Spenser Novels

• The Godwulf Manuscript 
  This like everything else is for Joan, David and Daniel 

• God Save the Child 
  This is for My Mother and Father 

• Mortal Stakes 
  This is for Joan, David and Daniel 

• Promised Land 
  For Joan, David and Daniel 

• Judas Goat 
  (no dedication)

• Looking for Rachel Wallace 
  For Joan, David and Daniel, 
  My good fortune 

• Early Autumn 
  For David and Daniel Parker 
  With the respect and admiration of their father 
  who grew up with them 

• A Savage Place 
  For Joan: no one is as interesting 
  nor nearly so luminous 

• Ceremony 
  For Joan 
  For whom the sun does indeed rise and set, 
  or would if she told it to. 

• The Widening Gyre 
  For Joan, David and Daniel 
  The center can hold and does

  • From William Butler Yeats, Michael Robartes and the Dancer [1921], The Second Coming, stanza 1.  See Poetry 

• Valediction 
  For Joan: like gold, to airy thinness beat 

  • From John Donne, A Valediction: Forbidding Morning, stanza 5.   See Poetry

• A Catskill Eagle 
  For Joan 

• Taming a Sea Horse 
  For Joan 

• Pale Kings and Princes 
  as always for Joan, Dan and David 
  and this time for Kathy 

• Crimson Joy 
  for all of us 

• Playmates 
  For Joan 

• Stardust 
  For Joan: no dream in vain 

• Pastime 
  For my wife and sons - sine qua non 

• Double Deuce 
  For Karen Panasevich who taught me 
  about youth gangs, and about commitment 
  And for my wife and sons, who taught me 
  everything else that mattered 

• Paper Doll 
  For Joan: Music all around me 

• Walking Shadow 
  For Joan 
  "For whom, if ye please, I care for other none" 

  • From Amoretti by Edmund Spenser.  See Poetry

• Thin Air 
  For Joan: still the taste of wine 

• Chance 
  For Joan: 
  Every town is Paris; 
  Every month is May. 

  • From the song When Joanna loved me.  See Lyrics

• Small Vices 
  For Joan: You may have been a headache, 
  But you've never been a bore 

  • From the song Thanks for the Memory, a 1938 Academy Award winner for Best Song from the movie The Big Broadcast of 1938 and Bob Hope's theme song for decades.  See Lyrics

• Sudden Mischief 
  For Joan: Gloriana 

  • Name of the title character in The Fairie Queene by Edmund Spenser, a poet who spells his name with an "s" like the Boston Gumshoe.

• Hush Money 
  For Joan: 
  all the day and night time

  • From the song I've got a Crush on You.  See Lyrics 

• Hugger Mugger 
  Joan: The ocean's roar, a thousand drums. 

  • From the song Day In, Day Out.  See Lyrics

• Potshot
  for joan: 
  somewhere around the twelfth of never

  • From the song Twelfth of Never.  See Lyrics

• Widow's Walk
  Joan, Dave, and Dan: the rest is decoration

  Non-Spenser Crime/Detective novels

  • Wilderness 
    This is for Joan in whom 
    God finally got it right 

  • Love and Glory 
    For Joan. "We all try. You Succeed." 

  • All our Yesterdays 
    Since this book is about fathers and 
    sons, and since I am a father particularly 
    fortunate in his sons, this book is for them, 
    and for their mother. 

  Chandler-Parker novels

  • Perchance to Dream 
    For Joan

  • Poodle Springs 
    As always, for Joan; and this time, surely, for Cissy 

  Jesse Stone novels

  • Night Passage 
    For Joan: 
    Anywhere you are is Shangri-La 

  • Trouble in Paradise 
    For Joan: 
    Paradise Regained 

  Sunny Randall Novels 

  • Family Honor 
    For Joan: I concentrate on you. 

  • Perish Twice
    For Joan: I too favor fire.

Non-Spenser Crime/Detective novels

• Wilderness 
  This is for Joan in whom 
  God finally got it right 

• Love and Glory 
  For Joan. "We all try. You Succeed." 

• All our Yesterdays 
  Since this book is about fathers and 
  sons, and since I am a father particularly 
  fortunate in his sons, this book is for them, 
  and for their mother. 

Chandler-Parker novels

• Perchance to Dream 
  For Joan

• Poodle Springs 
  As always, for Joan; and this time, surely, for Cissy 

Jesse Stone novels

• Night Passage 
  For Joan: 
  Anywhere you are is Shangri-La 

• Trouble in Paradise 
  For Joan: 
  Paradise Regained 

Sunny Randall Novels 

• Family Honor 
  For Joan: I concentrate on you. 

• Perish Twice
  For Joan: I too favor fire.