Robert B. Parker began writing in 1971 while teaching at Boston's Northeastern University. Now he is acknowledged as the dean of American crime fiction and was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America (2002). His novels featuring the wise-cracking, street-smart Boston private-eye Spenser have earned him a devoted following and reams of critical acclaim. The Spenser character inspired the television series Spenser: For Hire and a number of made-for-television films.
Genres: Mystery, Western
Series
Spenser
1. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
2. God Save the Child (1974)
3. Mortal Stakes (1975)
4. Promised Land (1976)
5. The Judas Goat (1978)
6. Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980)
7. Early Autumn (1980)
8. A Savage Place (1981)
9. Ceremony (1982)
10. The Widening Gyre (1983)
11. Valediction (1984)
12. A Catskill Eagle (1985)
13. Taming a Seahorse (1986)
14. Pale Kings and Princes (1987)
15. Crimson Joy (1988)
16. Playmates (1989)
17. Stardust (1990)
18. Pastime (1991)
19. Double Deuce (1991)
20. Paper Doll (1993)
21. Walking Shadow (1994)
22. Thin Air (1995)
23. Chance (1996)
24. Small Vices (1997)
25. Sudden Mischief (1998)
26. Hush Money (1999)
27. Hugger Mugger (2000)
28. Potshot (2001)
29. Widow's Walk (2002)
30. Back Story (2003)
31. Bad Business (2004)
32. Cold Service (2005)
33. School Days (2005)
34. Dream Girl (2006)
aka Hundred-Dollar Baby
35. Now and Then (2007)
36. Rough Weather (2008)
36.5. Chasing the Bear (2009)
37. The Professional (2009)
38. Painted Ladies (2010)
39. Sixkill (2011)
39.5. Silent Night (2013) (with Helen Brann)
Spenser: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
continued in the series: Spenser
1. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
2. God Save the Child (1974)
3. Mortal Stakes (1975)
4. Promised Land (1976)
5. The Judas Goat (1978)
6. Looking for Rachel Wallace (1980)
7. Early Autumn (1980)
8. A Savage Place (1981)
9. Ceremony (1982)
10. The Widening Gyre (1983)
11. Valediction (1984)
12. A Catskill Eagle (1985)
13. Taming a Seahorse (1986)
14. Pale Kings and Princes (1987)
15. Crimson Joy (1988)
16. Playmates (1989)
17. Stardust (1990)
18. Pastime (1991)
19. Double Deuce (1991)
20. Paper Doll (1993)
21. Walking Shadow (1994)
22. Thin Air (1995)
23. Chance (1996)
24. Small Vices (1997)
25. Sudden Mischief (1998)
26. Hush Money (1999)
27. Hugger Mugger (2000)
28. Potshot (2001)
29. Widow's Walk (2002)
30. Back Story (2003)
31. Bad Business (2004)
32. Cold Service (2005)
33. School Days (2005)
34. Dream Girl (2006)
aka Hundred-Dollar Baby
35. Now and Then (2007)
36. Rough Weather (2008)
36.5. Chasing the Bear (2009)
37. The Professional (2009)
38. Painted Ladies (2010)
39. Sixkill (2011)
39.5. Silent Night (2013) (with Helen Brann)
Spenser: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
continued in the series: Spenser
Spenser Omnibus
The Judas Goat / Looking for Rachel Wallace / Early Autumn (1996)
A Triple Shot of Spenser (2005)
Enter Spenser (2010)
Looking for Rachel Wallace / Promised Land (2011)
The Spenser Novels 16-21 (2012)
The Spenser Novels 7-12 (2012)
The Spenser Novels 13-18 (2012)
The Spenser Novels 19-24 (2012)
The Judas Goat / Looking for Rachel Wallace / Early Autumn (1996)
A Triple Shot of Spenser (2005)
Enter Spenser (2010)
Looking for Rachel Wallace / Promised Land (2011)
The Spenser Novels 16-21 (2012)
The Spenser Novels 7-12 (2012)
The Spenser Novels 13-18 (2012)
The Spenser Novels 19-24 (2012)
Jesse Stone
1. Night Passage (1997)
2. Trouble in Paradise (1998)
3. Death In Paradise (2001)
4. Stone Cold (2003)
5. Sea Change (2005)
6. High Profile (2007)
7. Stranger in Paradise (2008)
8. Night and Day (2009)
9. Split Image (2010)
continued in the series: Jesse Stone
1. Night Passage (1997)
2. Trouble in Paradise (1998)
3. Death In Paradise (2001)
4. Stone Cold (2003)
5. Sea Change (2005)
6. High Profile (2007)
7. Stranger in Paradise (2008)
8. Night and Day (2009)
9. Split Image (2010)
continued in the series: Jesse Stone
Sunny Randall
1. Family Honor (1999)
2. Perish Twice (2000)
3. Shrink Rap (2002)
4. Melancholy Baby (2004)
5. Blue Screen (2006)
6. Spare Change (2007)
continued in the series: Sunny Randall
1. Family Honor (1999)
2. Perish Twice (2000)
3. Shrink Rap (2002)
4. Melancholy Baby (2004)
5. Blue Screen (2006)
6. Spare Change (2007)
continued in the series: Sunny Randall
Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch
1. Appaloosa (2005)
2. Resolution (2008)
3. Brimstone (2009)
4. Blue-Eyed Devil (2010)
continued in the series by Robert Knott
1. Appaloosa (2005)
2. Resolution (2008)
3. Brimstone (2009)
4. Blue-Eyed Devil (2010)
continued in the series by Robert Knott
Novels
Wilderness (1979)
Love and Glory (1983)
All Our Yesterdays (1994)
Gunman's Rhapsody (2001)
Double Play (2004)
Edenville Owls (2007)
The Boxer and the Spy (2008)
Love and Glory (1983)
All Our Yesterdays (1994)
Gunman's Rhapsody (2001)
Double Play (2004)
Edenville Owls (2007)
The Boxer and the Spy (2008)
Omnibus
Novellas
Series contributed to
Non fiction
Three Weeks in Spring (1978) (with Joan H Parker)
Parker on Writing (1985)
The Private Eye in Hammett and Chandler (1985)
A Year At the Races (1991) (with Joan H Parker)
Spenser's Boston (1994)
Parker on Writing (1985)
The Private Eye in Hammett and Chandler (1985)
A Year At the Races (1991) (with Joan H Parker)
Spenser's Boston (1994)
Anthologies containing stories by Robert B Parker
Short stories
Spenser's a Fan, Too (1988) |
Awards
|
Books about Robert B Parker
The Robert B. Parker Companion (2005) by Elizabeth Foxwell and Dean James
In Pursuit of Spenser (2012) by Otto Penzler
In Pursuit of Spenser (2012) by Otto Penzler
Robert B Parker recommends

The Wycherly Woman (1961)
(Lew Archer, book 9)
Ross MacDonald
"It was not just that Ross MacDonald taught us how to write; he did something much more, he taught us how to read, and how to think about life, and maybe in some small but mattering way, how to live."

Pale Grey for Guilt (1968)
(Travis McGee, book 9)
John D MacDonald
"...one of the great sagas in American fiction."

Wolf Trap (1983)
Frederick Nolan
"Compelling and authentic - a genuine spellbinder by a wonderful writer."

Rules of Prey (1989)
(Prey, book 1)
John Sandford
"A cop and a killer you will remember for a long, long time."

Fear Will Do It (1992)
(Cooper MacLeish, book 2)
Sam Reaves
"Sam Reaves is too good. He makes me nervous."

Bloodline (1995)
(Jack McMorrow, book 2)
Gerry Boyle
"Tense... Convincing and gracefully told. Gerry Boyle is the genuine article."

The Low End of Nowhere (1996)
(Streeter, book 1)
Michael Stone
"Tough, authentic, and right on the money."

The Guardian (1996)
Bill Eidson
"The Guardian is first-rate stuff; lean prose, compelling story, and verve in the telling. Don't miss it."

Hunting a Detroit Tiger (1997)
(Mickey Rawlings, book 4)
Troy Soos
"Equal parts baseball and mystery are the perfect proportion."

Kat Scratch Fever (1997)
(Kat Colorado, book 8)
Karen Kijewski
"Compeling and graceful... Very hard to put down."

Void Moon (1999)
Michael Connelly
"In Void Moon, as in all of Michael Connelly's books, you care about the people, you care what happens to them, and you can't stop reading until you find out. Connelly is so good he's beginning to annoy me."

Springer's Gambit (2001)
(Cole Springer Mystery, book 1)
W L Ripley
"Springer's Gambit is both fluent and riveting. Cole Springer is a comer... and so is W.L. Ripley."

Drop Dead, My Lovely (2004)
(Pete Ingalls, book 1)
Ellis Weiner
"Drop Dead, My Lovely is smart, ironic, and Candleresque. Three out of three is very good."

The Grief Shop (2006)
(Tally Whyte, book 3)
Vicki Stiefel
"Compelling, touching, and a pleasure to read."

The First Wave (2007)
(Billy Boyle World War II Mystery, book 2)
James R Benn
"A solid follow up to Benn's first novel. . . . [I] look forward to his next."

The Vicious Circle (2007)
Otto Penzler
"Otto Penzler knows more about crime fiction than most people know about anything."

To the Manor Dead (2010)
(Janet's Planet Mystery, book 1)
Sebastian Stuart
"Sebastian Stuart is a knowing, witty, and tough writer."
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