When Robert B. Parker passed away in 2010, he left behind a fine legacy of work and a unique collection of characters. Perhaps the most iconic of the bunch is Spenser. Thanks to the diligence of excellent writers like Mike Lupica who have helped keep the series alive, Spenser’s fans continue to enjoy watching him take his act into the present day.

ROBERT B. PARKER’S SHOWDOWN is the latest Spenser novel penned by Lupica. It revolves around an infamous podcaster in Boston who finds out that he may have a son out of wedlock of Guatemalan descent. If this turns out to be true, it will not go over well with Vic Hale, who has built his reputation on yelling about traditional American values that do not include people who look like the young man claiming to be his son --- college student Daniel Lopez from Miami.

"It is a pure delight to watch Mike Lupica not only keep the snarky dialogue of the original Spenser novels, but seamlessly move it forward with present-day storylines. ROBERT B. PARKER’S SHOWDOWN is a shout-out to classic crime noir and is not to be missed."

Spenser is brought into the case by attorney and friend Rita Fiore. Daniel’s mother, Marisol, was recently murdered during a $200 ATM robbery. Once upon a time, Marisol had been Hale’s housekeeper. They had a sexual relationship that led to Daniel’s birth following her relocation to Miami. Daniel is now in Boston due to his connection with Rita, and they reach out to Spenser for his aid in approaching Hale. Hale’s father had been Spenser’s friend and mentor. The hope is that he can lean on this connection to get a face-to-face meeting with Hale.

After getting past his gatekeeping producer, Spenser does meet with Hale, who recalls that his father once saved Spenser’s life. Outside of that, their meeting does not go well. Hale is as difficult to reach in person as he is on his right-wing podcast. He admits to being intimately involved with Marisol but vehemently denies being Daniel’s father --- even though Marisol had a DNA test done, and there is a record of monthly checks sent from Hale to Marisol in Miami after she left his employment. Hale has two bodyguard thugs who attempt to persuade Spenser to drop the matter, first verbally and later physically.

Meanwhile, Daniel is visited in Boston by his own podcaster contact from Miami, Ricardo Baez, who knows the particulars of the case and fully supports Daniel’s platform regarding immigration rights. Baez is not very forthcoming with Spenser, which is unfortunate because Spenser might have been able to prevent his murder. Now, Spenser and Rita must fend off the Boston P.D. while trying to find out who killed Baez. The bigger issue is that Daniel may not be sharing his full intentions, which could put him next in line for a bullet.

It seems too obvious to lay the blame on Hale, especially when he has a former wrestling executive backing his podcast, as well as an investor from Miami who also produced Baez. In typical Spenser fashion, he will continue to dig deeper and get on the wrong side of nearly everyone potentially tied to the case. There is no better man for this job, though, especially considering that Spenser may be the only person able to keep Daniel and Hale from being the next targets on a sinister hit list.

It is a pure delight to watch Mike Lupica not only keep the snarky dialogue of the original Spenser novels, but seamlessly move it forward with present-day storylines. ROBERT B. PARKER’S SHOWDOWN is a shout-out to classic crime noir and is not to be missed.