Robert B. Parker, Hundred Dollar Baby

Hundred Dollar Baby

Robert B. Parker

Putnam, October 2006, $24.95

ISBN: 0399153764

Boston private investigator Spenser makes no moral judgments of how people live, so when hooker April Kyle (see CEREMONY and TAMING A SEA HORSE) needs help, he provides it. He goes even further hooking (pun intended) her up with a high class madam. April is in trouble again, so she turns to Spenser for help. Someone wants to take over her business, and so has hired Ollie DeMars to harass and frighten her into paying for protection.

Spenser learns that the man behind the muscle is Lionel Farnsworth, who teamed up with April to scare her mentor out of money used to open up a chain of bordellos. April claims she broke off with Lionel when she caught him with one of her girls, and tells Spenser to back off. Soon after confronting his client, Spenser finds out that someone murdered Ollie, who once shared a low security cell with Lionel. Spenser feels strongly that April is hiding something from him; he needs to find out what that is, because he believes she is in a lot more trouble than she admits.

Spenser is at his best in HUNDRED DOLLAR BABY, as he tries to help a female friend who rejects his assistance as she spirals downward. One of the hero's endearing traits is he makes friends with politically incorrect individuals, who in many cases work outside the law. Robert B. Parker refreshes his long running series, as Spenser struggles with the object of his protection, insisting he butt out.