by Ace Atkins
Part of Spenser, book 41.5
First published 2013
December snow falls on Boston as Spenser plans his Christmas menu. A homeless boy named Slide appears in his office with a desperate request. Slide lives at Street Business, an organization that shelters homeless youth and helps them find work. Someone is threatening Jackie Alvarez, Slide's mentor at the center. The threats could shut down Street Business and force kids like Slide back onto the winter streets. Spenser takes the case, expecting simple intimidation tactics. He and Hawk discover something far more dangerous. Their investigation leads to a powerful drug kingpin who controls the neighborhood where Street Business operates. The criminal's grip on the community puts every boy in the shelter at risk. Spenser must protect not just Jackie and the organization, but the lives of vulnerable young people who have nowhere else to go. Author Robert Parker died before finishing this novel. His literary agent Helen Brann completed the manuscript, drawing on decades of working with Parker to capture his distinctive voice and storytelling approach.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, investigative-journalism
Setting: Boston
Period: December, Winter
4 pages · Audio CD · Random House Audio
Content warnings: violence