As is usually the case in the Spenser books, Sudden Mischief relies heavily on the central character's crisp, witty first-person narration. One of the secrets of Spenser's appeal is his no-nonsense candor and the way he skewers many of the things we take for granted in society. The dialogue between Spenser and Hawk (and to a lesser degree between Spenser and Susan), gives voice to Parker's views on a diverse range of topics and pokes fun at everything from political correctness and contemporary sexual mores to the fitness craze and the rantings of self-help gurus.

In most respects, Sudden Mischief does not introduce any fresh narrative techniques or innovative plot complications, although having a male private detective attempt to help the former husband of the detective's "significant other" is an off-beat plot development. Like most detective novels, this one features a slam-bang ending. Brad returns to Susan's apartment...