Rating: 
Summary: Well-written but pretty standard private eye stuff
Review: I'm a nut for reading series in order, so when I decided to tackle Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels, I started here. Now, I am definitely planning to continue making my way through the series, but if it weren't for Parker's sterling reputation, I don't know that I would have been inspired to pick up Book 2 after reading "The Godwulf Manuscript." For anyone who's read a lot of private eye novels, this is a fairly standard tale of a two-fisted gumshoe who's always drinking, fighting, irresistible to women, etc. Plus it's set against an early '70s backdrop of student rebellion which seems almost quaint now. Nevertheless, I like Spenser's sassy first-person voice, and I've already started "God Save the Child." Onward and upward!
Rating: 
Summary: A rolicking start to a great series
Review: I've read about a half-dozen Spenser novels, not in order, and finally decided to go through them chronolgically. This is the first, and it marks the birth of the original wiseass, Spenser.Reading these books, one realizes that the plot itself doesn't count as much as the character of Spenser. Wiseass, smart-aleck, and sometimes efficient detective, he is fun and it's always a pleasure to read these novels. But this one doesn't deserve 5 stars, if only because the nascent character hasn't yet ripened. Read on for more stories about Spenser, as Parker develops him and creates a real character.
Rating: 
Summary: A smart, sexy, and strong character...
Review: If you have not yet begun your own Spenser adventure, you're in for a real treat. Robert Parker has created a delightfully brilliant character in Spenser. He is a renaissance man - a great cook, philosopher, and a fighter. He is a "lone wolf", but with a deeper sense of humanity than most people posess. A good reminder that doing the right thing isn't always as compicated as it seems. If you are familiar with Boston, the trip is all the more familiar and realistic. Buy, read, and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Engaging
Review: My first attempt at reading the Spenser series was a rewarding one. Quick and to the point the author is, the main character is a little over the top, but I got used to him quickly. This is a great read for a rainy day.
Rating:
Summary: Short, Simple and Fun
Review: No complaints here. Nothing real substantial just a good fun read. Well the nostalgia is substantial and there is plenty of humor and interesting lines. Like watching old 'Perry Mason' reruns or, I suppose although don't remember seeing any, 'Spenser for Hire' episodes. That and I just can't help but like this author. A classic! I'll keep this short because there are thirty more to come..
Rating:
Summary: Short, Simple and Fun
Review: No complaints here. Nothing real substantial just a good fun read. Well the nostalgia is substantial and there is plenty of humor and interesting lines. Like watching old 'Perry Mason' reruns or, I suppose although don't remember seeing any, 'Spenser for Hire' episodes. That and I just can't help but like this author. A classic! I'll keep this short because there are thirty more to come..
Rating:
Summary: Parker's maiden voyage worth a second read
Review: Parker's cut his teeth on this, his first Spenser novel. The 1973 setting is fun to read about. The book describes a Boston that was filled with The Friends of Eddie Coyle, long-haired radical college students, hard-nosed cops, and an ideologically twisted college professor. It is enjojable to see the influence of Raymond Chandler in the dialogue.
Rating:
Summary: The First Spencer Novel
Review: Robert B. Parker's first Spencer novel, The Godwulf Manuscript is a fun and sometimes addictive read of thievery and murder. While not high literature, this book is a classic in its own right, written in 1973, where Spencer became the typical cardboard cutout detective that we see in many B-movies. Witty and sarcastic, and many times flattened emotions to send the "I am not amused" lines of dialogue. While today this might seem blah to some readers, if read with the idea that this is the first of its kind in the back of your mind, it may be more appreciated. Aside from this, the story is well told in the simplest way without getting fancy. This series went on to some 12 novels and a TV series, 'Spencer for Hire.'For a fun quick read, those who enjoy mystery will enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: A breezy read
Review: The first Spenser novel has some flaws. Do we really need to know the exact route Spenser takes every time he drives somewhere? And what is the Ceremony of Moloch doing in the story? Weird. However, Robert B. Parker kept me turning pages with his witty dialogue and portrayal of Spenser, the brash, smart-mouthed private eye with poetry in his soul. Much of the fun of this novel comes from seeing Spenser stumble into some strange goings-on while trying desperately to stay one step ahead of the crooks. I love how Spenser always parks illegally! That was a nice touch. Overall, an enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: Doing what is feasible and prudent
Review: The university president sought the return of a manuscript that had survived the pillage of church property under Henry VIII. A group was trying to extort money from the university for its safe return. Spenser arranges to see the secretary of a radical students' organization by running into her, Terry Orchard, after class. She denies her organization is trying to ransom the manuscript. Spenser is reminded by someone that on a college campus he is on the other side.
Much later that evening Terry calls Spenser for help. (Around ten years before the writing of this book I spent some time in the same environs. It interested me to note how coarsened things had become and how BU under Silberman's presidency was undoubtedly cleaned up.) There is a homicide and Spenser instructs Terry not to speak until her lawyer is available. Spenser used to work out of the Suffolk Co. D.A.'s office. In West Newton, as elsewhere, status ascends as the hill rises. A nice touch is a novel by Joyce Carol Oates at Terry Orchard's house.
This story runs forward without Susan and Hawk. Apparently Robert Parker introduced them as characters later. Spenser is directed to an English professor who taught a course entitled the Rhetoric of Revolution. Spenser works out at the Boston YMCA. A PI investigating a professor, Lowell Hayden, would be a problem for the university. Terry flees her home and her mother believes she is staying with a group in Cambridge. Spenser enters an apartment in a neighborhood of triple deckers and keeps her out of harm's way.
The story moves swiftly and surely as the professor hides his involvement in radical group politics and drug dealing.
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