Hush Money (1999)
by Robert B. Parker
Number 26 in the series. Yes, I am reading through them all, in order, numbers 27 and 28 coming soon.
Spenser has a tendency to take on pro bono cases. Sometimes I wonder when he’ll actually make enough money to pay for his offices on Boylston and Berkely. But I don’t think that detracts from the story, which was entertaining. The story is driven by characters who apply power and pressure with threats of violence, murder, and sex. Good detective fare, to be sure.
This is the first time (that I can remember) that Hawk has come to Spenser asking for a favor. At first, I wondered why Hawk wouldn’t pay Spenser for his time. But then I thought back on the two dozen books in which Hawk seems to just help out Spenser just for the sake of friendship. It’s about time that Spenser starts to do the same in return.
Hawk’s friend, Prof. Robinson Nevins, claims that he was denied tenure at Harvard because of rumors Nevins had an illicit relationship with a gay graduate student, Prentice Lamont. This student edits a newsletter called OUTrageous, a newsletter in which he “outs” prominent figures as gay. Lamont apparently committed suicide six months ago. There is a B-story, also pro bono, where Spenser helps a friend of Susan’s because she is being stalked. This seemed a bit of a distraction from the main story, rather than adding to it.
When investigating professor Nevins, Spenser discovers other professors who engage in petty politics, and spread misinformation. No doubt characters inspired from Parker’s life in academia. One professor, Amir Abdullah, teaches African American studies, and is a closeted gay. There is also a group of white supremacists who are working against African Americans, gays, and anyone who would ally with them.
In the end, Spenser discovers that the suicide was actually murder. The newsletter was being used for blackmail. The anti-gay, white supremacists was actually sleeping with professor Abdullah. Abdullah was a dark part of Hawk’s past. And professor Nevins, the client from the beginning, wasn’t even gay to begin with, so he couldn’t have had an illicit relationship with the murdered newsletter editor. Spenser spills this all to the tenure committee, and they give Nevin’s his tenure.
All in all, a pretty middle-of-the-road Spenser novel. I like Spenser, so having another in the series to read was good. It wasn’t as good as Sudden Mischief, however.
B.S. Donovan 