You know what you’re getting before you open the book. It helps to be from Boston. You know the characters all the way down to Pearl the Wonder Dog. Reading Parker is like taking a trip home to be with the family, almost like a family reunion. This is so satisfying. (I wish, however, that Parker would stop describing everyone’s clothing. Yes, if you’re from Boston, you can often tell from the descriptions where the clothing was purchased. A little about clothing would be OK with me, but Parker goes overboard.) Anyway, the plots are usually pretty good and are in this book. I love reading Parker. Mysteries, yes, but so soothing. In this book, one departure from the norm. The big guy gets seriously hurt. I have t seen that before in a Parker mystery. Never mind, all comes out well...but of course! The book is fun, and so is the mystery. How satisfying, almost like a bedtime story.