They give me the money, I give them the book. Having input into the adaptation would be kind of like selling a house and coming back three years later and saying, 'Paint it this color!'

Burke and Alfonse Ruggiero Jr. His works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area. In addition to Parker's introduction excerpts from several of the Spenser novels were included.

Robert Brown Parker (September 17 1932 – January 18 2010) was an American crime writer. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the mid-1980s; a series of TV movies based on the character were also produced.