Stone Cold by Robert B Parker (29-May-2014) Paperback

by Robert B. Parker

Genres: Crime

Unknown Binding

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database named Robert B. Parker.
Robert Brown Parker was an American writer, primarily of fiction within the mystery/detective genre. His most famous works were the 40 novels written about the fictional private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the mid-1980s; a series of TV movies was also produced based on the character. His works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area. The Spenser novels have been cited as reviving and changing the detective genre by critics and bestselling authors including Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, and Dennis Lehane.
Parker also wrote nine novels featuring the fictional character Jesse Stone, a Los Angeles police officer who moves to a small New England town; six novels with the fictional character Sunny Randall, a female private investigator; and four Westerns starring the duo Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. The first was Appaloosa, made into a film starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen.

Reviews

[Peter Kalnin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesse Stone deals with serial killers and also a teenage rape in the small town of Paradise, and solves the mystery of the killers in his patient, methodical and taciturn way. And he beds several women but remains in love, sort of, with his ever present ex, Jenn. It's a good tale.

323 pages long and very easy to read: I finished this book in one day without much effort.

[Brigi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a huge disappointment given the average rating it got. The story line is flat, there's no action, no excitement, the dialogue's are boring without true value. I really don't recommend this book.

[Fred Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure about these Robert B Parker novels. I've decided that the plots are not great in any of them but the dialogue and wit are excellent. They make terrible audio books as all I seem to hear is "I said" over and over again. It gets really annoying and I can't listen to them.

[Ramona Jennex]

I don't feel this book survived the test of time in regards to violence against women. However the author did position his main character, Jesse Stone, with an empathic viewpoint. And it highlights how much has changed in terms of understanding....hopefully.

[Greer Andjanetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining story, easy to read and follow although cheapened by the inclusion of foul language.

[Addyson Beams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. Kept me glued to the book!!

[Mike]

July 2013

[Conrad Gempf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting, page-turning stuff.

[Mark Lindsey]

Jesse Stone series - good read.

[David Evans · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Really good if you like punchy wry dialogue, which I do. There’s never any doubt that Jesse is going to catch the perpetrators of some sickening executions but he also has to deal sensitively with the reluctant victim of a schoolboy gang-rape.
Jesse’s interactions with his small team and the wide circle of women (who for some reason find him irresistible) reveal their mutual self-confidence and their conversations are a joy:
“For Christ’s sake,” Marcy said. “You can’t have someone to dinner and just plonk three cartons of Chinese food on the table.”
“Of course you can’t,” Jesse said. “I just wanted to see if you knew that.”
And:
“…I told the school to pretend you were a new member of the custodial staff.”
“Janitor?”
“Yep.”
“Do I get one of those work shirts that has my name over the pocket?”
“Yeah. Do you want Suitcase? Or Luther?’”
“I should never have told you my real name,” Simpson said.
“I’m your chief,” Jesse said. “You tell me everything “.
“Yeah, well, my mother comes by and sees me sweeping up, I’m gonna refer her to you.”
Jesse smiled.