The Boston Globe said "razor-sharp dialog, crisply etched characters, and high-wire narrative tension: Rough Weather once again proves that Robert B. Parker is a force of nature".

I've said it before, but nobody writes dialog like Parker. The imitators who have continued his series can't match it. As usually Spenser the detective is flippant and literary, Hawk his partner is curt and insightful and Susan, his partner in the other sense of the word is Susan. The bad guys are bad and the crime is complex. Lots of grey areas, not just good guys and bad guys some of it set in parts of New England I actually know. ( )

No surprises in this book, if you've read any of the other books in the Spenser series. Spenser is a smart-alec Boston P.I., accompanied by his stereotypical talking African-American tough-guy side kick, Hawk, and Spenser's significant other Susan. Their banter is frequently amusing, but sometimes the story, as in this book, moves a little beyond plausibility. Still, it's a quick read and holds your interest, a delivers what's expected. ( )

A good QUICK read. Spenser all the way.
Odd plot that's more than a little unlikely ( )

The return of another villain, as often happened during this stretch of Spenser stories. The Gray Man was first introduced eleven years earlier as a professional killer, and he nearly did end Spenser’s life. In his second appearance he acted more as a paid associate. This time he again conflicts and contrasts with Spenser: they are moral opposites with a degree of mutual respect. Accordingly, their struggle takes place on multiple levels. Some good character bits and psychological exploration--standard Parker--but also standard with the second half of his career, no clear, satisfying ending. The story sort of peters out. ( )

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book ( )