God Save The Child is the second book in Robert B. Parker's Spenser series and first published in 1974. In this tale, Spenser is hired to find Kevin Bartlett, a missing 15-year-old boy, by the child's parents. This novel introduces the detective's longtime love interest, Susan Silverman, and his friend Lieutenant Healy.
At first, no one is sure whether Kevin was abducted or ran away. Eventually, however, a ransom note appears, demanding USD $50,000 for his return. His well-to-do parents pay it, but do not get their son back in spite of a stakeout of the drop site.
Kevin's mother, Margery Bartlett, receives a death threat on the phone. Spenser takes on bodyguard duty instead of looking for Kevin. While Margery is shopping with Spenser's protection, the Bartlett's lawyer is found murdered in their residence. He was struck with a blunt object, breaking his neck.
Spenser checks out a steamer trunk that Kevin kept locked. In it, Spenser found magazines and pictures of a bodybuilder named Vic Harroway whom Kevin apparently admires. Spenser eventually finds Harroway's backwoods hideaway and observes Vic with Kevin, who is apparently with him on his own free will and not as a kidnap victim. Spenser eventually traces them to Boston, and a private apartment of Harroway, where he and Kevin have set up residence. He also witnesses Harroway making an exchange of cash for a briefcase from Dr. Croft, the Bartlett's family physician. Spenser uses this knowledge to leverage Croft into giving the details of the arrangement he has with Harroway for prostitution and drugs. He also reveals that they had a silent partner. To avoid having Croft tip off Harroway that they were closing in on him, he arranges with Lt. Healy to have Croft held until Harroway is captured and Kevin returned safely.
Spenser brings Kevin's parents to Boston to help retrieve him, no easy task since he is with Harroway by choice. Kevin believes Harroway is unbeatable, almost superhuman, and chooses to stay with him even after Harroway has beaten his parents in front of Kevin. Spenser, drawing on his experience as a professional boxer, fights Harroway, beats him, and proves to Kevin that Harroway can be beaten after all. Kevin returns to his parents and Harroway is arrested for murder. (He killed the Bartlett's lawyer when he and Kevin returned to his home to collect some personal items. The lawyer surprised them and Harroway killed him.)
Spenser goes to get Croft and discovers that he has been left in the local jail with Chief Trask, the inept head of local law enforcement where the Bartletts live. Spenser has a bad feeling about it and his worst fears are confirmed when he finds Croft dead in his cell. His suspicions are confirmed: Trask is the silent partner. Trask offers Spenser a cut of the take on the prostitution and drug money. Trask pulls a gun and Spenser disarms him. Spenser lets him know that he will call Lt. Healy with all the details and the book ends with Spenser telling him, "Start running..."
Spenser is a fictional private investigator created by the American mystery writer Robert B. Parker. He acts as the protagonist of a series of detective novels written by Parker and later continued by Ace Atkins. His first appearance was in the 1973 novel The Godwulf Manuscript. He is also featured in the 1980s television series Spenser: For Hire and a related series of TV movies based on the novels. In March 2020 he was featured in the Netflix thriller film Spenser Confidential.
Crimson Joy is the 15th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker.
Paper Doll is the 20th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. The story follows the Boston-based PI Spenser as he tries to solve the apparently random killing of the well-regarded wife of a local businessman.
Mortal Stakes is the third Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker, first published in 1975. The story centers on the Boston private eye being hired by the Red Sox to find out if their lead pitcher, Marty Rabb, is on the take. The investigation quickly takes him into a deeper, and more dangerous, blackmail plot involving pimps, a high class madam, and a vicious shylock.
Small Vices is the 24th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker.
School Days (2005) is a work of detective fiction by American author Robert B. Parker, the 33rd in his acclaimed Spenser series.
Potshot is the 28th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. The story follows the fictional Boston-based PI Spenser as he tries to identify the killer of a widow's husband. As is often the case, Spenser's probing uncovers much more than just a simple—or single—murder.
Bad Business is a detective novel by Robert B. Parker first published in 2004. It features Parker's most famous creation, Boston-based private investigator Spenser, and is the 31st novel in the series. In this novel, Spenser is hired by a wealthy woman to gather evidence on her husband's infidelity. Soon, due to Spenser's investigation, homicides start occurring.
The Judas Goat is the fifth Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker, first published in 1978.
Ceremony is the ninth Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker, first published in 1982. It is the first of three Spenser novels involving the character April Kyle, who returns in Taming a Sea-Horse and Hundred-Dollar Baby. Kyle is a 16-year-old girl who has run away from home and, apparently, turned to prostitution.
Looking for Rachel Wallace is the sixth Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker, first published in 1980.
Chasing the Bear: A Young Spenser Novel is a 2009 novel by Robert B. Parker. Though set in present day, it is a prequel to Parker's venerable Spenser series of novels. Unlike the rest of the Spenser series, Chasing the Bear is a young adult novel and not strictly detective fiction.
A Catskill Eagle is the 12th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker, first published in 1985. The title comes from a quote from Herman Melville.
Double Deuce is a 1992 novel by American writer Robert B. Parker, the 19th book featuring the private investigator Spenser. The story follows Boston-based Spenser as he and his friend Hawk butt heads against a street gang while attempting to unravel the murder of a teenage mother and her young daughter.
Pastime is the 18th Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. The story follows Boston-based PI Spenser as he attempts to find a man's missing mother.
Split Image is a crime novel by Robert B. Parker, the ninth and final novel in his Jesse Stone series. It was published a month after his death.
Walking Shadow is the 21st Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker.
Thin Air is the 22nd Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. The story follows Boston-based PI Spenser as he searches for the wife of his longtime associate, Sgt. Frank Belson of the Boston Police Department.
Joe Mantegna portrayed Robert B. Parker's detective "Spenser" in three TV films on the A&E cable network between 1999 and 2001.
A Savage Place is a detective fiction novel by American writer Robert B. Parker, the 8th book in the Spenser series.