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In Pursuit of Spenser book cover

In Pursuit of Spenser

Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero

Edited by Otto Penzler

2013 Edgar Awards nominee in Critical/Biographical

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 Parker’s 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 Spenser’s dinner table; Lawrence Block explains the irresistibility of Parker’s 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

A close and revealing examination of Robert B. Parker—the author, the man, and the husband—brought to life by the observations and insights of fellow authors who knew him and his work. Extraordinary!” —Joan Parker

About the Editor

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.

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Publication Details

Title: In Pursuit of Spenser

Subtitle: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero

editor: Otto Penzler

Publication Date: April 24, 2012

Publisher: Smart Pop, an imprint of BenBella Books, Inc.

Price: $19.95 US

Format: Hardcover

Page Count: 272

ISBN: 9781935618577