Rating: 
Summary: Annoying Narrator
Review: I listened to this book, and I regretted that within the first ten minutes. The constant use of "she said" or "he said" for every single line of dialogue almost made me roll down my car windows and scream like a banshee. Not only that, but the story was sexist and contrived and, well, rather stupid. This was the first book I ever picked up by this author, and I can't see buying anymore if this is any indication. Give me James Patterson or Patricia Cornwell for murder mysteries any day.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost made me crazy!
Review: I listened to this book, and I regretted that within the first ten minutes. The constant use of "she said" or "he said" for every single line of dialogue almost made me roll down my car windows and scream like a banshee. Not only that, but the story was sexist and contrived and, well, rather stupid. This was the first book I ever picked up by this author, and I can't see buying anymore if this is any indication. Give me James Patterson or Patricia Cornwell for murder mysteries any day.
Rating: 
Summary: Sunny Randall sure has problems
Review: I love his books and this one is also great. But his character, Sunny Randall, P.I. was getting on my nerves through the whole thing. She is a tramp, a feminist(which means she is seriously confused about who she is or what she wants), has major head problems, and at the same time a goody two shoes. How in the god's name can you sympasize with a character like that? She is everything I despise. Despite all that I enjoyed the book so I'm giving it high marks
Rating: 
Summary: Who ARE these people?
Review: I love the Spenser series and enjoyed the first two Sunnys, so I feel as disappointed by this book as I would be an unfaithful lover. It contains every element that's ever annoyed me about Parker's writing, and made them even more grating! First of all, the characters. Sunny and Spike are in their 30s and listen to WWII era music and quote Fred Allen. I guess Parker is too lazy to even try to include an appropriate pop culture reference. Then there's the savvy author who is selling her book to Hollywood, who knows all about agents and movie stars and making deals. And she is SHOCKED that Spike is gay? Yes, I can see where a woman who lives in a major metropolian area and rubs elbows with show biz types would find gay men exotic and unusual. COME ON! And Sunny and Julie's conversations are always about "deep, important" male/female issues, the way Phil Donahue's TV show was. Could these two talk about the sweater sale at Filene's for a change? Or if they must ruminate about the battle of the sexes ad nauseum, could we bring the dialog out the 1970s at least? Readers of the Spenser series are used to Parker returning again and again to the issues of feminism, therapy and the way the straight world views gays. In this book, he takes the opportunity to bludgeon us with them, and the characters suffer mightily.And then there's the plot. Add me to the list of readers who found it hard to believe that the shrink didn't realize that the Sunny Randall and Sonjia Burke were one in the same. Her disguise did seem about as elaborate as Clark Kent's. Yet I enjoyed FAMILY HONOR and PERISH TWICE enough that, should Parker decide to resurrect Sunny again, I'll try to spend a little more time with her. I just wish he'd work a little harder on what were once his strengths: dialog and plot development. I prefer reading about people I can believe actually live and breathe, and none of this characters remotely came to life.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre at Best
Review: I really cannot recommend Shrink Rap, for a number of reasons. There is not much to the story, the narrative voice is an unconvincing female and the plot gets ridiculous toward the end. The only positive thing I have to say is it is certainly a quick read.
Rating:
Summary: Great characters, tired template
Review: I sat across the table from my alter ego, pen in hand ready to write a review of "Shrink Rap". "I'm afraid Parker's losing it," I said. "Don't you like Sunny Randall?" he said. "Sunny's great," I said. "Then what?" he said. "His books are all the same," I said. Plot, pace, dialogue - just plug in Spenser, Jesse Stone or Sunny, add a dog and a murder or two." "Richie's a great character," he said. "Yeah, and so are Susan and Hawk," I said. "He's the two of them rolled together. You know, the steadying love interest from a different background and the 'I'll take care of it, just don't ask how' guy all in one." "I think the gay friend Spike is more like Hawk," he said. "Wait a minute. Isn't Spike the dog and Milo the gay friend?" I said. "Different writer. He comes out next month," he said. "Oh yeah," I said. "All in all I guess "Shrink Rap" was a pretty good story."
Rating:
Summary: Dissapointed,sadly...
Review: I've been reading Robert Parker since 1987,and this is the first time i was truely dissapointed...Sadly.
There is way too much psychobabble in here for me,obviously
some will disagree.
I found myself falling asleep too easily.It was boring.
I miss the RBP of old,Spenser and Hawk,the good old days.
It's a KINDER GENTLER Robert Parker,where everything is
psycho-analyzed....
It started with Spenser's Susan,now it's gone to other characters.
I hope the Next Spenser or Jesse Stone is better,i don't
want to give up on him..
Maybe he's just mellowing with age..i don't know.
Advice..a little less conversation,a little more action(Elvis).
Rating:
Summary: Parker is coasting
Review: If this was the first book I had read by Robert B.Parker, it would be the last. But I keep reading each as they come out, because if the excellence of his early work. Nobody believes the silly disguise, silly plot in this one. Read it for the usual Parker sparkling dialogue. It is a very short book. Maybe Parker is tired.
Rating:
Summary: Okay if you don't demand a lot of believable detail
Review: If you like Parker, you'll like this book because it is another example of what he does best. Short chapters, stereotyped characters and familiar angst in familiar surroundings. If you are not a Parker fan, it may be difficult to swallow that the heroine can just put on a wig and successfully present herself repeatedly in close quarters to a psychiatrist (whom she has already met several times) as a comletely different person. If you are willing to overlook that particular plot lynchpin, then you're likely to enjoy the book.
Rating:
Summary: One of Parker's best - to a degree
Review: Let me say, first off, that I really like Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. His Jesse Stone books I find a bit uninteresting and dull (though have only read the first one), and I was still undecided about Sunny Randall - that is, until I read this new book, the third in her series. I have read before that one of the reasons Parker created Sunny Randall was for Helen Hunt to play in the film versions - I think Hunt, talented as she is, would be an AWFUL Sunny Randall, but there you are. The point is, I really enjoyed this book very much. Sunny is hired by a flowery romance novelist (who is not as flowery as she may appear to her public) as a bodyguard; seems the novelist is being stalked by her ex-husband, a psychiatrist named John Melvin who constantly shows up at her booksignings, luncheon engagements, etc. - Melanie Joan is terribly afraid of her ex, though each time he shows he never seems to do more than act menacingly and provide some verbal threats that never truly seem to pass. Nevertheless, Melanie Joan is terrified of him, and it's only after delving a bit more into the good doctor's past that Sunny learns of a very different side of the relationship her client and the shrink had - and, perhaps, that Dr. Melvin is now having with his lady patients. The usual gang are here - Spike, Sunny's friend/confidante who may be gay but is her "muscle" when needed; Julie, her best friend and another psychiatrist that sends Sunny to a shrink that might help her to catch Melvin (and maybe even get her own head cleared); Richie, Sunny's own ex-husband that she can't quite get over; and of course, Rosie, Sunny's English bull terrier that figures as prominantly as any human character in the book - and rightly so. But this time, what I liked about the book most, was that we really see more into the character of Sunny Randall. I thought she seemed cool in the two previous novels in this series, but with "Shrink Rap" I really can now say: I LIKE HER. She's tough but vulnerable, together on the outside and sometimes a mess on the inside, very independent yet just learning she also has needs of her own. What starts off as research to catch the sick Dr. Melvin develops into Sunny's getting some therapy of her own, and learning more about herself - maybe, to some extent, more than she wanted to realize. I agree with the reviewer that the disguise aspect was just totally unbelievable - Sunny, in a dark wig, able to continue to fool Dr. Melvin as his newest patient, when he'd already had a few in-person run-ins with her as Sunny Randall -- well, let's just say I kept waiting for Melvin to reveal that he'd known it was her all along. In fact, for me, that's the only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 - that was a HUGELY unbelievable plot point in an otherwise one heck of a good book.
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