Ace Atkins is the New York Times best-selling author of 15 novels, including the "The Forsaken" and "Robert B. Parker’s Cheap Shot," both out from G.P. Putnam’s Sons in summer 2014.

A former journalist who cut his teeth as a crime reporter in the newsroom of The Tampa Tribune, he published his first novel, "Crossroad Blues," at 27 and became a full-time novelist at 30. In 2010, he was selected by the Robert B. Parker estate to continue the bestselling adventures of Boston’s iconic private eye, Spenser.

As a reporter, Ace earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination for a feature series based on his investigation into a forgotten murder of the 1950s. The story became the core of his critically acclaimed novel, "White Shadow," which earned raves from noted authors and critics. In his next novels, "Wicked City," "Devil’s Garden" and "Infamous," blended first-hand interviews and original research into police and court records with tightly woven plots and incisive characters. The historical novels told great American stories by weaving fact and fiction into a colorful, seamless tapestry.

"The Forsaken," "The Broken Places," "The Lost Ones" and "The Ranger" — all part of the unfolding Quinn Colson saga — represent a return to Ace’s first love: hero-driven series fiction. Quinn Colson is a real hero — a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan — who returns home to north Mississippi to fight corruption on his home turf. The stories, contemporary tales with a dash of classic westerns and noir, are currently in development for a major television series.

Ace lives in Oxford, Mississippi with his family.