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Boston, MA
Mass. politics is the secret sauce as Boston PI Spenser returns in new novel | Bay State Briefing
It’s the challenge that every author ultimately faces: How do you take something that’s already weird enough in real life and translate it to the silver screen or the printed page?
Now imagine that something is Massachusetts politics, which can be, to put it mildly, transcendentally, existentially weird.
That’s the challenge that confronted veteran journalist and author Mike Lupica as he once again assumed the voice and mantle of Spenser, Boston’s most famous — and fictional — private investigator.
The result is “Hot Property‚” out Nov. 26 from G.P. Putnam’s Sons. The book blends drama on Beacon Hill and City Hall Plaza with a disturbing and very personal act of violence that hits Spenser and his usual supporting cast of Hawk, Susan Silverman and Martin Quirk very close to home.
It’s the 52nd book in the series, originated by the late Robert B. Parker, a Boston mainstay, who died in 2010, and continued by author Ace Atkins before Lupica took up author duties with last year’s “Broken Trust.”
Lupica recently took a few minutes to chat with MassLive about the new book, his love for Boston and what’s next for Spenser.
This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity, content, and potential spoilers. But if you’re a hardcore Spenser fan, now might be a good time to go get a snack or something …
Q: Massachusetts politics is front and center in this new book. What was your crash course like for it?
Lupica: “I’ve spent an amazing amount of time [in Boston]. I grew up in Nashua, New Hampshire. I went to Boston College. My four kids all went to Boston College. I started out writing, working nights at The [Boston] Globe and writing for the Boston Phoenix and Boston Magazine. I spent a fair amount of my life in Boston. So I followed the various political shenanigans.”
“I know that casinos are now at play in Boston. So I did some reading on that. And then I found out about this, you know, this incredible piece of land [in South Boston]. And so I decided to make that, as Hitchcock would say, the MacGuffin of this book.”
“Originally, my idea was to write about a George Santos-like politician, which I ended up doing, except I wanted to make this more personal.”
Q: That character, Nick Drummond, who’s the Santos figure serving in the Massachusetts state Senate, was he a composite of existing Massachusetts politicians? Or was he drawn entirely from your imagination?
Lupica: “George Santos was never charming, okay? I mean, he was a grifter, and everybody kind of saw him as a grifter. And it took everybody a while to get him out of Congress. But I wanted to have George Santos be this popular, charming, handsome boy wonder of Massachusetts politics.”
“And he turned out to be [one of the main character’s] boyfriend, and he died under mysterious circumstances. And in a lot of ways, you know, a dead guy becomes one of the central figures of this book as we keep unpacking things that we find out about [him].”
- Read More: ‘Spenser is the guy you want to write’: Author Mike Lupica picks up the legacy of Boston’s famed PI
Q: The main tragedy of the book draws the characters together, Spenser, Hawk, Capt. Martin Quirk, even [Spenser’s partner] Susan Silverman. It feels like a family drama in a lot of ways.
Lupica: “This is a family drama. And the fun thing was having even Susan Silverman soften her position to the victim of this shooting.”
“But you know … here’s another thing I love about these characters and why they were so brilliantly originated in the imagination of Mr. Parker … There’s a humanity to all of them. Obviously, there’s a humanity to Spenser and Hawk, and their relationship, and Susan, and we see a softer side of [lawyer Rita Fiore]. And because I wrote the [Parkerverse] Jesse Stone novels, I was like a manager going out in the fifth inning, tapping my right arm and bringing Jesse in. And, so, for the first time, really, we have the Three Musketeers: Spenser and Hawk and Jesse.”
- Sign up right here for MassLive’s new politics newsletter, Bay State Briefing ― Your weekly round-up of Massachusetts political news and the people and policies driving those stories.
Q: In the books, you can see the streets that Spenser is walking. And if you live here, you know how he got from Point A to Point B. Have you ever had a Bostonian fact-check you, and tell you that [Spenser] couldn’t possibly have gotten to someplace from where he was before?
Lupica: “I’m completely confident, especially in the Back Bay, because I spent [time there]. I love writing about The Street Bar [in the Newbury Hotel] because I spent a lot of my life in it. Because we were either at Red Sox … or Celtics games; or … in my sports columnist life, I had so much reason to go to Boston … This city is in my heart and in my mind.”
Q: What’s on tap for you next in Parker-land?
Lupica: There’s a new [Spenser book] … All I will tell you is that it will deal with a Joe Rogan-type and immigration.”
Dr. Kevin Hassett, a Massachusetts native, has been tapped to serve as the Trump administration’s National Economic Council. (Photo via the Executive Office of the President of the United States)Executive Office of the President of the United States
Mass. native Kevin Hassett gets a White House return
Greenfield native Kevin A. Hassett is in line for a White House return in the incoming Trump administration.
President-elect Donald Trump tapped Hassett, now a fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, to serve as director of the National Economic Council.
Hassett served as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers from 2017 to 2019. In 2020, he rejoined the Trump White House as a senior advisor, the Trump transition team announced last week.
During that first tour of duty, Hassett was an architect of the 2017 tax cuts that Trump has vowed to extend when he returns to the White House early next year.
Hassett “will play an important role in helping American families recover from the Inflation that was unleashed by the Biden Administration,” Trump said in a statement.
“Together, we will renew and improve our record Tax Cuts, and ensure that we have Fair Trade with Countries that have taken advantage of the United States in the past,” Trump continued. “Kevin will also play a key role [in] strengthening our Economic relationships with Allies, new and old, while also securing Prosperity for the American People.”
(MassLive file)Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media
North Shore lawmaker tapped for judgeship
The Nov. 5 election is barely in the books, and politicos in the 6th Essex House District already find themselves contemplating a special election.
That comes courtesy of Gov. Maura Healey, who nominated Rep. Jerry Parisella of Beverly to a District Court judgeship, according to State House News Service.
Parisella, who’s been in the House since 2011, chairs the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee. He was one of the lead negotiators on the $4 billion economic development package that Healey recently signed into law.
Parisella is Healey’s 50th judicial nomination since taking office in 2023, the wire service reported.
“As a member of the Legislature for more than a decade and a U.S. Army veteran, Representative Parisella is a true public servant who knows what it means to deliver for the people of Massachusetts,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. “We believe that he has the knowledge, the compassion and the experience to excel on the District Court. We’re excited for him to continue his service to the state, and we look forward to working with [the] Governor’s Council as they consider his nomination.”
Pinnacle Bogs in Plymouth will benefit from a $740,000 restoration grant from the Healey administration. (Photo via Office of Gov. Maura Healey)Healey administration photo
Monday Numbers
$6 million: The total state funding that’s headed to cranberry bogs and coastal wetlands across the state thanks to an infusion of cash from the Healey administration.
The money channeled through the state Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration, will help preserve and restore cranberry bogs in 12 communities, the administration said in a statement last week.
Also:
$740,000: The portion of that money that’s headed to Pinnacle Bogs in Plymouth.
$300,000: The portion of the money that’s headed for the Frost Fish Creek Wetland in Chatham; the Jack’s Marsh Wetland, and the Agawam River Bog, both overseen by the Buzzard’s Bay Coalition.
“Ecological restoration is essential for meeting Massachusetts’ environmental and climate adaptation goals, but it takes local leadership to take the steps needed toward making this work possible,” Beth Lambert, director of the Division of Ecological Restoration, said.
The State House on Beacon Hill in Boston. (State House News Service photo)State House News Service
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Attorney General Andrea Campbell speaks at a celebration of the success of the MBTA Communities Act in Somerville. (Tréa Lavery/MassLive)Tréa Lavery/MassLive
They said it
“Our workplace laws exist to provide crucial rights and protections to our workforce. My office will continue to enforce these laws to protect and empower workers, including young workers who contribute to their communities and gain new skills and experiences.”
— Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell grills Northeast Foods LLC, which operates dozens of Burger King franchise locations across the state, for its child labor law violations.
Turned up to 11
This one popped up on my commute on the Red Line the other morning. It’s Velvet Crush’s cover of “Why Not Your Baby,” first recorded by Dillard and Clark. This version comes from Velvet Crush’s essential 1994 LP “Teenage Symphonies to God.” Some readers may recall the band toured around New England quite a lot in those days.
Your Monday long read
This year marks the 40th anniversary of “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” the holiday charity single by the British pop supergroup collectively known as Band Aid. The record and the later Live Aid concert raised millions of dollars for Ethiopian famine relief and put the African nation on the world map.
So how did the Ethiopians feel about it? Well … it’s a bit of a mixed bag. “Everyone was happy, but it became annoying,” The Guardian reports in its look back.
That’s it for this morning. I’ll be off next week. So we’ll see you back here in a bit. As always, send tips, comments and suggestions to jmicek@masslive.com.
A 96-year-old Boston woman received the surprise of a lifetime when she discovered the French men’s national soccer team had become her neighbors at the Four Seasons Hotel in the Back Bay.
Shirley, a beloved resident of the neighborhood, said she had no idea she would end up meeting the players in town for the World Cup.
“They’re my buddies,” she said with a laugh.
Her caretaker, Samia, said Shirley has become well known around Back Bay.
“Anyone outside, when we are walking, people come to her and want to talk to her,” Samia said.
The U.S. is out of the World Cup. Fellow co-hosts Mexico and Canada are too. So who should
The excitement around the hotel grew after the French team arrived to stay there during the tournament.
Shirley said the encounter happened unexpectedly while she was eating lunch.
“I was having lunch and they came over, and since then, it’s been wonderful to have them here,” she said.
Shirley said team representatives soon invited her to meet the players.
“And they said, ‘He would like to meet you.’ I said, ‘I’m glad to meet anybody,’” she recalled.
For this Massachusetts teenager, attending a World Cup match was more than a dream come true, it was a milestone in a journey that began when he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma — something that might not have happened if he hadn’t been playing soccer.
After the visit, Shirley recorded a cellphone video sharing her excitement.
“This is absolutely — I cannot tell you how unbelievably fabulous this is,” she said.
The meeting ended with a memorable gift: A jersey from French star Kylian Mbappé.
The team also made her a promise.
“[They] told me that if they win, he will sign it, and then it will be worth a lot of money,” she said, laughing.
Samia, who is from Algeria, quickly agreed. She said she was already a devoted supporter of the French squad after spending many years living in France.
“I’m so excited. I went to Philadelphia to watch the game this past weekend. So, believe me, I’m totally 100% with them. I wanted them to go back to France with a cup,” she said.
Shirley said she never expected to become a fan, but she appreciated the sense of community the tournament brought to her neighborhood.
“It’s good to see such camaraderie happening, with people here getting along. Yeah, it’s the greatest thing,” she said.
She said she still did not know why the team wanted to meet her, but she’s grateful nonetheless. Shirley remains hopeful her new friends would keep winning, and keep returning to Boston.
Boston, MA
Boston sues social media companies over ‘addictive’ features, joining nationwide litigation
Local News
Boston officials say that social media has led to a significant downturn in the mental health of students over the past decade.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced Wednesday that the city is suing social media companies — including Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube — over their alleged deliberate targeting of minors with addictive features.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Boston Public Schools in federal court in California, will be consolidated with more than 1,500 similar complaints from school districts around the country, Wu’s office said.
The lawsuit seeks to force the companies to remove addictive features and compensate the city for the mental health support needed by students. It alleges the companies designed addictive features specifically to keep young people engaged. These features include endless scrolling, frequent notifications, and personalized algorithms, city officials said.
In a statement, Wu said that these companies have evidence of the harm they are causing to children.
“Boston is taking legal action to protect children and youth and hold these companies accountable. Today, we are making it clear that social media companies must end exploitative practices and be accountable to standards of basic protection for children,” she said.
The move comes as more Massachusetts politicians look to rein in social media companies. The state’s House of Representatives passed a bill in April that would implement a phone ban in schools and prohibit children 14 and younger from using social media. Gov. Maura Healey followed that up by introducing legislation that would require social media companies to verify users’ ages and limit the ways in which minors are exposed to potentially addictive design features.
Just last week, the state Senate unveiled legislation that would require social media companies to automatically disable these types of features for minors.
BPS officials say that they have seen a “significant increase” in social media-fueled mental health needs over the past decade. They cited data from the Boston Public Health Commission that shows the impact on high school students. In 2015, just 26.7% of Boston public high school students reported “persistent sadness.” By 2021, that figure had risen to 43.9%.
The district says it has responded by “exponentially” expanding mental health resources. In 2007, there were six social workers and 48 school psychologists employed in the BPS system. The district now has 240 social workers and 105 school psychologists, officials said.
“We work hard to set our students on the best course for success through rigorous academics and whole-student supports, and the research is clear that social media has had a negative impact on students’ well-being while benefiting companies. We all need to do what is right for our students,” Superintendent Mary Skipper said in a statement.
In March, a jury in California found that Meta and YouTube are liable for intentionally designing addictive features and that executives failed to protect young users.
In May, Meta and other social media companies settled a lawsuit brought by a Kentucky school district in a bellwether case.
There’s no way around it. To experience these sushi-focused multicourse tasting menus, you are going to splurge, at least a little. At omakase specialist O Ya, for instance, Tim and Nancy Cushman present raw fish in many creative forms over 20 to 25 bites, from oysters with watermelon pearls to hamachi with torched banana pepper to Peruvian-influenced chutoro. If the initially revelatory menu had started to feel somewhat rote, a Michelin pass-over and the restaurant’s 20th anniversary seem to have provided the spark to shake it up. Add a sake and wine pairing — a particular strength here — and the experience is going to cost more than $500 per person.
For a different creative take on omakase, head to Lexington to spend an evening at Michael Monaco’s six-seat Akame Nigiri and Sake. For $180, his 15-course tasting menu showcases premium fish from Japan alongside a freewheeling array of ingredients that might include mango, hummus, and Dorito powder; as at O Ya, Akame’s omakase includes Hokkaido uni and A5 Wagyu.
The bottom line:
O Ya: $378.78 (including taxes and fees; no gratuity required), optional beverage pairings $192-$240.
Akame Nigiri and Sake: $180, optional sake pairing $85.
O Ya, 9 East St., Boston, 617-654-9900, www.o-ya.restaurant. Akame Nigiri and Sake, 1707 Massachusetts Ave. #2, Lexington, 781-538-6581, www.akamenigiriandsake.com.
Steakhouse stakeout
Abe & Louie’s has been around since restaurateur Charlie Sarkis opened the steakhouse in 1965, and it’s still going strong. When you want old-school vibes — dark wood, white tablecloths, roaring fireplace, servers in jackets bringing you New York strips and martinis — this is your spot.
But if the Back Bay restaurant is too rich for your blood, there’s another steakhouse classic going strong, this one in Brighton: The Stockyard, opened in 1972. It’s got the fireplace, New York strips, and martinis, plus the right old-school vibe. The similarities should come as no surprise, as chef Bill Bramley and general manager Gerry Lynch both previously worked at Abe & Louie’s.
The bottom line:
Abe & Louie’s: Steaks $72-$195, martinis $18.
The Stockyard: Steaks $32-$98, martinis $14.
Abe & Louie’s, 793 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-536-6300, www.abeandlouies.com. The Stockyard, 135 Market St., Brighton, 617-782-4700, www.stockyardrestaurant.com.
Postcards from Italy
Buzzy, swank, and Michelin-recommended, La Padrona is chef Jody Adams’s return to the Italian cuisine she was long known for at Rialto. She and executive chef Amarilys Colón draw from Liguria, Tuscany, Sicily, and beyond, applying New England ingredients to regional dishes. Come for charred cabbage with anchovy butter and risotto with lobster and uni, stay for the strong bartending.
Or head to Dorchester’s Via Cannuccia, where Italian chef Stefano Quaresima prepares dishes straight out of Rome. (The restaurant is named for the street he grew up on.) At this neighborhood favorite, you’ll find fresh, basil-laced eggplant Parmigiana; ravioli stuffed with sheep ricotta and blanketed with lamb ragu; Roman-style pizza; and porchetta with giardiniera. Weekend brunch brings beautiful pastries.
The bottom line:
La Padrona: Bucatini with red and green tomatoes, stracciatella, and basil $33; beef tenderloin $67; wine by the glass $18-$45; cocktails $22-$30.
Via Cannuccia: Fettuccine with fresh tomato, basil, and grana padano $29; short ribs $47; wine by the glass $13-$23; cocktails $16-$18.
La Padrona, 38 Trinity Place, Back Bay, Boston, 617-898-0010, www.lapadronaboston.com. Via Cannuccia, 1739 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, 617-506-1877, www.viacannuccia.com.
Direct flights to France
For French fine dining, with a price tag to match, Mistral has been a mainstay in Boston for nearly 30 years. Come here to savor foie gras with duck confit, Dover sole meunière, and profiteroles, as well as thin-crust grilled pizza, tuna tartare, and other more-modern classics. The room is elegant and the service excellent.
For French bistro dining, with a price tag to match, there is Ma Maison. Jacky Robert’s Beacon Hill restaurant is a homier, more down-to-earth venture than Mistral, but the pâté, escargots, duck a l’orange, and souffles hit home (if home is a non-touristy arrondissement of Paris).
The bottom line:
Mistral: Escargots $21, roast duck with mushroom risotto and cranberry gastrique $54, wine by the glass $15-$40, cocktails $19-$20.
Ma Maison: Escargots $12, duck a l’orange with Brussels sprouts $31, wine by the glass $12-$18, cocktails $10-$12.
Mistral, 223 Columbus Ave., South End, Boston, 617-867-9300, www.mistralbistro.com. Ma Maison, 272 Cambridge St., Beacon Hill, Boston, 617-725-8855, www.mamaisonboston.com.
A toast to tapas
When it opened in April, Dalia took South Boston by storm. Like sister restaurants Capri and Prima, it is dressed to impress: The room is filled with wrought iron, Spanish tile, and carefully curated decorations. This eye candy is backed up by a menu of tapas, crudos, grilled meats, and more. Tapas here are only a bit more expensive than at other Spanish restaurants around town. But if you’re the type to be tempted by pricier dishes like grilled Wagyu, paella, or tuna crudo, that can start to add up.
For the original fanciful-decor-plus-tapas experience, drop an “a” off of Dalia and head to Dalí. Tchotchkes, bric-a-brac, art, and a laundry line of undergarments festoon the eye-catching Somerville institution, where tapas, paella, and drinks can be had for a little less. (The best tapas deal in town, however, might be Estragon’s $6 tapas happy hour, Mondays through Thursdays from 5-7 p.m.)
But if you want to focus on eating and drinking — because tapas were invented to accompany drinks, after all — Taberna de Haro is the best bet for your money. The Brookline restaurant is known for its Spanish wine program, and its food and hospitality are excellent too.
The bottom line:
Dalia: Average tapas price is $14.23. Paella $28-$36 half-portion, $56-$72 whole; wine by the glass $11-$20; cocktails $15-$16.
Dalí: Average tapas price is $13.80. Paella $38-$45, wine by the glass $9-$12, cocktails $14.
Taberna de Haro: Average tapas price is $13.42. Paella $42, wine by the glass $11-$15, cocktails $13-$15.
Dalia, 429 West Broadway, South Boston, 617-752-0429, www.daliaboston.com. Estragon, 700 Harrison Ave., South End, Boston, 617-266-0443, www.estragontapas.com. Dalí, 415 Washington St., Somerville, 617-661-3254, www.dalirestaurant.com. Taberna de Haro, 999 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-277-8272, www.tabernaboston.com.
Aegean idylls
Where to go when you can’t get to a Greek isle? The South End, of course. Here you’ll find Kaia, serving elegant, upscale meze, grilled fish, and more. Spanakopita goes black tie in this fine-dining iteration of the classic spinach pie, strewn with blossoms and snipped herbs, earthy with truffle vinaigrette. Tender grilled octopus comes with wild greens and dill gremolata. For a summery dessert, there’s watermelon shaved ice with pistachio powder and yogurt foam.
A half-mile away is Kava Neo-Taverna, still elegant, still serving meze and grilled fish, just a little more casual and traditional. The grilled octopus is simpler here, with olive oil, lemon, and oregano. There’s baked feta with cherry tomatoes, lamb meatballs, and Greek fries.
Whichever place you choose, there will be a wine list stocked with bottles from Greece.
The bottom line:
Kaia: Average meze price is $24.13. Whole grilled fish is market price; lavraki (Mediterranean sea bass) was recently $90. Wine by the glass $16-$32, cocktails $18.
Kava Neo-Taverna: Average meze price is $14.54. Whole grilled fish is market price; lavraki was recently $65. Wine by the glass $12-$16, cocktails $13-$16.
Kaia, 370 Harrison Ave., South End, Boston, 617-514-0700, www.kaiasouthend.com. Kava Neo-Taverna, 315 Shawmut Ave., South End, Boston, 617-356-1100, www.kavaneotaverna.com.
Choose your own tasting menu adventure
Nightshade Noodle Bar is known for next-level Vietnamese-influenced tasting menus that would stand out in the most food-forward locales. Yet here we are in Lynn, feasting on chef Rachel Miller’s innovative seven-, nine-, 14-, 21-, and 30-course meals of fermented rice cakes with crispy confit duck tongues, chilled percebes (a.k.a. goose barnacles) dipped in lime-pepper sauce, and grilled coconut sticky rice with caramelized clay-pot foie gras and Amarena cherries. A night at Nightshade is an adventure.
You won’t find anything exactly like it anywhere else. But in a similar spirit of experimentation and creativity, Brassica Kitchen + Cafe offers The Ride — a free-form tasting of dishes from on and off the menu, for two people or more. Last year, Jeremy Kean and Philip Kruta’s quirky Jamaica Plain restaurant moved a few doors down into a larger, stylish space, but their focus on fermentation and reducing waste remains the same. (And now there’s pizza.) Your meal might include tuna crudo with watermelon and miso powder; striper collar with cherries, cherry ponzu, and basil; and koji risotto with Parmesan — or anything else the chefs can dream up.
The bottom line:
Nightshade Noodle Bar: tasting menus $102-$468, optional beverage pairings $60-$220.
Brassica Kitchen + Cafe: The Ride $105, optional wine pairing $55. Both restaurants include taxes and fees in the tasting menu price; no additional gratuity required.
Nightshade Noodle Bar, 73 Exchange St., Lynn, 781-780-9470, www.nightshadenoodlebar.com. Brassica Kitchen + Cafe, 3712 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, 617-477-4519, www.brassicakitchen.com.
Devra First can be reached at devra.first@globe.com. Follow her on Instagram @devra_first.
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