARKER’S OLD BLACK MAGIC is written by Ace Atkins, who’s written several fine books in the Spenser series since the passing of Robert B. Parker.
Spenser has had experience with a case involving art previously, but this case is in another league altogether. “Gentlemen in Black” is an extremely valuable piece of art that Spenser is hired to locate by a Boston museum, and was stolen in a crime more than twenty years ago, and as Spenser finds has changed hands several times since then, with several well known criminal individuals from Spenser’s past rumored to have been involved in the heist or possession of the painting.
Locating the painting seems almost impossible as a result of time gone by, and Spenser tells everyone reluctant to speak that the statute of limitations has run out, but it seems that there is a history of those who’ve had it in their possession winding up dead, and it has the reputation of being cursed, so little is gained in the way of information at first; that is until Vinny gets involved, and is a perfect partner for Spenser on this case.
Vinny Morris has been around for quite awhile in both the Spenser and later the Jesse Stone novels by Robert B. Parker, and he is featured more in this book than any other that I can remember, and Ace Atkins works him into the story to perfection with his wise guy-good fella quotes and humor, as well as his street smarts and credibility serving well in dealing with the Boston underworld figures involved.
Hawk is doing mercenary work in South America in this novel, but I’m sure he’ll be back soon, and I’m hoping “ Z”(Zebulon Sixkill) who is currently in L.A. figures into future novels as well.
Can Spenser succeed in returning the painting to the museum safely, or will his efforts fall short as a result of the obstacles in his way, especially with a particular nosy British detective that keeps tailing him to move in on every lead he uncovers to undermine his work on the case?
Ace Atkins can pretty much do no wrong in my opinion, and I look forward to every book he writes both in the Quinn Colson series and the Spenser series, his prolific writing of both, and the consistent quality of all his novels is something that sets him apart from most authors, but what I really like about his Spenser novels is how he’s been able to keep all of the best qualities that Robert B. Parker established with Spenser’s character, yet he’s not afraid to shake things up in a way that makes the detective remain relevant even after all these years.
4 stars.
Spenser has had experience with a case involving art previously, but this case is in another league altogether. “Gentlemen in Black” is an extremely valuable piece of art that Spenser is hired to locate by a Boston museum, and was stolen in a crime more than twenty years ago, and as Spenser finds has changed hands several times since then, with several well known criminal individuals from Spenser’s past rumored to have been involved in the heist or possession of the painting.
Locating the painting seems almost impossible as a result of time gone by, and Spenser tells everyone reluctant to speak that the statute of limitations has run out, but it seems that there is a history of those who’ve had it in their possession winding up dead, and it has the reputation of being cursed, so little is gained in the way of information at first; that is until Vinny gets involved, and is a perfect partner for Spenser on this case.
Vinny Morris has been around for quite awhile in both the Spenser and later the Jesse Stone novels by Robert B. Parker, and he is featured more in this book than any other that I can remember, and Ace Atkins works him into the story to perfection with his wise guy-good fella quotes and humor, as well as his street smarts and credibility serving well in dealing with the Boston underworld figures involved.
Hawk is doing mercenary work in South America in this novel, but I’m sure he’ll be back soon, and I’m hoping “ Z”(Zebulon Sixkill) who is currently in L.A. figures into future novels as well.
Can Spenser succeed in returning the painting to the museum safely, or will his efforts fall short as a result of the obstacles in his way, especially with a particular nosy British detective that keeps tailing him to move in on every lead he uncovers to undermine his work on the case?
Ace Atkins can pretty much do no wrong in my opinion, and I look forward to every book he writes both in the Quinn Colson series and the Spenser series, his prolific writing of both, and the consistent quality of all his novels is something that sets him apart from most authors, but what I really like about his Spenser novels is how he’s been able to keep all of the best qualities that Robert B. Parker established with Spenser’s character, yet he’s not afraid to shake things up in a way that makes the detective remain relevant even after all these years.
4 stars.
May 7, 2018
I have been reading Robert B. Parker’s “Spenser” mystery series since the 1980’s when my English professor introduced the first book in the series “The Godwulf Manuscript” to me and invited me to write a paper comparing and contrasting Spenser with some classic character that I can no longer remember.
However, Spenser I never forgot. I grew to love him over the years and looked forward every spring to a new outing with my private investigator hero. There were good books and some less than good books, but I pretty much enjoyed every adventure with good ole Spenser, his partner Hawk, and his numero uno woman, the one and only, Susan. Parker’s ability to breathe life into Spenser and his world in the greater Boston area was never going to be matched. It was classic all-time mystery.
When Robert B. Parker passed away in January, 2010, of a sudden heart attack, I felt true loss on a personal level. Spenser was part of my family. He had become part of my personal code and stubborn ethical values. When I found out Parker’s estate had selected Ace Atkins to continue writing the Spenser novels, I wondered if someone else could truly capture the magical lyrical quality of my hero. Seven books into this transition, I am more than pleasantly surprised. I am pretty dang thrilled to say the least! I am not sure where I stand in the pendulum of public opinion, but in my opinion, Ace Atkins has done a splendid job of capturing the spirit of Spenser and the supporting cast.
When the book begins, the Winthrop museum Board of Directors hire Spenser to try and find three paintings, one a priceless jewel, that were stolen in a famous robbery twenty years ago and have never been returned. It seems that the museum has started receiving letters from an unknown source claiming to have intimate knowledge of the missing paintings and their location. Spenser’s cold-case investigation thrusts him into the shady world of black market art as well as the seedy underbelly of the Boston mob families. Nobody can investigate and piss off those around him like Spenser can. Nobody is as talented as he is when it comes to making enemies.
One of the strengths of this novel is how Atkin’s uses his artistic canvas to explore new characters and developments like the steely female Police Captain Glass and the changes in the police force’s attitude towards Spenser’s antics and holding back of information. Even Spenser spends time enjoying the view and perspective of his new condo that he moved into after the burning down of his long-lived apartment. Even with Spenser, the world changes and characters retire or move on, allowing new ones to breathe new perspectives into the genre.
But more importantly, Atkins also finds ways to include characters that we have grown to love. Even though Hawk is out of town during this one, Vinnie Morris is there to take his place in helping Spenser work his way through the various mobster relationships and history. We get to explore more of the history with those families, including Gino Fish, the Broz’s, the Morelli’s, and of course, the DeMarco’s, of which the son Jackie has a very big bone to pick with Spenser. We also get quality moments with retired Martin Quirk, Detective Frank Belson, Federal Agent Epstein, fiery Rita Fiore, and Henry Cimoli, owner of the Harbor Health Club and longtime father-figure of Spenser. And of course, there is the amazing Susan, Spenser’s forever love, by his side and supporting him on. Over the last couple of books, Atkins has really expanded the use of the secondary characters in Spenser’s world to strengthen and add depth, and it has done a great job of it.
In closing, let me be real clear. Robert B. Parker is the king. He created Spenser and all that goes with him from Hawk to Susan to the secondary characters, nuances of the seasons, and locations in the greater Boston area. I will always bow down to him with love and respect. But thanks to Atkin’s ability to capture the spirit and lyrical quality of Spenser, I get to continue being a fanboy. I don’t have to say goodbye to a character that I love like family. Every spring I can still look forward to a new outing with my private investigator hero, Spenser and his comrades, which I lovingly refer to as Spenser 2.0.
Thank you, Robert. Thank you, Ace. And thank you, Joan, for letting Spenser live on in this fan’s heart.
However, Spenser I never forgot. I grew to love him over the years and looked forward every spring to a new outing with my private investigator hero. There were good books and some less than good books, but I pretty much enjoyed every adventure with good ole Spenser, his partner Hawk, and his numero uno woman, the one and only, Susan. Parker’s ability to breathe life into Spenser and his world in the greater Boston area was never going to be matched. It was classic all-time mystery.
When Robert B. Parker passed away in January, 2010, of a sudden heart attack, I felt true loss on a personal level. Spenser was part of my family. He had become part of my personal code and stubborn ethical values. When I found out Parker’s estate had selected Ace Atkins to continue writing the Spenser novels, I wondered if someone else could truly capture the magical lyrical quality of my hero. Seven books into this transition, I am more than pleasantly surprised. I am pretty dang thrilled to say the least! I am not sure where I stand in the pendulum of public opinion, but in my opinion, Ace Atkins has done a splendid job of capturing the spirit of Spenser and the supporting cast.
When the book begins, the Winthrop museum Board of Directors hire Spenser to try and find three paintings, one a priceless jewel, that were stolen in a famous robbery twenty years ago and have never been returned. It seems that the museum has started receiving letters from an unknown source claiming to have intimate knowledge of the missing paintings and their location. Spenser’s cold-case investigation thrusts him into the shady world of black market art as well as the seedy underbelly of the Boston mob families. Nobody can investigate and piss off those around him like Spenser can. Nobody is as talented as he is when it comes to making enemies.
One of the strengths of this novel is how Atkin’s uses his artistic canvas to explore new characters and developments like the steely female Police Captain Glass and the changes in the police force’s attitude towards Spenser’s antics and holding back of information. Even Spenser spends time enjoying the view and perspective of his new condo that he moved into after the burning down of his long-lived apartment. Even with Spenser, the world changes and characters retire or move on, allowing new ones to breathe new perspectives into the genre.
But more importantly, Atkins also finds ways to include characters that we have grown to love. Even though Hawk is out of town during this one, Vinnie Morris is there to take his place in helping Spenser work his way through the various mobster relationships and history. We get to explore more of the history with those families, including Gino Fish, the Broz’s, the Morelli’s, and of course, the DeMarco’s, of which the son Jackie has a very big bone to pick with Spenser. We also get quality moments with retired Martin Quirk, Detective Frank Belson, Federal Agent Epstein, fiery Rita Fiore, and Henry Cimoli, owner of the Harbor Health Club and longtime father-figure of Spenser. And of course, there is the amazing Susan, Spenser’s forever love, by his side and supporting him on. Over the last couple of books, Atkins has really expanded the use of the secondary characters in Spenser’s world to strengthen and add depth, and it has done a great job of it.
In closing, let me be real clear. Robert B. Parker is the king. He created Spenser and all that goes with him from Hawk to Susan to the secondary characters, nuances of the seasons, and locations in the greater Boston area. I will always bow down to him with love and respect. But thanks to Atkin’s ability to capture the spirit and lyrical quality of Spenser, I get to continue being a fanboy. I don’t have to say goodbye to a character that I love like family. Every spring I can still look forward to a new outing with my private investigator hero, Spenser and his comrades, which I lovingly refer to as Spenser 2.0.
Thank you, Robert. Thank you, Ace. And thank you, Joan, for letting Spenser live on in this fan’s heart.
May 1, 2018
From the publisher: Iconic, tough-but-tender Boston PI Spenser delves into the black market art scene to investigate a decades-long unsolved crime of dangerous proportions. The heist was legendary, still talked about twenty years after the priceless paintings disappeared from one of Boston’s premier art museums. Most thought the art was lost forever, buried deep, sold off overseas, or, worse, destroyed as incriminating evidence. But when the museum begins receiving detailed letters about the theft from someone claiming to have knowledge of the whereabouts of the paintings, the board enlists Spenser’s help to navigate the delicate situation. Their particular hope is to regain the most valuable piece stolen, The Gentleman in Black, a renowned painting by a Spanish master and the former jewel of the collection. Soon the cold art case thrusts Spenser into the shady world of black market art dealers, aged Mafia bosses, and old vendettas. A five-million-dollar-reward sets Spenser and pal Vinnie Morris onto a trail of hidden secrets, jailhouse confessions, murder, and double-crosses.
For some reason I had allowed myself to fall behind in reading the “new” books in this wonderful series, just as wonderful when authored by Ace Atkins, of which this is the newest. The preceding entry in the series was “Little White Lies,” which I finally caught up to in the last few weeks. With apologies for redundancies, as I said in my review of that book, “the author has captured many of the expected patterns of Robert B. Parker’s writing. But Mr. Atkins, besides giving us a very absorbing tale, has retained some of the most typical Parker patterns, e.g., nearly every character’s choice of clothing and headgear is noted, particularly caps declaring the owner’s love for a particular local sports team, whether Braves or Red Sox. (In fact, very near the end of the book we find Spenser escaping a close call and thinking “I’d hoped these guys didn’t plan ambushes like Branch Rickey planned ballgames.”) One character appears dressed in a “light blue guayabera, his white hair loose and scattered as always, with some black reading glasses down on his nose.’ There is also a lot about food. When he prepares a Cobb salad for himself and Susan, and she hands him a vodka martini, he thinks “You couldn’t eat a Cobb salad without [it]. It was a law in California.” Then there are the nicknames, e.g., “Fat Freddy,” “Famous Ray.” The terrific plotting and action are always present, as Spenser goes about solving “the biggest theft in Boston history,” a painting worth sixty or seventy million.
Spenser’s love of jazz is always present, from Coltrane playing from speakers in a restaurant, to the final scene where Tony Bennett “reached for the tree of life and picked him a plum,” and Spenser saying “The Best Is Yet to Come,” to which Vinnie replies “You better believe it.” I loved the author’s tip of the hat to another terrific mystery writer, Hank Philippi Ryan, reporting on Boston’s Channel 7 with a live shot from a crime scene. Set against the high-society art scene and the low-life back alleys of Boston, this is classic Spenser doing what he does best. As was “Little White Lies,” “Old Black Magic” is also highly recommended.
For some reason I had allowed myself to fall behind in reading the “new” books in this wonderful series, just as wonderful when authored by Ace Atkins, of which this is the newest. The preceding entry in the series was “Little White Lies,” which I finally caught up to in the last few weeks. With apologies for redundancies, as I said in my review of that book, “the author has captured many of the expected patterns of Robert B. Parker’s writing. But Mr. Atkins, besides giving us a very absorbing tale, has retained some of the most typical Parker patterns, e.g., nearly every character’s choice of clothing and headgear is noted, particularly caps declaring the owner’s love for a particular local sports team, whether Braves or Red Sox. (In fact, very near the end of the book we find Spenser escaping a close call and thinking “I’d hoped these guys didn’t plan ambushes like Branch Rickey planned ballgames.”) One character appears dressed in a “light blue guayabera, his white hair loose and scattered as always, with some black reading glasses down on his nose.’ There is also a lot about food. When he prepares a Cobb salad for himself and Susan, and she hands him a vodka martini, he thinks “You couldn’t eat a Cobb salad without [it]. It was a law in California.” Then there are the nicknames, e.g., “Fat Freddy,” “Famous Ray.” The terrific plotting and action are always present, as Spenser goes about solving “the biggest theft in Boston history,” a painting worth sixty or seventy million.
Spenser’s love of jazz is always present, from Coltrane playing from speakers in a restaurant, to the final scene where Tony Bennett “reached for the tree of life and picked him a plum,” and Spenser saying “The Best Is Yet to Come,” to which Vinnie replies “You better believe it.” I loved the author’s tip of the hat to another terrific mystery writer, Hank Philippi Ryan, reporting on Boston’s Channel 7 with a live shot from a crime scene. Set against the high-society art scene and the low-life back alleys of Boston, this is classic Spenser doing what he does best. As was “Little White Lies,” “Old Black Magic” is also highly recommended.
June 11, 2018
Let’s face it, I have been a sucker for Spenser since day one. I think Ace Atkins has done a masterful job of picking up the pen in Robert Parker’s absence. I did think this one was a little short on the snap and humor of earlier books but the understory was not too cheerful, anyway. I do enjoy these characters.
May 14, 2018
Another winner from Atkins. I think this one may be the best. There is an actual mystery and Spenser has to follow the clues with Vinnie Morris at his side instead of Hawk. Would have liked Hawk to have made an appearance. Susan is kept in the background again which seems to be this author's prerogative instead of where Parker dedicated chapter after chapter to Susan and Spenser's undying love in his last few books.
May 15, 2018
Atkins is competent, but not spectacular, in his efforts to continue Spenser's legacy. Spenser is trying to solve a cold case of art theft as a favor to a dying detective. The case is quickly solved, but Hawk is missing and Susan is stuck way in the background. Recommended only to true Spencer fans.
June 15, 2018
I liked Robert Parker. I like Ace Atkins. I liked this book, with a couple of (minor) caveats. Deductions for getting too heavily into Spencer's gourmet cooking habits (imitation not always the sincerest form of flattery) and one-armed push-ups. Bonus point: Fabian mention. Overall, this was a fun read.
September 1, 2020
Twenty years after a storied theft from a Boston institution—no, not the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum—the powers that be want Spenser, another Boston institution, to recover three stolen artworks that are still missing.
Spenser, who wouldn’t be interested in the Winthrop Museum’s problems if Locke, a dying colleague who’s been keeping an eye on it for two decades, hadn’t entreated him, agrees to grab the reins even though he’s not crazy about temperamental Winthrop director Marjorie Ward Phillips, and museum board chairman Topper Townsend’s not crazy about him. The real prize among the three is El Greco’s The Gentleman in Black, valued at $60 million to $70 million. But it’s the promise that by paying $500,000 she can buy back one of the others, an early Picasso drawing, that hooks Large Marj into agreeing to a trade-off that goes predictably awry, leaving Spenser with undeserved egg on his face. Replaced by Townsend’s choice, Paul Marston, a British private investigator as objectionable as he is incompetent, Spenser, now free to pursue the standing $5 million reward the museum’s offered, works his contacts twice as hard. Certain that the crooks must have been amateurs who had inside help, he soon starts to see connections between the perps and the Boston mob. The trouble is that it’s been so long since the job was pulled that the cops who originally worked the case for the Boston PD and the FBI are mostly retired. Even worse, the mob has gone through even more personnel changes, and the guys most likely to know anything about the heist have long been unavailable for questioning.
The case gets successively murkier, but Atkins, in his best imitation of Parker’s voice to date, never gets lazy. Readers who approach the last chapter anticipating relief at finally seeing the case solved should be warned that a final twist virtually guarantees a sequel.
To investigate a decades-old crime, Spenser, the Boston-based private investigator, navigates the mysterious waters that are the black market art scene in Ace Atkins’ latest thriller, Robert B. Parker’s Old Black Magic.
Twenty years after the infamous theft, the art world is still talking about the night that thieves stole three rare paintings from the Winthrop Museum. The perpetrators were never caught, and the paintings never recovered. Many believed the paintings were stashed away or sold, while others feared they were destroyed.
Now, two decades later, new life is breathed into the cold case when Marjorie Ward, the Winthrop’s director, begins receiving mysterious letters that seem to provide proof that the paintings are out there.
Spenser, on the surface, doesn’t care about the Winthrop Museum or the people who run it — a feeling that is entirely mutual. In fact, the iconic PI only gets involved when Locke, an old friend and colleague, asks him to. Sadly, Locke, who has tracked the case for many years, is dying. The ill investigator passes the case to Spenser, who is quick to point out that he has done art before, even if it’s not his area of expertise.
Of the three missing works, El Greco’s The Gentleman in Black, valued around $70 million, is considered the biggest prize of the bunch. However, when Marjorie Ward goes about getting them back — through means Spenser doesn’t agree with — things take a dark turn. Subsequently, Spenser is released from the case, and a fancy British investigator is brought in to replace him. The silver lining for Spenser is that he’s now freed up to pursue the paintings completely on his own, without any oversight from Marjorie or the Winthrop Museum.
Deciding to see the case through, in part because of a massive reward the museum has offered to anyone who locates the paintings, Spenser goes back to the beginning to run down every lead. Instead, he finds that most of the detectives and police officers who originally worked the case are now retired. But it’s another revelation when he stumbles upon ties to the Boston mob that changes the course of the investigation. . . as things instantly become far more dangerous for Robert B. Parker’s legendary character.
Ace Atkins continues to be right on the money, again churning out a fantastic novel to keep Spenser alive and well. What he’s done with this series since taking over after Parker’s death is incredible. Nothing against Jesse Stone and the job Reed Ferrell Coleman has done there (he’s been lights-out as well), but Atkins reigns supreme and brings a needed energy to Spenser and this beloved franchise.
Atkins’ portrayal of Spenser is true and authentic to the character Robert B. Parker created. Where he’s upped the ante is by infusing colorful secondary characters and villains into the plot, something he’s known for with his own Quinn Colson (The Fallen, etc.) series. That’s especially true with this book, as Spencer delves into the deep underworld of black market art deals and shady business dealings.
I've been doing a lot of Thanks for the memories type reading. Spencer/Parker are great voices and excellent writing. Highly Recommend.
Spenser, who wouldn’t be interested in the Winthrop Museum’s problems if Locke, a dying colleague who’s been keeping an eye on it for two decades, hadn’t entreated him, agrees to grab the reins even though he’s not crazy about temperamental Winthrop director Marjorie Ward Phillips, and museum board chairman Topper Townsend’s not crazy about him. The real prize among the three is El Greco’s The Gentleman in Black, valued at $60 million to $70 million. But it’s the promise that by paying $500,000 she can buy back one of the others, an early Picasso drawing, that hooks Large Marj into agreeing to a trade-off that goes predictably awry, leaving Spenser with undeserved egg on his face. Replaced by Townsend’s choice, Paul Marston, a British private investigator as objectionable as he is incompetent, Spenser, now free to pursue the standing $5 million reward the museum’s offered, works his contacts twice as hard. Certain that the crooks must have been amateurs who had inside help, he soon starts to see connections between the perps and the Boston mob. The trouble is that it’s been so long since the job was pulled that the cops who originally worked the case for the Boston PD and the FBI are mostly retired. Even worse, the mob has gone through even more personnel changes, and the guys most likely to know anything about the heist have long been unavailable for questioning.
The case gets successively murkier, but Atkins, in his best imitation of Parker’s voice to date, never gets lazy. Readers who approach the last chapter anticipating relief at finally seeing the case solved should be warned that a final twist virtually guarantees a sequel.
To investigate a decades-old crime, Spenser, the Boston-based private investigator, navigates the mysterious waters that are the black market art scene in Ace Atkins’ latest thriller, Robert B. Parker’s Old Black Magic.
Twenty years after the infamous theft, the art world is still talking about the night that thieves stole three rare paintings from the Winthrop Museum. The perpetrators were never caught, and the paintings never recovered. Many believed the paintings were stashed away or sold, while others feared they were destroyed.
Now, two decades later, new life is breathed into the cold case when Marjorie Ward, the Winthrop’s director, begins receiving mysterious letters that seem to provide proof that the paintings are out there.
Spenser, on the surface, doesn’t care about the Winthrop Museum or the people who run it — a feeling that is entirely mutual. In fact, the iconic PI only gets involved when Locke, an old friend and colleague, asks him to. Sadly, Locke, who has tracked the case for many years, is dying. The ill investigator passes the case to Spenser, who is quick to point out that he has done art before, even if it’s not his area of expertise.
Of the three missing works, El Greco’s The Gentleman in Black, valued around $70 million, is considered the biggest prize of the bunch. However, when Marjorie Ward goes about getting them back — through means Spenser doesn’t agree with — things take a dark turn. Subsequently, Spenser is released from the case, and a fancy British investigator is brought in to replace him. The silver lining for Spenser is that he’s now freed up to pursue the paintings completely on his own, without any oversight from Marjorie or the Winthrop Museum.
Deciding to see the case through, in part because of a massive reward the museum has offered to anyone who locates the paintings, Spenser goes back to the beginning to run down every lead. Instead, he finds that most of the detectives and police officers who originally worked the case are now retired. But it’s another revelation when he stumbles upon ties to the Boston mob that changes the course of the investigation. . . as things instantly become far more dangerous for Robert B. Parker’s legendary character.
Ace Atkins continues to be right on the money, again churning out a fantastic novel to keep Spenser alive and well. What he’s done with this series since taking over after Parker’s death is incredible. Nothing against Jesse Stone and the job Reed Ferrell Coleman has done there (he’s been lights-out as well), but Atkins reigns supreme and brings a needed energy to Spenser and this beloved franchise.
Atkins’ portrayal of Spenser is true and authentic to the character Robert B. Parker created. Where he’s upped the ante is by infusing colorful secondary characters and villains into the plot, something he’s known for with his own Quinn Colson (The Fallen, etc.) series. That’s especially true with this book, as Spencer delves into the deep underworld of black market art deals and shady business dealings.
I've been doing a lot of Thanks for the memories type reading. Spencer/Parker are great voices and excellent writing. Highly Recommend.
June 18, 2020
Another very enjoyable installation of the Spencer series by Ace Atkins. Except for the seemingly unnecessary scenes with girlfriend Susan, Spencer does what he does best: crack wise and eventually track down a stolen piece of art for the Winthrop museum.
However, without telling too much, all will not end as it seems. Atkins has done an admirable job of creating twists to the plot, even offering Spencer an interesting substitute “back up“ in the form of his old pal, Vinnie. The latter, it seems, is out of organized crime now and runs a bowling alley when not aiding Spencer.
Any fan of these books will enjoy this addition, although perhaps slightly less than those featuring either Hawk, or Z in the role of Spencer’s back up. As for girlfriend Susan, I continue to wish that Spencer would avail himself of other female companionship, but alas, it is not meant to be. So I guess we’re stuck with that relationship and can only hope that Spencer is pulled away by crimes to solve more often than not so that we may be spared their saccharine-laced exchanges.
All in all, this is an enjoyable romp with plenty of action, snarky comments, epicurean delights, and good old-fashioned fun.
However, without telling too much, all will not end as it seems. Atkins has done an admirable job of creating twists to the plot, even offering Spencer an interesting substitute “back up“ in the form of his old pal, Vinnie. The latter, it seems, is out of organized crime now and runs a bowling alley when not aiding Spencer.
Any fan of these books will enjoy this addition, although perhaps slightly less than those featuring either Hawk, or Z in the role of Spencer’s back up. As for girlfriend Susan, I continue to wish that Spencer would avail himself of other female companionship, but alas, it is not meant to be. So I guess we’re stuck with that relationship and can only hope that Spencer is pulled away by crimes to solve more often than not so that we may be spared their saccharine-laced exchanges.
All in all, this is an enjoyable romp with plenty of action, snarky comments, epicurean delights, and good old-fashioned fun.
January 10, 2021
I enjoyed this one. Felt like meeting up with an old friend and catching up. All the Spenser books have that element to me.
This one felt like it meandered, though. Too much of the same ground got recovered. And I didn't feel like Atkins stuck the ending.
Loved the Vinnie Morris insights.
This one felt like it meandered, though. Too much of the same ground got recovered. And I didn't feel like Atkins stuck the ending.
Loved the Vinnie Morris insights.
August 3, 2018
Spencer is approached by a dying gentleman, Mr. Locke who is also a Private Investigator who was hired twenty years ago by The Winthrop museum to recover three pieces of art that seem to have vanished off the face of the earth. This heist wasn’t a professional hit by any means, it was sloppy and one of the pieces were torn. Mr. Locke has been all over the world and back looking for these three pieces, one is a small Picasso, Goya but the prize is an El Greco, “The Gentleman in Black”. The El Greco had a bit of a shady history behind it as well, but it was Winthrop’s main concern. Mr. Locke’s dying wish is that these pieces would be recovered to the museum before he passes on.
Spencer agrees to meet with the board of Winthrop, it seems they are getting a lot of activity regarding these pieces since the statute of limitations has run out on the theft itself, plus there is still is a hefty award awaiting anyone who recovers these pieces Spencer, of course, clashes with the board immediately, they are a snobby lot, but he does help them up to a point, but there is only so much pretentiousness he��ll take. They are not too impressed with him either, but he’s used to being underestimated. After one failed attempt, where he takes all the blame and deserves none, he’s fired off the case.
This is where the fun begins, he’s flying solo on this caper no Hawk or Z for back up, but he can always count on Vinnie Morris.
I love what Ace Atkins has done with this series, he’s done a great job and they are still a pleasure to read. Spencer hasn’t lost his acerbic wit and he’s still a force to reckoned with. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion expressed above.
Spencer agrees to meet with the board of Winthrop, it seems they are getting a lot of activity regarding these pieces since the statute of limitations has run out on the theft itself, plus there is still is a hefty award awaiting anyone who recovers these pieces Spencer, of course, clashes with the board immediately, they are a snobby lot, but he does help them up to a point, but there is only so much pretentiousness he��ll take. They are not too impressed with him either, but he’s used to being underestimated. After one failed attempt, where he takes all the blame and deserves none, he’s fired off the case.
This is where the fun begins, he’s flying solo on this caper no Hawk or Z for back up, but he can always count on Vinnie Morris.
I love what Ace Atkins has done with this series, he’s done a great job and they are still a pleasure to read. Spencer hasn’t lost his acerbic wit and he’s still a force to reckoned with. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion expressed above.
September 29, 2018
Another fun, fast-paced read. Spenser is in fine fettle in OLD BLACK MAGIC.
August 12, 2018
I enjoyed the book. Aktins did almost a good job with the story and people as Robert B. Parker did. And no one wrote a better mystery than Parker that tells you the book is worth reading.
May 11, 2018
Ace Atkins continues to weave Parker's magic into Spenser, continuing the highly moral modern knight's quest for good to defeat evil.
An aging detective, knowing he is about to die, asks Spenser to solve his one unsolved case. Spenser can not refuse, of course, which sends him into a decades old crime involving former and current Mobsters.
Susan and Pearl are here, along oth some other familiar faces. But I must admit I missed Hawk a great deal.
An aging detective, knowing he is about to die, asks Spenser to solve his one unsolved case. Spenser can not refuse, of course, which sends him into a decades old crime involving former and current Mobsters.
Susan and Pearl are here, along oth some other familiar faces. But I must admit I missed Hawk a great deal.
October 27, 2024
Forty-six down and only four more to go!
May 5, 2018
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Wow. The Forty-Sixth Spenser novel. Atkins' seventh, too -- it's hard to believe. I can still remember some of these as clearly as if I read them yesterday -- I'm a little vague on some of them, I have to admit (sorry Bad Business and Painted Ladies), but by and large, this is one of those series that's defined me as a reader. This is one of those that in years to come that I'm going to remember pretty clearly, too, I'm glad to report.
Also, I'm pretty sure that 46 books in, nothing I say here is going to get the series a new reader. Still, I want to talk about it some.
So here's the pitch: Locke, an older P.I. and friend/associate of Spenser, comes to him for help -- he'd like Spenser to take over one of his cases, as she's fighting a losing battle with a medical problem. Twenty years ago, a Boston museum was robbed -- two paintings and one Picasso sketch were stolen. The Boston Police, the FBI and he have turned over every rock they can think of, he's traveled the word just to find them. But he's gotten no where -- but there's some new information coming to light -- and with the statute of limitations about to kick in, there's probably no better time to find the painting then now. Spenser agree and plunges right into the hunt.
Whether you're Spenser or Nero Wolfe, the worst type of client has to be a committee or board* -- a committee that's not entirely sure they want you to work for them is even worse. The museum committee is led by a classic stuffed shirt, Spenser's always fun to read when he's antagonizing the pompous. We've also got another Spenser trope -- a tough, no-nonsense, hard-to-impress client that Spenser slowly wins over -- in the museum director. Putting the two of those together is a good combination. The committee has their own replacement for Locke -- an anti-Spenser. British, polished, cultured (he's probably forgotten more about art than Spenser has ever known), not obviously prone to violence, with an approach to this case that's very different from Spenser's. As much as I disliked him, I wish we'd gotten a little more time with him.
This is a novel largely dependent on the non-regular characters -- clients, witnesses, sources, suspects. There's no Hawk, no Sixkill, limited Susan, not enough Pearl -- so who does Spenser talk to? Henry (a little more than usual), Frank, Quirk, and Rita -- and a couple of chats with Vinnie Morris. Things are still not good with Vinnie, but there might be room in that direction -- and common enemies can help a lot. Given the Gino Fish connection, of course we have to have a lot of Vinnie.
Spenser's approach to this case is classic -- he goes around talking to every witness, suspect that he can -- annoying some, charming some, learning a very little. Then he moves on to the next and the next, and then circles back to the first. Prying a little more, and a little more. This is a very talk-y book. There's the threat of violence -- and even some actual violence -- but most of the actual violence was associated with the original burglars, so we hear about it, but don't see it. Atkin's solid take on Parker-dialgoue means that this is a fast, fun read. And that's fine with me.
Back when Robert B. Parker was writing multiple series, one of the fun aspects was watching characters from one series (typically the longer-running, Spenser books) show up in one of the others. Watching Capt. Healy's interactions with Jesse Stone, for example, provided an interesting counter-point to the way Healy and Spenser got along. Now that there are three authors actively writing the Spenser-verse series, there's an added twist to that. Recently (long enough ago that I don't feel too bad saying it), Reed Farrel Coleman killed off Gino Fish. There are huge chunks of this book that are little else than seeing the effects of that death in Boston's criminal society (for lack of a better term).
How do we get to Gino Fish? When it comes to Art Crimes -- especially higher-end stuff -- and the resulting fencing, at that time in Boston everything came through Gino's fingers. Between the references to the late Gino and the fact that the crime in question took place two decades ago, there's a lot of history covered here as Spenser talks to various criminals/criminal associates while hunting for these paintings. I do mean a lot of history -- going back to events in Mortal Stakes (my first encounter with the series) and characters from The Godwulf Manuscript (the first in the series). Yes, there's a certain element of this being fan-service-y nostalgia on Atkins part. As a serviced-fan, I'm not complaining. But I think it's more, it's the kind of series that Parker and Atkins have given us -- one that is very aware of its past and draws on it always. (there's an interesting contrast to be made with the Jesse Stone series on this front).
If you're looking at this as a mystery novel, or focusing on the plot -- I'm not sure how successful it is (better than many, but I'm not sure it's up to Atkins' typical standards). But, if you look at it as some time with old friends -- Spenser primarily, but even Quirk, Belson, Henry, etc. -- it gets better, especially if you've got as much history with these characters as many readers do. Throw in the atmosphere, the perfect voice, the longer-term character moves, and you've got yourself a heckuva read. Spenser #46 is as entertaining as you could ask for and I'm already looking forward to #47.
--
* Yes, it bothers me that I can only come up with two names for this truncated list. I can't imagine that other P. I.'s are immune to this kind of client, but I can't think of another example. I'll probably lose sleep over this memory failure.
---
Wow. The Forty-Sixth Spenser novel. Atkins' seventh, too -- it's hard to believe. I can still remember some of these as clearly as if I read them yesterday -- I'm a little vague on some of them, I have to admit (sorry Bad Business and Painted Ladies), but by and large, this is one of those series that's defined me as a reader. This is one of those that in years to come that I'm going to remember pretty clearly, too, I'm glad to report.
Also, I'm pretty sure that 46 books in, nothing I say here is going to get the series a new reader. Still, I want to talk about it some.
So here's the pitch: Locke, an older P.I. and friend/associate of Spenser, comes to him for help -- he'd like Spenser to take over one of his cases, as she's fighting a losing battle with a medical problem. Twenty years ago, a Boston museum was robbed -- two paintings and one Picasso sketch were stolen. The Boston Police, the FBI and he have turned over every rock they can think of, he's traveled the word just to find them. But he's gotten no where -- but there's some new information coming to light -- and with the statute of limitations about to kick in, there's probably no better time to find the painting then now. Spenser agree and plunges right into the hunt.
Whether you're Spenser or Nero Wolfe, the worst type of client has to be a committee or board* -- a committee that's not entirely sure they want you to work for them is even worse. The museum committee is led by a classic stuffed shirt, Spenser's always fun to read when he's antagonizing the pompous. We've also got another Spenser trope -- a tough, no-nonsense, hard-to-impress client that Spenser slowly wins over -- in the museum director. Putting the two of those together is a good combination. The committee has their own replacement for Locke -- an anti-Spenser. British, polished, cultured (he's probably forgotten more about art than Spenser has ever known), not obviously prone to violence, with an approach to this case that's very different from Spenser's. As much as I disliked him, I wish we'd gotten a little more time with him.
This is a novel largely dependent on the non-regular characters -- clients, witnesses, sources, suspects. There's no Hawk, no Sixkill, limited Susan, not enough Pearl -- so who does Spenser talk to? Henry (a little more than usual), Frank, Quirk, and Rita -- and a couple of chats with Vinnie Morris. Things are still not good with Vinnie, but there might be room in that direction -- and common enemies can help a lot. Given the Gino Fish connection, of course we have to have a lot of Vinnie.
Spenser's approach to this case is classic -- he goes around talking to every witness, suspect that he can -- annoying some, charming some, learning a very little. Then he moves on to the next and the next, and then circles back to the first. Prying a little more, and a little more. This is a very talk-y book. There's the threat of violence -- and even some actual violence -- but most of the actual violence was associated with the original burglars, so we hear about it, but don't see it. Atkin's solid take on Parker-dialgoue means that this is a fast, fun read. And that's fine with me.
Back when Robert B. Parker was writing multiple series, one of the fun aspects was watching characters from one series (typically the longer-running, Spenser books) show up in one of the others. Watching Capt. Healy's interactions with Jesse Stone, for example, provided an interesting counter-point to the way Healy and Spenser got along. Now that there are three authors actively writing the Spenser-verse series, there's an added twist to that. Recently (long enough ago that I don't feel too bad saying it), Reed Farrel Coleman killed off Gino Fish. There are huge chunks of this book that are little else than seeing the effects of that death in Boston's criminal society (for lack of a better term).
How do we get to Gino Fish? When it comes to Art Crimes -- especially higher-end stuff -- and the resulting fencing, at that time in Boston everything came through Gino's fingers. Between the references to the late Gino and the fact that the crime in question took place two decades ago, there's a lot of history covered here as Spenser talks to various criminals/criminal associates while hunting for these paintings. I do mean a lot of history -- going back to events in Mortal Stakes (my first encounter with the series) and characters from The Godwulf Manuscript (the first in the series). Yes, there's a certain element of this being fan-service-y nostalgia on Atkins part. As a serviced-fan, I'm not complaining. But I think it's more, it's the kind of series that Parker and Atkins have given us -- one that is very aware of its past and draws on it always. (there's an interesting contrast to be made with the Jesse Stone series on this front).
If you're looking at this as a mystery novel, or focusing on the plot -- I'm not sure how successful it is (better than many, but I'm not sure it's up to Atkins' typical standards). But, if you look at it as some time with old friends -- Spenser primarily, but even Quirk, Belson, Henry, etc. -- it gets better, especially if you've got as much history with these characters as many readers do. Throw in the atmosphere, the perfect voice, the longer-term character moves, and you've got yourself a heckuva read. Spenser #46 is as entertaining as you could ask for and I'm already looking forward to #47.
--
* Yes, it bothers me that I can only come up with two names for this truncated list. I can't imagine that other P. I.'s are immune to this kind of client, but I can't think of another example. I'll probably lose sleep over this memory failure.
October 16, 2019
The story itself wasnt horrible but the author was really descriptive about weird random things? Would have been 3 stars but lost a star bc of the constant offhand fatphobic comments
October 28, 2018
For the longest time, Parker had a quick and lazy style. Spenser would say something and the chapter ended. Stone proposed a course of action and the chapter ended. Cole shot someone and again the chapter ended. Fifty - sixty plus chapters and the story ended. You spent a few hours reading and moved on to another book. All of the new authors have more or less copied this format and the three main series flow along as quick reads with little real plot or character development. While fun to follow the main characters everything seems to be just a way to sell a new book with a simple story that might have some 'old style' heavy action but mostly surrounded by fluff and filler.
Atkins has changed this with Old Black Magic. We have a more complex story with much more character and plot coverage. The action is a detection process with all the false starts, double twists, miss directions and eureka moments stretched around the typical Spenser sense of humor dialog and intuitive thought periods. One of the best stories in this series in a long time for the 'old style' Spenser ( Parker ) character.
Atkins has changed this with Old Black Magic. We have a more complex story with much more character and plot coverage. The action is a detection process with all the false starts, double twists, miss directions and eureka moments stretched around the typical Spenser sense of humor dialog and intuitive thought periods. One of the best stories in this series in a long time for the 'old style' Spenser ( Parker ) character.
May 26, 2018
I have enjoyed all of Ace Atkin's books -- he was a great choice to write about Spenser. Of course it isn't EXACTLY the same as RBP'S books -- because it isn't him. However, I think he does an admirable job and I particularly liked this one, even though I missed Hawk. Still, Vinnie was there whenever Spenser needed him. The art world was an interesting change, and I loved hearing about the stolen pictures. Now I'm wondering if I should not have given it 5 stars --- OK, five and a half.
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