cover image Playmates

Playmates

Robert B. Parker. Berkley Publishing Group, $7.99 (272pp) ISBN 978-0-425-12001-9

Boston private eye Spenser returns to investigate rumored cheating by Taft University's star basketball team in Parker's 19th novel, reported PW . Although enjoyable as Spenser tales always are, this resembles a long short story rather than a fully developed, substantive novel. (Mar.)