I have not read a Spenser novel in over a year. Atkins once again does right by Parker's characters, and in some ways does a better job of story development than Parker did. Familiar characters show up and do what they do best, and if you've read any Spenser books, you can probably guess to whom I refer. I do wish there was more action. It seemed a little light on the usual ass kicking, and the ending felt rushed.