One of the factors which have made Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels a continuing delight is Parker's ability, and willingness, to stretch the boundaries of the characters and stories over time while keeping the general spirit and feel of the books anchored firmly in familiar ground. The result is a series that continues to grow, but stays comfortably familiar. This has been a trademark of the series from it's inception --- has it really been over a quarter-century since THE GODWULF MANUSCRIPT was published?--- and has functioned as the mechanism which has kept veteran fans aboard while assisting new ones onto the train.

WIDOW'S WALK finds Parker stretching a bit. Most of the Spenser novels are fairly uncomplicated affairs, with Spenser moving doggedly if not unerringly from Point A to Point B. WIDOW'S WALK, however, is a work of Christie-like complications. Nathan Smith, the owner of a very successful Boston bank, is found dead, in bed, from a gunshot wound in the head (and no, I am not channeling Dr. Suess!). The immediate, and only, suspect is his wife, Mary, who claims that she was watching television when her died and that she never even heard the gunshot. Mary is such a good suspect that her own attorney believes her to be guilty. The prosecution even has a witness who claims that Mary attempted to hire him to kill her husband. Spenser is nonetheless retained to prove Mary's innocence, if possible. This is a difficult task for several reasons, not the least of which is Mary, who is both more and less intelligent than anyone is able to imagine. Spenser, with some assistance from the always-welcome Hawk, does what he does best, bothering people and kicking things over until he finds out something, but this is one case where the process, at least initially, does not work well for him. And it does not work well for others, either; dead bodies start to pile up around Spenser, bodies of people with whom he spoke regarding the case. Spenser soon finds that the more he finds out, the less he knows. Still, he presses on doggedly, even when frustrated; one of the best parts of the book is when he runs down, in good-natured frustration, all of the facts which he has accumulated and acknowledges how little he knows as a result. He knows, for example, that Mary is lying to him, and that there is more to her husband's life and business than is readily apparent. None of these facts, however, bring Spenser any closer to the truth, whatever that may be.

Regular Spenser readers may be somewhat surprised at the complexity of the core story but Parker ultimately handles it quite adroitly, without submerging Spenser and his always excellent supporting cast in the details. The dialogue in WIDOW'S WALK, particularly Spenser's, remains sparkling; those who accuse Parker of being able to write Spenser novels in his sleep, besides being wrong, miss the point, which is that he is able to do it so well under any circumstances. The result of Parker's efforts in WIDOW'S WALK is to extend, and expand the legacy of both Parker and Spenser, and to set the standard for the next book in the series. Highly recommended.

   --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

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