A Catskill Eagle, Audio Edition

A Catskill Eagle (1985/1986) Robert B Parker narrated by Michael Prichard

And this is the book where I come to dislike Susan Silverman.

First things first, Spenser is still admitting to having served in Korea in this book.

Now I got that out of the way, this is not my first time with this story, but I still don’t understand Susan and hate how she behaves.

Let’s lay it all out, shall we?

She isn’t being held prisoner. She just… doesn’t leave.

“I couldn’t leave him but I tried to distance the relationship as a start.”

I got up and came around the counter and got some more coffee.

“And Russell knew at once what I was doing and he … he hung on tighter. He put a wiretap on my phone. He had some people watch me. He wouldn’t let me come to New York last winter to watch Paul perform.”

“How’d he stop you,” I said.

Susan greased the inside of a loaf pan, using one of those spray cans. She shook her head as she sprayed it. Then she put the can down and the loaf pan and turned and leaned her hips against the counter with her hands resting palm down on it. Her lower lip was very full. Her eyes were very blue and large.

“He said no,” she said.

But that’s not really what pisses me off. What pisses me off is that she gets Hawk involved, Hawk ends up in jail on murder charges, and Susan herself doesn’t do a damn thing not only to save herself, but to help Hawk, who is in trouble SOLELY because of her.

If it was just herself in the mess, I could forgive her. But instead she continues to do nothing when it is someone else in danger on her behalf, and THAT is unforgivable.

That aside, I do like how complicated Spenser is in this book. He kills in cold blood, and although he doesn’t enjoy it, he does what he needs to do to protect those in his care. Hawk has always been able to do that, but it’s not something Spenser has ever had to do (except, perhaps, in Korea).

“Leo as bad as the two babes say he is,” Hawk said softly, “might be better to kill him.”

“He’ll take it out on them?”

“Maybe,” Hawk said. “Can you do it?”

“Have to,” I said. We looked out the window some more.

“You’re fucked,” Hawk said. “You got too many rules. Against the rules to blow Leo away cold-blooded like. And against the rules to let him burn those whores.” He smiled happily.

So, I enjoy watching Spenser in this story, but could happily never see Susan at all. But of course Spenser does all that for Susan.

Published by Random House Audio

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