The late, great Robert B. Parker left us in 2010 but gifted us with a multitude of books starring Spenser, Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall. Mike Lupica penned four Sunny Randall novels following Parker’s death and now has passed the baton to Alison Gaylin.

I have always lamented the fact that when we lose a prolific and beloved writer, we also lose the characters to whom we have become so attached. So whenever I see a well-known author such as Gaylin step in to submit their take on a popular series, I am intrigued and overjoyed by the chance to once again spend time with characters I never want to part with.

"...one of the best mysteries I have read this year, and readers’ heads will be spinning long before the unexpected conclusion. I defy you to put this book down."

BAD INFLUENCE follows Parker’s formula to a tee while allowing Gaylin to incorporate her own storytelling and plot-making prowess into this very engaging mystery. Sunny is hired by high-powered agent Bethany Rose to protect and guard her biggest moneymakers, social media influencers Blake James and his girlfriend, Alena Jade. While Sunny may not know much about this world, she is quite impressed that their mere presence at her old friend Spike’s Boston tavern has turned it into the must-see attraction in the city.

Unfortunately, Blake has been receiving more than just the typical negative troll comments online. He has gotten some ominous and cryptic emails that made Bethany reach out to Sunny. Some of the recent messages have had a biblical bent with quotes like “you reap what you sow” being thrown at him. Sunny and her constant companion --- her dog, Rosie --- along with some much-needed assistance from Spike, make for a nice team. But when a threatening note makes its way inside Blake and Alena’s temporary Boston apartment and the accused doorman/security guard later turns up dead, Sunny knows that this case is serious business and not just millennial child’s play.

The intensity really ramps up when Bethany suddenly goes missing, not showing up for an important meeting involving a prospective new TV show for Blake. This sends Blake into a huge tailspin, and the more level-headed Alena even begins to show a few cracks in her usually tough brick wall of a demeanor.

What transpires is one of the best mysteries I have read this year, and readers’ heads will be spinning long before the unexpected conclusion. I defy you to put this book down. The plot twists and turns are so frequent that you will lose track of what is actually going on --- and this is where the author is at her most brilliant as every surprise will make the staunchest mystery reader squeal “aha”! It was so nice to spend some quality time with Sunny, Rosie and Spike, and I sure hope that Alison Gaylin plans to revisit them very soon.