God Save the Child

Blurb

God Save The Child is the second book in Robert B. Parker's Spenser series and first published in 1974. In this tale, Spenser is hired to find Kevin Bartlett, a missing 15-year-old boy, by the child's parents. This novel introduces the detective's longtime love interest, Susan Silverman, and his friend Lieutenant Healy.
At first, no one is sure whether Kevin was abducted or ran away. Eventually, however, a ransom note appears, demanding USD$50,000 for his return. His well-to-do parents pay it, but do not get their son back in spite of a stakeout of the drop site.
Kevin's mother, Margery Bartlett, receives a death threat on the phone. Spenser takes on bodyguard duty instead of looking for Kevin. While Margery is shopping with Spenser's protection, the Bartlett's lawyer is found murdered in the Bartlett's residence. He was struck with a blunt object, breaking his neck.
Spenser checks out a steamer trunk that Kevin kept locked. In it Spenser found magazines and pictures of a bodybuilder named Vic Harroway whom Kevin apparently admires.