![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/robert-b-parker-s-old-black-magic.jpg\")
<\/a>Spenser, the singularly named Boston P.I., shares both a name and a proclivity for poetic expression with the 16th<\/sup>\u00a0century poet, first name Edmund.\u00a0 Spenser\u2019s been quoting and quipping ever since he replied to a beefy guy\u2019s threats in The Godswulf Manuscript<\/em>, \u201cBe still my heart.\u201d<\/p>\nIn this latest book, when a gangster\u2019s lawyer tells him he has to meet the boss in a particular place, Spenser replies, \u201cI\u2019m so excited.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t know what to wear.\u201d The caustic comments have been consistent through 47 books.\u00a0 What hasn\u2019t been consistent is the author \u2013 Robert B. Parker wrote the first one, Ace Atkins the last one.\u00a0 Atkins was anointed by the Parker estate to keep the franchise going upon Parker\u2019s demise, and he\u2019s done a remarkable job.\u00a0Spenser still keeps in topnotch shape at his favorite gym, and stops just shy of being bulletproof.\u00a0 He continues to prowl renowned Beantown dining spots, and he cooks the occasional gourmet meal for his main squeeze, Susan.\u00a0 The two of them, as always, steam up the pages, but all the sex,\u00a0keeping with tradition, happens between chapters.\u00a0 Best of all, Atkins and Parker both belong to the Elmore Leonard Don\u2019t-Write-the-Words-People-Don\u2019t-Read School of Writing.\u00a0 A Spenser novel sails right along.<\/p>\n
In Old Black Magic<\/em>, Parker is approached by a respected detective at death\u2019s door.\u00a0 Twenty years ago, an El Greco painting was stolen from the Winthrop Museum, a fictional museum modeled after Boston\u2019s Gardiner Museum, where a similar heist took place.\u00a0 It appears the painting has resurfaced.\u00a0 As a favor, Spenser, who considers a Kane\u2019s donut from nearby Saugus a work of art, takes the case.\u00a0 He moves into the milieu of art world highlifes and underworld lowlifes searching for the painting.\u00a0 Just when he thinks he\u2019s located it, it disappears.\u00a0Spenser spends the rest of the story playing a game of Mafia musical chairs, assisted by new crony Vinnie, a good bad guy.\u00a0 With his help Spenser takes on the bad bad guys, cracking wise\u00a0and skulls while quoting Shakespeare along the way.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the Shakespeare quotes that mark Atkins\u2019 mastery. They come with the same reflexive skill as the quips, throwing light from another time and temperament upon the mortal coil Spenser moves in.\u00a0 No one, particularly Spenser, comments upon his penchant \u2014 except Susan.\u00a0 And she nails it when she points out that no other detective quotes the Bard with such abandon.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of the things that appeal to her.<\/p>\n And to us, after all these years. \u00a0Cry havoc, and unleash the next book!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bob Moyer takes a look at the latest Spenser novel and finds it worthy of the tradition. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer ROBERT B. PARKER\u2019S OLD BLACK MAGIC (SPENSER). By Ace Atkins. G.P. Putnam\u2019s Sons. 336 pages. $27. Spenser, the singularly named Boston P.I., shares both a name and a proclivity for poetic expression with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[590,5],"tags":[321,425,320,104],"class_list":["post-2390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-detective-fiction-mysteries","category-mysteries","tag-ace-atkins","tag-detective-fiction","tag-robert-b-parker","tag-spenser"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2390"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2393,"href":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2390\/revisions\/2393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}