Parker, Robert B. (1932-2010), an American author of detective stories, created the private investigator known only as Spenser. Parker introduced Spenser in the novel The Godwulf Manuscript (1974).
Spenser is a tough, wisecracking investigator based in Boston. He works on many of his cases with his friend Hawk. Continuing themes in the series include Spenser’s love of cooking; his romance with psychologist Susan Silverman; and his concern with the problems of women and adolescents. These themes set Spenser apart from earlier hard-boiled detectives and influenced many other authors of detective fiction.
Parker also wrote detective novels about Jessie Stone, a small-town New England police chief. The series began with Night Passage (1997). Parker introduced female private detective Sunny Randall in Family Honor (1999). His novels have been praised for their excellent dialogue. He was influenced by American author Raymond Chandler, creator of the private investigator Philip Marlowe. Parker completed Poodle Springs (1989), a Marlowe novel Chandler had left unfinished at his death. Parker also wrote Perchance to Dream (1991), a sequel to Chandler’s The Big Sleep (1939). Parker’s novel Double Play (2004) is a baseball story set in 1947 when Jackie Robinson became the first African American player in the major leagues. Parker also wrote action novels set in the Old West.
Robert Brown Parker was born on Sept. 17, 1932, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He died on Jan. 18, 2010.
