Spenser

One of life's true pleasures is finding time to read a Robert B. Parker novel I haven't read before. Parker manages to throw some good humor and insight into human nature in between finding out who killed the victim. Consider the following examples from Cold Service.

I was in my office having a cup of coffee and looking up Ukraine on the Internet. Like most of the things I looked up on the Internet, there was less there than met the eye, But I did learn the Ukraine was a former republic of the Soviet Union, now independent. And that kartoplia was Ukranian for potato.

***

"You got some donuts in the bag?" I said.
"Oatmeal-maple scones," Quirk said.
"Scones?"
"Yep."
"No donuts?"
"I'm a captain," Quirk said. "Now and then I like to upgrade."
"How do you upgrade from donuts?" I said.
Quirk put the bag on the desk between us. I shrugged and took a scone.
"Got to keep my strength up," I said.
Quirk put his feet up on the edge of my desk and munched on his scone and drank some coffee.
Blah. Blah. Blah.
The oatmeal scone wasn't bad, for a non-donut. Blah.
Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah.
Blah. Blah. I ate some more scone. The oatmeal part was probably very healthy.
Blah.
Blah.
Blah.
Blah.
Blah.
Blah. "Can I have another scone?"
Quirk pushed the bag toward me.