Bye Bye Baby is the most fun I’ve had in a while with a smart and witty thriller. Ace Atkins writes a charming protagonist in Spenser with hilarious comebacks and badass lines that made me fall in love with him instantly. With this being my first Spenser story, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the book but it’s safe to say my expectations were blown sky-high.
The latest Spenser adventure finds the renowned Boston PI working a timely political case where a young congresswoman advocating for immigrant rights is targeted by a white supremacist group. Not one for sharp political leanings, Spenser’s only concern with the case is the well-being of the congresswoman matched in intensity only by his dislike for bullies. With double crosses and shaky alliances in store for Spenser, he depends on his sparkling personality, ingenious sleuthing skills, and his dependable partner, Hawk, to put an end to the Neo-Nazis plaguing his town.
Right off the bat, there’s a distinctive aura reverberating from the easy-going narrative style that feels natural to read and get immersed in. The characters and settings convey a blissful union of the old school detective tales and the fast-paced modern-day setting. The calm familiarity exuding from Ace Atkins’s writing style create an impression of a colorful universe with a rich history that made me want to pick up the previous books in the series as soon as I finished this one.
Spenser walks in the perfect middle ground between being awkwardly glee and depressingly glum. I caught myself laughing out loud countless times as Spenser took care of business with a light demeanor and a mean right cross. At the same time, his uncompromising moral compass is subtly displayed through meaningful peeks underneath his friendly persona when he shares his displeasure at dealing with racists, not only verbally but also physically, building up to intense standoffs and fisticuffs.
The pacing and turn of events in the story feel skillfully grounded with a tinge of dark comedy. Spenser is not shown to be a one-man army, which makes the realistic scale of the narrative all the more exciting and intriguing as the plot unravels at a breakneck pace without rushing the magic of its character-driven storytelling. One thing is for certain, Bye Bye Baby is undoubtedly going to be one of the most memorable thrillers of the upcoming year.
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Purchase Bye Bye Baby
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Barrington Books
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