Masters of Thriller Writing--- Robert Parker

 

Sir Lancelot and others of his ilk, it is said, travelled on their prancing steeds and in their glittering armour all alone in search of evil dragons to slay and fair maidens to rescue. It came to pass, however, that over time brave knights seeking adventure, and of course fair maidens, felt the need of a travelling companion, assistant and lackey to do the hard work and while away the time between dragon-slaughter-and-maiden-rescue missions. Thus, were conjured up the Sancho Panzas’ to the itinerant Don Quixotes’ in the world of derring- do and high adventure.

Lackeys, however, tend to get boring; and so, creative writers like Alexander Dumas put together a group of pals who would adventure together -- drinking, wenching and politicking -- with both morals and armour (if they wore any) a trifle tarnished. The dragons became powerful, greedy men and if the fair maidens were not quite maidenly any more, they were nonetheless beautiful and often grateful for services rendered.

In modern times, some superb thriller writers have elaborated on this ‘pals paradigm’ and written some wholly absorbing accounts of principal protagonist and pal sallying out into the bad, bad world, righting wrongs and bashing the bad guys.

One such thriller writer was Robert Parker (1932-2010)

If a writer can create a character or two whom every reader ‘likes’ -- is impressed by and half in love with -- then she has got it made; success and a large readership is assured.

Parker has succeeded in doing so in forty odd novels featuring a private dick named Spencer and his pal, Hawk.

Spencer is big and tough -- which is more than just being strong -- and white, while Hawk is big and very tough and black. And, together, they are the scourge of bad guys in and around Boston. They do, of course, go out of town occasionally, sometimes all the way to California too, when crime calls, but they are Boston based.

The two met when they were young and trying to make a living as professional boxers. Spencer then became a cop, got fired for insubordination and moved into the private eye business. He does not have a college degree but reads serious books about culture and sociology and other such stuff and finds a long-term monogamous partner in Susan, a psychiatrist with a Harvard PhD. Hawk, on the other hand is a shadowy ‘enforcer’ in the underworld -- details not given -- plays the field and also reads serious books on Race and stuff. We, however, see him only when he and Spencer are working together on some case. The nature of the cases they deal with varies significantly, and the storytelling is always gripping and great fun. Even the occasional ‘love-relationship-commitment’ sermons, thankfully always brief, are executed skillfully and with finesse.

In addition to the Spencer series, Parker wrote a few other novels and one reads them more out of a sense of loyalty than interest, but one still reads them.

If you are just starting on Robert Parker, pick up a Spencer and you are guaranteed paisa-vasool and a hugely entertaining time.

Happy reading.