Spenser books will continue

I've been spending time talking with other Robert B. Parker fans on Facebook and found out that his estate has decided Spenser and Stone will continue without the master at the helm. Ace Atkins will be writing the Spenser series and Michael Brandman will write the Jesse Stones.

I honestly don't know how I feel about this. While I am not at all ready to say goodbye to Spenser and Hawk and even Susan, I'm not convinced another writer can do justice to Parker's series characters. They are so complex, so nuanced, so deeply a part of his writer's psyche and experience -- how can anyone match his skill?

I guess we'll find out very soon.