S September 13-December 2007
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
