by Ace Atkins
First published 2012
When Robert B. Parker died in 2010, the crime fiction world mourned the loss of both an iconic writer and his beloved detective Spenser. Parker sold over 6 million books and transformed the mystery genre forever. Editor Otto Penzler, who runs New York's The Mysterious Bookshop and has edited numerous crime anthologies, gathers today's leading mystery authors to explore Parker's legacy. These writers analyze Parker's characters, from the tough Spenser and his partner Hawk to psychologist Susan Silverman, along with Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall. They examine how Parker's Boston setting shaped his stories and discuss his personal views on his creations. The contributors reveal how Parker's work influenced their own writing and changed crime fiction as a whole. This collection celebrates Parker's contributions with warmth, wit, and genuine respect for what he accomplished.
Genres: biography, american, mystery, crime, detective, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: biography, detective, mystery
Setting: Boston
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
247 pages · Paperback · Smart Pop