Is it the ulta-terse writing? The incredible love match? The fascinating supporting characters? The fact that his books includes ample references to food? Why am I so addicted to the work of Robert B. Parker?

I don’t think it’s the plot lines. Don’t get me wrong — I LIKE the plots. But what I LOVE is Parker’s style of writing and his characters. And he just keeps turning those “gotta read them all” books out.







First it was the Spenser mysteries. Then along came the Jesse Stone series and the Sunny Randall books. More characters to love. More books to read. Parker also writes a lot of western-style books, but I have to draw the line somewhere. So I’m sticking with the ones where a tough and sometimes outside-the-law P.I. gets the bad guy and loves his woman (Spenser); where a flawed small town sheriff gets the bad guy and is confused by his women (Stone); and where a female P.I. with authority issues gets the bad guys and is confused about her ex (Randall).

If you decide to try Robert B. Parker’s books yourself, don’t feel like you have to read them in any order. Yes, there are some references to the past, but they won’t get in the way of enjoying what’s right in front of you at the time. After a few books you’ll discover that minor characters sometimes have a way of showing up in different series. That just adds to the fun.

For a long time I considered Parker’s work to be a guilty pleasure. No more! He probably won’t win any Pulitzers, but the last two Pulitzers I read weren’t near as enjoyable as his work. and shouldn’t you enjoy what you’re reading? Whether it’s Charles Dickens, William Faulkner, Jeffry Lent, or Robert B. Parker?

I thought you would agree.

I love Robert B. Parker. I’m always pining for his next book. And he knows not to keep fans like me waiting too long.

Here’s a link to his website.