When I became a bookseller in the second half of the 1980s one of the biggest names of American crime fiction was Robert B Parker. Following the success of his fourth Spenser novel Promised Land (1976), winning the Edgar for best mystery, the book kick started the successful TV series Spenser for Hire with the clean-cut Robert Urlich in the title part.
Spenser was a significant influence on the direction of mystery fiction – not just in the late 70s and 80s – but the wider revival of interest in what was possible for the genre. Parker had studied Chandler and other writers for his PhD and became professor of literature at Boston. He took the the first-person narration, wise-cracking humour and a story that involved some moral code from Chandler. What he also added was a private eye with a tough-guy partner, called Hawk. Other male writers such as Jonathan Valin and Andrew H Vachss were to delve deeper in the dark side of society, but their acceptance in the publishing world was in part due to the popular following and standing that Robert B Parker had given to the genre. Females authors were also to benefit from the post Chandler revival; and not just Sue Grafton and Sara Paretsky – but those that were to follow.
I met Robert B Parker when he came to Waterstones store in Bath, Somerset over 20 years ago. About 30 fans attended and the feeling was that the early books were the best. Barry Forshaw in the Rough Guide to Crime Fiction agrees. What do you think? Robert signed various early titles including scarce first editions of The Godwulf Manuscript, Promised Land and God Save the Child. These are available from the shop.
Robert received the honour of being a Grand Master from the Mystery Writers of America in 2002. It was a worthy recognition of his career.
