Anyone interested in knowing more about the source of inspiration for much of Robert B. Parker’s work should read this story about Joan Parker and her life after Bob.
I’m off to Castine, Maine Tuesday night to speak at the Witherle Memorial Library’s Maine Writers Series. Castine is a beautiful town with a long and storied history (I’d rather be arriving by boat, as we have in the past). Hope to see some of you there. Castine is well worth the trip.
And don’t forget what I said about the Parker story. Is all fiction autobiographical? Perhaps.














In PORT CITY SHAKEDOWN, the first Brandon Blake novel, Brandon gets a full dose of bad guys. A brawl in a funeral home introduces him to Joel Fuller, a sociopathic hustler. Fuller is fresh out of jail and determined to take Brandon out—after Fuller and his sidekick Kelvin shake him down.
Rocky isn’t a tough guy. He’s a skinny little kid with crooked glasses, and he shouldn’t be homeless in Portland, Maine. When McMorrow and Roxanne pluck him from under the stomping feet of a gang of street kids, Rocky latches onto McMorrow–and drags him into a world of murder, both old and new. Why is McMorrow protecting Rocky? The cops want to know. Why is Rocky on the run? McMorrow wants to know. Why does death follow in Rocky’s wake? Jack and Roxanne need to find out before they’re added to the list.