(1999)(audio)His first Sunny Randall novel. This guy can write. Former cop turned Boston PI, Sunny tracks down run-away and then tries to save her from mob-types who want to kill her for knowing too much about a murder ordered by her mother. Sunny has an ugly bull terrier that gets no respect from others. She is an artist and former wife of a man from a mob family.

Synopsis: 'Her name is Sunny Randall, a Boston P.I. and former cop, a college graduate, an aspiring painter, a divorcee, and the owner of a miniature bullterrier named Rosie. Hired by a wealthy family to locate their teenage daughter, Sunny is tested by the parents' preconceived notion of what a detective should be. With the help of underworld contacts she tracks down the runaway Millicent, who has turned to prostitution, rescues her from her pimp, and finds herself, at thirty-four, the unlikely custodian of a difficult teenager when the girl refuses to return to her family.

But Millicent's problems are rooted in much larger crimes than running away, and Sunny, now playing the role of bodyguard, is caught in a shooting war with some very serious mobsters. She turns for help to her ex-husband, Richie, himself the son of a mob family, and to her dearest friend, Spike, a flamboyant and dangerous gay man. Heading this unlikely alliance, Sunny must solve at least one murder, resolve a criminal conspiracy that reaches to the top of state government, and bring Millicent back into functional young womanhood.' From the author's website.

Review: Introduction to the main character, as well as characters who will continue throughout the series. I do like Spike. ( )

First edition as new

A pretty good detective story. Robert Parker came up with the character Sunny Randall toward the end of his career. She is a private detective with lots of baggage: an ex-husband she can't quite let go of, her retired Police Captain Father and more. In a way Sunny Randall is too much like a feminine version of Parker's best character who would be Spencer. No need to give an outline of the plot. It's a good story with suspense and violence. ( )

The great thing about the Spenser novels is the characterization---you begin to feel you know the main characters as real people.

Sunny Randall is just Spenser in drag: same dialog, same attitude, not a fully drawn new character. The story was fun enough, but I would not reread. ( )