Ace Atkins Books in Order
Ace Atkins is an American author and journalist best known for the Quinn Colson series, as well as for continuing the Spenser novels created by Robert B. Parker.
This page lists all Ace Atkins books in order, including his series, standalone novels, short stories, and his contribution to the Spenser series, organized primarily by publication order.
New Ace Atkins Books
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nick Travers Series (Books in Order)
The Nick Travers series follows former professional football player turned academic Nick Travers who works part time as an investigator around New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta.
Reading Order
- Crossroad Blues, 1998
- Leavin’ Trunk Blues, 2000
- The Dark End of the Street, 2002
- Dirty South, 2004
Nick Travers Short Stories
- Last Fair Deal Gone Down, 2012
- From Four Til Late, 2025
Quinn Colson Series (Books in Order)
The Quinn Colson series follows ex-U.S. Army Ranger Quinn Colson who returns to his hometown in northwest Mississippi and becomes sheriff in the fictional Tibbehah County to fight local crime and corruption.
Reading Order
- The Ranger, 2011
- The Lost Ones, 2012
- The Broken Places, 2012
- The Forsaken, 2014
- The Redeemers, 2015
- The Innocents, 2016
- The Fallen, 2017
- The Sinners, 2018
- The Shameless, 2019
- The Revelators, 2020
- The Heathens, 2021
Quinn Colson Short Stories
- Kudzu, 2025
Jason Colson Short Stories
- Stuntman, 2025
Spenser Series (Books in Order)
These novels were written by Ace Atkins as part of the Spenser series created by Robert B. Parker.
Reading Order
- Lullaby (#40), 2012
- Wonderland (#41), 2013
- Cheap Shot (#42), 2014
- Kickback (#43), 2015
- Slow Burn (#44), 2016
- Little White Lies (#45), 2017
- Old Black Magic (#46), 2018
- Angel Eyes (#47), 2019
- Someone to Watch Over Me (#48), 2021
- Bye Bye Baby (#49), 2022
Standalone Novels
- White Shadow, 2006
- Wicked City, 2008
- Devil’s Garden, 2009
- Infamous, 2010
- Everybody Wants to Rule the World, 2025
Short Stories
- The Havana Run, 2024
Anthologies
- Live Noir or Die Trying, 2010 (Damn Near Dead #2)
- Crimespree Magazine #42, 2015
- New Orleans Noir, 2012
- Crimespree Magazine #60, 2015
- New Orleans Noir 2, 2016
- Mississippi Noir, 2016
- The Highway Kind, 2016
- Mojo Rising 2, 2017
- Crimespree Magazine #66, 2017
- Mystery Writers of America Presents: Odd Partners, 2019
- Tampa Bay Noir, 2020
- Birds of Prey: The Harlan Coben Challenge, 2022 (with Harlan Coben)
- Best Crime Stories of the Year 4, 2024
Non-Fiction Books
- Sunset Park, 2025
Ace Atkins Biography
Ace Atkins is an American novelist whose work includes crime series, standalone novels, and continuation fiction.
Official website: aceatkins.com
Ace Atkins was born in 1970 in Troy, Alabama. He received a football scholarship to Auburn University, where he studied screenwriting. To refine his writing skills, he started working as a journalist before turning to full-time writing.
Between 1996 and 2001 he worked at the Tampa Tribune, covering cases as a crime reporter. During this period, he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and published his first novels, Crossroad Blues (1998) and Leavin’ Trunk Blues (2000), which introduced Nick Travers, who would become the main character of the author’s first series.
In 2006, he published White Shadow, a standalone novel based on his research into the unsolved, forgotten murder of Charlie Wall, the crime boss of Tampa, in 1955. This book helped him become an established full-time novelist.
In 2011, the estate of Robert B. Parker selected Ace Atkins to continue the Spenser series, for which he wrote multiple novels in Parker’s known writing style.
Alongside his fiction work, Ace Atkins continued to work on occasion as a journalist, including writing for the Outside magazine.
Ace Atkins lives outside Oxford, Mississippi, where he also teaches journalism at the University of Mississippi.
Ace Atkins Book Adaptations
- Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland – adapted into the Netflix film Spenser Confidential (2020)
Ace Atkins Awards and Honors
Nominations and Shortlists
- White Shadow – Barry Award for Best Novel (2007)
- Last Fair Deal Gone Down – Anthony Award for Best Short Story (2010)
- Last Fair Deal Gone Down – Edgar Award for Best Short Story (2010)
- Last Fair Deal Gone Down – Macavity Award for Best Mystery Short Story (2010)
- The Ranger – Edgar Award for Best Novel (2012)
- Lullaby – Shamus Award for Best PI Novel (2013)
- The Lost Ones – Edgar Award for Best Novel (2013)
LOVE the way Ace Atkins has continued the Spenser series. Kudos to the Parker Estate for selecting him. And, with a preference for audio books, I’m so glad Joe Montegna has continued to read.