T. Jefferson Parker Books In Order

Publication Order of Charlie Hood Books

Publication Order of Merci Rayborn Books

Publication Order of Roland Ford Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Akashic Noir Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

T. Jefferson Parker’s birthplace was in LA, California and educated in public schools in the Orange County of California. He passed out in 1976 with an English bachelor’s from California University in Irvine. He was recognised in 1992 as the most Distinguished Alumnus. His writing career started in 1978, when he became a junior reporter in a weekly newspaper named Newport Ensign. He extensively covered all types of police matters and matters involving the city hall together with all the cultural subjects for the paper. Parker then shifted to Daily Pilot where he received 3 awards from the Press-Club for the articles submitted by him. During his work as a journalist he gathered material and information for use in the first book.

T. Jefferson Parker is an American writer of the detective novel genre. He won an Edgar Award in 2002 for his book Silent Joe and again in 2005 for his novel California Girl. Parker lived his entire life in Southern California. Although a major part of his work has settings in the Orange County in LA County, he then relocated to San Diego and all the more recent works have settings in San Diego.

Beginning in the mid 1980s T. Jefferson Parker has been one America’s most intelligent and consistently reliable crime writers. His eight previous novels, which include the Edgar nominated Red Light, is a singular achievement which was increased even more by the publishing of Silent Joe.

The books and characters written by him:

The-Famous-and-the-Dead is the concluding part in T. J. Parker’s six volume series about Charlie Hood who is a sincere and young Los Angeles law keeper who is very keen on curtailing a flourishing trade in illegal firearms near the Mexico California border. The extremely evil character of Mike Finnegan is his primary target. He is even ready to stop trying to reform the nature of Bradley Jones who is though very talented is a crooked cop and also the son of the love of Charlie Hood’s lover, who was unfortunately killed violently in the first novel of the series L.A. Outlaws. These characters are so closely interrelated that readers who have not read an earlier book will be stranded in the plot.

In his 18 novels which of the stand alone nature which he wrote during the period starting from 1985 to 2012 Parker has introduced many varied characters. He created a series of novels based on Merci Rayborn series. Merci Rayborn is a Detective in the Sheriff’s Department of Orange County. She is portrayed as a rich and challenging character who is still immature. She works with her Deputy Archie Wildcraft. She is a strong person and an excellent investigator. The series has 3 books The Blue Hour which continues into Red Light and Black Water where the story of Merci ends. The character of Tim is able to balance the entire world of Merci’s and give soft touches to her character in the series.

In the Merci series, every individual builds on the previous. Blue Hour, the criminal somehow manages to trick Merci and comes out for her from a weak spot, and through this act deception is able rob from her of someone she has loved. This is highlighted in the action described in Red Light, where she is seen fighting very hard so that she is not deceived. However her trust in the value of evidence makes her blind and takes her away from the truth. These factors then dictate what she does in Black Water. She hurts people she has loved, she makes mistakes which actually hurt her a lot and she does not want to see it happen once more. She does not want to wreck a nice young life purposelessly. The point made is that Merci keeps on learning and she goes through a process of evolution which is very evident by all her actions. It keeps her character most interesting, and crisp and firm as she gets scalded and learns from her errors of judgement. This also helps to give her character a very human feel.

Another wonderful aspect about her is the capacity to fall in love even though in Red Light, she is shown as a very hard woman. She is portrayed as having a very hard exterior shell, a most necessary aspect to shield her from the pain and the suffering which is a part of homicide investigation. The shell which she built around her character was after the loss of the father of Tim who she loved a lot. In the book, we find her willing to move from lost love and start to show genuine care for everyone around her. She is transforms into a more stable and loveable person when she is with Tim.

The California Girl:

The three Beckers were very close and grew up together. In the sixties each had lived his life. One is a cop and is investigating its first murder case, that of Janelle Vonn, a girl he met in early youth, the love that each in their own way. Another Becker becomes an evangelist and lives waiting for a miracle. The third is an ambitious journalist. Everyone tries to find the murderer of Janelle in their way. As the suspects multiply and secrets are revealed, the three brothers are forced to deal with danger and standing up to their own past.

Books made into TV shows and movies:

His first novel titled Laguna Heat, was written by him during his evenings and his weekends while he was working as a reporter, and these when published got excellent reviews and were also made into an HBO movie which starred Rip Torn, Harry Hamlin and Jason Robards.

Despite having a long list of very promising cast for the production in Laguna Heat the story remains better to read. The HBO Pictures was presented in November 12, 1987.

The probable reason for the problem: in the teleplay is due to Pete Hamill, and to his team comprising of Eyre and Burton Morris both of whom are writers. It is the result of too many cooks spoiling the broth syndrome. The story is of a simmering murder mystery which ponders over the fate of man and the declining quality of Western life and culture. It is gloomy and philosophical, and the plot keeps reminding of a naive and sophomoric approach.

4 Responses to “T. Jefferson Parker”

1. JC Spangler: 1 month ago

   I tried to get through Crazy Blood and found it unreadable. The relationship between characters is not clearly explained and the plot is disjointed. I am a stickler for details and when one of the characters smells pine and cedar in the outdoors I know that background and proofreading are suspect since these trees do not grow in the same environment. One of the few books I have put down and not finished. Not Parker’s best effort.

   Reply
2. JR Richmond: 2 years ago

   TJ, I’ve fallen behind, (to much politics) but glad to see you are still writing excellant mystery

   Reply
3. Jim Baker: 3 years ago

   I’m reading ‘Then She Vanished’ and I see nothing wrong with his writing. I believe I read an earlier Roland Ford novel I read. If I’m right about the book, then his writing was just just as fine. But maybe that is due to my reading such poor writers, such as, James Lee Burke, Michael Connelly, John Sanford, C. J. Box, and Craig Johnson.

   Reply
4. Jonthan Kamarck_: 4 years ago

   T Jefferson Parker is one of America’s greatest crime novelists and overall one of the best in the world. Sadly, Jefferson’s most recent Ford trilogy is somewhat a disappointment to many of his earlier books which were literate and extremely well written while characterized by complex plots and complex, very human characters. The gun running border series was also unique with a fabulous first book which sadly lost one of his most compelling albeit ethical but criminal characters – great as a stand-alone in a good to great series with a mystical//religious/magical underpinning. Loved esp The Fallen, Silent Joe and California Girl; the Merci Rayburn books is a good example that Reflects his growth and maturity as a writer esp so early in his career.

   Reply