Robert B. Parker was the author of seventy books, including the legendary Spenser detective series, the novels featuring police chief Jesse Stone, and the acclaimed Virgil ColeโEverett Hitch westerns, as well as the Sunny Randall novels. Winner of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award and long considered the undisputed dean of American crime fiction, he died in January 2010.
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Ace Atkinsย is theย New York Timesย bestselling author of the Quinn Colson novels, the first two of whichโThe Rangerย andย The Lost Onesโwere nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel (he also has a third Edgar nomination for his short story, โLast Fair Deal Gone Downโ). In addition, he is the author of severalย New York Timesย bestselling novels in the continuation of Robert B. Parkerโs Spenser series. Before turning to fiction, he was a correspondent for theย St. Petersburg Times, a crime reporter for theย Tampa Tribune, and, in college, played defensive end for the undefeated Auburn University football team (for which he was featured on the cover ofย Sports Illustrated). He lives in Oxford, Mississippi.