The murder of Parker Foxcroft sent shock waves through the book publishing community that would easily have registered 7.5 on the Richter scale.
This is the how the New York Times obituary writer eulogized him:
Not since the legendary Max Perkins has an editor inspired so much devotion among his authors and colleagues. The words “A Parker Foxcroft Book” were a hallmark of quality and literary distinction. Foxcroft did in fact have his own imprint at Barlow & Company, a small, prestigious, family-owned Manhattan firm. During the course of his twenty-two-year career, Foxcroft edited the works of two Nobel laureates, several Pulitzer Prize winners, and at least five National Book Award winners and nominees. Among his authors were…
This song of praise was followed by laudatory comments from several of Foxcroft’s authors, a brace of literary agents, and three editors from other houses. Conspicuous by his absence from this outpouring of esteem was the publisher of Barlow & Company, Nicholas Barlow. Many wondered at the time about his silence.