Spenser Wiki
Register
Advertisement

The partnership arrangement at this firm is getting a bit confusing.

In the Spenser novels Rita Fiore left her job as Assistant prosecutor for the Norfolk County D.A's. office and joined the distinguished law firm of Cone Oakes and Baldwin, where she has been in Small Vices, Sudden Mischief, Widow's Walk, Back Story, and Bad Business. Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone sometimes say otherwise.

1) Family Honor (Sunny Randall, 1999): In chapter 8 we find out that Don Bradley works for the large Boston law firm of Cone Oakes and Belding.

2) Perish Twice (Sunny Randall, 2000): her sister's husband works for Cone Oakes and Baldwin.

3) Stone Cold (Jesse Stone, 2003): I didn't notice it myself but Jonah Rapp alerted me that Rita was working for Cone Oakes and Belding.

4) Melancholy Baby (Sunny Randall, 2004) avoids the question: "Usually, we do business with Cone Oakes." In the informal conversation Sunny and Peter are having no one would bother to quote the full corporate name but one has to wonder: if a Spenser type charmed and/or muscled through enough doors, who would he find as the third partner?

One alert reader noticed a connection that at the least may have been in the back of Parker's mind:

"Perhaps Mr. Parker got confused with the advertising giant Foote Cone & Belding. Hmmm, product placement in return for a future ad campaign?"
-Al Foote (no relation)
Advertisement