Synopses & Reviews
Review
A close and revealing examination of Robert B. Parkerthe author, the man, and the husbandbrought to life by the observations and insights of fellow authors who knew him and his work. Extraordinary!”
Joan Parker
Synopsis
When Robert B. Parker passed in early 2010, the world lost two great men: Parker himself, iconic American crime writer whose books have sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, and his best-known creation, Spenser. Parker's Spenser series not only influenced the work of countless of today's writers, but is also credited with reviving and forever changing the genre.
In Pursuit of Spenser offers a look at Parker and to Spenser through the eyes of the writers he influenced. Editor Otto Penzler-- proprietor of one of the oldest and largest mystery specialist bookstores in the country, New York's The Mysterious Bookshop, and renowned mystery fiction editor whose credits include series editor for the Best American Crime Writing and Best American Mystery Stories, among many others (and about whom Parker himself once wrote, "Otto Penzler knows more about crime fiction than most people know about anything")-- collects some of today's bestselling mystery authors to discuss Parker, his characters, the series, and their impact on the world.
From Hawk to Susan Silverman to Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall, from the series Boston milieu to Parkers own take on his character, In Pursuit of Spenser pays tribute to Spenser, and Parker, with affection, humor, and a deep appreciation for what both have left behind.
Synopsis
**2013 Edgar Awards nominee in Critical/Biographical**
**2013 Anthony Award nominee in Best Critical Nonfiction**
Join award-winning mystery editor Otto Penzler and a first-rate lineup of mystery writers as they go in pursuit of Spenser and the man who created him, Robert B. Parker. These are the writers who knew Parker best professionally and personally, sharing memories of the man, reflections on his impact on the genre, and insights into what makes Spenser so beloved.
Ace Atkins, the author chosen to take up Parkers pen and continue the Spenser series, relates the formative impact Spenser had on him as a young man; gourmet cook Lyndsay Faye describes the pleasures of Spensers dinner table; Lawrence Block explains the irresistibility of Parkers literary voice; and more. In Pursuit of Spenser pays tribute to Spenser, and Parker, with affection, humor, and a deep appreciation for what both have left behind.
**Includes a reprinted piece on Spenser from Robert B. Parker
Contributors:
Ace Atkins
Lawrence Block
Reed Farrel Coleman
Max Allan Collins
Matthew Clemens
Brendan DuBois
Loren D. Estleman
Lyndsay Faye
Ed Gorman
Parnell Hall
Jeremiah Healy
Dennis Lehane
Gary Phillips
S.J. Rozan
About the Author
Otto Penzler, who graduated from the University of Michigan, wrote 101 Greatest Movies of Mystery and Suspense (2000). For the New York Sun, he wrote The Crime Scene, a popular weekly mystery fiction column that ran for several years. He has worked with several outstanding authors including Elmore Leonard, Nelson DeMille, Joyce Carol Oates, Sue Grafton, Mary Higgins Clark, Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke, and Thomas H. Cook. Located in Tribeca, The Mysterious Bookshop is one of the oldest and largest mystery specialist bookstores in America.