Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I love Boston, love Spenser, love Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall is growing on me! I loved "Blood Feud" and I enjoyed "Grudge Match". One thing I really like is how the characters pop in and out between the series. I wish I had read the Sunny Randall series from the beginning, I just may have to go back and begin!!

Robert B Parker's books, all of them, are well loved by crime genre readers everywhere. Each series has their die hard fans and each ranks #1 to different fans, but his books are must reads for many, many readers. There are few TBR piles that do not include a Robert B Parker book.
Sunny Randall is a mix of contradictions, as are her Spenser and Stone counterparts. She is an intelligent woman who uses her brain, as well as her connections, to solve crimes and save victims.
An absolute pleasure to read!

Grudge Match is the 8th book in the Sunny Randall series begun by Robert B. Parker, and continued posthumously by other authors (Mike Lupica in this instance). Released 5th May 2020 by Penguin on their G. P. Putnam's Sons imprint, it's available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

Of Parker's three perennial related/spinoff series (Spenser, Stone, and Randall), Sunny Randall was always in third place for me. Parker was such a gifted writer, brilliant (or nearly so) at all aspects of the art and craft of storytelling, that I never missed an opportunity to read (and re-read) his books. I still revisit them. The authors who are writing the posthumously released books are all worthy of the collaboration. I'm a keen reader for pleasure, not a literary professional by any means, but I can't easily tell what's cobbled together from Parker's notes and partially finished manuscripts and what (or if all of it) is completely new.

In fact, this episode is probably my favorite in the Sunny Randall series thus far. It's tightly plotted, engaging, and really well written. It's just a solidly entertaining book. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of Dr. Susan Silverman in this one (she's Sunny's therapist) and as always, she's the Greek chorus of the play and a logical counterpoint to Sunny's full-steam-ahead bravado (called "balls" for atmospheric purposes in the narrative).

This would make a perfect summer read (although it's set in January). It's too cold to read about January in Boston during the wintertime.

Five stars, a worthy addition to the series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Sunny Randall is up in my Top 10 of female detectives so I was very pleased to be granted a review copy of this latest release. This actually turned out to be a quick read from me because I just couldn't put it down. Sunny's got a bad history with Tony Marcus but now he needs her help and is willing to let bygones be bygones, or so he says. While Sunny is looking for his missing girlfriend, the competition is trying to move in on Tony and is not afraid of using Sunny as a part of their takeover attempt. Then she is suddenly confronted with the re-appearance of her ex-husband's son in their lives.

There are a lot of moving parts in this story but the author expertly wove them together into a story that keeps you guessing. Sunny is brash and ballsy on the job, but finds herself getting more and more wrapped up with the little boy. I love that these stories are set in Boston, a city I have visited but don't really have a good knowledge of. A lot of the enjoyment for me in reading is getting to visit places I don't know much about. Sunny is a character that has developed over the course of the series into a tough and loyal detective, with a enough of a feminine side to be relatable for us ordinary folk. As for the mob guys, well, I like the uniqueness of their characters but as people I wouldn't want to get anywhere near them. That Sunny can hold her own in their presence amazes me.

I am recommending this book because I really enjoy the writing and pacing of the story, I love the character of Sunny, and the location is on that intrigues me. If you haven't discovered Sunny Randall yet that you need to, plain and simple.

Robert B. Parker’s GRUDGE MATCH: A Sunny Randall Novel
Mike Lupica
G.P. Putnam and Sons
ISBN
Hardcover
Thriller/Mystery

I will confess that of Robert B. Parker’s three creations in the contemporary world I was slowest to embrace Sunny Randall. I did get there eventually. In somewhat similar manner though for different reasons it took the powers that be some time to find a suitable author to continue the Randall series following Parker’s unfortunate and unexpected demise. That said, the choice of Mike Lupica to take over the canon is demonstrably a perfect one. I found new dimensions to Randall in BLOOD FEUD, Lupica’s first effort for the series. Lupica’s efforts on GRUDGE MATCH, his sophomore take on Parker’s character, takes Randall to new heights.

GRUDGE MATCH in its way picks up where BLOOD FEUD left off. Randall in BLOOD FEUD had enlisted the aid of Boston crime kingpin Tony Marcus in a quid pro quo arrangement which she later reneged upon in a manner of sorts. It accordingly is somewhat surprising that Marcus at the commencement of GRUDGE MATCH retains Randall in her professional capacity as a private investigator. Marcus is at loose ends. A woman named Lisa Morneau who is Marcus’s professional and personal partner has disappeared. Marcus has his reasons to suspect that Morneau has jumped the fence and gone over to Gabriel Jabari, an up-and-comer in the Boston area crime hierarchy who has made no secret of the fact that he wants to overthrow Marcus and take his place. Jabari gleefully denies any knowledge of were Morneau might have disappeared to but his denial does little more than antagonize rather than reassure Marcus. Randall utilizes her contacts in law enforcement, including a police chief of a certain Boston suburb who is very well-known to fans of Parker’s novels. Sunny also has some interesting things happening in her personal life. Richie Burke, Sunny’s ex-husband, suddenly finds himself with custody of his young son and broaches the idea of Sunny filling in for Ritchie’s ex-wife as far as a maternal role is concerned. Sunny, as one might expect, has mixed emotions about that, as she does for the sudden and unsettling attraction she is feeling for an enigmatic law enforcement officer who has steadily interjected himself into Sunny’s hunt for the missing Lisa Morneau. Sunny ultimately locates Morneau --- it might be more accurate to say that it is Morneau who surfaces and locates Sunny --- but her appearance is a puzzling one and ultimately causes more problems than it resolves. It appears that Morneau’s resurfacing, and what occurs afterward, is going to put Boston’s criminal organizations on the brink of war. Some twists, turns and unexpected alliances occur before GRUDGE MATCH reaches its conclusion, but they may not be enough to save the city.

Lupica works a special magic with the Randall series, one which will appeal not only to its many veteran fans but also to those who are unfamiliar with the character or who, like Randall herself before Lupica took the reins, have been away for a bit. Regardless of how you might regard Lupica’s other work, his magic on this series in general and GRUDGE MATCH in particular will make a believer out of you. Recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2020, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Sunny Randall books were far less developed by Robert B. Parker before his death, and I think that's an advantage for Mike Lupica. I, at least, had no real preconceptions about her, so have been able to approach this and the previous entry in the series written by Lupica on its own. Once again, we have numerous references to other Robert B. Parker characters, particularly Susan Silverman (Sunny Randall's therapist) and Jesse Stone.

The problem I had with the previous book, Robert B. Parker's Blood Feud, has diminished - I really disliked the difficulty that Lupica seemed to have with portraying a strong woman, bouncing back and forth between characterizing her as "having balls" and then portraying her as obsessing over her clothing and appearance. There's still a bit of that in this book, but it seems to have been toned down. Perhaps Lupica is just becoming more comfortable with her as a character, and thus as a person who has multiple facets. I still wish, though, that he could find another way of characterizing a strong woman - really, does it all have to involve male genitalia?

In some ways, the plot is almost secondary to the developments in her life. Richie's ex-wife is back in town, along with their child, and this is necessarily going to complicate her relationship with him. And there are hints that maybe a new relationship is in the works.

This is an entertaining read. No huge surprises in the plot, although there are interesting line drawing issues - how bad do the bad guys have to be to rule out working with them? Basically, though, it's best just to let the plot roll and enjoy an entertaining read without worry too much about philosophical issues.

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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As I said last year when Lupica debuted his continuation of the Sunny Randall books with Blood Feud , I've had a complicated relationship with Sunny and was ambivalent with the series re-starting. However, I enjoyed Blood Feud (although comments on my post said I came across as lukewarm, I didn't mean to) and really thought that Lupica had a good take on the character.

Thankfully, we don't have a sophomore slump here, I think Lupica's feeling more comfortable in these shoes and delivered something a little more ambitious. Tony Marcus begins this book by describing the best way to hold a grudge—and then goes on to point out all the reasons Sunny has recently given him to hold one against her. If nothing else is clear from this, you do not want Marcus harboring anything for you. He does this just to impress upon Sunny that his offer of employment is something she should strongly consider.

Tony's lover, confidante, right hand, and former employee has left him. Without warning, without notice—and Tony wants her back. He's not that concerned for her safety, he's a little concerned that she defected to some new competition for his turf, but mostly he just wants to know what happened and how he can win her back. Sunny (and this reader) is fairly convinced by Marcus—she doesn't think Marcus wants to hurt her, he just wants her back. Sunny hems and haws, but agrees to take on the case—for her own safety and because she's able to convince herself that she's actually working for Lisa Morneau, not Marcus.

This puts her on a path to explore the world of prostitution in Boston—this isn't the first time Sunny's done something like this, but this time she's working for Marcus, which opens a few more doors. She meets with Lisa's closest friend, someone she helped get out of the life, as well as former colleagues. Sunny also has several run-ins with Marcus's new competitor, who seems like he's wanting to start a war with him.

At some point, the trail leads to Paradise—leading to Sunny meeting up with Jesse Stone. The two banter and flirt a bit, and Jesse offers some help on the Paradise front. It was nice to see them together again (I've often thought the best use of the Sunny character was as Stone's associate).

Now, it's not long before the search for Lisa results in murder—and Lisa herself is frightened, sure that she's next. Which drives Sunny to start to look into why would someone want to threaten her. What does Lisa know that makes her dangerous? And can Sunny use this knowledge to save Lisa and prevent the gang war on the verge of erupting?

While that's going on Richie's (other) ex-wife moves back to Boston with their son, Richard, and now wants Richie to play the role in Richard's life that she'd previously blocked him from. Richie responds as any father worthy of the title would—he's overjoyed and turns his life upside down to accommodate that without a second thought. Sunny recognizes that this is the way he should react, but can't quite get on board with it herself in the same way—for a combination of reasons, some petty, some understandable (maybe some fit under both columns). It's a dicey story for all characters involved and Lupica deals with it well.

Lupica goes out of his way to make sure it's obvious that this takes place in the Parker-verse outside of Paradise. Of course, Sunny sees her therapist, Susan Silverman; Sunny consults Lee Farrell a few times (nice to see him again) and they talk about Frank Belson once or twice (the new captain, too); Vinne Morris pops in briefly; there's a mention of Patricia Utley, and something Tony Marcus says places this at the same time as Angel Eyes . That's nice and pretty fun, but he's almost name-dropping enough to make him seem desperate to prove his legitimacy as a Parker fan. "No, really, I'm qualified to write these books, let me show you how familiar I am with all the series." I think Atkins came close to this in his first two Spenser books, Coleman in his first Jesse Stone, so it's not unique to Lupica. Also, he doesn't get to the point of desperation, but he's close—if he can just dial that back a bit now, he's proved himself.

Feel free to skip this paragraph, I dance right down the border of The Spoiler Zone (and might put a couple of toes into it). My gut reaction to the way things were left with the Richie/Richard storyline is pretty negative. It's hard to get into without spoiling things, but...Richie reacted irrationally to things given his family and who he knows Sunny is, and Sunny took the easy way out with things (Susan Silverman would not approve—if she let herself approve/disapprove of Sunny's actions). Now, this doesn't mean that Lupica fell down in the writing—he's actually writing the characters the way they were created, flaws and all. I'd like to see some growth in the characters and we didn't get that yet—but that could be because he's setting things up for future books. Or, he could be letting these two stagnate where they are (see Parker's treatment of Stone in the later books).

Sunny has a good deal of internal discussion about how she's finding herself in the situations she's facing because of decisions men have reached, and not herself—she's reacting too much to men's choices. She resolves not to be the threatened, but to be the one threatening. I think there's a lot of merit to these lines of thinking—but she seems to go through this (or something pretty close to it) in every book (by Lupica or Parker). At some point, it'd be nice to see her move past this—or add some nuance or wisdom to this consideration.

Lupica keeps things moving throughout—even when Sunny's investigation starts going in circles, the plot keeps going. He writes confidently and with just enough flair to make this fit in the Parker-verse. There's a joke or two that he returns to too often, but it feels in-character for Sunny's narration to do that, so I'm not complaining.

The last line...I'm not going to say anything about it, but I could fill an entire post with what I like about it, what it makes me fear, and how I should've seen it as inevitable. But... I'm not going to say anything about it because I don't play that way. Feel free to talk about it in the comments after the book comes out, though.

So, I have a lot to say about this, it turns out—but it boils down to this: Grudge Match was a fast, easy read—the plot and the prose were as smooth as you could want. Lupica has captured the voice of the Sunny Randall books and has made it his own. While I was bothered by a couple of the character beats toward the end—they didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. If you're a Sunny fan, you'll be entertained. This actually would work as a pretty decent entry point to the series, too—it's pretty accessible (including the ongoing arcs, Lupica makes sure that people who are new to the series or haven't read them since the last Parker in '07 have enough information to tap into them).

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Putnam Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

goons did) to take the case of a missing woman. Tony helped Sunny on a case involving her boyfriend Richie’s (her ex-husband, but they are back together) father with her promising him a supply of guns. He didn’t get the guns (she made sure of that) and now he says that he has a “grudge” against her and it is payback time. Sunny will try to locate the woman more on the woman’s behalf than Tony’s. While Sunny is investigating, Richie’s ex-wife returns to town and other than Richie being able to see his son, this complicates an already complicated situation. Mr. Lupica is able to bring us the return of Sunny Randall in a way that I believe the original author, Robert B. Parker, would have approved. Snappy dialog, humor and a complex mystery that will keep you entertained and guessing until the very end. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Everything I enjoy in a thriller. Interesting and twisty plot with every character having his/her specific personality and motivations. I found every character likable in some way including the bad guys. The only one I didn't care for goes bye bye with the last sentence a perfect ending
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc

In the eighth installment of the Sunny Randall series (and the second by Mike Lupica, who took over the series' writing duties after Robert B. Parker's death), not only do we get to reconnect with Sunny and her cohorts, we also get to revisit many of the characters from the various Parker series, including Jesse Stone, Susan Silverman, and Ty Bop. In the previous book, Sunny and her ex-husband Richie were in a very good spot in their relationship, but now cracks are beginning to appear in the facade, thanks to Richie's ex-wife and their son. Meanwhile, Tony Marcus, a gangster who will be familiar to readers of Parker's Spenser series, has approached Sunny about finding his missing girlfriend. Marcus and Sunny have a history, and she sees this as an opportunity to clear the air between them. So, against the advice of others, she takes on the case.

The search for the missing girlfriend takes Sunny to Paradise, where she reconnects with her previous lover, Jesse Stone. I had forgotten that Sunny and Jesse were once romantically involved. And there are hints that they may have some unfinished business between them.

As usual, Sunny has some nefarious confrontations with the mob and other sundry characters. But she's never in so much danger that she doesn't have a wisecrack ready. Like Parker's other crime fighting protagonists, she's calm and cool under pressure--perhaps too much so. But the characters' wit is the reason I read these books. While this wasn't my favorite entry in the series, I did enjoy catching up with Sunny and the rest of the gang, and I'll almost certainly read the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sunny Randall lives a pretty good life. She rakes in a comfortable living as a Private Investigator, has a sweet deal on a great condo in one of Boston's best neighborhoods, her best friend Jesse is at her beck and call for all her needs (almost) and she's in love and a good place with her ex-husband Richie, who returns her affection. That is until local mobster Tony Marcus decides to call in his marker on a favor when his girlfriend and business manager goes missing. Feeling pressured to accept this job based on past actions, Sunny gives this missing person job her all in spite of protests from everyone around her. The search isn't made any easier when her informants keep turning up dead, she's short on leads, has a local cop dogging her for info and cooperation. And Oh! her ex-husband's 2nd wife shows up from London with son in tow just when she and Richie had settled into a good groove.

Sunny is a fearless broad who successfully competes with the big and the bad guys with her smarts, wit and spunk. The dialogue crackles, the plot isn't simplistic, is just gritty enought and the author Mike Lupica, a Boston native, captures the spirit of Robert Parker's dialogue and settings seamlessly. I came into this series in the middle, but plant to add it to my regular reading and start from the beginning.

Of the Parker series featuring Spenser, Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall, the beautiful blonde private eye has for the most part ranked third in my preference order (not that she's very far behind, mind you). But if this book is any example, she just may have edged into second place (no one will ever knock Spenser out of the top spot, even if most of the post-Parker books haven't been exactly standouts in my book).

This one - the eighth in the Sunny Randall series - begins as long-time gangster Tony Marcus asks Sunny - who helped him with an earlier project and then pretty much double-crossed him - to find the woman he claims to be in love with. She suddenly up and left, and he's missing her terribly and wants to know why she took off. Perhaps more to the point, he wants to know that she hasn't hooked up with the enemy; after all, he gave her access to details about his business (which these days is heavy on prostitution) that could bring him down if it got to the hands of a rival - one like Gabriel Jabari.

Meanwhile, Sunny's personal life is stressing her out. Her ex-husband, Richie (now her boyfriend again), had a son by his former wife Kathryn, who moved far away with the boy. Now they're back in Boston, and she wants her son to get to know Richie. Although Sunny knows Richie no longer has feelings for Kathryn - and she and the boy hit it off well - she's understandably nervous about how the situation will play out.

One thing is very clear, though - no one except Sunny wants her to get involved with Marcus again. But he's promised that finding his missing lover will even the score between them (and besides, Sunny is curious about what she's like and what she knows). So against all advice, she sets out to find the former hooker.

Needless to say, doing so puts her on a path toward personal danger; clearly, someone doesn't want the woman to be found. It also puts her on the path to the small town of Paradise, where she meets up with a former lover and police chief who's familiar to readers of other Parker books - none other than Jesse Stone. While I'm on the familiarity kick, it's nice to see Spenser's main squeeze, Dr. Susan Silverman, make a couple of appearances here as Sunny's therapist.

All I'll say from this point on is that some things work out well and others not so well - and there's a hint of what might be in store in the next edition. I enjoyed this one thoroughly, and I'm more eager than ever to get my hands on more. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this one.

I still love Sunny Randall and Mike Lupica does a great job of letting her live on. Sunny is in her usual trouble and this time working for an old nemesis. Makes you want to read all night

I have been a huge Robert Parker fan for close to 30 years from his books to the original Spenser series. Since his death, several authors have taken over writing/continuing his series. The Sunny Randall has always been one of my favorites and Mike Lupica has done a fantastic job continuing in the true spirit/style of Robert Parker. This latest installment was great! From beginning to end, it was truly enjoyable and well-written in Parker style. Witty and sarcastic, this Sunny Randall has it all! I can’t wait to see what happens next,

Definitely recommend reading in order to truly understand the characters relationships, personalities and quirks.
Thanks #netgalley and #penguingroupputnam for the eArc.

Grudge match is book 8 in the Sunny Randall series. This was an arc review for me and I think I would’ve liked it a bit better if I had started with the first book of the series instead of in the middle. I feel like I’m missing some of the nuances by not having read the previous novels. The story takes place in Boston and the author goes into great detail about streets and landmarks in Boston. I’ve never been to Boston so I felt a little lost in the details. I did enjoy the outline of the story about the detective being caught between two crime bosses and trying to figure out who’s the real killer. Overall the story was satisfactory but I really wasn’t invested in any of the characters. Again, I might have felt different if I had started the series at the beginning.

With apologies (and a close second) to Spenser and Hawk, Sunny Randall is my favorite character developed by Robert B. Parker. In Grunge Match, Mike Lupica keeps Sunny's strong spirit intact as she looks for a missing woman with the help of the ever-fabulous Spike. Her relationship with Richie is always complicated, and Rosie usually steals the show. With a solid mystery and Boston history, Grunge Match is an excellent addition to the Sunny Randall Series. With cameos from some of Parker's other characters *even Vinnie Morris!), this is a fantastic read! I hope Mr. Lupica keeps Sunny (Spike, Rosie, Richie and more) running through the streets of Boston.

Beloved Parker’s creation lives on through Mike Lupica as PI sonny Randell. A short crime noir in Parker’s style that is fun to page turn. Highly recommended for the joy of reading.

It's always a good day when there's a new "Robert Parker" mystery. Kudos to Mike Lupica for giving us another story with Parker's trademark laconic wit, style, and encyclopedic knowledge of Boston. I enjoyed the wise-cracking dialogue, Sunny's approach to detection ("When in doubt follow someone. Or annoy someone"), and the new complexities in her personal life. Unfortunately, the story itself seemed awkward. The madam girlfriend of a powerful pimp has vanished, and the pimp wants Sunny to find her. The actions of the victim did not seem consistent with the way her character was described, so the subsequent events seemed forced. Sunny takes the case because she wants to learn about the girlfriend - a woman who gained a modicum of power in a world of brutal men. That promise was not realized. The pimps are the far more vivid and nuanced characters.

Still. It's a "Parker" mystery, and it's a good day.

I’m glad Mike Lupica is continuing the story of Sunny Randall. She’s a female wise-cracking, never give up, can’t be threatened PI, just like Spenser. Lupicas given the characters a new depth, and it’s fun he includes the same people from Spenser books.
In this installment Sunny has been hired by Tony Marcus to find a missing woman from his organization. Along with best friend Spike, and help from some Boston police, she finds herself embroiled in more danger than she imagined. Richie’s ex wife is back from England along with their 6 year old son, and Sunny is trying to get used to the idea 2 have now become 3, as Richie once again gets to be with his boy.
The plot was interesting, and I couldn’t figure out who the killer was which is always a plus. My only complaint is I didn’t at all like how Lupica leaves Sonny’s love life.

Some days I really need a great read, today being forced to stay inside because of the Covid-19 pandemic, was one of them! What a stroke of good luck that I had this book to read. As a long time Robert Parker fan I’ve read every Sunny Randall novel, and enjoyed them. Amazingly since Mike Lupica took over writing them, none of the luster has been lost.

In this intricately plotted story, loyal Parker fans get to glimpse lots of our favorite villains and heroes. I must say that seeing Sunny stubbornly solve a case involving one of the worst of the Boston’s bad guys, (who actually hired her) was really a great read.

Another plot point was the appearance of Richie’s son and how she will handle this development. Despite the fact that Richie is the great love of her life, there are endless conflicts.

The bottom line is, if you’re a Robert Parker fan, you will really enjoy this one.

Thank you Netgalley for helping me get through a difficult day with this ARC.