Robert B. Parker was the author of seventy books, including the legendary Spenser detective series, the Jesse Stone series, the Virgil Cole-Everett Hitch westerns, and the Sunny Randall novels. Winner of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award and long considered the undisputed dean of American crime fiction, he died in January 2010.Robert Knott is an actor, writer, producer, and author. His extensive list of stage, television, and film credits include the feature film Appaloosa, based on the Robert B. Parker novel, which he adapted and produced with actor/ producer Ed Harris.