Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Hundred-Dollar Baby
    Unavailable
    Hundred-Dollar Baby
    Unavailable
    Hundred-Dollar Baby
    Audiobook5 hours

    Hundred-Dollar Baby

    Written by Robert B. Parker

    Narrated by Joe Mantegna

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Once upon a time, though not so long ago, there was a girl named April Kyle-a beautiful teenage runaway who turned to prostitution to escape her terrible family life. Now, April Kyle's return in Hundred-Dollar Baby is nothing short of shocking.

    When a mature, beautiful, and composed woman strides into Spenser's office, the Boston PI barely hesitates before recognizing his once and future client. Now a well-established madam herself, April is still looking for Spenser's approval, and it takes her a moment before she can ask him for his assistance.

    April claims to be in the dark about who is trying to shake her and her business down, but Spenser and Hawk find ties to organized crime and local kingpin Tony Marcus, as well as a scheme to franchise her operation across the country. As Spenser again plays the gallant knight, it becomes clear that April's not as innocent as she seems. In fact, she may be her own worst enemy.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateOct 24, 2006
    ISBN9780739318669
    Unavailable
    Hundred-Dollar Baby
    Author

    Robert B. Parker

    Robert B Parker was the best-selling author of over 60 books, including Small Vices, Sudden Mischief, Hush Money, Hugger Mugger, Potshot, Widows Walk, Night Passage, Trouble in Paradise, Death in Paradise, Family Honor, Perish Twice, Shrink Rap, Stone Cold, Melancholy Baby, Back Story, Double Play, Bad Business, Cold Service, Sea Change, School Days and Blue Screen. He died in 2010 at the age of 77.

    More audiobooks from Robert B. Parker

    Related to Hundred-Dollar Baby

    Related audiobooks

    Thrillers For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Roller-coaster Ride

      Feb 3, 2023

      By JANE HARPER Macmillan A new book from Australian crime-thriller writer Harper is always something to be excited about. In this, her fifth novel, she brings back Melbourne investigator Aaron Falk introduced in her amazing first novel, The Dry. Aar

      3 min read

    • Article

      Page-turners

      Jul 23, 2021

      HarperCollins Atlanta lawyer Leigh is summoned by her firm to represent a high-profile client who says he knows her. She doesn’t recognise the name but when she realises who it is and why he wants her to represent him in his rape case, her world impl

      3 min read

    • Article

      Great Reads

      Dec 17, 2021

      By Robert Jordan When she arrives in a small village in the Two Rivers, Moiraine discovers three young men, each of whom might be the long-awaited and reviled Chosen One, the Dragon Reborn. But she is not the only stranger new to the village, nor th

      1 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Apr 16, 2021

      Books
      4 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Dec 15, 2023

      Books
      4 min read

    • Article

      Books ...

      Aug 26, 2021

      Emily’s best friend has killed a man on the last night of their backpacking trip in Chile. Now she needs her help. But can Emily really trust her motives? As Reese Witherspoon’s new Book Club pick, Bartz’s novel is one of this year’s most compelling

      1 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Apr 22, 2022

      Books
      4 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Everett, Dunn, Als, and More

      Nov 1, 2022

      Here’s a quick look at some notable books—new titles from Percival Everett, Katherine Dunn, Hilton Als, and more—that are publishing this week. Want to learn more about upcoming titles? Then go read our most recent book preview. Want to help The Mill

      4 min read

    • Article

      Bitter Harvest

      Feb 6, 2022

      THE CANE, by Maryrose Cuskelly (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) In a small North Queensland town in the 1970s, the main industry is sugar cane. Australian journalist Maryrose Cuskelly’s first work of fiction is centred around the big burnoffs of the cane fiel

      2 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Jun 29, 2022

      A return to the Isle of Mure. This is the fifth book in the series and Flora is now not only a mother, but planning her wedding to Joel – and she’s not the only one. Olivia is coming to her home island to plan an extravagant wedding. As the nuptials

      2 min read

    • Article

      Television Frances Wilson

      Aug 23, 2023

      I've been watching Alistair Petrie for some time now. It's easy to do because he's tall and ginger with a face you can – but should never – trust. He specialises in minor characters who are also slimeballs. He played James Goldsmith in the superb TV

      3 min read

    • Article

      It’s Showtime!

      Apr 11, 2021

      It’s Showtime!
      1 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Nov 18, 2019

      Books
      4 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Sedaris, Adelmann, Cross-Smith, and More

      May 31, 2022

      Here’s a quick look at some notable books—new titles from David Sedaris, Maria Adelmann, Leesa Cross-Smith, and more—that are publishing this week. Want to learn more about upcoming titles? Then go read our most recent book preview. Want to help The

      5 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Oct 15, 2021

      Books
      4 min read

    • Article

      Hot Right Now!

      Oct 29, 2020

      For years, rumors of the ‘Marsh Girl’ have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not

      2 min read

    • Article

      Sounds Of Silence

      Mar 27, 2022

      Sounds Of Silence
      2 min read

    • Article

      Great Read

      May 17, 2023

      Great Read
      8 min read

    Reviews for Hundred-Dollar Baby

    3.5/5

    224 ratings12 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      April Kyle, from previous books, shows up asking Spenser for help. She has had such a rough life that, in previous book, having a madam take April under her wing is the best thing that can be done. SPOILER: The book, with all the usual Parker characters and schtick, is ultimately sad.
    • 4/5
      Hundred-Dollar Baby is the 34th novel by Robert B. Parker about the Boston P.I. Spenser. Having created such a large oeuvre, Parker had plenty of former characters to reintroduce. His fans will recognize his formidable trusty black side-kick, Hawk, and all of the local Boston cops and gangsters who have appeared in many previous Spenser novels. This one also involves April Kyle, whom we last met as an ingénue prostitute who Spenser “rescues” from life on the streets by referring her to Patricia Utley, a high class New York madam. The novel begins when a highly attractive sophisticated woman enters Spenser’s office and seeks to hire his services. The woman is April Kyle, who has matured and gentrified so much that Spenser does not recognize her. She is still in the sex for hire business, but is now running the Boston branch of Patricia Utley’s operation. She says that some ruffians are trying to ruin her business and that she can hardly go to the police (given the nature of the enterprise) for protection. Of course, Spenser takes her case, but as he pursues the bad guys he finds that things are not as they first appear and that EVERYONE has been lying to him. As usual in these books, the solution requires a good bit of rough stuff and some clever sleuthing to come to a satisfactory conclusion. Along the way, the reader is treated to Parker’s usual snappy dialog, particularly involving racial stereotypes as Spenser and Hawk tease each other unmercifully. And, through Spenser’s dialog with his Harvard-educated-psychologist-girlfriend, we get a little of Parker’s theories about why some fairly well educated, prosperous women end up free lancing for high end “escort services.” Every one of Parker’s Spenser novels that I have read has been fast moving, funny, and thoroughly entertaining, (if not terribly realistic) and this one is no exception. (JAB)
    • 3/5
      Hundred Dollar Baby is much like the other Spenser novels that I have read. After reading a few of them, they fill into a familiar pattern. The novel is filled with deceit, humorous interchanges between Spenser and Hawk, and wise-guy interactions with the cops involved. These novels tend to be more style than substance, which make them enjoyable reads but not too deep. This novel fits into that pattern. April Kyle, who Spenser has a history with, saving her in a previous novel, turns to Spenser when mobsters are trying to muscle their way into a whorehouse that she runs. Before long, Spenser finds out that April isn’t exactly being truthful to him. Despite that, he rushes headfirst into the case, determined to get to the truth.As I mentioned, this is an enjoyable novel. I enjoy Robert Parker’s Spenser character more than his other fictional characters. This novel has an easy going style that makes it a quick read. The plot isn’t the greatest out there, but it isn’t worse than other Spenser novels that I’ve read. Entertaining but unspectacular.Carl Alves – author of Blood Street
    • 3/5
      What's not to love about Spenser? He has a sense of humor and he knows when to shut up and sit still. There was one point in this book (toward the beginning) that I laughed out loud, probably at something Hawk said.

      Love Spenser. Love Hawk. Spenser's girlfriend? Yeah, I'd hang out with her (even though she does take every opportunity to wave her Harvard diploma).

      The 'damsel in distress' - April Kyle (apparently back for a third time in Spenser's life)? I could not care less about her or what happened to her. Wow.

      Now, I know that women who are 'damaged' (I've been reading that description a lot recently) often have issues, but if she burst into tears or flew off the handle for no apparent reason one more time, after asking Spenser for his (free) help, I woulda gone looking for a stereotypical Vinnie to pop her. Of course, I have no patience for manipulative women, so maybe I was too hard on her. Or not.

      Read the book. I don't think you'll be too surprised or disturbed by the ending (which seemed a bit abrupt, by the way).
    • 4/5
      I'm a huge fan of the dry wit and repartee so I enjoyed this as much as the others.
    • 1/5
      I can’t say my first experience with Robert B. Parker was a positive one. Hundred-Dollar Baby was short, slow moving and very unexciting. There was no character development, what-so-ever. The dialog was so simple. I never come across one word that I didn’t know the meaning of. I enjoy the challenge when I’m reading a book of having to stop once-in-a-while and look a word up that I’m not sure how to pronounce, or a word I don’t know the meaning of. The ending I found to be very shocking, and disappointing as well. I think this is one of the worst books I’ve ever read. The best advice I can give out with regards to this book is. Don’t waste your money even on the paperback. Pick it up at the library.
    • 4/5
      I was saddened by the news of the passing of Robert Parker earlier this year. Selfishly I thought, no more Spenser? I can honestly attribute the slow and humble beginnings of my passion for reading to Robert Parker and his Spenser books. Even when I wasn't much of a reader, I always made sure to keep up with the Spenser series. I remember reading an interview with Parker, some years back where the interviewer asked him, how long will you continue to write Spenser? To which he replied, as long as people want to read him. This made me smile, because I never wanted Spenser to die. Hundred Dollar Baby is another solid Spenser book. I don't think there is a bad one in the lot, if you like Spenser. Here's to you Mr. Parker. Thank you for all of the memories surrounding the wonderful tales you have spun over the years. May you rest in peace.
    • 3/5
      Years ago, Boston PI Spenser made a difficult decision in helping troubled teen April Kyle get off the streets. Now the adult April is back in Boston running an upscale call-girl operation. April says she has been pretty successful in running the all-women business, but recently some thugs have been threatening to take it all away from her. They've come by the business a few times to squeeze some money from her and now they've starting beating up some of her workers and she wants Spenser to stop them. Spenser, who still wonders if he made the right decision years ago in sending April to work for Madame Patricia Utley, agrees to help April. But the more involved Spenser gets, the more he realizes that several people are lying to him, including April. The deeper Spenser digs into the case, the more he realizes that it's not going to have a happy ending. Robert Parker fans will enjoy "Hundred-Dollar Baby" but other readers may find it lacking. It's a sequel of sorts to Ceremony, an earlier, gritty and thought-provoking Spenser book. "Hundred-Dollar Baby" is not as good as "Ceremony", but it's still a good, quick read. At this point, Parker can probably write the Spenser books in his sleep. The book is dialogue driven and much of the dialogue feels like it could be lifted from this book and inserted into any other Spenser book especially Spenser's conversations with long-time girlfriend Susan Silverman (as can his observations about her eating habits). I love the repartee between Hawk and Spenser, but all too often other characters exchange the same witty dialogue, so they all blur together as characters. The plot line with April is interesting, with some twists and turns and a surprising, if somewhat unbelievable ending. Long-time fans will enjoy seeing characters from other Spenser books turn up in this one including April, Patricia Utley, Eugene Corsetti, and Tedy Sapp. Parker's greatest strength is his ability to capture the streets of Boston in his writing and he again does it well in this book - I could picture the various streets and locations in my mind while reading the book. "Hundred-Dollar Baby" doesn't break any new ground, but Spenser fans will still enjoy it.
    • 4/5
      Spencer has some twisted morals... human life is negligible but relationships are paramount, particularly with his dog. Not suprisingly, he holds a lot in common with the bad guys he spars with... but hey, that makes for good entertainmnent. Throw in some James Bond one-liners and you have a Spenser paperback. This book was rather entertaining as Spenser found himself in the middle of defending a whore house run by an old friend. A quick read... kind of like eating a candy bar.. tastes good, though it isn't real deep or necessarily fulfilling.
    • 3/5
      Wow - this series has gone on so long that we're getting second-generation stories.This story brings us back to April Kyle, the teen prostitute that Spenser saved by turning her over to a high-class New York Madam named Patricia Utley. April is back, all grown up and running a brothel of her own. She's in trouble and she needs Spenser to save her.I'm sad to say that I think Spenser's well has just about run dry. There's a lot of repetition in this book - Susan mentions her Harvard degree at least a dozen times - and through the years Hawk has gotten a lot more talkative. Spenser always seems able to run off to NYC at a moment's notice, pay for days and days of hotels and meals without batting an eye. And, as usual in more recent stories, lots of old characters resurface. Spenser calls Cholo and Teddy Sapp about doing some bodyguard work, as well as revisiting his old friend Detective Corsetti. A good read for Spenser fans, but only out of nostalgia.
    • 3/5
      April Kyle, former teenager turned whore returns. A somewhat disappointing Spenser novel.
    • 4/5
      I love Spenser. There's something to be said about reading a book with a familiar setting.Finished January 2007