Order of Book Series
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Robert B. Parker Books in Order

87 books are credited to Robert B. Parker, published between 1951 and 2025; 16 of them appeared after Robert B. Parker's death in 2010. The first book is Passport To Peril (1951) and the newest is Booked (2025). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
87
Published
1951–2025
Confirmed
84 of 87 titles
Pages on record
22,096 in 77 of 87 books
Reading time
368–552 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 22,096 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 77 of 87 titles with a page count on record.

See all 87 books in order Printable Robert B. Parker checklist
Photo of Robert B. Parker, author

Robert B. Parker (September 17, 1932 – January 18, 2010) was an American writer working mainly in mystery and detective fiction. The Spenser novels, about a private detective, are Parker's most famous works and inspired the ABC series Spenser: For Hire and a run of TV movies. The Godwulf Manuscript (1973), God Save the Child (1974) and Mortal Stakes (1975) are among the early titles. Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall are further characters, and Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch form another series. Parker's books draw on detailed knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area, and Robert Crais, Harlan Coben and Dennis Lehane are among those who credit the Spenser novels with renewing the detective genre.

The Sunny Randall series follows a Boston-based private investigator whose cases blur the line between right and wrong. The books pair crime-solving with Sunny's personal struggles and relationships, using her investigations to reveal her inner life as much as the mysteries themselves.

How many Robert B. Parker books are there?

Robert B. Parker has 87 books, released between 1951 and 2025. 16 of them were published after Robert B. Parker's death in 2010. They include 4 series and 3 titles listed outside any series.

Robert B. Parker Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 87 Robert B. Parker books in the order they were released, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of Passport To Peril by Robert B. Parker, book 1 of the Robert B. Parker Standalone Novels series (1951)
  2. Cover of The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker, book 1 of the Spenser series (1973)
  3. Cover of Training with Weights by Robert B. Parker, book 1 of the Robert B. Parker Non-Fiction series (1974)
  4. Cover of God Save the Child by Robert B. Parker, book 2 of the Spenser series (1974)
  5. Cover of Mortal Stakes by Robert B. Parker, book 3 of the Spenser series (1975)
  6. Cover of Promised Land by Robert B. Parker, book 4 of the Spenser series (1976)
  7. Cover of Three Weeks In Spring by Robert B. Parker, book 2 of the Robert B. Parker Non-Fiction series (1978)
  8. Cover of The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker, book 5 of the Spenser series (1978)
  9. Cover of Wilderness by Robert B. Parker, book 2 of the Robert B. Parker Standalone Novels series (1979)
  10. Cover of Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker, book 6 of the Spenser series (1980)
  11. Cover of Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker, book 7 of the Spenser series (1981)
  12. Cover of Ceremony by Robert B. Parker, book 9 of the Spenser series (1982)
  13. Cover of Love and Glory by Robert B. Parker, book 4 of the Robert B. Parker Standalone Novels series (1983)
  14. Cover of The Widening Gyre by Robert B. Parker, book 10 of the Spenser series (1983)
  15. Cover of Valediction by Robert B. Parker, book 11 of the Spenser series (1984)
  16. Cover of A Catskill Eagle by Robert B. Parker, book 12 of the Spenser series (1985)
  17. Cover of Taming a Sea-Horse by Robert B. Parker, book 13 of the Spenser series (1986)
  18. Cover of Pale Kings and Princes by Robert B. Parker, book 14 of the Spenser series (1987)
  19. Cover of Crimson Joy by Robert B. Parker, book 15 of the Spenser series (1988)
  20. Cover of Playmates by Robert B. Parker, book 16 of the Spenser series (1989)
  21. Cover of Perchance to Dream by Robert B. Parker, book 9 of the Philip Marlowe series (1991)
  22. Cover of Pastime by Robert B. Parker, book 18 of the Spenser series (1991)
  23. Cover of Double Deuce by Robert B. Parker, book 19 of the Spenser series (1992)
  24. Cover of Paper Doll by Robert B. Parker, book 20 of the Spenser series (1993)
  1. 1
    Passport To PerilRobert B. Parker Standalone Novels #11951 · confirmed 3/4
    1951–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    The Godwulf ManuscriptSpenser #11973 · 204 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1973204
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Training with WeightsRobert B. Parker Non-Fiction #11974 · 96 pages · confirmed 3/4
    197496
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    God Save the ChildSpenser #21974 · 205 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1974205
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    Mortal StakesSpenser #31975 · 328 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1975328
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Promised LandSpenser #41976 · 218 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1976218
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    Three Weeks In SpringRobert B. Parker Non-Fiction #21978 · 183 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1978183
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    The Judas GoatSpenser #51978 · 207 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1978207
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    WildernessRobert B. Parker Standalone Novels #21979 · 256 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1979256
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Looking for Rachel WallaceSpenser #61980 · 219 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1980219
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    Early AutumnSpenser #71981 · 221 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1981221
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    SurrogateRobert B. Parker Standalone Novels #31982 · 40 pages · confirmed 3/4
    198240
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    CeremonySpenser #91982 · 223 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1982223
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Love and GloryRobert B. Parker Standalone Novels #41983 · 206 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1983206
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    The Widening GyreSpenser #101983 · 183 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1983183
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    ValedictionSpenser #111984 · 284 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1984284
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    A Catskill EagleSpenser #121985 · 320 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1985320
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    Taming a Sea-HorseSpenser #131986 · 313 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1986313
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    Pale Kings and PrincesSpenser #141987 · 304 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1987304
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    Crimson JoySpenser #151988 · 292 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1988292
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    PlaymatesSpenser #161989 · 257 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1989257
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    StardustSpenser #171990 · 256 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1990256
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    A Year at the RacesRobert B. Parker Non-Fiction #31991 · 175 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1991175
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Perchance to DreamPhilip Marlowe #91991 · 1 pages · confirmed 3/4
    19911
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    PastimeSpenser #181991 · 352 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1991352
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    Double DeuceSpenser #191992 · 256 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1992256
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    Paper DollSpenser #201993 · 288 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1993288
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    Spenser's BostonRobert B. Parker Non-Fiction #41994 · 200 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1994200
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    All Our YesterdaysRobert B. Parker Standalone Novels #51994 · 401 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1994401
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    Walking ShadowSpenser #211994 · 304 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1994304
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Robert B. Parker series and characters in order

Each link below opens a reading-order page with every book in publication order.

Robert B. Parker books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. A group whose heading is a link has its own reading-order page; the other groups have no page of their own on this site.

Spenser books in order

39 books by Robert B. Parker
  1. 1. The Godwulf Manuscript
  2. 2. God Save the Child
  3. 3. Mortal Stakes
  4. 4. Promised Land
  5. 5. The Judas Goat
  6. 6. Looking for Rachel Wallace
  7. 7. Early Autumn
  8. 9. Ceremony
  9. 10. The Widening Gyre
  10. 11. Valediction
  11. 12. A Catskill Eagle
  12. 13. Taming a Sea-Horse
  13. and 27 more in the table above

Robert B. Parker Standalone Novels

9 books

9 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.

Jesse Stone in order

9 books
  1. 1. Night Passage
  2. 2. Trouble in Paradise
  3. 3. Death in Paradise
  4. 4. Stone Cold
  5. 5. Sea Change
  6. 6. High Profile
  7. 7. Stranger in Paradise
  8. 8. Night and Day
  9. 9. Split Image

Robert B. Parker Non-Fiction

4 books

4 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.

Young Spenser in order

1 book
  1. 1. Chasing the Bear

Philip Marlowe in order

1 book
  1. 9. Perchance to Dream

Mysterious Profiles in order

1 book
  1. 17. Spenser

Standalone books

3 books

3 Robert B. Parker titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Robert B. Parker Books in Chronological Order

By publication date, the Robert B. Parker books run from Passport To Peril (1951) to Booked (2025), the sequence in the table above. No separate story order is recorded for Robert B. Parker in the book listings this catalogue merges, so publication order is the only order on record.

Do you have to read Robert B. Parker books in order?

You only need to read Robert B. Parker books in order within each series: the books listed here span 4 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

What order should you read Robert B. Parker books in?

Read Robert B. Parker one series at a time, each in its own publication order: Sunny Randall starts with Family Honor (1999), Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch starts with Appaloosa (2005) and Spenser starts with The Godwulf Manuscript (1973). The earliest catalogued title overall is Passport To Peril (1951).

What is the newest Robert B. Parker book?

Booked (2025) is the newest Robert B. Parker book released so far.

Is there a new Robert B. Parker book coming?

No next Robert B. Parker book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Awards Robert B. Parker has won

Wikidata records 3 awards for Robert B. Parker. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.

  • The Grand Master2002Won
  • Shamus Award1995Won
  • Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel1977Wonfor Promised Land

Printable Robert B. Parker Books in Order Checklist

A printable checklist of all 87 books in publication order is on the Robert B. Parker reading checklist, with a tick box beside each title.

Robert B. Parker at a glance

Died
Robert B. Parker died in 2010, according to Wikidata.
After death
Books credited to Robert B. Parker are still being published after Robert B. Parker's death in 2010; the newest appeared in 2025.
Release pace
Robert B. Parker books have appeared about one a year on average.
Length
22,096 pages across the 77 of 87 books with a recorded length, a median of 304 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Robert B. Parker books, 30 of 87, were published in the 2000s.
Corroboration
3 of the 87 titles appear in all four independent book listings, and 84 in at least three.

What the Robert B. Parker books are about

81 of the 87 Robert B. Parker books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: spenser (fictitious character) is tagged on 40 of 81. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

Other Mystery authors

Each link below opens a reading-order page with every book in publication order.