Helpful Score: 3
Having read most of Robert B. Parker's novels, I knew what to expect from this one. Short, crisp, world-weary wise-guy dialog. Action. Tough guys. Interesting characters. Murder.
Most of it is there. This one is little short on action and way long on relationships. Jesse Stone, the venerable hero of a half-dozen or so novels, is the police chief in little Paradise, Massachusetts. He is divorced from his former wife, Jen, but can never really let her go. In earlier novels, she has followed him to the East Coast from LA so she can be near him.
In the last novel, Jesse met and became involved with Sunny Randall, a lady PI in Boston who has her own series of Robert B. Parker novels. In this one, they are in love. Sunny, however, also has an ex that she can't quite live without.
This makes for lots of confusion, soul searching, and dysfunctional relationships. Does Jesse love Jen or Sunny more? Can Jesse give up Jen enough to be in a committed relationship with Sunny? Can Sunny give up her ex, Richie, enough to be in a committed relationship with Jesse? These pressing, urgent soap opera questions form the major, major subplot of the book. And no, they don't really get resolved.
Frankly, I got very tired of the whole mess. I liked the murder plot. I like Jesse. I like Sunny. I like Rosie (Sunny's dog). I don't much care for Jen, whose driving force in life seems to be advancing her career by sleeping with whoever might prove helpful. I just got tired of all the talking (and thinking, and studiously not talking) about who loves whom the most or the best and how should they act together. Enough already! Not to call upon stereotypes too much, I'll just hint that I'll bet Parker's female readers will enjoy this more than his male fans.
However, if you follow either Jesse or Sunny's series of books, you have to read this one. Sigh.
Most of it is there. This one is little short on action and way long on relationships. Jesse Stone, the venerable hero of a half-dozen or so novels, is the police chief in little Paradise, Massachusetts. He is divorced from his former wife, Jen, but can never really let her go. In earlier novels, she has followed him to the East Coast from LA so she can be near him.
In the last novel, Jesse met and became involved with Sunny Randall, a lady PI in Boston who has her own series of Robert B. Parker novels. In this one, they are in love. Sunny, however, also has an ex that she can't quite live without.
This makes for lots of confusion, soul searching, and dysfunctional relationships. Does Jesse love Jen or Sunny more? Can Jesse give up Jen enough to be in a committed relationship with Sunny? Can Sunny give up her ex, Richie, enough to be in a committed relationship with Jesse? These pressing, urgent soap opera questions form the major, major subplot of the book. And no, they don't really get resolved.
Frankly, I got very tired of the whole mess. I liked the murder plot. I like Jesse. I like Sunny. I like Rosie (Sunny's dog). I don't much care for Jen, whose driving force in life seems to be advancing her career by sleeping with whoever might prove helpful. I just got tired of all the talking (and thinking, and studiously not talking) about who loves whom the most or the best and how should they act together. Enough already! Not to call upon stereotypes too much, I'll just hint that I'll bet Parker's female readers will enjoy this more than his male fans.
However, if you follow either Jesse or Sunny's series of books, you have to read this one. Sigh.
Helpful Score: 2
Having read most of Robert B. Parker's novels, I knew what to expect from this one. Short, crisp, world-weary wise-guy dialog. Action. Tough guys. Interesting characters. Murder.
Most of it is there. This one is little short on action and way long on relationships. Jesse Stone, the venerable hero of a half-dozen or so novels, is the police chief in little Paradise, Massachusetts. He is divorced from his former wife, Jen, but can never really let her go. In earlier novels, she has followed him to the East Coast from LA so she can be near him.
In the last novel, Jesse met and became involved with Sunny Randall, a lady PI in Boston who has her own series of Robert B. Parker novels. In this one, they are in love. Sunny, however, also has an ex that she can't quite live without.
This makes for lots of confusion, soul searching, and dysfunctional relationships. Does Jesse love Jen or Sunny more? Can Jesse give up Jen enough to be in a committed relationship with Sunny? Can Sunny give up her ex, Richie, enough to be in a committed relationship with Jesse? These pressing, urgent soap opera questions form the major, major subplot of the book. And no, they don't really get resolved.
Frankly, I got very tired of the whole mess. I liked the murder plot. I like Jesse. I like Sunny. I like Rosie (Sunny's dog). I don't much care for Jen, whose driving force in life seems to be advancing her career by sleeping with whoever might prove helpful. I just got tired of all the talking (and thinking, and studiously not talking) about who loves whom the most or the best and how should they act together. Enough already! Not to call upon stereotypes too much, I'll just hint that I'll bet Parker's female readers will enjoy this more than his male fans.
However, if you follow either Jesse or Sunny's series of books, you have to read this one. Sigh.
Most of it is there. This one is little short on action and way long on relationships. Jesse Stone, the venerable hero of a half-dozen or so novels, is the police chief in little Paradise, Massachusetts. He is divorced from his former wife, Jen, but can never really let her go. In earlier novels, she has followed him to the East Coast from LA so she can be near him.
In the last novel, Jesse met and became involved with Sunny Randall, a lady PI in Boston who has her own series of Robert B. Parker novels. In this one, they are in love. Sunny, however, also has an ex that she can't quite live without.
This makes for lots of confusion, soul searching, and dysfunctional relationships. Does Jesse love Jen or Sunny more? Can Jesse give up Jen enough to be in a committed relationship with Sunny? Can Sunny give up her ex, Richie, enough to be in a committed relationship with Jesse? These pressing, urgent soap opera questions form the major, major subplot of the book. And no, they don't really get resolved.
Frankly, I got very tired of the whole mess. I liked the murder plot. I like Jesse. I like Sunny. I like Rosie (Sunny's dog). I don't much care for Jen, whose driving force in life seems to be advancing her career by sleeping with whoever might prove helpful. I just got tired of all the talking (and thinking, and studiously not talking) about who loves whom the most or the best and how should they act together. Enough already! Not to call upon stereotypes too much, I'll just hint that I'll bet Parker's female readers will enjoy this more than his male fans.
However, if you follow either Jesse or Sunny's series of books, you have to read this one. Sigh.
Helpful Score: 1
Jesse Stone is my favorite Parker series (I haven't started on Spenser yet).
This one doesn't have a lot of 'action' in it and deals too much with relationships and that gets a little ho hum at times and you just want to get on with the murder story, but yet it's easy reading and easy dialogue so you won't skip any of it and it goes pretty quick.
This one doesn't have a lot of 'action' in it and deals too much with relationships and that gets a little ho hum at times and you just want to get on with the murder story, but yet it's easy reading and easy dialogue so you won't skip any of it and it goes pretty quick.
You can read this book in two or three sittings. Lots of action, twists and turns keep you turning the pages. Although it is not a "Spenser" book, the character Jesse could be Spenser's twin. Lots of sarcastic humor that is typical Robert Parker. This is a perfect book for the beach, plane or doctor's office since the chapters are very short and you can put the book down and pick it back up without missing a beat. Five stars all the way
Parker is worth reading if for no other reason than his "zippy" dialogue!
GREAT BOOK, QUICK READ!!
Jesse Stone mystery, with Stone juggling the murder of a talk-show host and his pregnant girlfriend as he also tries to protect his own ex-wife from a stalker.
A great read with lots of action.
Liked the plot of this book better than Sea Change. Jesse's feelings for the very flawed Jenn show him to be flawed as well. I could do with less of the self-analysis and banter between people in relationships about the relationships, but the murder mystery and crime-solving more than make up for it. All-in-all, a good, quick summer read.
I have to disagree with Richard M.'s assessment that female readers will like this Jesse Stone outing better than men do. I'm a woman and I got thoroughly sick of drama queen Jenn's neediness and Jesse falling for it yet again and acting as if his knee-jerk responses are inevitable. If this is "love," leave me out. I really enjoy this series but this particular outing is not the best either. The set-up sounded great but the solution ... Seriously, if this is the kind of police work it takes to solve a double murder, make me the chief because I could have solved this one in half the time. It takes days before it occurs to them to do serious background checks on all the people who had daily access to the victims? C'mon.
Newest in series.
I really enjoy these Jesse Stone books.
good read
