Robert B. Parker has 63 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 21 narrators, with an average listener rating of 4.3★ across 91 ratings. The most-rated is Early Autumn.
Now & Then
Summary
Spenser knows something's amiss the moment Dennis Doherty walks into his office. The guy's aggressive yet wary, in the way men frightened for their marriages always are. So when Doherty asks Spenser to investigate his wife Jordan's abnormal behavior, Spenser agrees. A job's a job, after all. Not surprisingly, Spenser catches Jordan with another man, tells Dennis what he's found out, and considers the case closed. But a couple of days later, all hell breaks loose, and three people are dead. This isn't just a marital affair gone bad. Spenser is in the middle of hornet's nest of trouble, and he has to get out of it without getting stung. With Hawk watching his back and gun-for-hire Vinnie Morris providing extra cover, Spenser delves into a complicated and far-reaching operation: Jordan's former lover, Perry Alderson, is the leader of a group that helps sponsor terrorists. The Boston P.I. will use all his connections, both above and below the law, to uncover the truth behind Alderson's anti-government organization. Alderson doesn't like Spenser poking around his business, so he decides to get to him through Susan. But what Alderson doesn't realize is that Spenser will do anything to keep Susan out of harm's way; nothing will keep him from the woman he loves.
©2007 Robert B. Parker (P)2007 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.
Sixkill
Summary
The last Spenser novel completed by Robert B. Parker.On location in Boston, bad-boy actor Jumbo Nelson is accused of the rape and murder of a young woman. From the start the case seems fishy, so the Boston PD calls on Spenser to investigate. Things don't look so good for Jumbo, whose appetites for food, booze, and sex are as outsized as his name. He was the studio's biggest star, but he's become its biggest liability. In the course of the investigation, Spenser encounters Jumbo's bodyguard: a young former football-playing Native American named Zebulon Sixkill. He acts tough, but Spenser sees something more within the young man. Despite the odd circumstances, the two forge an unlikely alliance, with Spenser serving as mentor. As the case grows darker and secrets about both Jumbo and the dead woman come to light, it's Spenser--with Sixkill at his side--who must put things right.
©2011 Robert B. Parker (P)2011 Random House Audio
Perchance to Dream
Summary
The Sternwood family, immortalized in Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep, is in trouble again. Lovely Vivian's psychotic sister, Carmen, has disappeared from the sanitarium, and Vivian herself has once again fallen into the clutches of the shady underworld character Eddie Mars. Enter Philip Marlowe, the original tough-but-tender private eye, resurrected by Robert B. Parker, creator of his own phenomenally popular Spenser mystery series. He saved the Sternwoods once before. The question is: Can he do it again?
©1991 Robert B. Parker (P)2009 Phoenix
Death in Paradise
Summary
Chief of Police Jesse Stone returns to investigate the murder of a troubled teenager in a seemingly bucolic New England town. The Paradise Men's Softball League has wrapped up another game, and Jesse Stone is lingering in the parking lot with his teammates, drinking beer, swapping stories of double plays and beautiful women in the late-summer twilight. But then a frightened voice calls out to him from the edge of a nearby lake. There, two men squat at the water's edge. In front of them, facedown, was something that used to be a girl. The local cops haven't seen anything like this, but Jesse's L.A. past has made him all too familiar with floaters. This girl hadn't committed suicide; she hadn't been drowned; she'd been shot and dumped, discarded like trash. Before long it becomes clear that she had a taste for the wild life; and her own parents can't be bothered to report her missing, or even admit that she once was a child of theirs. All Jesse has to go on is a young man's school ring on a gold chain, and a hunch or two.
©2001 Robert B. Parker (P)2001 New Millenium Audio, All Rights Reserved
The Professional
Summary
A knock on Spenser's office door can only mean one thing: a new case. This time the visitor is a local lawyer with an interesting story. Elizabeth Shaw specializes in wills and trusts at the Boston law firm of Shaw & Cartwright, and over the years she's developed a friendship with wives of very wealthy men. However, these rich wives have a mutual secret: they've all had an affair with a man named Gary Eisenhower- and now he's blackmailing them for money. Shaw hires Spenser to make Eisenhower "cease and desist," so to speak, but when women start turning up dead, Spenser's assignment goes from blackmail to murder. As matters become more complicated, Spenser's longtime love, Susan, begins offering some input by analyzing Eisenhower's behavior patterns in hopes of opening up a new avenue of investigation. It seems that not all of Gary's women are rich. So if he's not using them for blackmail, then what is his purpose? Spenser switches tactics to focus on the husbands, only to find that innocence and guilt may be two sides of the same coin. With its eloquently spare prose and some of the best supporting characters to grace the printed page, The Professional is further proof that "[t]here's hardly an author in the crime novel business like Parker" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
©2009 Robert B. Parker (P)2009 Random House
Walking Shadow
Summary
Spenser is investigating the Port City Theater Company, where the director claims he's being stalked. When an actor is shot dead during a performance, all clues lead to the local Chinese Mafia, whose roots run deep in this drab waterfront city. With Hawk and ex mobster Vinnie assisting, Spenser eventually triumphs in one of his most compelling adventures.
©1995 Robert B. Parker (P)2009 Phoenix
The Godwulf Manuscript
Summary
Spenser earned his degree in the school of hard knocks, so he is ready when a Boston university hires him to recover a rare, stolen manuscript. He is hardly surprised that his only clue is a radical student with four bullets in his chest. The cops are ready to throw the book at the pretty blond coed whose prints are all over the murder weapon but Spenser knows there are no easy answers. He tackles some very heavy homework and knows that if he doesn't finish his assignment soon, he could end up marked "D" -- for dead.
©1992 Robert B. Parker (P)2009 Random House
Blue-Eyed Devil
Summary
"Law enforcement in Appaloosa had once been Virgil Cole and me. Now there was a chief of police and 12 policemen. Our third day back in town, the chief invited us to the office for a talk." The new chief is Amos Callico, a tall, fat man in a derby hat, wearing a star on his vest and a big pearl-handled Colt inside his coat. An ambitious man with his eye on the governorship - and perhaps the presidency - he wants Cole and Hitch on his side. But they can't be bought, which upsets him mightily. When Callico begins shaking down local merchants for protection money, those who don't want to play along seek the help of Cole and Hitch. When Cole is forced to fire on the trigger-happy son of politically connected landowner General Horatio Laird, Callico sees his dream begin to crumble. The guns for hire are thorns in the side of the power-hungry chief, and he'll use any excuse to take them out. There will be a showdown - but who'll be left standing?
©2010 Robert B. Parker (P)2010 Random House
Pale Kings and Princes
Summary
Caught in a snowstorm of drugs, passion, and hate, Spenser investigates a cocaine-related murder.
©1988 Robert B. Parker (P)2009 Random House
Pastime
Summary
Ten years ago, Paul Giacomin's corrupt father and loose mother used the boys as a pawn in their violent race: Only Spenser could call them off and straighten out the misled teen - almost getting killed in the process. Paul is now 24 and reconciled to his mother's wanton ways. But when Patty Giacomin vanishes, Paul begs Spenser to help him rescue her from the clutches of her boyfriend, a shady character he's sure coerced his mother into running. As Spenser - accompanied by Paul, Susan Silverman, and the redoubtable Hawk - follow Patty's trail to its astonishing conclusion, he is led back through Paul's own rites of passage to the lanes of his own memories. The boy Spenser was and the man Paul must become race toward a confrontation that may break their hearts...and threaten their lives.
©2013 Robert B. Parker (P)2013 Phoenix Books, Inc.
Trouble in Paradise
Summary
Stiles Island is a wealthy and exclusive enclave separated by a bridge from the Massachusetts coast town of Paradise. James Macklin sees Stiles Island as the ultimate investment opportunity: all he needs to do is invade the island, blow the bridge, and loot the island. To realize his investment, Macklin, along with his devoted girlfriend, Faye, assembles a crew of fellow ex-cons - all experts in their fields - including Wilson Cromartie, a fearsome Apache. James Macklin is a bad man - a very bad man. And Wilson Cromartie, known as Crow, is even worse. As Macklin plans his crime, Paradise Police Chief Jesse Stone has his hands full. He faces romantic entanglements in triplicate: his ex-wife Jenn, is in the Paradise jail for assault, he's begun a new relationship with a Stiles Island realtor named Marcy Campbell, and he's still sorting out his feelings for attorney Abby Taylor. When Macklin's attack on Stiles Island is set in motion, both Marcy and Abby are put in jeopardy. As the casualties mount, it's up to Jesse to keep both women from harm.
©1998 Robert P. Parker (P)1998 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House, Inc.
A Savage Place
Summary
TV reporter Candy Sloan has eyes the color of cornflowers and legs that stretch all the way to heaven. She also has somebody threatening to rearrange her lovely face if she keeps on snooping into charges of Hollywood racketeering. Spenser's job is to keep Candy healthy until she breaks the biggest story of her career. But her star witness has just bowed out with three bullets in his chest, two tough guys have doubled up to test Spenser's skill with his fists, and Candy is about to use her own sweet body as live bait in a deadly romantic game--a game that may cost Spenser his life.
©1987 Robert B. Parker (P)2009 Random House
Potshot
Summary
Boston P.I. Spenser returns - heading west to the rich man's haven of Potshot, Arizona, a former mining town recently reborn as a paradise for Los Angeles millionaires looking for a place to escape the pressures of their high-flying lifestyles. When a band of modern-day mountain men, led by a charismatic individual known as The Preacher, takes over the town, even the local police are powerless to defend the residents in the face of the clever, dangerous gang. Spenser assembles a group of his own, including the redoubtable Hawk, to beat the gang at their own dangerous game and form the nucleus of a real police force to watch over the town when he's gone.
©2016 Robert B. Parker (P)2016 Random House Audio
Great Mysteries, Great Writers
Summary
This anthology of suspense showcases 5 renowned American mystery writers. The mixture begins with Lucky Day, by Mary Higgins Clark (narrated by Betsy Palmer). It's the story of a young bride who suspects her husband is somehow involved in a strange disappearance. Trapped, by Dean R. Koontz (narrated by Bess Armstrong), takes you into the darkest depths of terror as he explores the psychology of both sides of the human hunt. In Pastime, by Robert B. Parker (narrated by David Dukes), Spenser comes to the aid of a boy he once straightened out. Carol Higgins Clark narrates her own story, Snagged, in which private eye Regan Reilly follows a trail of murder and deceit at a pantyhose convention. Finally, Dealer's Choice, by Sara Paretsky (narrated by Elliott Gould), pays homage to Raymond Chandler by bringing back Philip Marlowe to investigate a case.
©1988 by Sara Paretsky, Copyright (P) 1992 by Dove Audio, Inc.; 1993 by Carol Higgins Clark, Copyright (P)1993 by Dove Audio, Inc.; 1989 by Nkui, Inc., Copyright (P)1992 by Dove Audio, Inc.; 1986 by Mary Higgins Clark, Copyright ; 1991 by Robert B. Parker, Copyright (P)1991 by Dove Audio (P)1990 by Dove Audio, Inc.
Bad Business
Summary
When Marlene Cowley hires Spenser to see if her husband Trent is cheating on her, he encounters more than he bargained for: not only does he find a two-timing husband, but a second investigator as well, hired by the husband to look after his wife. As a result of their joint efforts, Spenser soon finds himself investigating both individual depravity and corporate corruption. It seems the folks in the Cowleys' circle have become enamored of radio talk show host Darrin O'Mara, whose views on courtly love are clouding some already fuzzy minds with the notion of cross-connubial relationships. O'Mara's brand of sex therapy is unconventional at best, unlawful (and deadly) at worst. Then a murder at Kinergy, where Trent Cowley is CFO, sends Spenser in yet another direction. Apparently, the unfettered pursuit of profit has a price. With razor sharp characterizations and finely honed prose, this is Parker at the height of his powers.
©2004 Robert B. Parker (P)2004 Random House, Inc.
Small Vices
Summary
Ellis Alves is no angel. But his lawyer says he was framed for the murder of college student Melissa Henderson...and asks Spenser for help. From Boston's back streets to Manhattan's elite, Spenser and Hawk search for suspects, including Melissa's rich-kid, tennis-star boyfriend. But when a man with a .22 puts Spenser in a coma, the hope for justice may die with him.
©1997 Robert B. Parker (P)2005 Phoenix Audio, All Rights Reserved
Hundred-Dollar Baby
Summary
Once upon a time, though not so long ago, there was a girl named April Kyle, a beautiful teenage runaway who turned to prostitution to escape her terrible family life. Now, April Kyle's return in Hundred-Dollar Baby is nothing short of shocking. When a mature, beautiful, and composed April strides into Spenser's office, the Boston PI barely hesitates before recognizing his once and future client. Now a well-established madam, April oversees an upscale call-girl operation in Boston's Back Bay. Still looking for Spenser's approval, it takes her a moment before she can ask him, again, for his assistance. Her business is a success; what's more, it's an all-female enterprise. Now that some men are trying to take it away from her, she needs Spenser. April claims to be in the dark about who it is that's trying to shake her down, but with a bit of legwork and a bit more muscle, Spenser and Hawk find ties to organized crime and local kingpin Tony Marcus, as well as a scheme to franchise the operation across the country. As Spenser again plays the gallant knight, it becomes clear that April's not as innocent as she seems. In fact, she may be her own worst enemy.
©2006 Robert B. Parker (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.
Rough Weather
Summary
Heidi Bradshaw is wealthy, beautiful, and well-connected - and she needs Spenser's help. In a most unlikely request, Heidi, a notorious golddigger recently separated from her latest husband, recruits the Boston P.I. to accompany her to her private island, Tashtego, for her daughter's wedding. Spenser is unsure of what his role as personal bodyguard will entail, but he consents when it's decided that he can bring his beloved Susan Silverman along. It should be a straightforward job for Spenser: show up for appearances, have some drinks, and spend some quality time with Susan. Yet when his old nemesis Rugar - the Gray Man - arrives on Tashtego, Spenser realizes that something is amiss. With a hurricane-level storm brewing outside, the Gray Man jumps into action, firing fatal shots into the crowd of wedding guests and kidnapping the bride - but Spenser knows that the sloppy guns-for-hire abduction is not Rugar's style. Unable to prevent the attack, Spenser will stop at nothing to recover the kidnapped bride and figure out how the Gray Man is connected. It's up to Spenser to decide who the real enemy is . . . before more people end up dead.
©2008 Robert B. Parker (P)2008 Random House Audio
Hugger Mugger
Summary
Spenser is back and embroiled in a dangerous and multi-layered case. Someone has been killing racehorses at stables across the south, and Walter Clive, president of Three Fillies Stables, hires him to find out who. Spenser goes to Georgia to protect Hugger Mugger, a two-year-old destined to become the next Secretariat. Disregarding the resentment of the local Georgia law enforcement, he takes the case. Despite the veneer of civility, Spenser encounters tensions beneath the surface old boy bonhomie. The case takes an even more deadly turn when the attacker claims a human victim, and Spenser must revise his impressions of the Three Fillies organization - and watch his own back as well. "One of the great series in the history of the American detective story." (New York Times Book Review)
©2000 Robert B. Parker (P)2000 Random House, Inc.
Back Story
Summary
Spenser tries to solve a 30-year-old murder as a favor to an old friend in the brilliant new mystery from the Grand Master. In 1974, a revolutionary group calling itself the Dread Scott Brigade held up the old Shawmut Bank in Boston's Audubon Circle. Money was stolen. And a woman named Emily Gordon, a visitor in town cashing traveler's checks, was shot and killed. No one saw who shot her. Despite security camera photos and a letter from the group claiming responsibility, the perpetrators have remained at large for nearly three decades. Enter Paul Giacomin, the closest thing to a son Spenser has. Twice before, Spenser has come to the young man's assistance, and now that Paul is in his 30s, his troubled past is behind him. When Paul's friend Daryl Gordon -daughter of the long-gone Emily - decides she needs closure about the matter of her mother's death, it's Spenser she turns to. The lack of clues and the fact that an FBI intelligence report is missing force Spenser to reach out in every direction - to Daryl's estranged hippie father; to Vinnie Morris and the mob; to the mysterious Ives - and test his resourcefulness and courage.
©2003 Robert B. Parker (P)2003 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.