Robert B Parker: The Jesse Stone Novels 1-5

Jesse Stone #1-5

by Robert B. Parker

"The new series by the creator of the hugely successful Spenser books has a great deal going for an empathetic, painfully flawed protagonist; an atmospheric small-town setting rife with corruption; and a whole new set of fascinating secondary characters" (Booklist). Don't miss the first five novels featuring Jesse Stone, police chief of Paradise, Massachusetts, by New York Times bestselling author Robert B. PassageTrouble in ParadiseDeath in ParadiseStone ColdSea Change

Genres: Mystery

1268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2012

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

[JDK1962 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, and--not surprisingly--very Spenser-like. I especially enjoyed how the books took place in the "Spenser world," where people from those books would turn up in these ones (Vinnie Morris, Healy, etc.).

This edition was a nice way of diving into the character. Like the Spenser books, the first few start out fairly plot driven, then begin exploring character a bit more. The fourth book (Stone Cold) was, I thought, particularly good (as a bonus, the TV version with Tom Selleck, is quite faithful, and well worth checking out). Five books, back to back, is good-size helping of comfort reading.

I gave this four, rather than five, stars because Parker was, frankly, covering much of the same ground with Stone as with Spenser. It doesn't take anything away from the enjoyment or the entertainment, but you're always aware that the ghost of Spenser is near.

Also, Stone's relationship with Jenn got on my nerves, but maybe that's just me. She just doesn't seem to have Susan Silverman's gravitas :-).

[4oclockguy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the made-for-tv Jesse Stone movies. The novel characters don't match the characters depicted in the movies, so I had to make mental image adjustments, but I like Parker's writing style and Selleck's portrayal of the police chief -- even when they aren't perfectly aligned.

[Jimmy Seiberling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even as I was reading this series, I thought Tom Selleck should play the protagonist. I read each book greedily.

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the way each of these novels ties into the next. A older cop becomes the police chief in a small town.

[Byron Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated 4 stars for identification purposes... Will up date progress by which "Novel" of 5 that are in this book ... ie ...
#1 Night Passage ...

[Tom Holcombe]

Loved it

[Laura Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick reads, and some nice humor. Looking forward to his monogamous life, though.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Jesse Stone character: he's flawed, but does good. And the dog is just the best.

[Wayne Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Great Writing

One thing for sure - don't let the kids near these books. All are fun reads. Especially love Jessie! and Jenn.