Joy, I also had trouble with the females in the Spenser series, and not just Susan. As I've mentioned in other posts, it was the Spenser's debates with the cardboard lesbian feminist Rachel Wallace that started my move away from Parker. But as I also said, I really enjoyed the early books and appreciate his great influence.
And if you're interested in PI books set in suburban Maryland, you really should check out Benjamin Schutz's Leo Haggerty series. Really good series written by a really good writer who knew his stuff -- Schutz was a forensic psychologist. By the way, the series has a very interesting take on the psycho sidekick.
Mark
> To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
> From: jmatkowski1@comcast.net
> Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:19:23 -0500
> Subject: Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: They won't have Parker to kick around anymore...
>
> Parker's books were OK, except for that horrible Susan. Why do the men
> on this list accept Susan as a wonderful love interest yet Debbi and I
> don't?
> And Debbi, I've just read Identity Crisis and enjoyed it a lot. Having a
> solo lawyer as protagonist is a good balance between PI and amateur, and
> I don't recall anyone but Pelecanos utilizing suburban Maryland for a
> setting.
>
> Joy
>
> Debbi Mack wrote:
> > I loved Parker's early Spenser books (haven't read the later ones, so I can't comment on those). Parker was a great writer, no question. Spenser and Hawk are wonderful characters (something I, unfortunately, can't say for Spenser's love interest, Susan).
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> RARA-AVIS home page: http://www.miskatonic.org/rara-avis/
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>
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