Robert B. Parker’s Broken Trust is a pretty solid continuation of the Senser series by Mike Lupica, who recently took over the range after Ace Atkins has moved on from his contribution to the series.
It’s hard to believe that Parker has been gone for about fifteen years, but his most popular series has endured with the talents of Atkins, and now Lupica brings Boston private eye Spenser further into the 21st century with his usual posse of allies and long-time girlfriend, Susan Silverman. Spenser’s sense of justice, accompanied with his wry witticisms, is a reassuring anchor in an ever-changing, complex world, even in the realm of crime fiction.
Spenser is initially hired to discover why a very wealthy tech mogul has started behaving erratically. His wife insists that Andrew Crain is a loving husband, however he has become prone to sudden outbursts of temper and becoming sullen and withdrawn. Crain controls a large tech company on the verge of what could be a lucrative business merger. The wife is a friend of Susan’s so Spenser decides to take the case. Spenser gets even more determined to find answers when his client is murdered. The matter turns even stranger when an employee of Crain’s company apparently commits an inexplicable suicide. Spenser rubs elbows and trades punches with people who operate in a world of high stakes and global fame. Fortunately, he has some help from long-time ally, Hawk, who is always willing to bring his wit and plenty of firepower to back him up.
The main plot is suitably engaging and has a fair bit of twists. I am not sure if previous novels had Spenser probe the murder of his own client. Some of it was pretty predictable with the presence of menacing henchmen and gangsters lurking around the corner. Spenser also has to fend off a couple of direct attacks with his quick fists and pointed wisecracks. Some of the motivations behind these dark deeds turn out tom be rather surprising.
Whatever Lupica’s deviations from how the original author would have presented this tale seem to be subtle enough where I can still consider this part of the canon. Although in real life, Spenser would have been nearing ninety or something is he wasn’t a fictional character.
Parker’s style of writing is pretty straightforward and is likely easy to emulate. Sometimes, Spenser’s observations and verbal jabs seem rather repetitive, but the types of cases that land on his doorstep still provide some variety and amusement. Spenser isn’t a guy who is easily rattled and still comes across as someone you would want in your corner should trouble arise, if only for the small matter that he is a fictional hero.
Lupica has been writing in various fields for a long time and seems to be an excellent choice by the Parker estate to bring new conundrums to Spenser’s office. Even if the original creator is no longer able to carry Spenser forward himself, it is nice to know that the Boston gumshoe still has some adventures to share.
James Patterson’s popularity in crime fiction has continued to remain steadfast, yet I have read very little of his works. I decided to give him another go with Holmes, Marple, & Poe, which is co-written by Brian Sitts.
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