Many of the social concerns in the Spenser novels are those of crime fiction in general: decay of urban life, growing levels of violence in American life, increasing lack of community, decreasing sense of safety, and the usual human failings of betrayal, lust, greed, jealousy, and murderous rage.

Parker puts his particular spin on these themes by having them filtered through the consciousness of his P.I., Spenser, who has a special view of the world, part humorous detachment, part passionate engagement, which helps to balance out the world Parker explores in the series.

Thin Air is a fairly typical, late Spenser novel with the exception that Hawk, Spenser's dark alter ego, is missing, but his role is taken by a hard-nosed Chicano enforcer Spenser borrows from an underworld acquaintance in L.A. who owes him a favor from years back. The plot is fairly simple...