Series · mystery
Spenser
The Spenser series by Robert B. Parker has 55 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Godwulf Manuscript (1973).
- Books
- 55 books
- First published
- 1973
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: The Godwulf Manuscript (1973) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Godwulf Manuscript
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Godwulf Manuscript - Book 2:
God Save the Child
Alternative text for cover: Cover of God Save the Child - Book 3:
Mortal Stakes
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Mortal Stakes - Book 4:
Promised Land
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Promised Land - Book 5:
The Judas Goat
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Judas Goat - Book 6:
Looking for Rachel Wallace
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Looking for Rachel Wallace - Book 7:
Early Autumn
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Early Autumn - Book 8:
A Savage Place
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Savage Place - Book 9:
Ceremony
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ceremony - Book 10:
The Widening Gyre
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Widening Gyre - Book 11:
Valediction
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Valediction - Book 12:
A Catskill Eagle
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Catskill Eagle - Book 13:
Taming a Sea-Horse
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Taming a Sea-Horse - Book 14:
Pale Kings and Princes
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Pale Kings and Princes - Book 15:
Crimson Joy
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Crimson Joy - Book 16:
Playmates
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Playmates - Book 17:
Stardust
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stardust - Book 18:
Pastime
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Pastime - Book 19:
Double Deuce
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Double Deuce - Book 20:
Paper Doll
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Paper Doll - Book 21:
Walking Shadow
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Walking Shadow - Book 22:
Thin Air
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Thin Air - Book 23:
Chance
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Chance - Book 24:
Small Vices
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Small Vices - Book 25:
Sudden Mischief
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sudden Mischief - Book 26:
Hush Money
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hush Money - Book 27:
Hugger Mugger
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hugger Mugger - Book 28:
Potshot
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Potshot - Book 29:
Widow's Walk
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Widow's Walk - Book 30:
Back Story
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Back Story - Book 31:
Bad Business
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bad Business - Book 32:
Cold Service
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cold Service - Book 33:
School Days
Alternative text for cover: Cover of School Days - Book 34:
Hundred-Dollar Baby
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hundred-Dollar Baby - Book 35:
Now and Then
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Now and Then - Book 36:
Rough Weather
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Rough Weather - Book 37:
Chasing the Bear
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Chasing the Bear - Book 38:
The Professional
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Professional - Book 39:
Painted Ladies
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Painted Ladies - Book 40:
Sixkill
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sixkill - Book 41:
Silent Night
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Silent Night - Book 42:
Robert B. Parker's Lullaby
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Lullaby - Book 43:
Robert B. Parker's Wonderland
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Wonderland - Book 44:
Robert B. Parker's Cheap Shot
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Cheap Shot - Book 45:
Robert B. Parker's Kickback
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Kickback - Book 46:
Robert B. Parker's Slow Burn
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Slow Burn - Book 47:
Robert B. Parker's Little White Lies
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Little White Lies - Book 48:
Robert B. Parker's Old Black Magic
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Old Black Magic - Book 49:
Robert B. Parker's Angel Eyes
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Angel Eyes - Book 50:
Robert B. Parker's Someone to Watch Over Me
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Someone to Watch Over Me - Book 51:
Robert B. Parker's Bye Bye Baby
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Bye Bye Baby - Book 52:
Robert B. Parker's Broken Trust
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Broken Trust - Book 53:
Robert B. Parker's Hot Property
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Hot Property - Book 54:
Robert B. Parker's Showdown
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Showdown - Book 55:
Robert B. Parker's Framed
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Framed
About the Spenser series
Spenser is a Boston private investigator -- ex-boxer, Korean War veteran, gourmet cook, wisecracking romantic -- whose one-name toughness (never explained beyond a nod to the Elizabethan poet) masks a code of honor as rigid as any knight's. Robert B. Parker launched the series in 1973 with The Godwulf Manuscript and spent nearly four decades refining a template that became the genre standard: terse, dialogue-driven prose, a hero who talks his way through trouble as often as he fights his way out, and a real, evolving relationship with psychologist Susan Silverman that gave the hardboiled PI novel an emotional interior it had rarely had before. Spenser's enforcer and closest friend, Hawk -- a Black ex-boxer and freelance heavy with his own strict, unsentimental ethics -- became one of crime fiction's most memorable supporting characters and a frequent co-star in his own right.
After Parker's death in 2010, the character passed to Ace Atkins (2012-2022) and then Mike Lupica (2023-present), both hand-picked continuations that keep Spenser's voice, Boston setting and supporting cast (Hawk, Susan, police captain Quirk, and protege Zebulon Sixkill) intact while updating the cases for a contemporary Boston. The series is essential reading for anyone tracing the lineage of the modern American PI novel -- its plain-spoken, morally clear-eyed style directly shaped writers from Robert Crais to Harlan Coben.
How to read this series
Publication order, starting with The Godwulf Manuscript. Spenser's relationship with Susan Silverman, his partnership with Hawk, and Boston's changing backdrop develop across the whole run, though nearly every book's central case is self-contained enough to read alone. Chasing the Bear (2009) is a YA prequel showing Spenser as a teenager and can be read any time, including first, without spoiling anything. The series continues seamlessly across three authors -- Robert B. Parker (1973-2011, with Silent Night completed posthumously by Helen Brann), Ace Atkins (2012-2022), and Mike Lupica (2023-present) -- and is generally read straight through as one continuous numbered sequence rather than split by author.
Frequently asked questions
How many Spenser books are there?
There are 55 novels as of Robert B. Parker's Showdown (2025) across all three authors, with Robert B. Parker's Framed (Mike Lupica) due in November 2026.
What order should I read the Spenser books in?
Publication order, starting with The Godwulf Manuscript (1973). The series continues seamlessly from Robert B. Parker through continuation authors Ace Atkins and Mike Lupica, and is read as one ongoing sequence.
Who writes Spenser now?
Mike Lupica has written the series since 2023 (Broken Trust, Hot Property, Showdown, and the forthcoming Framed), continuing after Ace Atkins's run from 2012 to 2022 and Robert B. Parker's original 1973-2011 novels.
Do I need to read Chasing the Bear first?
No. It's a YA prequel about a teenage Spenser, published as book 37 in the main sequence; it can be read at any point, including before the adult novels, without spoilers.
Is the Spenser series finished?
No, it's ongoing under Mike Lupica. Robert B. Parker's Framed is announced for November 2026.
Reading order last verified .