Parker's P.I.'s: 

A Chronology of Spenser, Jesse Stone, and Sunny Randall

 

by Win Scott Eckert

 


S = Spenser novel

JS = Jesse Stone novel

SR = Sunny Randall novel


   1935

Spenser is born in Laramie, Wyoming (he is thirty-seven in The Godwulf Manuscript, which takes place in November 1972). However, he spends quite a bit of his youth in Boston, as he attends Boston Braves baseball games before the team's move to Milwaukee in 1953. It has been postulated that he is Philip Marlowe's nephew. 

    1962 

Birth of Jesse Stone.

    1963 

Birth of Sonya J. "Sunny" Randall.

 

S    November 1972

The Godwulf Manuscript

 

S    September 1973

God Save the Child

 

S    June 1974

Mortal Stakes

 

S    Summer 1975

Promised Land (First appearance of Hawk.)

 

S    Summer 1976 

The Judas Goat (Takes place during the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.) 

 

S    October-December 1978 

Looking for Rachel Wallace

 

S    January, April-Autumn 1979 

Early Autumn (Paul Giacomin, 15, is "adopted" by Spenser.) 

 

S    June 1980

A Savage Place

 

S    November-December 1981

Ceremony (First appearance of hood Tony Marcus.)

 

S    November-December 25, 1982

The Widening Gyre

 

S    June-August 1983

Valediction

 

S    Early Summer-Early Winter, 1984

A Catskill Eagle

 

S    May-June 1985

Taming a Sea-Horse (April Kyle from Ceremony.)

 

S    December 1986

Pale Kings and Princes

 

S    March-April 1987

Crimson Joy

 

S    February-Late March, September 1988

Playmates

 

S    December 1989

Stardust

 

S    September-October 1990

Pastime (Paul Giacomin is 25.)

 

S    April-May 1991

Double Deuce

 

S    September-October 1991

Paper Doll (It can't take place in 1992 because it takes before an election year.)

 

S    October-November 1992

Walking Shadow

 

S    March-April, August 1993

Thin Air

 

S    September-November 1994

Chance

 

S    October 1995 - January 1997

Small Vices

 

JS    Late May-Early December 1996  

Night Passage (Jesse Stone is thirty-four years old. State Police Captain Healy from the Spenser series appears.)

 

S    March-April 1997

Sudden Mischief

 

JS    July-October 1997 

Trouble in Paradise (Boston Homicide Detective Belson (from the Spenser series) and hoods Tony Marcus, Junior, and Ty-Bop (from the Spenser and Sunny Randall books) appear.)

 

S    Late March-Late August 1998

Hush Money

 

SR    September-October 1998

Family Honor (Sunny Randall is thirty-five years old.) 

 

S    May-August 1999

Hugger Mugger

 

SR    October 1999-Spring 2000 

Perish Twice (Family Honor was a year ago.)

 

S    July-September 2000

Potshot

 

JS    July-August 2000 

Death in Paradise (Stone works closely with Boston Detective Brian Kelly [from the Sunny Randall books]. The Burke crime family [again from the Randall books] is mentioned, as well as hood Tony Marcus [from both the Randall and Spenser novels].)

 

S    April-August 2001

Widow's Walk

 

SR    Mid October 2001-January 2002 

Shrink Rap (Takes place after September 11, 2001.)

 

S    Late May-June 2002

Back Story (Sheriff Jesse Stone. Paul Giacomin is 37. The victim was killed 28 years ago, in 1974.)

 

JS    November 2002-March 2003

Stone Cold (State Police Captain Healy.)

 

S    May-August 2003

Bad Business

 

SR    October-December 2003

Melancholy Baby (Dr. Susan Silverman and Detective Frank Belson from the Spenser novels.)

 

S    November 2003-May 2004

Cold Service

 

S    August-September 2004

School Days (Dr. Dix from the Jesse Stone series appears.)

 

S    January-March 2005

Hundred-Dollar Baby (April Kyle from Ceremony and Taming a Sea Horse.)

 

JS    July 2005

Sea Change (State Police Captain Healy and attorney Rita Fiore.)

 

SR    October-December 2005

Blue Screen (Sunny Randall becomes romatically involved with Sheriff Jesse Stone. Captain Healy and Boston Homicide commander Martin Quirk [from the Spenser books] are mentioned. Sunny visits Susan Silverman again.)

 

JS    May 2006

High Profile (Jesse Stone asks asks his current romantic interest, private detective Sunny Randall, to protect his ex-wife. Stone also works with State Police Captain Healy.)

 

SR    July-September 2006

Spare Change (Sunny Randall works with her father, retired Boston Police Captain Phil Randall. Boston Homicide commander Martin Quirk, State Police Captain Healy, Detective Frank Belson, and FBI Special Agen Epstein [from the Spenser books] also appear. Sunny is still seeing Dr. Susan Silverman.)

 

S    September-November 2006

Now and Then

 

JS    June 2007

Stranger in Paradise (Paradise police chief Jesse Stone works with State Police Captain Healy. P.I. Sunny Randall and attorney Rita Fiore are mentioned.)

 

S    September 13-December 2007

Rough Weather (Spenser consults the psychiatrist Dix from the Jesse Stone series.)

 

JS    Spring-Autumn 2008

Night and Day (Paradise police chief Jesse Stone works again with Boston P.I. Sunny Randall, and they seem to be on the path to rekindling their relationship. Attorney Rita Fiore also appears, as does Sunny’s best friend and protector, Spike, who buys Paradise watering hole and restaurant, the Gray Gull. State Police Captain Healy and Dr. Susan Silverman are mentioned.)

 

S    October 2008-February 2009

The Professional


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