Diary of a Mad Editor

I was rather shocked to learn just this afternoon that, one of my favorite mystery writers, Robert B. Parker — died suddenly yesterday. The creator of the Spenser detective series and the equally popular Jesse Stone novels died at his desk. A fitting death for a prolific writer.

I first discovered Parker in my junior year in high school, not long after discovering Raymond Chandler, a writer Parker was often compared to. The first book of his I remember reading was Valediction, a Spenser novel. The Godwulf Manuscript and Taming the Seahorse were among my favorites of the earlier Spenser books. Over a period of several years I worked my way through his other Spenser novels and many of his other novels, including his three westerns and a few of his Jesse Stone books. What I most admired about his writing was how simply he wrote and how effortless he made it seem and how he rarely disappointed his fans.

An English Lit professor turned full-time novelist, Parker completed over sixty novels. His last completed book, Split Image, featuring Jesse Stone was finished just prior to his death and will be published later this year. During his lifetime, Parker was nominated for the Edgar Award three times and won the award once. In addition, he was awarded a Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.