Sunny and the serial killer

In Robert B. Parker's Spare Change, private detective Sunny Randall is after a sneaky serial killer who likes to murder victims with a single shot to the back of the head. The killer places loose coins at the crime scene as a calling card. The shootings are eerily similar to a case her father, retired police officer Phil Randall, worked 20 years ago. In that investigation, the killings abruptly stopped, and the killer was never found.

Phil is bought in to consult on the case and enlists Sunny to help with the investigation. The police puzzle as to whether the original killer has resurfaced or a copycat killer is at work. On a chance canvas at one of the crime scenes, the cops hone in on a possible suspect.

The suspect--who seems at first like an average middle-class man--is thrilled by the attention and the interview process, especially when Sunny is brought in to interrogate him. Sunny is convinced that he is the killer, and they begin a game of cat and mouse. Several more murders occur as Sunny and the killer dance around the truth. At first, Sunny believes she isn't a target for the killer. Still, as the case falls into place, she finds herself in the crosshairs of his anger when he believes she has betrayed him. It's touch and go as Sunny battles to save herself and outwit the killer. The story also contains a nifty take on the original killer and how those crimes tie in with the current murders. The novel is Parker's sixth to feature Sunny Randall. For fans, it's a familiar tale that pits her grit and smarts against bad buys that underestimate her. Sunny is no superhero, and, as in all the Sunny novels, she relies on her father, her ex-husband Richie, her friend Spike, and other assorted characters to solve the case and stay safe. The fact that she's human makes for a realistic, satisfying story. Unfortunately, Parker has saddled this series with some annoying, weak characters. Interactions between Sunny and these characters seem more like padding to bring the novel to a required length rather than plot points to advance the story. Also, Rosie, Sunny's dog, is too prevalent. Parker thinks the reader cares that Rosie is drinking, eating, sniffing, or whatever. Again, the Rosie reports appear as filler to help with the word count. One more note: Parker's dialogue between characters--at least the major ones--is usually concise and witty, but the exchanges in this novel--except for the ones with Sunny and the killer--often drag. Parker died in 2010, so this is the last Sunny Randall novel he wrote. She's a great character, and it's nice to see a woman featured in the overly male private eye genre. Still, Parker seems out of steam with Sunny. Other writers have picked up the series, but my interest in Parker and Sunny stops here.