Hugger Mugger: A Spenser Novel

New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2000. First Edition First Printing . Hard Back. Near Fine/As New. 6 1/4" x 9 1/4. 307 Pages. Lettering on the front cover is raised. Boards are yellow with a rose-colored quarter-spine and endpapers. Cover protected by vinyl covering since purchase. There is no inscription with the author's signature that is on the title page. Spenser heads for horse country, in a thoroughbred addition to the landmark series by the assured master of American crime fiction. It's easy to see why Parker's snappy banter and cynical eye have kept fans turning pages for twenty-five years. Spenser never seems to be in any real danger, but his wisecracks, combined with Parker's shorthand flair for scathing characterization, nevertheless make for a satisfying read. Now Parker presents Spenser with a dangerous and multilayered case that takes him to the heart of the horse-racing world, as the Boston P.I. travels to a Georgia stable to protect the two-year-old colt destined to become the next Secretariat. When Spenser is approached by Walter Clive, president of Three Fillies Stables, to find out who is threatening his horse Hugger Mugger, he can hardly say no: he's been doing pro bono work for so long his cupboards are just about bare. Disregarding the resentment of the local law enforcement, Spenser takes the case. Though Clive has hired a separate security firm, he wants someone with Spenser's experience to supervise the operation. And Spenser can't help being intrigued by Clive's daughter Penny-one of the Three Fillies-who has an insider's knowledge of the horse world, a deceptively charming air, and a great pair of legs herself. The case takes a deadly turn when the attacker claims a human victim and Spenser must revise his opinion of the whole Three Fillies organization and watch his own back as well.