Robert Parker, A Master of the Detective Story

Robert B. Parker died on January 18, 2010.  He was 77 years old.  He leaves behind a legacy of some 70 novels, mainly of the mystery genre, the most popular of which are the Spenser and  Jesse Stone series.

Parker's writing was influenced by Raymond Chandler whom he admired.  Parker completed Poodle Springs one of Chandler's unfinished manuscripts.  Parker, in turn, has inspired contemporary detective writers.  The reader, for instance, can see some similarity between Spenser (first name unknown), a Boston private investigator and Chandler's Philip Marlowe. (Spenser was adapted into the  popular TV series: Spenser: For Hire starring Robert Urich as Spenser.)  Spenser's friendship with Hawk, his best friend and side kick, in turn, is mirrored in mystery writer Robert Crais' detective buddies, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Boston is the locale for the Spenser series just as Dennis Lehane's mystery stories (Gone, Baby, Gone) is set in Boston suburb, Dorchester, portraying a city not just as a setting but a major character in the plot.  Parker also wrote the Jesse Stone series which has been adapted into television starring Tom Selleck. Jesse Stone is a flawed sheriff battling his own demons while solving nefarious goings on in the town of Paradise. 

Robert Parker novels are entertaining to read although some are better than others, not surprising considering the sheer number of books he has written. His stories were also commentaries on relationships- father-son, love and marriage, and friendships. Sadly we say good-bye to such a prolific writer of the mystery genre and realize that soon, there will no longer be Spenser or Jesse Stone stories. Just as Raymond Chandler inspired Parker, we hope his style will continue to live on in younger mystery writers' craft.

                                                                   Robert B. Parker
                                                                        1932-2010

Bibliophiles in Mystery Books: Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr

Lawrence Block, author of the Matthew Scudder mystery series, is a very prolific mystery writer.  In the Burglar series, he utilizes his comedic genius to make the reader fall in love with the main character, larcenous Bernie Rhodenbarr.

"Burglary is, I should point out, not a career I would recommend for anyone.  The fact that I evidently can't give it up doesn't mean I'm not well aware of the disagreeably sordid nature of what I do." Says Bernie Rhodenbarr in Burglar on the Prowl.

Introduced in 1977 in Burglars Can't Be Choosers, Bernie Rhodenbarr is a gentleman burglar who lives and works in New York City.   He is owner/ proprietor of  Barnegat Books, selling used books by day and on some nights, he is an uninvited guest in a home where he intends to steal item or items of great value.  Bernie meticulously researches the object he plans to purloin, his target and his entry and escape routes. Incarcerated once before in his youth, he does not wish to repeat the experience.Unfortunately, where he expects no one to be home, he often encounters a dead body or two, often in the heels of law enforcement.  Bernie is, of course, the prime suspect and he must investigate the crime in order to clear his name. Thus, the plot thickens.

Bernie's cat Raffles, named after the gentleman burglar, lives in the bookstore.  Bernie is often joined for lunch or an after work drink by his dearest friend, Carolyn Kaiser, proprietor of the neighboring dog grooming salon, The Poodle Factory.  They could have been lovers but for the fact that Carolyn is lesbian and Bernie has many girlfriends.  Instead, they talk about their love life and Bernie's breaking and entering projects of which Carolyn is sometimes an accomplice.  Ray Kirschmann is a detective in New York's finest who somehow gets to investigate the crime scenes.  He is not above a little bribe here and there and he eventually gets credit for solving the crime.  Wally Hemphill is Bernie's lawyer who has to frequently bail him out of jail. Marty Gilmartin, a wealthy businessman, once one of Bernie's burgling victims, sometimes provides Bernie names and addresses of wealthy homeowners wanting to cash in on property insurance.

Lawrence Block fans will enjoy this character. As in the Hit Man series, the character is an ambivalent criminal who is confronted with the error of his ways yet is hard pressed to quit. The Burglar series is full of larceny and foibles and is an easy entertaining read. Block's most recent book is Step by Step: A Pedestrian Memoir.