Assured... Atkins s gift for mimicking the late Robert B. Parker could lead to a long run, the the delight of Spenser devotees. "Publishers Weekly" "The iconic, tough-but-tender Boston PI Spenser returns in an outstanding new addition to theNew York Times-bestselling series from author Ace Atkins." Kinjo Heywood is one of the New England Patriots marquee players a hard-nosed linebacker who s earned his reputation as one of the toughest guys in the league. When off-field violence repeatedly lands Heywood in the news, his slick agent hires Spenser to find the men who he says have been harassing his client. Heywood s troubles seem to be tied to a nightclub shooting from two years earlier. But when Heywood s nine-year-old son, Akira, is kidnapped, ransom demands are given, and a winding trail through Boston s underworld begins, Spenser puts together his own all-star team of toughs. It will take both Hawk and Spenser s protege, Zebulon Sixkill, to watch Spenser s back and return the child to the football star s sprawling Chestnut Hill mansion. A controversial decision from Heywood only ups the ante as the clock winds down on Akira s future."