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    Robert B. Parker's Wonderland
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    Robert B. Parker's Wonderland
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    Robert B. Parker's Wonderland
    Audiobook7 hours

    Robert B. Parker's Wonderland

    Written by Ace Atkins

    Narrated by Joe Mantegna

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Henry Cimoli and Spenser have been friends for years, yet the old boxing trainer has never asked the private eye for a favor. Until now. A heavy-handed developer is trying to buy up Henry's condo on Revere Beach and sends thugs to move the process along. Soon Spenser and his apprentice, Zebulon Sixkill, find a trail leading to a mysterious and beautiful woman, a megalomaniacal Las Vegas kingpin, and plans to turn to a chunk of land north of Boston into a sprawling casino. Bitter rivals emerge, alliances turn, and the uglier pieces of the Boston political machine look to put an end to Spenser's investigation.

    Aspiration, greed, and twisted dreams all focus on the old Wonderland dog track where the famous amusement park once fronted the ocean. For Spenser and Z, this simple favor to Henry will become the fight of their lives.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMay 7, 2013
    ISBN9780449807927
    Unavailable
    Robert B. Parker's Wonderland
    Author

    Ace Atkins

    Ace Atkins is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-seven books, including ten books in his Quinn Colson series. Handpicked by the Robert B. Parker Estate nearly a decade ago to continue the Spenser series, he's written nine novels about the iconic private eye. He lives and works in Oxford, Mississippi.

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    Reviews for Robert B. Parker's Wonderland

    3.5/5

    96 ratings26 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A good effort at channeling Robert Parker's Spenser: Better than some Parker wrote near the end, but not anywhere as good as Mortal Stakes, Judas Goat and others from the period thru Pale Kings---but then not much is that good.
    • 5/5
      I am astounded at how good Ace Atkins writes Spenser. THis is quite simply my favorite Spenser novel in a long time, this includes Parker's last few. He has the dialogue down pat but he has added a deftness to plotting which Parker simply didn't have towards the end of his life with Spencer.
    • 3/5
      This is the first post-Parker Spencer I've read that I didn't frequently remember the author wasn't Robert B. Good yarn, characters stayed true to canon. We listened to this on a trip back from Rabun County where we evacuated to as Hurricane Matthew barreled toward Charleston. Both the book and the storm had satisfying outcomes for us (though the storm hit other parts of SC and the east coast quite hard.)
    • 5/5
      Ace Atkins is not Robert B Parker.. there was only one. But I'm sure Mr. Parker would approve.. and it certainly eases the transition for the rest of us, to a world without him. I'm sure Ace Atkins could give us a story with near identical DNA as RBPs.. He's a very talented story teller himself! Much to his credit, he doesn't try to do that. I think he gives us a story that Robert B Parker would have told, in the manner that he would have told it.. but in his own voice. I didn't feel cheated at all. I think we're all very fortunate that Mr. Parker's estate has found such a worthy artist to entertain us for years to come.
    • 4/5
      Robert B. Parker died in 2010, and the Spenser series continues under the skill of a new author approved by the Parker Estate. Ace Atkins is popular for his own books and takes on the task of this series quite well. Spenser and all the characters from his previous books are not forgotten. The same snappy dialogue and storylines are there. I enjoyed this second book of the new series and look forward to more.
    • 3/5
      In his second novel continuing the Spenser series following Rober B. Parker's death, Ace Atkins turns in another strong effort. He succeeds in recreating the personality and especially the dialogue of the main character. He also shows a good grasp of the other denizens of Spenser's universe. As with "Lullaby," I never felt that the characters were alien or different to the ones I came to love reading Parker's novels. The story here is also satisfying in its complexity, and features several plot turns that keep the action moving. Spenser moves seamlessely, as usual, between the worlds of A-listers trying to bring a casino to Boston for profit, dangerous mobsters trying to protect their corner on the gambling market, and the street toughs that some or all of them have hired to get Spenser off the case. The story involves an old friend and long-time supporting character, Henry Cimoli, whose condo building is in the way of the planned casino devleopment. Spenser is pitted against rival corporate investors and the mobsters that they may or my not be in league with. He unravels the mystery with his usual knack for stirring up trouble to see how the plot unfolds. Hawk and Susan are both out of town for this one, so Spenser is accompanied by his relatively new sidekick Zebulon "Z" Sixkill, a character introduced in the last book written by Parker as a sort of trainee for Spenser. The relationship between these two is developed nicely. Again, Atkins captures the unwritten code that Spenser follows, the "rules" that imbue him with honor, and which he is trying to teach Z. These rules frequently get Spenser into a bind, and this is no exception. He needs to let Z stand on his own, even when this puts Z and Spenser in danger. The danger will not end with the closing of this story. Spenser has stirred up a rivalry that may pit him against one of the most dangerous characters in his world. Atkins seems willing to put Spenser into more danger, and to let him fail more dramatically, than Parker did in his later novels. In both Lullaby and Wonderland, Spenser and his colleagues get into fights or escalating situations that escape their control and go badly for the protagonists. This is the only departure I sense from Parker's late work, in which Spenser was rarely subject to that sort of setback. It could be argued that this makes the stories more compelling, but for me it is the only dissonant note in an otherwise harmonious continuation of one of my favorite literary series.
    • 4/5
      Just read this uncorrected proof of Wonderland. My first Spencer read and it just happens to be written by one of my favorite authors Ace Atkins.The story is well woven with plenty of humor. The characters are not developed to the extreme, but that does not detract from an easily read mystery. I will read more about Spencer.
    • 5/5
      Great book but still miss Robert Parker. Mr. Atkins is doing a great job taking over Mr. Spenser. Cant wait for his next Spenser book and hope the best of luck to Atkins.
    • 4/5
      ‘Wonderland’ is the second Spenser book written by Ace Atkins following the unfortunate death of the great (and prolific) writer, Robert B. Parker. There is really only one question to be considered in the review of such a book. Does Atkins have the skill to carry on the chronicles of Spenser, tough-guy P.I. and his wonder-dog Pearl? After a brief and enjoyable reading of this book, I have to answer ‘yes’. The plot may not be the most imaginative or thrilling but face it, after 50 Spenser books, Parker himself didn’t always hit it over Fenway’s Green Monster. What did keep me coming back for more time after time was one thing; the dialogue. Half of any Spenser book is made up of dialogue and the wry wit that Parker wrote into his characters had me busting a gut laughing every time I picked up a book or popped in an audiobook. Atkins has managed to capture the wit and wry humor of Spenser very well. My only complaint, and it is minor, is that while Parker actually lived in the Boston Metro area and therefore knew it intimately, Atkins resides in Oxford, Mississippi, and seemed overly fond of using famous Boston landmarks to remind the reader where the story takes place. If he wasn’t meeting someone on a bench in Public Garden or jogging with Pearl past some famous monument, then he was going to see a body that floated up near the Tea Part Museum. We get it already, Spenser lives in Boston.The bottom line is that if you have read all fifty Spenser books enough times that you know them by heart then Ace Atkins’ books should almost satisfy you. Even so, I still miss Parker.The review copy of this book was obtained from the publisher via the LibraryThing Early Reader Program.
    • 4/5
      Spenser is back! Ace Atkins does a great job of continuing Robert Parker’s Spenser novels. Spenser along with his new apprentice Zebulon (“Z”) Sixkill go up against developers (the bad guys) who are trying to take over Spenser’s friend Henry Cimoli’s condominium full of Henry’s condo neighbors. Susan of course is her usual beautiful self and is a great resource and helper for Spenser. Exciting book full of Spenser quips, of which Z is also capable of doing. Enjoyed the book; look forward to more Spenser episodes.
    • 3/5
      The Spenser books are a go to when I am at a loss for what else to read and want something quick. This one was a little bit disappointing but I do like Pearl the Wonder Dog.
    • 3/5
      A well rounded read with attention to detail without going overboard and drowning us in those details. Don't expect this to read exactly like Parker; clearly no two write that alike. This is an entertainingly charming continuation on a well adored character.




      Free copy provided through Goodreads First Reads and the generosity of the publisher.
    • 5/5
      For any Parker conneisseur, immeasurable thanks are due the Parker Estate for selecting Ace Atkins who continues Spenser's story without missing a beat. Yes, all of the humor and wonderful quick, snappy dialogue brilliantly appears in Wonderland as if the sad, sad day in January of 2010 was incorrectly reported. As all of the other Spenser novels, the great enjoyment rides on at Wonderland.

      I received a free copy of Wonderland through Goodreads First-reads.
    • 4/5
      Ace Atkins once again does Robert B. Parker justice in Wonderland, just as he did with his first entry into Spenser territory with Sixkill. The writing is close to Parker's, darn close, but Atkins is still a little bit too "wordy" and while there's nothing wrong with that fact, it just ain't Parker. My only real critique is no Hawk, but instead the continuing new character Z. Hopefully, Hawk will reappear in Atkins next Spenser book.
    • 3/5
      I enjoy Ace Atkins Books and Robert Parker and Ace has done a decent job of continuing his series. Now that Joan Parker has also passed away I wonder if the series will continue.
    • 3/5
      Atkins's first Spenser novel, [Lullaby], impressed me. He clearly knew and loved the character and his world, and brought them both to life in a way I thought Parker would have found satisfactory, in the way Nero Wolfe meant when he said "satisfactory". Allowing for the fact that I didn't expect Atkins to be a hack and write copy-cat books, I have to say that in this one he seems to have lost a little something. Parker was a master of minimalist dialog, and often he moved his story forward with a few pithy exchanges between characters. Atkins can do that in spurts, although he doesn't rely on it. But that's not the problem. Spenser, for me, has always had a mythic quality about him. He's very real, very human, certainly not bullet-proof; and yet he is a modern Hero who deserves the upper case "H", because he has a moral compass that can't be thrown off by any of the magnetic fields of corruption or temptation he passes through. His love for Susan has become, over time, unassailable. He may grow old, he will even die, but he will never weaken. I'm afraid Atkins has let that image slip a little in [Wonderland]. It's almost imperceptible, but Spenser doesn't feel quite right to me here. Atkins asks the reader to believe that Spenser might be tempted to lose himself in drink (although granted, he doesn't), or to take advantage of a drunken half-naked woman throwing herself at him (although, of course, he doesn't) .... even the suggestion that he might do either of those things is out of place in Spenserland. I also have a big issue with the prevalence of what we euphemistically refer to as "the F word". If a Parker character used "fuck" as an adjective, it fit the character and made an impact. Atkins has multiple characters, in fact nearly all of the characters, including Henry Cimoli, using the word freely; this often strikes a sour note in context, hints at a lack of originality, and underlines for me the fact that Parker has left us.
    • 4/5
      I did not read the first Spenser book by Ace Atkins for like others I have been disappointed in the past by others trying to take the place of a loved author that had passed on. So I was surprised when early reviewers choose me to receive a copy. I must agree with the other reviewers that if Ace Atkins name had not been on the cover I would of believed that a lost manuscript had been found in Parker's papers. The dialogue, the humor, the characters were all in place and were behaving as though Parker was directing it all. I also enjoyed the new character Z and hope to read more in the future. Thank you Mr. Atkins for continuing a great legacy.
    • 4/5
      Spenser is asked to help is old boxing coach who is cornered by three thugs who want him to change his mind about selling his waterfront condo.He asks Spenser's help and tells him that there are other people in the condo in the same situation.Spenser is able to bring both sides together in what appears to be an amiable solution.Something happens and the story takes off in a completely different manner.Spenser is a beloved character who other author's often try to make their private detectives seem alike. However there is only one Spenser.There is good suspense, handled with Robert Parker's humorous touch. There is also good scenes of Boston which are well done.
    • 4/5
      I've read every one of the Spenser, Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall books. I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep reading the non-Parker novels. Even after reading the first Atkins book I wasn't totally convinced. The story was ok, and seemed Parker-ish but the dialogue seemed forced to me and it seemed like Atkins was trying a bit too hard. After reading his new book, Wonderland, I'm definitely in for the long haul. I really enjoyed it. The story is good, and the dialogue much better. I even like Spenser's new apprentice, Z. Lots of Spenser characters show up in this one, at least briefly. I'm glad I continued with them and look forward to many new Spenser books to come!
    • 4/5
      This was the first book I have read by this author, and I really enjoyed it. It was a quick read with twists, turns and suspense. I will pick up another book in the series!
    • 3/5
      Having read all of the Spenser books, I have to admit that if I didn't know this wasn't written by Parker, I would never have guessed it. Atkins has all of the characters, quirks, and themes down pat (Spencer's cookings scenes were right on and Susan Silverman is as snarky as ever). The story was good (I live in Boston so I always enjoy the stories when they're about local events and happenings) though not first-class - the initial section was rather slow. And I guessed the real culprit relatively soon. But it was indeed enjoyable. However, I do hope before publishing they a) change the title since Parker had nothing to do with this book, and b) also the reviewer's quote on the back of the book which clearly shows the reviewer never read the book. It states that Hawk (my favorite character) is in the book, as is Quirk - but neither is in the book.
    • 4/5
      Brilliant WonderlandHaving read Wonderland by Robert B. Parker I can see why they called him “...one of the greats of the American hard-boiled genre” because this book is brilliance defined. If you want to know how to write about private detectives then he has to be a must read. For me, Spence is the best private detective in modern American crime fiction. I know want to read more of what Parker has written as he is succinct does not drag anything out and his prose speaks Bostonian hard working blue collar meets bourbon. Spenser is the new Phillip Marlowe for our age.Spenser is asked by his old friend Henry Cimoli to find out who is putting pressure to sell their condos on Revere Beach and worse still who sent thugs to scare pensioners out of their homes. As Spenser digs deeper in to who is doing what he finds that someone has bought the old fairground Wonderland but is hiding behind various front companies and a beautiful English woman.After digging around Spenser finds that a Vegas casino mogul has been buying up land and is hoping to buy up the condos. Things seem to go well until his head turns up minus the rest of him, this is when Spenser comes in to his own and gets to the bottom of which gangster and corporation is doing what to whom and who is taking bribes up at the State House. Spenser finds the answers as the bodies drop and somehow keeps himself from dodging the bullets.Wonderland maybe only 190 pages long but it such a brilliantly paced crime thriller no words are wasted and all count to build up the story. This was a wonderful read in that I would love to be able to get my hands on the back catalogue read and review them. This brings a new definition to short but sweet and worth every minute of reading the novel.
    • 3/5
      Ace Atkins has written another Spenser novel, picking up where Robert B. Parker left off because of his untimely death. Other reviewers have said they detect a change in the writing style, and that they miss the original voice of Parker. I have read only a few of Parker’s nearly 40 books featuring the Boston private detective, so I won’t claim to be an expert. However, to my ear, Atkins has done a very creditable job of reproducing Parker’s cadence and characters. In fact, most of the characters in Wonderland have appeared in earlier Spenser novels. I do notice that Spenser himself seems to be even more literate, but I don’t find that to be a negative.In this book, Spenser undertakes to help an old friend, Henry Cimoli, his former boxing trainer who has never before asked Spenser for a favor. An aggressive real estate developer is trying to buy Henry’s condo, and proves willing to hire some thugs to intimidate the current owners. Spenser provides Henry with some professional protection, but finds himself and his new protégé, Zebulon “Z” Sixkill , in serious trouble when the developer turns out to be a Las Vegas casino magnate with shady friends and almost unlimited resources. No Spenser novel would be complete without at least one beautiful woman sorely testing Spenser’s fidelity to Susan, his Harvard educated psychologist girl friend. (Both Hawk, Spenser’s usual sidekick, and Susan happen to be out of town.)My one criticism of the book is that the conclusion involves the very late introduction of several new bad guys, out of nowhere. Evaluation: This is a light, fun read and a good example of the genre. (JAB)
    • 2/5
      Alert - this review was written by my husband.If the large number of Robert B. Parker’s books on any library’s shelf is any indication, Robert B. Parker has a large and loyal following. They will all be disappointed with Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland, an offering by author Ace Atkins, writing under what one sincerely hopes is a pseudonym. “Ace Atkins”, forsooth.The book is largely a fraud, Mr. Atkins having taken over a number of the characters to be found in Parker’s “Spenser” series and wrapped a Boston whodunit around them. This effort is nothing more than an attempt to generate money by preying on the now deceased Parker’s reputation and the loyalty of his fan base.Parker’s work found favor through his dedication to his characters. His plots were usually spare but the novels rich with how his characters dealt with the problems they faced and somehow rewarded the reader with an expansion of Parker’s character studies and relationships. Villains tended to separate from heroes fairly early in the works and there was nothing of the “whodunit” in Parker’s writing.None of this is to be found in Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland. The heroes and villains are little more than cardboard cutouts and relationships among them are nearly nonexistent. The identities of the stock Parker personnel and the most basic aspects of their relationship are snipped from Parker’s oeuvre, but except for the names and basic role, they are unrecognizable. Atkins has also made a languid attempt to emulate some of Parker’s highly entertaining dialogue. It was without effect, however, except to make the reader think, “Atkins tried to write like Parker but it fell flat!”.The structure of the story is likewise not at all like one of Parker’s. The mystery is needlessly complex, with potential villains coming and going, being suspected, then not suspected. Who the bad guys really are is not revealed, nor even hinted at, until the last. And, in fact, there is no real villain whose motives and flaws of character could be explored. It was, after all, just the Mob.This book is, as said before, just a fraud. It may even have been contract-written by Atkins. But shame on G. P. Putnam’s Sons for publishing it.
    • 5/5
      I haven’t read Lullaby. First Spenser book I haven’t read since 1973, when Robert B. Parker wrote The Goldwulf Manuscript. I tried it out; read the sample on my Nook. But it wasn’t the same.I like Ace Atkins. I’ve got a couple of his books. But Spenser is a Parker creation, blood, bone, and brawn, and nobody will ever be able to write him like Parker.I had no plans to read Wonderland. I’ve missed Spenser since Parker died, but I knew it would not be the same. But then it came available on the Early Reviewer selection list, and I thought, “Why not?”It’s good. Very good. Atkins writes well, and it is obvious that he puts a lot of thought and effort into remaining true to the characters as Parker created them. If I’d never read a Spenser book, or if I’d just read one here and there over the years, I probably would not have noticed the difference.But I’ve read every one of the forty Spenser books Parker wrote. And not just once; I own copies of all of them, and there’s probably not a single one I’ve not read at least thrice. So, I enjoyed the book, and I appreciate the diligence Atkins paid. But I won’t buy another Spenser book. The character, as I’ve known him for so many years, died with Robert B. Parker.And perhaps that’s just as well. In The Godwulf Manuscript, if I had to guess, I’d have said that Spenser was in his mid-thirties. Even granting him a few years off of that, the character was at least thirty years old in 1973. And here he is forty years later, still rattling around the streets of Boston. Seventy is a little long in the tooth to be busting bad guys. In fact, when Parker wrote Sixkill and introduced the character of Z, I wondered if Spenser was heading for retirement. We will probably never know now.It saddens me. Spenser has been an old friend. But with Parker’s passing I think that, rather than continuing to publish the series with another writer, Spenser should be allowed to drive off into the sunset with Susan and Pearl.
    • 4/5
      Wonderland by Ace Atkins is great! It seems very, very similar to the writing style of Robert B. Parker himself. As usual I love the Spencer character and was glad that Sixkill resurfaced. I think this character has so much potential for future exciting story lines. Keep up the great writing Ace!