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Jesse Stone #1
Night Passage
His name is Jesse Stone. He's left the LAPD in disgrace but lands on his feet as the new chief of police in Paradise, Massachusetts -- a town on the Atlantic not far from Boston. It's a lot less idyllic than it sounds.
On arrival, the new chief finds himself in between corrupt town leaders, a local militia group, and a murderer on the loose.
This is an exciting departure for the creator of Spenser. Renowned author Robert B. Parker, "the reigning champion of the American tough-guy detective novel," (Entertainment Weekly), has landed on the 'New York Times' bestseller list once again but this time with Jesse Stone. Both readers and critics are thrilled.
On arrival, the new chief finds himself in between corrupt town leaders, a local militia group, and a murderer on the loose.
This is an exciting departure for the creator of Spenser. Renowned author Robert B. Parker, "the reigning champion of the American tough-guy detective novel," (Entertainment Weekly), has landed on the 'New York Times' bestseller list once again but this time with Jesse Stone. Both readers and critics are thrilled.
324 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 22, 1997
2169 people are currently reading
7045 people want to read
About the author
Robert B. Parker
489 books2,289 followersLibrarian 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 887 reviews
March 31, 2020
Now that I'm sheltering in place, my movements limited by the threat of the coronavirus, I find I require familiar pleasures to compensate for my loss of familiar places and faces. So I decided to read a book I read more than seven years ago as a renewed introduction to a series of books by one of my favorite authors: the Jesse Stone series by Robert B. Parker.
This time I enjoyed Night Passage even more. I liked the way it explored Stone's wounded vulnerability, exposed by his wife's affair. I felt I was seeing a more vulnerable side of Parker, the way he must have felt during the painful period when he and his wife Joan were living apart.
So I guess the coronavirus is good for something. On to the rest of the series! (Ebooks available on line from the otherwise shuttered Columbus Metropolitan Library.)
I never bothered to read any of the Jesse Stone novels as long as I had a new Spenser by Parker to look forward to, but now that Parker has passed on, I decided to no longer leave the first Stone unturned.
I was pleased. I like the fact that Parker chose to write about a character much different from Spenser and yet much the same. Stone is strong, upright and truthful and adheres to his own code--just like Spenser and all the other figures in the detective/knight errant tradition--but Stone is more wounded than Spenser (by women and drink), lonelier, and more fragile in spite of his toughness. The greatest difference of all is that he is plain-spoken, a man of few words and fewer ironies; unlike Spenser, he's not a wise ass who needs to goad the opposition and spout literary allusions.
The plot of "Night Passage" is intricate, but absorbing, and I'm sure I'll eventually read all the books in the series. (On top of everything else, it was good to see Vinnie and Gino again.)
June 30, 2021
Night Passage by Robert B. Parker is a 1998 Jove publication.
Jesse Stone, a fired alcoholic homicide cop from L.A., accepts a job offer as Chief of Police in the small community of Paradise, Massachusetts. His past worked in his favor, as certain citizens of Paradise would rather have an incompetent person in the job, someone who wouldn’t pay too close attention to their activities.
Sadly, for them, Jesse Stone turns out to be far more perceptive than they bargained for…
Jesse Stone… not much of a conversationalist…. Which is probably a good thing. Despite his issues with the bottle and his profound depression over the end of his marriage and career- mainly the marriage, I think- you don’t get much past Jesse. He’s quiet, a man of few words, but a great listener. Overall, a fascinating character- flawed, sure, but a man, one can’t help but like and root for.
This first installment in the series is just flat out awesome… and despite the age of the book, it seems some things never change. Jessie gets on the bad side of a local when he humiliates him for beating his wife. Now, it seems Jesse could be the target of his revenge. When the former Chief dies, and a woman is murdered, a scheme unfolds worthy of any he might have encountered in LA.
While this style of writing is not very common anymore and would probably be met with disdain by the majority of current, more enlightened readers- I liked the spare dialogue, the quietness that screams menace, and builds the suspense, creating a dark, moody atmosphere, almost Noir-ish in style.
This book may have followed a format frequently used in the nineties, might have been a little predictable, but for me it was like a breath of fresh air. Today’s crime fiction might seem far more advanced, but they got nothing on Jesse Stone.
Usually, I’m kicking myself for getting a late start on a series. In this case, I’m glad have this series to work through right now. I’m also glad I watched the movies first. Jesse is a bit younger in the books, but otherwise the feel is similar.
I was a big fan through the movies, I’m a bigger fan now, thanks to the books!
5 stars
Jesse Stone, a fired alcoholic homicide cop from L.A., accepts a job offer as Chief of Police in the small community of Paradise, Massachusetts. His past worked in his favor, as certain citizens of Paradise would rather have an incompetent person in the job, someone who wouldn’t pay too close attention to their activities.
Sadly, for them, Jesse Stone turns out to be far more perceptive than they bargained for…
Jesse Stone… not much of a conversationalist…. Which is probably a good thing. Despite his issues with the bottle and his profound depression over the end of his marriage and career- mainly the marriage, I think- you don’t get much past Jesse. He’s quiet, a man of few words, but a great listener. Overall, a fascinating character- flawed, sure, but a man, one can’t help but like and root for.
This first installment in the series is just flat out awesome… and despite the age of the book, it seems some things never change. Jessie gets on the bad side of a local when he humiliates him for beating his wife. Now, it seems Jesse could be the target of his revenge. When the former Chief dies, and a woman is murdered, a scheme unfolds worthy of any he might have encountered in LA.
While this style of writing is not very common anymore and would probably be met with disdain by the majority of current, more enlightened readers- I liked the spare dialogue, the quietness that screams menace, and builds the suspense, creating a dark, moody atmosphere, almost Noir-ish in style.
This book may have followed a format frequently used in the nineties, might have been a little predictable, but for me it was like a breath of fresh air. Today’s crime fiction might seem far more advanced, but they got nothing on Jesse Stone.
Usually, I’m kicking myself for getting a late start on a series. In this case, I’m glad have this series to work through right now. I’m also glad I watched the movies first. Jesse is a bit younger in the books, but otherwise the feel is similar.
I was a big fan through the movies, I’m a bigger fan now, thanks to the books!
5 stars
August 18, 2015
Robert B. Parker writes a tough guy main character whose biggest flaw is his obsessive love of a woman who betrays him? Hmmmm…. I have the weirdest sense of deja vu….
By the late ‘90s RBP could, and frequently seemed to, crank out a Spenser novel in his sleep so he started doing other things like this series featuring new hero Jesse Stone. Jesse was an LAPD homicide detective who lost his job thanks to the drinking brought on when his unfaithful wife divorced him. Even though he shows up to the job interview drunk Jesse gets hired to be the chief of the police department in small town Paradise, Massachusetts. Anxious to leave his ex-wife in California, Jesse moves across the country and gets his boozing down to manageable levels.
Unfortunately, the town bigwig Hasty Hathaway hired a drunk to be the chief in the hopes that his criminal shenanigans would go unnoticed. However, while Jesse may be a functional alcoholic the key word there is ‘functional’, and he has no intention of looking the other way.
When an author who created an iconic character like Spenser develops a new one there’s inevitably going to be comparisons so the first question that a fan like myself has is how Jesse measures up. The answer is pretty well. RBP had his hero recipe down to his exact taste by then so he didn’t try to spice it up too much, but he did throw in some new flavors. Jesse is younger than Spenser, more internalized and not such a smart ass. He’s also got more baggage, but the two are definitely cut from the same cloth as the tough guys who don’t suffer fools or have much patience for politics and hypocrisy. All in all he makes for a pretty solid hero for this type of crime novel.
However, there are problems and they come from the author, not his lead character. In his later years RBP just could not get away from that repetitive theme of the good guy in love with a woman who isn’t really worthy of him. This one seemed to promise a breaking of old patterns with Jesse being among RBP’s most self-destructive main characters in some ways as well as actually making an effort to get over Jenn. It was more than a little disappointing when Jenn starts calling Jesse, and he resumes communicating with her because he just can’t let her go.
That’s the primary factor why I wasn’t a big fan of this series and didn’t even read all the ones that RBP did. So why go back and start reading these? Two reasons.
First, like Ace Atkins taking over Spenser and breathing new life into the character, Jesse Stone is now being written by veteran crime writer Reed Farrel Coleman, and I want to check out those books so going back to the beginning and going through seems necessary to really gauge those new ones.
Secondly, I was shocked to find that I enjoyed the TV movies starring Tom Selleck that were done based on the series. Although Selleck is a lot older than Jesse as written, the films have a brooding, character based atmosphere that feel like they’re improving upon the basic ideas of the book that build on the best of RBP rather than focusing on the boring repetitive elements. Catching some of those again as part of a Jesse Stone marathon gave me an itch to go back and give this series another try.
By the late ‘90s RBP could, and frequently seemed to, crank out a Spenser novel in his sleep so he started doing other things like this series featuring new hero Jesse Stone. Jesse was an LAPD homicide detective who lost his job thanks to the drinking brought on when his unfaithful wife divorced him. Even though he shows up to the job interview drunk Jesse gets hired to be the chief of the police department in small town Paradise, Massachusetts. Anxious to leave his ex-wife in California, Jesse moves across the country and gets his boozing down to manageable levels.
Unfortunately, the town bigwig Hasty Hathaway hired a drunk to be the chief in the hopes that his criminal shenanigans would go unnoticed. However, while Jesse may be a functional alcoholic the key word there is ‘functional’, and he has no intention of looking the other way.
When an author who created an iconic character like Spenser develops a new one there’s inevitably going to be comparisons so the first question that a fan like myself has is how Jesse measures up. The answer is pretty well. RBP had his hero recipe down to his exact taste by then so he didn’t try to spice it up too much, but he did throw in some new flavors. Jesse is younger than Spenser, more internalized and not such a smart ass. He’s also got more baggage, but the two are definitely cut from the same cloth as the tough guys who don’t suffer fools or have much patience for politics and hypocrisy. All in all he makes for a pretty solid hero for this type of crime novel.
However, there are problems and they come from the author, not his lead character. In his later years RBP just could not get away from that repetitive theme of the good guy in love with a woman who isn’t really worthy of him. This one seemed to promise a breaking of old patterns with Jesse being among RBP’s most self-destructive main characters in some ways as well as actually making an effort to get over Jenn. It was more than a little disappointing when Jenn starts calling Jesse, and he resumes communicating with her because he just can’t let her go.
That’s the primary factor why I wasn’t a big fan of this series and didn’t even read all the ones that RBP did. So why go back and start reading these? Two reasons.
First, like Ace Atkins taking over Spenser and breathing new life into the character, Jesse Stone is now being written by veteran crime writer Reed Farrel Coleman, and I want to check out those books so going back to the beginning and going through seems necessary to really gauge those new ones.
Secondly, I was shocked to find that I enjoyed the TV movies starring Tom Selleck that were done based on the series. Although Selleck is a lot older than Jesse as written, the films have a brooding, character based atmosphere that feel like they’re improving upon the basic ideas of the book that build on the best of RBP rather than focusing on the boring repetitive elements. Catching some of those again as part of a Jesse Stone marathon gave me an itch to go back and give this series another try.
February 23, 2022
Good mystery and police work
This first volume in the Jesse Stone series is a well written, engrossing mystery. The characters are well developed with Stone being a sympathetic character despite his personal problems.
The problem I had with the novel is its portrayal of a militia group as large, well -organized, obedient to its leader and willing to engage in violence to pursue a rather silly, unrealistic goal. I have no experience with militia groups but I do know a bit about the Ku Klux Klan in the late 1960's - early 1970's. Most members of one of the more active Klaverns in central Mississippi back in the bad old days didn't even bother to show up for regular meetings or pay their dues. If I remember correctly there were less than a dozen regulars at the weekly meetings. Of those only a handful were willing to engage in violence or any serious lawbreaking. I find it hard to believe that a militia group in Paradise, Massachusetts would be much different. But that probably will not bother most readers who can enjoy the book without my skepticism.
This first volume in the Jesse Stone series is a well written, engrossing mystery. The characters are well developed with Stone being a sympathetic character despite his personal problems.
The problem I had with the novel is its portrayal of a militia group as large, well -organized, obedient to its leader and willing to engage in violence to pursue a rather silly, unrealistic goal. I have no experience with militia groups but I do know a bit about the Ku Klux Klan in the late 1960's - early 1970's. Most members of one of the more active Klaverns in central Mississippi back in the bad old days didn't even bother to show up for regular meetings or pay their dues. If I remember correctly there were less than a dozen regulars at the weekly meetings. Of those only a handful were willing to engage in violence or any serious lawbreaking. I find it hard to believe that a militia group in Paradise, Massachusetts would be much different. But that probably will not bother most readers who can enjoy the book without my skepticism.
November 12, 2024
4 Stars. An auspicious beginning. The early chapters were all over the place. Disjointed, confusing. But don't worry, Parker has a way of bringing them together in an exciting finale which seems to have been purposeful from the start. We open with the firing of Police Chief Tom Carson of Paradise - a fictional town on the Atlantic north of Boston. By Hasty Hathaway, the head Selectman in the city (it's a New England thing, read 'Mayor'). Then we meet Jesse Stone. He's interviewing to replace Carson. Mid 30s, with an excellent policing record as an LAPD detective. Unfortunately he's just been fired for being drunk on the job - a thing his reference might discuss over the phone but not put in a letter! Jesse was even drunk for the interview. He still got hired. Suspend your incredulity. He's been having marital difficulties with his wife Jennifer and going to the opposite coast seemed like a good thing. When he gets to Paradise, he finds a thug named Jo-Jo running amuck, and a far-right militia group, Freedom's Horsemen, preparing for insurrection. I checked; this was written in 1997 not in January 2021! I'm hooked on Jesse Stone. (Fe2022/No2024)
March 19, 2018
This was a rare five start for me. I had never read this author before and I absolutely loved the pacing and characterization. Jesse Stone is a great character- a little stereotypical maybe. Cliche occasionally. But the things he thinks about and the way he handles situations are amusing and inspiring.
This was a world that I want to return to. The idea of an alcoholic LA homicide cop becoming detective in a small east coast town leaves the path open for excellent plot hooks and character development. For me, character is of equal or greater importance than plot. I have read ingenious ideas (particularly in the sci-fi genre) that are fascinating, but the lack of character development winds up leaving me bored. That is definitely not the case here.
Stone's homicide detective skills are needed, as is his semi-functional alcoholic ability. Even the villains are well developed, albeit a bit stereotypical. I am waiting for the next book in the series.
Five stars
This was a world that I want to return to. The idea of an alcoholic LA homicide cop becoming detective in a small east coast town leaves the path open for excellent plot hooks and character development. For me, character is of equal or greater importance than plot. I have read ingenious ideas (particularly in the sci-fi genre) that are fascinating, but the lack of character development winds up leaving me bored. That is definitely not the case here.
Stone's homicide detective skills are needed, as is his semi-functional alcoholic ability. Even the villains are well developed, albeit a bit stereotypical. I am waiting for the next book in the series.
Five stars
September 20, 2017
A good solid entry in the Jesse Stone series of titles. 3.5-stars
It has the Parker-trademark familiar good pacing, interesting scene descriptions without blather, an array of supporting characters, a semi-broken-marriage stand-in for Parker and Joan, a somewhat weak if serviceable central plot, and a satisfying but predictable climax and ending.
The word “maroon” appears 4 times in this book. (Yes, definitely Parker writing here)
Notes:
He wondered sometimes what he needed from her. A kind of richness, maybe. The palpability of her, the odd combination of intellect and ditz that she balanced so beautifully. Maybe it made no sense to try to figure. Could anyone list the reasons they loved someone? Probably not.
Is this how Parker thought and felt when Joan left him (in the early 1980s)?
The night she left and he was alone in the house he looked at his service pistol and picked it up and thought about where to shoot himself. A lot of cops shot themselves. They had the means at hand, and they knew how. Put them ahead of the general populace, he thought, in suicide efficiency. Probably putting the muzzle in his mouth and shooting up and back would be the way most likely to take him out instantly. Cops called it eating your gun.
54%... upon discovering the body of the girl ...
I really love how Parker fills you and the characters with shock and dread here, a personal and powerful sense of sadness and loss. Masterful prose. One of the best ever feelings of the horror of Murder that I’ve read
74% ... again, Parker is masterful and deep: Jesse’s meeting with the parents of the murdered girl. The parents’ sense of desire for justice versus their pain of loss, their need to protect their memories of their beautiful daughter. Truly heartfelt, marvellous.
If you have read all the Spenser series (by Parker, himself), then this book will put you back into familiar territory. A worthwhile and quick read.
It has the Parker-trademark familiar good pacing, interesting scene descriptions without blather, an array of supporting characters, a semi-broken-marriage stand-in for Parker and Joan, a somewhat weak if serviceable central plot, and a satisfying but predictable climax and ending.
The word “maroon” appears 4 times in this book. (Yes, definitely Parker writing here)
Notes:
He wondered sometimes what he needed from her. A kind of richness, maybe. The palpability of her, the odd combination of intellect and ditz that she balanced so beautifully. Maybe it made no sense to try to figure. Could anyone list the reasons they loved someone? Probably not.
Is this how Parker thought and felt when Joan left him (in the early 1980s)?
The night she left and he was alone in the house he looked at his service pistol and picked it up and thought about where to shoot himself. A lot of cops shot themselves. They had the means at hand, and they knew how. Put them ahead of the general populace, he thought, in suicide efficiency. Probably putting the muzzle in his mouth and shooting up and back would be the way most likely to take him out instantly. Cops called it eating your gun.
54%... upon discovering the body of the girl ...
I really love how Parker fills you and the characters with shock and dread here, a personal and powerful sense of sadness and loss. Masterful prose. One of the best ever feelings of the horror of Murder that I’ve read
74% ... again, Parker is masterful and deep: Jesse’s meeting with the parents of the murdered girl. The parents’ sense of desire for justice versus their pain of loss, their need to protect their memories of their beautiful daughter. Truly heartfelt, marvellous.
If you have read all the Spenser series (by Parker, himself), then this book will put you back into familiar territory. A worthwhile and quick read.
January 11, 2018
I enjoyed this book. It kept me reading to find out what happens next, even though I knew the basic storyline well. It's been told in thousands of stories: the triumph of good over evil. It worked in westerns, it works in sci-fi, it works here with crime in a more contemporary American setting with guns and sex.
Novel writing skills have gone up a notch or two since Night Passage was written in the late 90s but what hasn't changed is being a good storyteller is #1 and good characterisation is #2 on the ladder.
The style of writing is uncomplicated but effective. Parker uses multiple point-of-view well to take us inside a number of heads.
Novel writing skills have gone up a notch or two since Night Passage was written in the late 90s but what hasn't changed is being a good storyteller is #1 and good characterisation is #2 on the ladder.
The style of writing is uncomplicated but effective. Parker uses multiple point-of-view well to take us inside a number of heads.
June 14, 2017
Jesse Stone, LAPD homicide detective, hit by a series of personal let downs: divorce and job termination, chooses scotch as his consolation prize. As last resort, he doggedly travels East to accept the position of police chief in a tiny, seemingly innocuous Massachusetts town named Paradise. Although downtrodden and still drinking, Jesse is 'Old School' true grit--courageous, moral and savvy.. Paradise, MA is not the quiet, coastal town, but has its own nasty secrets, actually corruption, drugs, murder and insurrection, but Stone confronts them with grace and limitless fortitude. A great police procedural with an array of unusual characters, a haunting setting and a great deal of action, this book introduces the reader to a cast of likeable and detestable people. Stone is deep and memorable. Great read..
May 19, 2022
This is a perfectly harmless mystery book that's not too hard to read and has some fun moments. Parker's no-frills prose shifts into the third-person and doesn't waste time with lengthy descriptions or ancillary information. Characters are a bit two-dimensional and cliche - yes, it's yet another hard-drinking cop who is depressed over his divorce and when he meets a woman with a short skirt in the first 50 pages you can bet they'll be dating by page 75. Just a good ol' cop story, first in a series that inspired some made-for-TV movies.
November 22, 2021
Excellent book - love the Jesse Stone character (even with his quirks, the imperfections, the alcohol.) He’s blunt, he’s real, he’s good. Looking forward to more in the series!
5 Stars.
5 Stars.
September 10, 2022
* Reading Jesse Stone books in order - added January 2021 *
Mystery Group Read - April 2018
Mystery Group Read - April 2018 (spoilers)
Jesse Stone (alcoholic & fired LAPD detective), Jenn(divoiced, x-wife) having affair & hired as the new police chief in the small Town of Paradise, Massachusetts.
Board of Selectman & Bank Owner, Hasty Hathaway was looking for new police chief, he could control as Lou Burke (previous chief) was becoming too involved in their money "laundering" & needed to be killed.
Jo Jo Genest (rough & caused family problems) helps Hasty in crimes & kills for him. Paradise's Abby Taylor (DA/Town Concil) & Jesse began a love relationship.
The book plot & movie screenplay are well coordinated, I like the movie better than the book only because of one of my favorite actors - Tom Selleck.
But Parker's Jesse Stone series is the best I have read, books are short & well written to a good plot concentrating on one theme per book. The first 9 books written by Parker are great but after he died in 2010, the last 7 in the series written with the same characters by other authors.
Mystery Group Read - April 2018
Mystery Group Read - April 2018 (spoilers)
September 17, 1932 – January 18, 2010
Jesse Stone (alcoholic & fired LAPD detective), Jenn(divoiced, x-wife) having affair & hired as the new police chief in the small Town of Paradise, Massachusetts.
Board of Selectman & Bank Owner, Hasty Hathaway was looking for new police chief, he could control as Lou Burke (previous chief) was becoming too involved in their money "laundering" & needed to be killed.
Jo Jo Genest (rough & caused family problems) helps Hasty in crimes & kills for him. Paradise's Abby Taylor (DA/Town Concil) & Jesse began a love relationship.
The book plot & movie screenplay are well coordinated, I like the movie better than the book only because of one of my favorite actors - Tom Selleck.
But Parker's Jesse Stone series is the best I have read, books are short & well written to a good plot concentrating on one theme per book. The first 9 books written by Parker are great but after he died in 2010, the last 7 in the series written with the same characters by other authors.
November 30, 2008
NIGHT PASSAGE - Ex
Parker, Robert B. - 1st Jesse Stone
After being kicked out of the LAPD, Jesse Stone's future looks bleak, until he is given another chance as the police chief in a small New England town. However, the town turns out to be rife with homicides, maddened militiamen and crazed psychopaths.
The first of a new series from Parker. The macho-ness tempered by humor is there and it's nice to have a new character. In this, we have an ex-wife, rather than a Susan. Loved it.
Parker, Robert B. - 1st Jesse Stone
After being kicked out of the LAPD, Jesse Stone's future looks bleak, until he is given another chance as the police chief in a small New England town. However, the town turns out to be rife with homicides, maddened militiamen and crazed psychopaths.
The first of a new series from Parker. The macho-ness tempered by humor is there and it's nice to have a new character. In this, we have an ex-wife, rather than a Susan. Loved it.
October 23, 2014
I've seen one of these books as a movie with Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone. Seems a good fit. I'm listening to this read by Richard Masur. He has some emotion & does different voices for the characters. Might be a bit over the top, but far better than the last book I listened to where the tone of both the book & the reader was a monotone. (Cop Hater by Ed McBain read by Paul Shay. My review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...)
The story was fairly low key, but with some outstanding characters - not really great characters, it's just that they really stood out. They were caricatures, but pretty believable & fun. That pretty much sums up the plot, too. Several threads were all to believable, but one was outlandish. It was an interesting set of contrasts & well worth listening to.
The story was fairly low key, but with some outstanding characters - not really great characters, it's just that they really stood out. They were caricatures, but pretty believable & fun. That pretty much sums up the plot, too. Several threads were all to believable, but one was outlandish. It was an interesting set of contrasts & well worth listening to.
July 25, 2020
Terrible.
This book we are introduced to Jesse Stone so i understand we are getting to know Jesse but this was poorly written.
Robert B. Parker had written far too many books to give this a pass for just being book one.
Week dialogue. Jesse was a dull drunk. The drama with his ex wife was childish and bogged the book down. His relationship with Abby was just as childish. The conversations Jesse had with the 17 year old girl was bizarre, creepy old man syndrome. The side characters had no depth and the bad guys were cartoonish. The plot was uhm what plot? What little plot there was was ridiculous. A disappointment.
But i will try book #2.
This book we are introduced to Jesse Stone so i understand we are getting to know Jesse but this was poorly written.
Robert B. Parker had written far too many books to give this a pass for just being book one.
Week dialogue. Jesse was a dull drunk. The drama with his ex wife was childish and bogged the book down. His relationship with Abby was just as childish. The conversations Jesse had with the 17 year old girl was bizarre, creepy old man syndrome. The side characters had no depth and the bad guys were cartoonish. The plot was uhm what plot? What little plot there was was ridiculous. A disappointment.
But i will try book #2.
February 18, 2017
In front of me I have the Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone collection starring Tom Selleck, it's a 9 disc set. By the way, a pretty and beautifully elaborated collectors box, which I immensely do enjoy.
I had recently birthday, and so...
It was my birthday gift from my wife, Christa!!!
But, today I'm here to recommend you the first book in the Jesse Stone series.
Very enjoyable and indeed good.
Jesse Stone isn't an action hero at all, rather a flawed character that has an alcohol problem.
After his wife cheated on him, she left him too....
well, Jesse a homicide detective from L. A. begins afterwards to drink and get fired from his job!!
After an offer as chief by the police at paradise, a village in New England, he gets the job;
in spite that he went drunk to the interview for the job!!!
So, he moves to Paradise, and it's the beginning of the adventure....
I liked it very much, how Robert B. Parker described and unfold it, namely, how Jesse Stone try to dealt with his inner demons, and at the same time resolves crimes and complots full of intrigues...
This is the aspect I've enjoyed to the uttermost, in a situation most vulnerable for Jesse, he is the more dangerous and keen as you can't imagine....
So, I'm determined to continue the road with Jesse Stone, and to dwell a little longer in the beautiful New England city Paradise!!!
If you like good elaborated and fluently written thrillers and criminals stories, then this is what you need.....
So, I'm back from Paradise, and glad to be with you all again!!!
Four stars, my honest ratting....
Dean:)
I had recently birthday, and so...
It was my birthday gift from my wife, Christa!!!
But, today I'm here to recommend you the first book in the Jesse Stone series.
Very enjoyable and indeed good.
Jesse Stone isn't an action hero at all, rather a flawed character that has an alcohol problem.
After his wife cheated on him, she left him too....
well, Jesse a homicide detective from L. A. begins afterwards to drink and get fired from his job!!
After an offer as chief by the police at paradise, a village in New England, he gets the job;
in spite that he went drunk to the interview for the job!!!
So, he moves to Paradise, and it's the beginning of the adventure....
I liked it very much, how Robert B. Parker described and unfold it, namely, how Jesse Stone try to dealt with his inner demons, and at the same time resolves crimes and complots full of intrigues...
This is the aspect I've enjoyed to the uttermost, in a situation most vulnerable for Jesse, he is the more dangerous and keen as you can't imagine....
So, I'm determined to continue the road with Jesse Stone, and to dwell a little longer in the beautiful New England city Paradise!!!
If you like good elaborated and fluently written thrillers and criminals stories, then this is what you need.....
So, I'm back from Paradise, and glad to be with you all again!!!
Four stars, my honest ratting....
Dean:)
July 18, 2015
This book is about the first appearance of Jesse Stone, a drunk and former homicide detective from LA. In order to escape the ruins of his divorce, job and alcoholism he applies for the job of Chief of police in Paradise Mass, on the other side of the continent. While he is still unsure why he got the job in the first place, he is gradually finding out "the why" since he started the work at Paradise. His curiosity for one is not the reason for him getting the job, the town elders preferred a drunk lush who did most of his looking into a bottle. Or at least the unofficial power-in-charge seems to feel that.
Everything really starts of with the previous chief of police dying after a bomb goes off under his car in another state, he was moved to after his resignation. When a divorcee with 2 children dies under suspicious circumstances Jesse finds that he will have to up his game or he will lose his self respect as well in the beautiful-nothing-ever-happens town of Paradise.
I like the writer Robert B Parker his prose and his characters, but for me Jesse Stone is his best creation. I did discover Jesse Stone due to Tom Sellecks portrayal on the telly and the missus and I actually share this liking. She has actually read some of the books as well, which is a compliment as her reading habits are somewhat different than mine.
having read all of the Jesse Stone books by Robert B Parker and seen the TV-movies I am somewhat fearful for the future of Jesse Stone whose literary life has been way too short for my reading taste. Even if the movies veered of in another direction I kinda am annoyed with the TV bosses not continuing the series. Having read the first continuation novel by the TV-series writer I found that there just might be a future for Jesse Stone yet.
Everything really starts of with the previous chief of police dying after a bomb goes off under his car in another state, he was moved to after his resignation. When a divorcee with 2 children dies under suspicious circumstances Jesse finds that he will have to up his game or he will lose his self respect as well in the beautiful-nothing-ever-happens town of Paradise.
I like the writer Robert B Parker his prose and his characters, but for me Jesse Stone is his best creation. I did discover Jesse Stone due to Tom Sellecks portrayal on the telly and the missus and I actually share this liking. She has actually read some of the books as well, which is a compliment as her reading habits are somewhat different than mine.
having read all of the Jesse Stone books by Robert B Parker and seen the TV-movies I am somewhat fearful for the future of Jesse Stone whose literary life has been way too short for my reading taste. Even if the movies veered of in another direction I kinda am annoyed with the TV bosses not continuing the series. Having read the first continuation novel by the TV-series writer I found that there just might be a future for Jesse Stone yet.
April 4, 2025
First book in the Jesse Stone series which is a spinoff of his Spenser series. Good enough storyline for em to read the others, not good enough to read again.
January 4, 2023
"Suitcase, you talk to the bus driver. Get everything she saw, thinks, hopes, dreams, whatever. Let her talk, pay attention." I liked everything about this book. Especially the dialogue. I've read some of Parker's western novels. I think I'm hooked on the Jesse Stone series. And no cliffhanger ending!
October 3, 2017
Great start to a new-to-me police series. Good character development. His style reminds me a bit of Tana French.
October 7, 2018
My first exposure to Jesse Stone is through the television movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. I picked up most of the series books fairly cheaply and have only now got around to reading the first one. This was my first Robert Parker book and I have to say his format lends itself to a very fast read. There are 70-some-odd chapters and they just fly by. I liked that for pacing but think the characterizations, excepting Jesse, are a bit thin.
Jesse's wit and calm are my favourite aspects of his personality and his struggles with drinking make him human. I didn't worry that Genest or anyone else would get the upper hand because this is the first in a series and I know that there are several movies made from the books so, a bit of tension was sapped. I loved Captain Cat at the station. The women in Jesse's life here are portrayed pretty much as they are in the movies which are eye-roll-worthy but as it wasn't a surprise for me going in, I could manage expectations.
I'm definitely going to continue with this series as the mystery component is well done and the main character is worth spending more time with. Paradise needs all the help it can get so they're lucky Jesse's on the job. Recommended.
Jesse's wit and calm are my favourite aspects of his personality and his struggles with drinking make him human. I didn't worry that Genest or anyone else would get the upper hand because this is the first in a series and I know that there are several movies made from the books so, a bit of tension was sapped. I loved Captain Cat at the station. The women in Jesse's life here are portrayed pretty much as they are in the movies which are eye-roll-worthy but as it wasn't a surprise for me going in, I could manage expectations.
I'm definitely going to continue with this series as the mystery component is well done and the main character is worth spending more time with. Paradise needs all the help it can get so they're lucky Jesse's on the job. Recommended.
March 27, 2022
I have read a number of books in Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series and have enjoyed them very much, so I decided to read a book in his Jesse Stone series. This is the first book in the series, and I enjoyed it immensely!
Stone is the opposite of Spenser in two ways. Spenser is a private detective and is always making jokes. Stone is a police officer and is very laconic. Parker writes with great style, his plots are complicated and interesting, and his characters are not one dimensional. Jesse Stone is like Spenser, Philip Marlowe, Kinsey Millhone, Easy Rawlins, and Lew Archer. You want to read the book not only because the plots are interesting but because you like and sympathize with the protagonist.
The plot in this book was most intriguing, as were the characters. Parker divided the book into many short chapters, toggling among the various characters, and that kept me turning the pages.
I intend to read the rest of the Jesse Stone series!
Stone is the opposite of Spenser in two ways. Spenser is a private detective and is always making jokes. Stone is a police officer and is very laconic. Parker writes with great style, his plots are complicated and interesting, and his characters are not one dimensional. Jesse Stone is like Spenser, Philip Marlowe, Kinsey Millhone, Easy Rawlins, and Lew Archer. You want to read the book not only because the plots are interesting but because you like and sympathize with the protagonist.
The plot in this book was most intriguing, as were the characters. Parker divided the book into many short chapters, toggling among the various characters, and that kept me turning the pages.
I intend to read the rest of the Jesse Stone series!
June 22, 2016
Jesse Stone is a man's man. He takes no BS from anyone and listens more than he speaks. He pays attention to the little things and has very good street sense.
Paradise thought they were hiring a patsy to be the chief of police because he was drunk during the interview. Hasty Hathaway believed he could manipulate Jesse into doing what he wanted.....now he's in jail for three murders and will be tried in two states.
I enjoyed the story more than the movie. They had similarities but the book gave a better insight and situations than the movie. I enjoyed reading this book. On to book two in the series.
Paradise thought they were hiring a patsy to be the chief of police because he was drunk during the interview. Hasty Hathaway believed he could manipulate Jesse into doing what he wanted.....now he's in jail for three murders and will be tried in two states.
I enjoyed the story more than the movie. They had similarities but the book gave a better insight and situations than the movie. I enjoyed reading this book. On to book two in the series.
April 12, 2022
Unbelievably sexist. Bordering on ridiculous.
Chapter 8 - woman who has been divorced for two years is confronted by her ex while on a date. Her ex chases away the date and rapes the woman. "His weight pressed her helplessly back and his hands were on her and she could barely move and barely breathe and she thought oh, God, what's one more time, and gave up."
This fucking author. Honestly.
Chapter 8 - woman who has been divorced for two years is confronted by her ex while on a date. Her ex chases away the date and rapes the woman. "His weight pressed her helplessly back and his hands were on her and she could barely move and barely breathe and she thought oh, God, what's one more time, and gave up."
This fucking author. Honestly.
December 28, 2021
Great book. Jesse Stone is the real deal. First book in the series. I finally found it, an old ragged paperback one in my library. Found it hard to put down. I’ve read others in this series but this one really gets me hooked on Robert B. Parker. I kinda like Jesse Stone better than Spenser.
September 14, 2021
Very predictably good stuff, but didn't work as well as I was hoping. I'm a big fan of the late author's Spenser novels and I thought this series looked maybe a bit more up in my alley in terms of grim and serious tone and content (the Spenser novels aren't exactly what I'd call comedy but they are full of the titular character's wisecracks which are often pretty chuckle-inducing.) Well, this one was definitely more brooding than I'm used to from Parker but it just didn't fully engage me for a few different reasons.
This one's the first in a series about Jesse Stone, a detective with a drinking problem (really original, I know) who leaves his cop gig in Los Angeles for the more subdued setting of the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts, hopefully to put the aforementioned trouble with the bottle and his recent separation from his cheating wife behind him. Thankfully this isn't the case as that would probably be a pretty boring fucking book. There's more than one bad actor in the town and although the powers that hire Jesse think that he'll be an easily-manipulated lush he turns out to be a major pain in the ass and perennial tough guy (which will not be surprising for Parker readers.)
The usual strengths I buy Parker novels for are definitely here--his dialogue flows organically, his characters are well-defined and believable, and he keeps the pages turning and doesn't get hung up on unnecessary details. One facet I liked that was a little surprising was how much like a...and please forgive me for using this term here, but how much like a neo-western this felt. The whole thing just kind of had a vague High Noon feel to it, which I guess is not really shocking considering he went on to write actual western novels (which are really good!)
But then there were some problems. I really didn't get close to any of the characters or even end up liking them very much. Jesse is a bit of a cold fish, and I guess I'll have to wait to see if that's due to his aforementioned issues he's dealing with in this novel or just his natural personality. Anytime stuff with his ex came up I just felt myself internally sighing. The relationship drama in this one wasn't particularly unrealistic or even far-fetched and that might be the problem--most if not all of us have dealt with this shit in our lives or the lives of our loved ones and that's not what I buy the ticket for when I buy thriller/crime type books. I want mystery and tension, not fucking Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Also the plot just seemed way too full of different shit going on. There's murders, there's internecine political rivalries, there's militias...just felt scattered and without the extremely tight plotting and laser focus of the Spenser novels (not helping matters is the paperback for this one was like 400-500 pages whereas the Spensers are always around 200.) Still, the actual writing itself was nothing less than smooth and utterly assured and confident and there was a pretty decent bad guy running around causing havoc. The ending wasn't particularly explosive when compared to stuff like Looking for Rachel Wallace but it was pretty admittedly badass and ultimately left me wanting more. A hesitant recommendation for other Parker fans.
This one's the first in a series about Jesse Stone, a detective with a drinking problem (really original, I know) who leaves his cop gig in Los Angeles for the more subdued setting of the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts, hopefully to put the aforementioned trouble with the bottle and his recent separation from his cheating wife behind him. Thankfully this isn't the case as that would probably be a pretty boring fucking book. There's more than one bad actor in the town and although the powers that hire Jesse think that he'll be an easily-manipulated lush he turns out to be a major pain in the ass and perennial tough guy (which will not be surprising for Parker readers.)
The usual strengths I buy Parker novels for are definitely here--his dialogue flows organically, his characters are well-defined and believable, and he keeps the pages turning and doesn't get hung up on unnecessary details. One facet I liked that was a little surprising was how much like a...and please forgive me for using this term here, but how much like a neo-western this felt. The whole thing just kind of had a vague High Noon feel to it, which I guess is not really shocking considering he went on to write actual western novels (which are really good!)
But then there were some problems. I really didn't get close to any of the characters or even end up liking them very much. Jesse is a bit of a cold fish, and I guess I'll have to wait to see if that's due to his aforementioned issues he's dealing with in this novel or just his natural personality. Anytime stuff with his ex came up I just felt myself internally sighing. The relationship drama in this one wasn't particularly unrealistic or even far-fetched and that might be the problem--most if not all of us have dealt with this shit in our lives or the lives of our loved ones and that's not what I buy the ticket for when I buy thriller/crime type books. I want mystery and tension, not fucking Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Also the plot just seemed way too full of different shit going on. There's murders, there's internecine political rivalries, there's militias...just felt scattered and without the extremely tight plotting and laser focus of the Spenser novels (not helping matters is the paperback for this one was like 400-500 pages whereas the Spensers are always around 200.) Still, the actual writing itself was nothing less than smooth and utterly assured and confident and there was a pretty decent bad guy running around causing havoc. The ending wasn't particularly explosive when compared to stuff like Looking for Rachel Wallace but it was pretty admittedly badass and ultimately left me wanting more. A hesitant recommendation for other Parker fans.
January 5, 2016
Read this book for the TBR Takedown 3.0. I have been wanting to read this series for awhile now and hopefully I will get through most of it this year. I found this books to be pretty good. It was very fluid and easy to get through. I also found it to be very engaging.
Synopsis
His name is Jesse Stone.He's left the LAPD in disgrace and found himself the new chief of police in Paradise, Massachusetts -- a town that's a lot less idyllic than it sounds.
This exciting departure for "the reigning champion of the American tough-guy detective novel" (Entertainment Weekly) has landed him on the New York Times bestseller list once again...and thrilled readers and critics alike.
I liked the opening of this series. Not too serious but able to give a good introduction to the town, people and main characters. I think that it gave a good look into what type of people we would be dealing with. I did however find this first one to be a little predictable. It was easy to point out the bad guys. I kind of think that was the authors intention with this first one. To get us set for future stories. I did like the ending of the story though, not a lot of lose ends to deal with.
I have to say that I enjoyed the characters for the most part. They were thought out pretty well but I found that they were also predictable. There was no guessing who the bad guys were. But then again this could be solely for getting the feel of the town as it was, dirty. Jesse Stone is a great character, he is flawed and far from perfect. I love characters like this so much. It also has a Will Trent feel to it with the love triangle we have that is surrounding our main character.
I think reading and completing this series will be well worth the time. I already like the feel of our main character with his issues, and I like the town itself. So we will see what happens. If you like mystery then I would recommend this one. I am rating this 3.5 stars and I look forward to the rest of this series and watching the town and Characters develop.
Synopsis
His name is Jesse Stone.He's left the LAPD in disgrace and found himself the new chief of police in Paradise, Massachusetts -- a town that's a lot less idyllic than it sounds.
This exciting departure for "the reigning champion of the American tough-guy detective novel" (Entertainment Weekly) has landed him on the New York Times bestseller list once again...and thrilled readers and critics alike.
I liked the opening of this series. Not too serious but able to give a good introduction to the town, people and main characters. I think that it gave a good look into what type of people we would be dealing with. I did however find this first one to be a little predictable. It was easy to point out the bad guys. I kind of think that was the authors intention with this first one. To get us set for future stories. I did like the ending of the story though, not a lot of lose ends to deal with.
I have to say that I enjoyed the characters for the most part. They were thought out pretty well but I found that they were also predictable. There was no guessing who the bad guys were. But then again this could be solely for getting the feel of the town as it was, dirty. Jesse Stone is a great character, he is flawed and far from perfect. I love characters like this so much. It also has a Will Trent feel to it with the love triangle we have that is surrounding our main character.
I think reading and completing this series will be well worth the time. I already like the feel of our main character with his issues, and I like the town itself. So we will see what happens. If you like mystery then I would recommend this one. I am rating this 3.5 stars and I look forward to the rest of this series and watching the town and Characters develop.
January 16, 2016
The author Robert B. Parker came highly recommended. I was told that my writing reminded them of Parker's writing. I must say I can definitely see the resemblance. I found this book to be inspirational to me as an author! Jesse Stone is a simple and complex protagonist (yes, at the same time.) and Night Passage is a fantastic introduction to the Jesse Stone books/series. Not wanting to spoil things, I will not discuss the storyline here except to say I enjoyed it. The plot and backstory was not complex at all. Plenty of short dialogue that kept the story moving. And the book wasn't ridiculously long or drawn out. All things I like in a book! I've always said...I write what I like to read. (And now I read what I like to write.)
Like I said, very inspiring...I look forward to reading more Robert B. Parker and Jesse Stone books. Probably in 2016!
Like I said, very inspiring...I look forward to reading more Robert B. Parker and Jesse Stone books. Probably in 2016!
March 26, 2018
3.5 stars This was my first novel by Robert Parker and it was a little slow for my liking but apart from that is was a good story. Jesse Stone, LAPD homicide detective finds himself a new job as chief of police in a town called Paradise, despite the fact that he is a drunk who has been fired from the LAPD. Jesse drinking problem is the result of his cheating x wife that he still loves. Moving away from her is his chance to start over. He has his own suspicions that all may not be quite right in Paradise when he gets the job despite being rolling drunk at his interview. Who can he trust in this close knit town when the bodies start turning up?
September 19, 2017
Parker's voice seems so strange in the third person, and he had not mastered it when writing this book. It was probably a wise choice, though, so that this series would not sound like his Spenser books. The story seems a trifle unimportat and the familiar Parker obsession with his real-life wife worked out in fictional form overwhelms the actual plot. In other words, there is a lot to complain about, but observing these things is an interesting exercise in itself. The result is that I received three stars worth of enjoyment from what is really a two star book.
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