I have been a Spenser fan for more years than I would admit to and still read every Spenser book I can find. Robert B Parker's books take up a good portion of my book cases. In this book, Ace Atkins has done an excellent job of keeping one of Parker's best characters true to the past.
When Spenser is hired to find a young woman who disappeared in Hollywood's endless grinder, you know something is going to go wrong. But, Spenser and his crew of many will tackle many obstacles and go to many less than popular places to find her. I always enjoy the journey and am usually surprised when the book ends. Now I need another Spenser book and a Jesse Stone while you are at it.

In Robert B.Parker's Angel Eyes, Ace Atkins gives us everything we love about this series. Wisecracking Spenser has been hired by Gabby Leggett's mother to travel to Los Angeles and find her missing daughter. With former mentee, Zebulon Sixkill, and with the help of Chollo and Bobby Horse, Spenser discovers a cauldron of ambition, greed, and betrayal. From a movie producer who obviously has never heard of #MeToo, to a cult leader who thinks that it's a sign that he can take whatever he wants; to a boyfriend whose ambitions outweigh his loyalties, and Armenian mobsters who have good reason to cover for a valuable partner, Spenser soon wishes he never left Boston.

An enjoyable -- though tense -- romp through the dark streets and back lots of Hollywood and other California bastions of power and depravity. I'll admit, part of my enjoyment came from the fact that I'm a born and bred Californian, and the locales were ones in which I grew up. Apart from that, however, the plot was tense and suspenseful enough to hold anyone's interest; the characters were well-drawn and the dialog believable. Recommended.

*Thanks to both the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an ARC of this book free of charge, in exchange only for an honest review."

ROBERT B. PARKER’S ANGEL EYES by Ace Atkins is the 47th book in the Spenser Series that author Atkins has carried on since the passing of Robert B. Parker, original author and creator of the series.

Spenser once again is requested to take on a case by Susan, his longtime companion and the love of his life, in a case involving a missing young actress whose disappearance seems to be under suspicious circumstances, along with the possibility that her disappearance could possibly mean that she has met with foul play.

Gabby Leggett is the young actress who left the Boston area to seek fame & fortune in Los Angeles, and when her disappearance is prolonged, her mother hires Spenser to locate her and see her return to Boston if possible.

Spenser goes off to L.A. and begins this investigation in the same manner he usually does, which is to poke his nose in where it doesn’t belong and stir things up to produce results, meanwhile causing irritation and frustration for those he confronts with his lack of fear and resistance to intimidation.

Investigation reveals a cult-like group could be involved in the disappearance of the missing Gabby, and Spenser makes it clear that he won’t stop harassing the charismatic leader or others in the group until he gets the answers about the whereabouts of the young missing actress and who is responsible for her disappearance.

Classic Spenser novel where author Ace Atkins once again successfully captures the best qualities of Spenser that were present in the better books written in the series by Robert B. Parker.

Several characters from previous books are involved in this one, most prominent is Zebulon Sixkill, Spenser’s protégé currently working as a private detective in the L.A. area.

Solid action takes place once the investigation gives Spenser focus on where to target his efforts, and once again he places himself and Zeke in harm’s way to solve the case, resulting in another chapter in the maturing of Spenser, and the fact that in spite of aging, his tough smart-guy approach still produces results, and proves that getting older hasn’t taken away his ability to get results in the cases he takes on.

4 stars.

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on November 19, 2019

Angel Eyes was written by Ace Atkins, by far the most capable worker in the Robert B. Parker factory. The full title is Robert B. Parker’s Angel Eyes, but since Parker is dead, the novel isn’t Parker’s, even if Spenser belongs to his estate. At least Atkins' name isn't dwarfed by Parker's, although Parker's is still displayed in a larger font.

Spenser is hired to find Gabby Leggett, who has gone missing in California. Spenser is Boston-based but LA is a prime setting for noir fiction, given the darkness associated with glitz and glamour and Hollywood money. It is a place Spenser visited when Parker was still penning his adventures.

Gabby hoped to turn her good looks into an acting career. She worked her social media and hired an agent before she dropped out of sight. The agent dated her for a while and became jealous when she moved on, making him a suspect when she disappeared. And then there’s an older movie executive named Jimmy Yamashiro, whose dalliance with Gabby might also have provided a motive for foul play.

Spenser quickly finds other suspects. Gabby didn’t care much for her parents. She did care for a cult leader named Joseph Haldorn, who founded an organization called HELIOS that describes itself as an “executive success program that seeks to free their participants from the shackles of self-doubt and confusion.” It empowers women by freeing them from their money. HELIOS bills itself as a lifestyle while followers view Haldorn as Christlike. He can’t turn water into wine, but one of the characters notes that “he can turn bullshit into money.”

In addition to sorting out all the people who might be responsible for Gabby's disappearance, Spenser encounters trouble with a fellow named Sarkisov, a thug who is affiliated with a gang of thugs called Armenian Power. Sarkisov also has an interest in finding Gabby and is rather impolite when he invites Spenser to return to Boston.

Spenser’s intimate friend Susan Silverman plays a key role in the novel, making use of her skills as a psychotherapist. Other returning characters are Chollo (whose underworld connections and shooting skills are invaluable), Zebulon Sixkill (who is now a PI in LA and views Spenser as a mentor), and Bobby Horse (who teamed with Chollo in Potshot). Sixkill describes Spenser and his three LA friends as “the Three Amigos plus a white guy,” although two of the amigos are Native Americans. Throw hacker Kim Yoon into the mix and Spenser is plainly a fan of workplace diversity.

Ace Atkins has greater opportunity to stretch his creative legs in his excellent Quinn Colson series. When he writes Spenser novels, he is confined to the environment and characterizations that Parker created. He nevertheless does a creditable job of channeling Parker, employing snarky dialog, treating the reader to a good bit of gunplay, and tempering Spenser’s hard-boiled personality with tender feelings for the innocent and abused (as well as Susan).

The plot blends mystery with action and the cast of potential wrongdoers is sufficient to keep the reader guessing. A good chunk of the novel remains after the mystery is solved. Atkins fills it with enough mayhem that Spenser, if a real person, would be permanently banned from California. Yeah, he only shoots bad guys, but he shoots so many of them that one might expect the police to be more wary of his presence, even if he does clean up the dirt that otherwise darkens the City of Angels. That again is true to the Spenser tradition, making Angel Eyes further evidence that Atkins is the right author to keep Spenser alive after his creator’s demise.

RECOMMENDED

If you are a fan of Robert Parker's detective Spenser, you will find this continuation novel by Ace Atkins acceptable. Spenser wisecracks. Spenser shoots. Spenser cooks. Spenser lusts. Spenser works out and drinks. Spenser rescues damsel in (maybe) distress from creepy cult leader and foreign-born honorless thugs. Girlfriend and sidekicks strut their stuff. There's not a lot of mystery and the action is minimal, but those were never the essentials of Spenser. No one will confuse this with the best of Parker's novels, but it delivers the goods without flaws.

The little bit extra in this book is to take Spenser out of 1970s Boston--which is his natural habitat--and put him in 2019 Los Angeles. This kind of thing was awkward even when Parker was alive. Spenser's biographies are inconsistent, but he had to be born before 1930 to sync with fighting Jersey Joe Walcott long before he was champ, and not long after 1930 to have been an infantryman in Korea. So is he 90 now? He doesn't act like it.

One solution, which both Parker and Atkins have adopted, is to let Spenser remain in his 40s, with opinions and worldview from the 1970s, and half-jokingly comment on more recent developments like mobile phones, Internet and me-too movement. What's a little weird in this one is Atkins has let Spenser become unmoored in time, making observations as if he comes from the 1920s (for example, Fatty Arbuckle), the 1940s (the Black Dahlia) and other eras. Perhaps to Atkins (born 1970) everything before 1990 is indistinguishable.

Another oddity is a character apparently based on Harvey Weinstein to give some 2019 cred to the story seems to be only a producer who offers parts to young actresses in exchange for sex, and delivers, but less than the actresses want. This is sleazy and wrong, but Weinstein is accused of much worse than that (also, the main victims are actresses that refuse to prostitute themselves for parts, not the ones who do and get less in return than they hoped for). Even in the me-too era, it's hard to accept as a major plot driver than the producer would be ruined if this were disclosed--particularly since everyone already knows it.

But historical accuracy and credible plotting was never the reason to read a Spenser novel, either one by Parker or one by Atkins. The best Spenser books offer more than Spenser doing his thing, but Spenser doing his thing is worth the price of the book.

Robert B. Parker’s ANGEL EYES: A Spenser Novel
Ace Atkins
Putnam Books
ISBN 978-0525536825
Hardcover
Thriller

The new published ANGEL EYES, for those who keep track of such matters, is the forty-eighth --- 48th! XVIIIth! --- novel featuring Spenser, who, at this advanced date, still remains mystery literature’s most confident and self-satisfied private investigator. And yes, we are glad for it. Though Spenser and his collection of supporting characters have outlived Robert B. Parker, their creator, the torch has been carried for almost a decade by the stalwart Ace Atkins in what has been for all intents and purposes a flawless passing of the franchise. To say that Atkins has “copied” Parker’s style in the series would not really be accurate. He has instead managed to capture the spirit of the characters and continues to convey it, as Parker did, through sparkling dialogue interspersed with action.

Atkins in ANGEL EYES takes Spenser out of his familiar Boston environs for a return visit to the city of Los Angeles, a locale which was first featured in Parker’s A SAVAGE PLACE. The change of scenery gives Spenser the opportunity to work with his apprentice Zebulon Sixkill, who has set up his own private investigation agency on the West Coast. Spenser’s purpose for being there is to locate Gabby Leggett, a young woman from Boston who moved to Hollywood a couple of years before but who has been missing for two weeks. He is doing so at the behest of Gabby’s mother, who is a friend of Susan Silverman, Spenser’s longtime significant other and confidante. Spenser in fairly short order discovers that the Gabby who has been living in Hollywood is far different from the woman who said goodbye to Boston years before. She has somehow become involved on a number of levels with a self-help guru who is a charlatan at best and a possible murderer at worst. An Armenian crime lord has also worked his way into the mix, warning Spenser and Sixkill off of located Gabby, who, it turns out, does not seem to feel that she needs to be rescued. Spenser, as a result, is somewhat limited in what he is able to do from a legal standpoint, a problem with which he is not entirely unfamiliar. Meanwhile, the Armenian connection is becoming more forceful in opposing Spenser and Sixkill in their efforts to interject themselves in Gabby’s situation. It is not long at all before the bodies start piling up. Spenser turns to associates old and new for help, and as a result veteran readers of this long-running series will encounter some characters they have not seen in quite a while. Spenser will also receive some unexpected though not altogether surprising assistance from a familiar source at about the halfway point of ANGEL EYES, and as Atkins’ latest Spenser tale violently winds down we see that not every story has a happy, or even totally fulfilled, conclusion.

Atkins stepped into Parker’s shoes approximately seven years ago and has proceeded with nary a stumble since that time. As good as Atkins has been (and continues to be) with his own projects, I am nevertheless surprised at how solid the fit has been and continues to be. Atkins with ANGEL EYES, however, brings his take on the iconic Spenser and those in his orbit to an entirely new level. It’s terrific storytelling on every level and you should be reading it whether you are a fan of Parker, Spenser, and Atkins or otherwise. Recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2019, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

Spenser goes to L.A. (again). This is another reliably good entry in the Spenser series by Ace Atkins. Atkins' prose is not as sparse as Parker's was but the writing is crisp and Spenser remains fresh and relevant. Occasionally, the plotting and tone were reminiscent of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series and at times, I found myself wishing that Spenser was back in his familiar Boston, but once Susan made an appearance the pieces fell into place and the book moved along swiftly. As always, I'm left wanting another Spenser novel.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7579715-matt

Angel Eyes is the 47th (!!!) Spenser novel. Originally written by the inimitable Robert B. Parker, this (and the previous 5) installments in the series have been written by Ace Atkins channeling the very spirit of the sadly departed Mr. Parker. Released 19th Nov 2019 by Penguin on their G.P. Putnam imprint, it's pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

I've been in love with this series since book 1 (The Godwulf Manuscript) and I was really sad when the author passed, thinking that I would have to confine myself to re-reads to get my Spenser/Hawk fix. I was nervous about someone else taking over the writing, but have been really impressed and happy with the newest books in the series.

Other reviewers (and the book's blurb) have set up the plot quite well. I'll just add that all of the elements which made us fall in love with Spenser & co. from the start are here also. It's pure joyride entertainment with the good guys going toe-to-toe with sleazy Hollywood movie industry exploiters, nasty Armenian gang thugs, and crazy religious fanatics.

It's a solidly written PI murder mystery with an indelible American flavor. I love Spenser's relationship with Susan (smart, funny, capable, and real) and the interplay between Spenser and his compatriots. I love the sarcastic wit and real humor and repartee in the dialogue. I loved the denouement and the riding off east into the sunrise. I'm obviously a solid fan of this series, and my opinion wasn't dented one tiny bit by this latest adventure.

Five stars for fans of the series. Probably four to five for new readers who enjoy gritty American PI adventures.

Spenser goes Hollywood, and I’m not talking about that upcoming Netflix movie.

A young woman originally from Boston has gone missing after moving to Los Angeles, and her mother has hired Spenser to find her so he heads west. Tracking down the young lady puts Spenser at odds with a powerful Hollywood producer, a self-help group that seems more like a cult, and a dangerous Aremenian gang.

Fortunately, despite being far from home Spenser has plenty of friends around to help out like his former protege Z. Sixkill who has started his own private detective business. There’s also Spenser’s thug buddies Chollo and Bobby Horse that work for the local crime boss who Spenser is on good terms with thanks to their previous encounters. LAPD Captain Sameulson is still around although he’s less thrilled to see Spenser back in town causing trouble again.

Ace Atkins has become one of the those writers that I file under R for Reliable at this point. For several years now he’s been producing both Spenser and Quinn Colson books like clockwork, and every time I start one of his I know that I’m in for a good time. For both these series he’s also been walking the tricky tightrope that balance familiarity with mixing things up so that neither start to seem formulaic or stale.

This is a prime example of that with Atkins again drawing on the long history of Spenser as written by the late Robert B. Parker so that it still seems like the same character, but then using that as a jumping off point to move in new directions. This isn’t the first time Spenser has gone out to LA so he’s dealing with a bunch of familiar characters and situations, but this never feels like we’re just going over the same old ground. Atkins also has a knack for putting a slightly different spin on some of these old supporting characters so that they seem to have more going on than just being props in Spenser’s world. For example, I loved how Samuelson, who has plenty of reasons to dread seeing the detective come to town, gets thoroughly pissed off when he once again finds himself knee-deep in a Spenser related mess.

There’s also a nice ripped-from-the-headlines vibe to this story although it doesn’t go in the direction that I initially thought it would. I also appreciate how Atkins has managed to update Spenser by using more tech and things like social media while still keeping his old school nature. There’s also a fun tip of the cap to another crime series when Spenser briefly crosses paths with another fictional detective. Long time fans also know that LA is the spot of one of Spenser’s biggest regrets, and there’s a nicely done acknowledgement of that, too. Another sly Easter egg appeared to be a reference to the upcoming movie.

Through it all we’ve got all the staples of a good Spenser story. Funny banter, good action, descriptions of food guaranteed to make you hungry, and a twisty mystery that Spenser unravels by being a pain in the ass to anyone he comes across who is standing in the way.

Spenser does his private investigator job, solves the mystery and finds the victim. A lot of action along with a lot of jokes.

I am so glad Ace Atkins has continued the Spenser series.It is almostlike reading Robert B PArker. Spwenser and the gang are classics

When it comes to carrying on the legend of the late Robert B. Parker's Spenser, Ace Atkins hit the ground running from the git-go; almost always, I'm impressed with the similarities to the originals and always look forward to the latest installment. In this one, I'd say he's hit it out of the park in that regard.

Here, Spenser goes Hollywood, hired by a friend of his main squeeze, psychologist Susan Silverman, to find her missing daughter. Far from his familiar Boston haunts, Spenser hooks up with former apprentice Zebulon Sixkill, who headed about as far west from Massachusetts as he could to ply the trade he learned from the master.

The girl, Gabrielle Leggett, hasn't spoken with her mother in 10 days, and a search of her trashed apartment raises suspicions of foul play. Spenser and "Z" learn that Gabby had been dating a high-powered movie mogul, who in turn may have ties to a local Armenian mob and/or a shady self-help group with which Gabby has become enamored (willingly or not, that is the question).

None of this bodes well, of course, but despite threats of fates worse than death if they continue to investigate, the coastal private-eye pair keep on digging (with a little help from Chollo, another old friend. There are ups and downs, ins and outs, but in the end, they manage to get to the bottom of things as usual. I was especially happy to see more of Susan, who surprisingly gets personally involved in the investigation. Conspicuous by his absence once again is Spenser's loyal sidekick Hawk - perhaps my only disappointment because I love the guy. That said, he's the only character from Parker's books whose personality and dialogue Atkins never quite nailed down, IMHO, so maybe that's a good thing.

Bottom line? Well-written, intriguing story that serves the series well - so Spenser fans, don't skip this one. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review an advance copy.

Ace Atkin's installment of Robert B. Parker's Spenser (with an "s") series finds Spenser traveling to Los Angeles to look for a missing girl. Hired by her mother, Spenser creates all sorts of havoc in southern California with the help of Zebulon Sixkill... in addition, there are also welcome cameos and assistance by Bobby Horse and Chollo (who now has a successful chullo business!), who work for Victor del Rio. If only Hawk was around. Mr. Atkin's story is tied to recent news events, but the insertion of Spenser and his merry men make it fresh and wonderful. The dialog is fantastic and stays true to Mr. Parker's narrative of these characters. It's a fantastic, fast-paced read, and one that a true Spenser lover will be thrilled to read!.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, in return for a fair and honest review.

I’ve been a fan of the Spenser books ever since the first one, and, on the whole, I’ve been enjoying the Ace Atkins continuation of the series. I wasn’t fond of #46, Robert B. Parker’s Old Black Magic. In this one, however, Ace Atkins is back on track.

First, it was fun to have Spenser reunited with Zebulon Sixkill – I liked his character, and it’s a pleasure to have him involved again (don’t be misled by some of the descriptions of the book – Hawk does not appear in this one). Since this one takes place in Los Angeles, Spenser reunites with some previous allies, who are equally competent and deadly to the bad guys!

Second, while Spenser’s attitude and sarcasm are of course present, they’re not over the top in this one. Enough to be annoying to local police, some local allies, and bad guys, but not enough to make me shout “just stop it and get on with the story!”

Third, after being absent in the previous book, Susan Silverman is back again. The daughter of one of her clients moved to Los Angeles and has now disappeared. Through Susan’s interest, Spenser goes to Los Angeles to try to find the daughter – as always, things are much more complicated than just a missing young woman!

Like any Spenser book, the plot is convoluted – but in this one, it’s enjoyable and it all makes sense, in a Spenser sort of world. Overall, a very good read – if you like the Robert B. Parker books, you’re likely to enjoy this one.

I am a Spenser groupie and stalker. I visit all of the Spenser landmarks every time I go to Boston. Do I have to plan a trip to Los Angeles after this book?

Of course I loved the book, great plot, despite it being reminiscent of many of his cases. Spenser and his endless sarcasm provide a great read. This book centers around the disappearance of a young and beautiful woman, trying to make it in Hollywood. The story incorporates much that is timely; cults, branding, ME TOO.

It reintroduces the possee of supermen who surround him when needed in some of his adventures. Without a doubt, this might not be great literature, but it’s a really great read.

Atkins has done a wonderful job in preserving the essence of Spenser and all the characters that play an important role in his cases.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to cuddle up with my buddy Spenser.

Ace Atkins captures Spenser better then ever before. Robert B Parker himself could have written this book. Also nice to take a break from Boston and Hawk for a book! And Z is back! Also look for a brief cameo by another detective!