{"id":9383,"date":"2017-10-30T15:13:56","date_gmt":"2017-10-30T19:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/?p=9383"},"modified":"2021-06-05T20:41:30","modified_gmt":"2021-06-06T00:41:30","slug":"playmates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/9383","title":{"rendered":"Playmates, Audio Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Playmates<\/a><\/em>, Audio Version (1989\/1990) Robert B Parker<\/a> narrated by Michael Prichard<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Spenser is hired to look into accusations of point shaving at Taft University. He relatively quickly finds the answer, but finding a solution is going to be much harder.<\/p>\n

This is one of the Spenser books I really like. Not my top favorite, but very good nevertheless.<\/p>\n

I particularly like Dixie (the coach). He’s a blow-hard, but once Spenser finally gets him to listen, it’s clear he’s not actually a completel jerk.<\/p>\n

I picked up my gym bag and started out the door. <\/p>\n

\u201cSpenser,\u201d Dixie said. I stopped and turned my head. \u201cI didn\u2019t know he couldn\u2019t read,\u201d Dixie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMakes you wonder how he maintained a two point three average, doesn\u2019t it,\u201d I said. <\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we ought to find that out too,\u201d Dixie said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The other fascinating thing is how none of the teachers colluded to cover up that he couldn’t read. Some didn’t care, some did, but somehow the system just let it happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know that he can\u2019t read?\u201d I said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know it,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cBut I suspected it. He missed the midterm, and prevailed upon me to let him do a paper instead. He got an A on the paper. He said he was going to have to miss the final because of basketball. I said he\u2019d have to make it up. I was skeptical about the paper. He missed two scheduled make-ups. He said an incomplete would make him ineligible to play. That Coach Dunham was a martinet, not his phrase, about such things. I knew what was riding on his having a good senior year. I said he could take a D for the course. His grades in his other courses were such that a D wouldn\u2019t make him ineligible.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that was it?\u201d I said. <\/p>\n

\u201cNo. I spoke to Dr. Roth, the academic coordinator for basketball. I said Dwayne was academically troubled. That I questioned his basic skills and that I thought perhaps he should be tested to see if we could help him.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s fascinating and horrifying, and you can bet it’s still happening today.<\/p>\n

Also, Spenser really starts to think and talk about food more here.<\/p>\n

Susan was having dinner with friends tonight. I was playing a Matt Dennis tape in my car and planning supper. Fresh crabmeat, maybe, saut\u00e9ed in olive oil and white wine with red and yellow and green peppers, and mushrooms, and served over rice. Or I could pound out some chicken thigh cutlets and marinate them in lemon juice and tarragon and a drop of virgin olive oil and cook them on my new Jenn-Air indoor grill. I could have a couple more beers while I waited for them to marinate, and I could eat them with some broccoli and maybe boiled red potatoes. I\u2019d put a honey mustard dressing on the broccoli. Or maybe some tortellini \u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Remember, this is 1989. Guys were not foodies. We might have been moving past meat & potatoes, but we weren’t that far past it.<\/p>\n

Spenser also admits to have fought in Korea in this book.
\nRating: 8.5\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

Publisher: Random House Audio<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Playmates, Audio Version (1989\/1990) Robert B Parker narrated by Michael Prichard Spenser is hired to look into accusations of point shaving at Taft University. He relatively quickly finds the answer, but finding a solution is going to be much harder. This is one of the Spenser books I really like. Not my top favorite, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,37,8,43,41],"tags":[500,106,107],"class_list":["post-9383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-8-5-10","category-audio-book","category-mystery","category-private-eye","category-reread","tag-michael-prichard","tag-robert-b-parker","tag-spenser"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/piQkW-2rl","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":22574,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/22574","url_meta":{"origin":9383,"position":0},"title":"Playmates, Audio Book","author":"Michelle","date":"November 30, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Playmates, Audio Book (1989) Robert B. Parker narrated by Michael Prichard (Spenser) Accusations have been made of point shaving in college basketball, and Spenser is asked to see if there is any truth in it. Although he is supposed to be looking into point shaving, what draws Spenser in is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"7.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/7-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Playmates","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/playmates-1-e1511019394610.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9042,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/9042","url_meta":{"origin":9383,"position":1},"title":"The Judas Goat, Audio Book","author":"Michelle","date":"April 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Judas Goat, Audible Version (1978) Robert B. Parker narrated by Michael Prichard Spenser has been hired by Hugh Dixon, a millionaire whose family was killed in a bombing in London. Hugh Dixon wants the terrorists caught or killed, and he'll pay Spenser a bounty for each kill or capture.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio Book"","block_context":{"text":"Audio Book","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/audio-book"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Spenser-Judas-Goat.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22553,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/22553","url_meta":{"origin":9383,"position":2},"title":"Valediction, Audio Book","author":"Michelle","date":"November 23, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Valediction , Audio Book (1984) Robert B. Parker narrated by Michael Prichard (Spenser) Spenser continues to unravel as Susan moves to California to work. And starts seeing someone else. Paul is staying with Spenser for summer break, and suggests Spenser take a case for the director of the dance company\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7\/10"","block_context":{"text":"7\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/7-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Valediction","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Spenser-Valediction.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22532,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/22532","url_meta":{"origin":9383,"position":3},"title":"Looking for Rachel Wallace, Audio Book","author":"Michelle","date":"November 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Looking for Rachel Wallace, Audio Book (1980) Robert B. Parker narrated by Michael Prichard (Spenser) Publisher: Random House Audio Rating: 8\/10","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Looking for Rachel Wallace","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Spenser-Rachel-Wallace.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9288,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/9288","url_meta":{"origin":9383,"position":4},"title":"Ceremony, Audio Book","author":"Michelle","date":"September 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Ceremony, Audio Book (1982\/1992) Robert B. Parker narrated by Michael Prichard April Kyle is a pretty sixteen year-old runaway who is working as a prostitute somewhere in the Combat Zone in Boston. Her father wants nothing to do with her, but her mother wants her safe, so Spenser takes on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio Book"","block_context":{"text":"Audio Book","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/audio-book"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Spenser-Ceremony.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22521,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/22521","url_meta":{"origin":9383,"position":5},"title":"The Judas Goat, Audio Book","author":"Michelle","date":"November 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Judas Goat, Audio Book (1978) Robert B. Parker narrated by Michael Prichard (Spenser) Hugh Dixon's family was murdered in a terrorist attack in London. Now, a year later, he wants Spenser to find the terrorists and bring them to justice. The 1978 of this book is a foreign world.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"7.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/7-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Judas Goat","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Spenser-Judas-Goat.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9383\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}