Book ~ "In Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero" (2012) Otto Penzler

From Goodreads ~ 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 

I've read some books in the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker (he wrote 39 of them) and enjoyed them ... so that's why this book caught my eye.  I wasn't a fan of his Jesse Stone series and hadn't heard of his Sunny Randall series.

Parker died suddenly in January 2010 and his estate has hired Ace Atkins to continue on with the series ... it should be interesting to see if he can carry on in the same spirit (I hope so).

Each of the contributors added an essay about Parker and/or Spenser.  I found that some were more interesting than others.  It was good to learn more about Parker ... for example, he and his wife, Joan, got married in 1956.  They discovered, though, that the only way they could "live together" is if she lived on one floor of their townhouse and he lived on another and they shared the rest of the house.

S.J. Rozan focused on Spenser's love interest, Susan Silverman.  I've never been a fan of Susan's and it was good to know that I wasn't the only one who found her annoying (Rozan is a fan of Susan's, though).  Gary Phillips focused on the character of Hawk (I always enjoyed the exchange between Spenser and Hawk).

There is also an essay comparing the books to the series and made-for-TV movies (which I've never seen).  I must say that when I envisioned Spenser while reading the books, I pictured him more like Parker than Robert Urich.

You'll enjoy this book if you are a fan of Parker and/or Spenser.