Robert B. Parker
1932-2010
 

Robert Brown Parker was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine in 1954 with a degree in English. After college, he joined the army and served in the infantry in Korea. In 1956, he married Joan Hall, his college sweetheart. He went to graduate school at Boston University, obtaining an M.A. in English in 1957. He worked at a variety of jobs before returning to Boston University in 1962 to work on a Ph.D. In 1964, he began teaching English on university level. In 1978, he retired. Parker is the creator of:
1. 'Jesse Stone', police chief in Paradise, Massachusetts.
2. 'Spenser', a private investigator in Boston, Massachusetts.
3. 'Sunny Randall', a private investigator in Boston, Massachusetts.
4. 'Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch', a marshal and his deputy in Appaloosa.
He also completed Poodle Springs, an unfinished manuscript of Raymond Chandler. The 'Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch' series will be continued by Robert Knott, the 'Spenser' series was continued by Ace Atkins until 2022 and then taken over by Mike Lupica and the 'Jesse Stone' series was continued by Michael Brandman until 2013, then by Reed Farrel Coleman until 2019, and then by Mike Lupica who also continued the 'Sunny Randall' series until 2023, when it was taken over by Alison Gaylin. Visit also his official site.

 

Titles and year of publication:  

'Jesse Stone' Novels
 1) Night Passage  1997
 2) Trouble in Paradise  1998
 3) Death in Paradise  2001
 4) Stone Cold  2003
 5) Sea Change  2006
 6) High Profile  2007
 7) Stranger in Paradise  2008
 8) Night and Day  2009
 9) Split Image  2010
'Spenser' Novels
 1) The Godwulf Manuscript  1973
 2) God Save the Child  1974
 3) Mortal Stakes  1975
 4) Promised Land (Edgar Award)  1976
 5) The Judas Goat  1977
 6) Looking for Rachel Wallace  1980
 7) Early Autumn  1981
 8) A Savage Place  1981
 9) Ceremony  1982
10) The Widening Gyre  1983
11) Valediction  1984
12) A Catskill Eagle  1985
13) Taming a Sea-Horse  1986
14) Pale Kings and Princes  1987
15) Crimson Joy  1988
16) Playmates  1989
17) Stardust  1990
18) Pastime  1991
19) Double Deuce  1992
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) Hundred-Dollar Baby (UK Title: Dream Girl [2006])  2006
35) Now & Then  2007
36) Rough Weather  2008
37) Chasing the Bear: A Young Spenser Novel  2009
38) The Professional  2009
39) Painted Ladies  2010
40) Sixkill  2011
41) Silent Night (with Helen Brann)  2013
'Sunny Randall' Novels
 1) Family Honor  1999
 2) Perish Twice  2000
 3) Shrink Rap  2002
 4) Melancholy Baby  2004
 5) Blue Screen  2006
 6) Spare Change  2007
'Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch' Novels
 1) Appaloosa  2005
 2) Resolution  2008
 3) Brimstone  2009
 4) Blue-Eyed Devil  2010
Other Novels
 1) Wilderness  1979
 2) Love and Glory  1983
 3) Poodle Springs (with Raymond Chandler)  1989
 4) Perchance to Dream  1991
 5) All Our Yesterdays  1994
 6) Gunman's Rhapsody  2001
 7) Double Play  2005
 8) Edenville Owls  2007
 9) The Boxer and the Spy  2008

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