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Jesse Stone #18
Robert B. Parker's The Bitterest Pill
The opioid epidemic has reached Paradise, and Police Chief Jesse Stone must rush to stop the devastation in the latest thriller in Robert B. Parker's New York Times-bestselling series.
When a popular high school cheerleader dies of a suspected heroin overdose, it becomes clear that the opioid epidemic has spread even to the idyllic town of Paradise. It will be up to police chief Jesse Stone to unravel the supply chain and unmask the criminals behind it, and the investigation has a clear epicenter: Paradise High School. Home of the town's best and brightest future leaders and its most vulnerable down-and-out teens, it's a rich and bottomless market for dealers out of Boston looking to expand into the suburbs.
But when it comes to drugs, the very people Jesse is trying to protect are often those with the most to lose. As he digs deeper into the case, he finds himself battling self-interested administrators, reluctant teachers, distrustful schoolkids, and overprotective parents . . . and at the end of the line are the true bad guys, the ones with a lucrative business they'd kill to protect.
When a popular high school cheerleader dies of a suspected heroin overdose, it becomes clear that the opioid epidemic has spread even to the idyllic town of Paradise. It will be up to police chief Jesse Stone to unravel the supply chain and unmask the criminals behind it, and the investigation has a clear epicenter: Paradise High School. Home of the town's best and brightest future leaders and its most vulnerable down-and-out teens, it's a rich and bottomless market for dealers out of Boston looking to expand into the suburbs.
But when it comes to drugs, the very people Jesse is trying to protect are often those with the most to lose. As he digs deeper into the case, he finds himself battling self-interested administrators, reluctant teachers, distrustful schoolkids, and overprotective parents . . . and at the end of the line are the true bad guys, the ones with a lucrative business they'd kill to protect.
365 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2019
1742 people are currently reading
1088 people want to read
About the author
Reed Farrel Coleman
166 books744 followersaka Tony Spinosa
Reed Farrel Coleman’s love of storytelling originated on the streets of Brooklyn and was nurtured by his teachers, friends, and family.
A New York Times bestseller called a hard-boiled poet by NPR’s Maureen Corrigan and the “noir poet laureate” in the Huffington Post, Reed is the author of novels, including Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series, the acclaimed Moe Prager series, short stories, and poetry.
Reed is a three-time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories—Best Novel, Best Paperback Original, Best Short Story—and a three-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best PI Novel of the Year. He has also won the Audie, Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards.
A former executive vice president of Mystery Writers of America, Reed is an adjunct instructor of English at Hofstra University and a founding member of MWA University. Brooklyn born and raised, he now lives with his family–including cats Cleo and Knish–in Suffolk County on Long Island.
Reed Farrel Coleman’s love of storytelling originated on the streets of Brooklyn and was nurtured by his teachers, friends, and family.
A New York Times bestseller called a hard-boiled poet by NPR’s Maureen Corrigan and the “noir poet laureate” in the Huffington Post, Reed is the author of novels, including Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series, the acclaimed Moe Prager series, short stories, and poetry.
Reed is a three-time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories—Best Novel, Best Paperback Original, Best Short Story—and a three-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best PI Novel of the Year. He has also won the Audie, Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards.
A former executive vice president of Mystery Writers of America, Reed is an adjunct instructor of English at Hofstra University and a founding member of MWA University. Brooklyn born and raised, he now lives with his family–including cats Cleo and Knish–in Suffolk County on Long Island.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 336 reviews
August 22, 2022
4 stars for a fast paced book about a drug overdose death in Paradise, Massachusetts. Jesse Stone is the Police Chief in Paradise and realizes that this death of a high school junior means that someone is dealing drugs laced with lethal fetanyl in his small town. Jesse has a department of 5 people, including himself.
He does solve the case, but there are more deaths. This is book 18 in the series and I have missed reading books 13 through 17. I will have to go back and read them as some things have happened in Jesse's personal life in those books that are referred to in this book.
There are some red herrings leading you on, but to say more would be a spoiler.
One quote on notifying parents of the dead girl: "He didn't need to be a parent to know that a mother and father should never have to put a kid in the ground before them. Not ever, not for any reason."
My wife and I agree that the author has written this book in a slightly different style than Robert B. Parker. Parker wrote in short sentences, with more dialogue than narrative thought by the central character, i.e. Jesse. This book has more narrative thought than dialogue.
My wife also rates this book 4 stars.
I read this library book in 2 days.
He does solve the case, but there are more deaths. This is book 18 in the series and I have missed reading books 13 through 17. I will have to go back and read them as some things have happened in Jesse's personal life in those books that are referred to in this book.
There are some red herrings leading you on, but to say more would be a spoiler.
One quote on notifying parents of the dead girl: "He didn't need to be a parent to know that a mother and father should never have to put a kid in the ground before them. Not ever, not for any reason."
My wife and I agree that the author has written this book in a slightly different style than Robert B. Parker. Parker wrote in short sentences, with more dialogue than narrative thought by the central character, i.e. Jesse. This book has more narrative thought than dialogue.
My wife also rates this book 4 stars.
I read this library book in 2 days.
July 1, 2019
4.5 stars, actually.
When I finished Colorblind," the previous book in this series, I wasn't sure how much I liked the "new" police chief of small-town Paradise. After all, Jesse Stone had sold his spacious coastal home and moved into a condo, discovered a grown son he never knew he had, given up booze and (gasp!) answered questions with more than two words. Not that I want anyone to bang around alone in a dusty old mansion or be a drunk, mind you, but those less-than-perfect aspects did make for a unique personality that I'd come to love over many years (this is the 18th in the series started by the late, great Robert B. Parker).
And I must admit, over the first several chapters of this one, my doubts continued; the whole thing seemed to get off to a rather slow start (if nothing else, I got a bit weary of all the references to Jesse's not drinking anymore). But about a third of the way through, things started to get much more interesting. Jesse, it seems, isn't the only thing that's changed; vandalism, gangs, graffiti and drugs have crept into town to wreak havoc in the relatively close-knit community not far from Boston. And sure enough, the story takes a dark turn with the death of a teenage girl - an overdose. No one wants to believe she'd been an addict for some time, but once that was established as fact, efforts turn to finding who sold her the drugs with, of course, the hope that the arrest will lead to identifying others farther up the supply chain.
But as we all know, there's many a slip; just as Jesse and his department cohorts Molly Crane and "Suitcase" Simpson figure out who provided the girl with the lethal drugs, that figure turns up dead as well. And it gets worse; apparently, a drug ring has moved to town, so Jesse must use every trick in his bag - including his unlikely friendship with a local mobster - to get to the bottom (or more accurately, the top) of things. As if that challenge isn't enough to knock him off the wagon, he finds himself grappling with emotional upheavals on a personal level that threaten to provide the final shove.
By the end, though, I decided that Jesse is still a guy with whom I'd love to share a burger and beer (or in his case, lemonade). Put another way, this is another entertaining entry in the series and I'm already looking forward to the 19th. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this one.
When I finished Colorblind," the previous book in this series, I wasn't sure how much I liked the "new" police chief of small-town Paradise. After all, Jesse Stone had sold his spacious coastal home and moved into a condo, discovered a grown son he never knew he had, given up booze and (gasp!) answered questions with more than two words. Not that I want anyone to bang around alone in a dusty old mansion or be a drunk, mind you, but those less-than-perfect aspects did make for a unique personality that I'd come to love over many years (this is the 18th in the series started by the late, great Robert B. Parker).
And I must admit, over the first several chapters of this one, my doubts continued; the whole thing seemed to get off to a rather slow start (if nothing else, I got a bit weary of all the references to Jesse's not drinking anymore). But about a third of the way through, things started to get much more interesting. Jesse, it seems, isn't the only thing that's changed; vandalism, gangs, graffiti and drugs have crept into town to wreak havoc in the relatively close-knit community not far from Boston. And sure enough, the story takes a dark turn with the death of a teenage girl - an overdose. No one wants to believe she'd been an addict for some time, but once that was established as fact, efforts turn to finding who sold her the drugs with, of course, the hope that the arrest will lead to identifying others farther up the supply chain.
But as we all know, there's many a slip; just as Jesse and his department cohorts Molly Crane and "Suitcase" Simpson figure out who provided the girl with the lethal drugs, that figure turns up dead as well. And it gets worse; apparently, a drug ring has moved to town, so Jesse must use every trick in his bag - including his unlikely friendship with a local mobster - to get to the bottom (or more accurately, the top) of things. As if that challenge isn't enough to knock him off the wagon, he finds himself grappling with emotional upheavals on a personal level that threaten to provide the final shove.
By the end, though, I decided that Jesse is still a guy with whom I'd love to share a burger and beer (or in his case, lemonade). Put another way, this is another entertaining entry in the series and I'm already looking forward to the 19th. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this one.
December 14, 2025
Well written. This book brings a lot of emotion because it involves drug dealing, overdoses, and murder of vulnerable high school students at the hands of a teacher and a some bad guys from Boston. Also, Jesse is bonding with a son he didn’t know he had who is turning out to be a lot like him. An overall great series.
October 13, 2019
I have been reading Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series since its beginning. Jesse is the Chief of Police in the small town of Paradise, outside of Boston. Jesse’s background includes a once promising baseball prospect until suffering a career ending injury. He became a dedicated police officer in the Los Angeles Police department who developed a drinking problem that cost him his job.
Jesse’s role as Police Chief in Paradise has been his second chance at making life work, which has been full of work related challenges as well as personal ones. When Parker passed away the series continued with Michael Brandman writing three books and Reed Farrel Coleman having written the last six. Under Coleman’s creative influence Jesse has gone through an incredibly personal journey of trial, heartbreak, and growth. The last two books – “The Hangman’s Sonnet” and “Colorblind” – were especially memorable, and that strong arc continues with this new book.
As “The Bitterest Pill” begins, Jessie Stone is back to full-strength as the Police Chief of Paradise, a small ocean-side town outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Well, almost full-strength. He is attending regular AA meetings and fighting the daily internal battle not to drink. He is also trying to develop a relationship with Cole, his long-lost son and new roommate, but they have a long way to go to create common ground.
Coleman get’s the story going immediately with the accidental death of a local high school girl, a popular cheerleader who died in her bedroom of a heroin overdose. Although she wasn’t known as having a drug problem, her death propels Chief Stone to investigate serious concerns that the national opioid epidemic has found its way into the community of Paradise. Jesse decides to figure out who supplied the drugs and then work his way up the supply chain to find out who is polluting his town.
Jesse’s investigation takes him to Paradise High School where he experiences concern and resistance from the administration and faculty. In addition, the students lack trust and refuse to talk, and their parents have their own selfish reasons for refusing to help Jessie out. At the same time, Jesse faces other personal changes, including a rapidly developing relationship with a newer resident artist and Paradise high school teacher, Maryglenn, who is sparking feelings of passion in him that have been long-dormant. Cole, his son, is keeping a secret from Jessie and everyone he knows seems to know, but won’t say what it is until Cole is ready to share what it is.
When Jess discovers the dealer supplying the drugs to the students, he follows the supply chain to a dangerous drug syndicate working out of Boston, using fake medical scripts and already hooked users to feed their drugs into the local suburban communities. This forces him to reach out to Vinnie Morris, old school Boston Mob leader, to help him shut down the pipeline feeding into Paradise. Then things get worse as Jessie learns that the key drug focal secretly running the supply chain is supposed to be a female teacher at the high school. But when he checks into their backgrounds, it is Maryglenn whose past history doesn’t checkout. Nothing about this investigation is easy for Chief Stone as the Boston syndicate leaders decide it’s time to eliminate Chief Stone…
I am continually amazed by Coleman’s successful takeover as a new creator of this series. He continues to share his unique understanding of Jesse Stone and the real-life growing pains of what once was small town of Paradise, Massachusetts. Coleman does an outstanding job of introducing and developing the multiple plot lines and the secondary characters that propel those connecting stories forward. The ways he introduces various characters like Virginia Wester, new principal at Paradise High; Moss (and wife Etta) Carpenter, famous jazz guitarist; and families like the Mackey’s and the North’s, make you feel like they have always been there in the background of previous books until they were needed on the main stage. They are authentic, three-dimensional individuals that add to the story.
The primary mystery involves the real challenges that our country faces with the ongoing opioid epidemic. Coleman incorporates his research flawlessly into his storylines, providing interesting clues and twists along the way as well as reminding us of the horrors involved with this serious challenge. There are no silver bullets to solve this crisis, one in which families are torn apart. It is a lightning rod in which Coleman uses to tell a sad story with emotional hot buttons and stigmas.
As a reader, I especially appreciated Jesse’s growing professional relationships with State police Officer Lundquist and Boston mobster Vinnie Morris. That is a true dichotomy in friendships to say the least. And for me, his exchanges with closest friend, Officer Molly, may seem argumentative, but they are really based on an underlying bond of enduring love. There isn’t anything one wouldn’t do for the other, at any cost.
But the biggest strength in this book is the quiet, but firm way, Coleman deals with Jesse’s recovery from the personal loss of his former fiancée and his serious drinking problem. Over the last three books we’ve see Jesse at some of his lowest points ever and it sucked. Now we have watched him pull himself up by his bootstrings one step at a time to not only solve the case, but deal with his problems through real life struggles. In this book, Jessie has seen firsthand examples that remind him that a real commitment to sobriety is the hardest thing he’s ever faced. Addiction is painful and it is a lifetime challenge. Even with the moment at the end of the book, I hope for a better future for Jessie.
This is Coleman’s sixth Jesse Stone novel and I am going to repeat what I wrote in my review of his last one. Coleman has pulled me back into caring about Jesse Stone again. Over the last six books he has built up my hope for his happiness, ripped my heart apart, and then began to rebuild Jesse from the ground level up, making him stronger and wiser by fighting through the challenges of his personal demons, only to discover the lessons we learn in life can make us better. Coleman has made Jesse an interesting hero again - an imperfect lawman with chinks in his armor, who’s moral and ethical code requires him to do the right thing at all costs, and believe a positive outcome is possible and will happen.
Coleman has now taken full creative ownership of Jesse Stone, the city of Paradise, Molly, Suit, and all the rest of the characters. He may have started out as a caretaker of Robert B. Parker’s wonderful side character to Spenser, but Coleman has captured the heart and essence of this series and made it his own. No disrespect in any way to one of my all-time favorite authors – the marvelous Robert B. Parker – but Coleman has made Jesse Stone and the rest of paradise his home, and he has done an admirable job in using this canvas to elevate an exceptional series to even higher levels. I absolutely cannot wait to read his next one.
Jesse’s role as Police Chief in Paradise has been his second chance at making life work, which has been full of work related challenges as well as personal ones. When Parker passed away the series continued with Michael Brandman writing three books and Reed Farrel Coleman having written the last six. Under Coleman’s creative influence Jesse has gone through an incredibly personal journey of trial, heartbreak, and growth. The last two books – “The Hangman’s Sonnet” and “Colorblind” – were especially memorable, and that strong arc continues with this new book.
As “The Bitterest Pill” begins, Jessie Stone is back to full-strength as the Police Chief of Paradise, a small ocean-side town outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Well, almost full-strength. He is attending regular AA meetings and fighting the daily internal battle not to drink. He is also trying to develop a relationship with Cole, his long-lost son and new roommate, but they have a long way to go to create common ground.
Coleman get’s the story going immediately with the accidental death of a local high school girl, a popular cheerleader who died in her bedroom of a heroin overdose. Although she wasn’t known as having a drug problem, her death propels Chief Stone to investigate serious concerns that the national opioid epidemic has found its way into the community of Paradise. Jesse decides to figure out who supplied the drugs and then work his way up the supply chain to find out who is polluting his town.
Jesse’s investigation takes him to Paradise High School where he experiences concern and resistance from the administration and faculty. In addition, the students lack trust and refuse to talk, and their parents have their own selfish reasons for refusing to help Jessie out. At the same time, Jesse faces other personal changes, including a rapidly developing relationship with a newer resident artist and Paradise high school teacher, Maryglenn, who is sparking feelings of passion in him that have been long-dormant. Cole, his son, is keeping a secret from Jessie and everyone he knows seems to know, but won’t say what it is until Cole is ready to share what it is.
When Jess discovers the dealer supplying the drugs to the students, he follows the supply chain to a dangerous drug syndicate working out of Boston, using fake medical scripts and already hooked users to feed their drugs into the local suburban communities. This forces him to reach out to Vinnie Morris, old school Boston Mob leader, to help him shut down the pipeline feeding into Paradise. Then things get worse as Jessie learns that the key drug focal secretly running the supply chain is supposed to be a female teacher at the high school. But when he checks into their backgrounds, it is Maryglenn whose past history doesn’t checkout. Nothing about this investigation is easy for Chief Stone as the Boston syndicate leaders decide it’s time to eliminate Chief Stone…
I am continually amazed by Coleman’s successful takeover as a new creator of this series. He continues to share his unique understanding of Jesse Stone and the real-life growing pains of what once was small town of Paradise, Massachusetts. Coleman does an outstanding job of introducing and developing the multiple plot lines and the secondary characters that propel those connecting stories forward. The ways he introduces various characters like Virginia Wester, new principal at Paradise High; Moss (and wife Etta) Carpenter, famous jazz guitarist; and families like the Mackey’s and the North’s, make you feel like they have always been there in the background of previous books until they were needed on the main stage. They are authentic, three-dimensional individuals that add to the story.
The primary mystery involves the real challenges that our country faces with the ongoing opioid epidemic. Coleman incorporates his research flawlessly into his storylines, providing interesting clues and twists along the way as well as reminding us of the horrors involved with this serious challenge. There are no silver bullets to solve this crisis, one in which families are torn apart. It is a lightning rod in which Coleman uses to tell a sad story with emotional hot buttons and stigmas.
As a reader, I especially appreciated Jesse’s growing professional relationships with State police Officer Lundquist and Boston mobster Vinnie Morris. That is a true dichotomy in friendships to say the least. And for me, his exchanges with closest friend, Officer Molly, may seem argumentative, but they are really based on an underlying bond of enduring love. There isn’t anything one wouldn’t do for the other, at any cost.
But the biggest strength in this book is the quiet, but firm way, Coleman deals with Jesse’s recovery from the personal loss of his former fiancée and his serious drinking problem. Over the last three books we’ve see Jesse at some of his lowest points ever and it sucked. Now we have watched him pull himself up by his bootstrings one step at a time to not only solve the case, but deal with his problems through real life struggles. In this book, Jessie has seen firsthand examples that remind him that a real commitment to sobriety is the hardest thing he’s ever faced. Addiction is painful and it is a lifetime challenge. Even with the moment at the end of the book, I hope for a better future for Jessie.
This is Coleman’s sixth Jesse Stone novel and I am going to repeat what I wrote in my review of his last one. Coleman has pulled me back into caring about Jesse Stone again. Over the last six books he has built up my hope for his happiness, ripped my heart apart, and then began to rebuild Jesse from the ground level up, making him stronger and wiser by fighting through the challenges of his personal demons, only to discover the lessons we learn in life can make us better. Coleman has made Jesse an interesting hero again - an imperfect lawman with chinks in his armor, who’s moral and ethical code requires him to do the right thing at all costs, and believe a positive outcome is possible and will happen.
Coleman has now taken full creative ownership of Jesse Stone, the city of Paradise, Molly, Suit, and all the rest of the characters. He may have started out as a caretaker of Robert B. Parker’s wonderful side character to Spenser, but Coleman has captured the heart and essence of this series and made it his own. No disrespect in any way to one of my all-time favorite authors – the marvelous Robert B. Parker – but Coleman has made Jesse Stone and the rest of paradise his home, and he has done an admirable job in using this canvas to elevate an exceptional series to even higher levels. I absolutely cannot wait to read his next one.
September 15, 2019
It's hard not to like Chief Jesse Stone and his crew in Paradise MA. This one is about curtailing the use of narcotics in his town's high school. Thank you to Reed Farrel Coleman fr continuing the series.
November 15, 2019
In 2010 Robert B Parker died and left behind some exceptional literary characters who in the hands of contunuation writers managed to live on. With Jesse Stone first there was Michael Brandman & now Reed Farrel Coleman, I have to admit I have not read any of their own work or creations.
While I have read all of Parkers Jesse Stone novels I seem to have a gap in reading the continuation series as I suddenly got to meet Jesse Stone's son, there was lack in my knowledge of the world of Paradise.
The story is very topical about the consequences of the Opioid Epidemic that is the bane of our times, it starts when a young high school girl from an important family in Paradise OD's on drugs. It does start a search by Jesse and the PPD to where the drugs comes from. It is not a story about the war on drugs but a real close to home crime and the ruthlessness of the drugs maffia, when it enters the mainstream public.
It is a decent told thriller that never gets spectacular it is rather frighteningly ordinary too be honest. As a fan of Parker I felt a bit shortchanged in the sense of humor that was lacking form the person of Stone, perhaps his abstinence from alcohol in this novel makes him a less entertaining character as the one Parker created.
Nice to be back in Paradise but is does feel like I missed a lot of the changes in few books, so that can be the reason I am not fully impressed with the continuation of the story of Jessie Stone.
While I have read all of Parkers Jesse Stone novels I seem to have a gap in reading the continuation series as I suddenly got to meet Jesse Stone's son, there was lack in my knowledge of the world of Paradise.
The story is very topical about the consequences of the Opioid Epidemic that is the bane of our times, it starts when a young high school girl from an important family in Paradise OD's on drugs. It does start a search by Jesse and the PPD to where the drugs comes from. It is not a story about the war on drugs but a real close to home crime and the ruthlessness of the drugs maffia, when it enters the mainstream public.
It is a decent told thriller that never gets spectacular it is rather frighteningly ordinary too be honest. As a fan of Parker I felt a bit shortchanged in the sense of humor that was lacking form the person of Stone, perhaps his abstinence from alcohol in this novel makes him a less entertaining character as the one Parker created.
Nice to be back in Paradise but is does feel like I missed a lot of the changes in few books, so that can be the reason I am not fully impressed with the continuation of the story of Jessie Stone.
August 16, 2021
Even Michael Connelly couldn't make opioid abuse interesting (in Two Kinds of Truth) so I don't know why we would expect this fellow to. The Little Free Library served up this awkwardly titled volume; I'd never read anything by Robert B. Parker or his ventriloquist "Reed Farrel Coleman."
Clearly I was missing a lot of backstory. A police chief protagonist, "Jesse Stone," with marriages, exes, a dead fiancée. An adult son - "Cole Slayton" - Jesse never knew he had who now lives with him and relaxes sullenly on the couch. Stone usually mates with "beautiful blondes" but for some strange reason finds himself attracted to the paint-splattered art teacher at the local high school, who I wished had as rugged a name but had been burdened with "Maryglenn McCombs." Stone lowers his standards for Maryglenn - she has "let gray creep into her short-cut brown hair," doesn't "always wear makeup and didn't spend much time at the gym." I'm going to read between the lines here and deduce that Maryglenn is covered in cellulite. Nonetheless these two were soon showering together even though Maryglenn seemed to have lesbian written all over her and would soon become a murder suspect.
A cheerleader overdoses on heroin; a criminal syndicate pumps opioids into the high school; a teenage drug dealer is tortured to death; the Massachusetts town is a strange mix of white trash and extremely snooty patricians; "Cole Slayton" waits tables at the coffee shop and then surprises Dad with the news that he's joining the State Police.
Oops: "After the arrest, Jesse had Gabe Weathers took Joe Walters to the hospital..."
October 8, 2019
I prefer that Jesse Stone keeps drinking. I’m into his character and for me he’s an alcoholic and I’m just not sure he’s the same clean and sober. Same with the whole kid thing (just isn’t working for me but maybe in time). I still like him but I usually read one of these in a weekend and it took me a month. I will still buy, still read, still enjoy but I’m just saying that certain elements of who I see this character is at his core has been altered and it might take more adjusting before I totally get into. Feels like too many changes. No house, no dog, no Gino Fish.
March 21, 2021
Addicted (to Jesse Stone stories)
Pretty good plot, but lacking the character nuance and witty repartee Robert Parker heroes are known for. Violence is no fitting substitute for irony.
Pretty good plot, but lacking the character nuance and witty repartee Robert Parker heroes are known for. Violence is no fitting substitute for irony.
September 9, 2019
The fact that I am still reading, and enjoying, this series - now on book 18 - is testament enough to how I think Reed Farrel Coleman is doing picking up and running with it. In this, his latest outing, Paradise Police Chief Jesse Stone, ably assisted by Molly and Suit, has his work cut out for him with an epidemic of drugs. Specifically opiods which have been drifting into the town from nearby Boston. Things come to a head with the death of a popular high-school cheerleader but his investigations take some rather strange turns on the way which is even more worrying for Jesse and his future in Paradise. But it's not easy for Jesse with his fledgling sobriety still precarious and also the appearance into his life of, well, that'd be telling. So he has his work cut out to both keep on the straight and narrow as well as investigating a case that appears to stall at every turn. But he has his own resources and, well, you'll have to read to find out more...
I really love the direction that Coleman is taking Jesse these days. Staying true to the foundations and core values as laid down by Parker, he has slowly built up his own layers and I like what I am seeing in this latest offering. The story was good and kept my attention nicely. Some of what was contained within this book was a bit obvious but this was balance out by things that I would have never seen coming in a month of Sundays! Which really did keep me on my toes throughout.
It's fast paced, action packed and without and padding or waffle. Everything contained herein spoke either to plot or character development which meant that I got through it in only a couple of sittings, it being a book so very hard to put down. Only down side being that now I have finished it I have to wait for the next one. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
I really love the direction that Coleman is taking Jesse these days. Staying true to the foundations and core values as laid down by Parker, he has slowly built up his own layers and I like what I am seeing in this latest offering. The story was good and kept my attention nicely. Some of what was contained within this book was a bit obvious but this was balance out by things that I would have never seen coming in a month of Sundays! Which really did keep me on my toes throughout.
It's fast paced, action packed and without and padding or waffle. Everything contained herein spoke either to plot or character development which meant that I got through it in only a couple of sittings, it being a book so very hard to put down. Only down side being that now I have finished it I have to wait for the next one. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
November 25, 2019
Boston is edging ever closer to making Paradise a suburb and that means big city sins are coming too. There's an increase in gang activity, vandalism and drugs. A beautiful high school junior, a cheerleader, dies from a heroin overdose. Readers find out quickly that a fellow student sold the heroin to her. The drug dealers up the chain are not happy with the attention. Chief of Police Jesse Stone will find out who is behind this atrocity in his town and shut it down.
Even though Jesse has stopped drinking, he still fights every day to stay sober so he understands addiction. He's finding plenty of addiction in the high school environment.
I love Jesse Stone. I love to read these books and to watch the TV movies. I have several of the DVDs on my shelf. Jesse Stone is a white knight fighting the bad guys for the right reasons. I enjoyed seeing Molly, Suitcase, and Vinnie Morris. I became totally caught up in the story, positively engrossed in every word. Top notch series!
Even though Jesse has stopped drinking, he still fights every day to stay sober so he understands addiction. He's finding plenty of addiction in the high school environment.
I love Jesse Stone. I love to read these books and to watch the TV movies. I have several of the DVDs on my shelf. Jesse Stone is a white knight fighting the bad guys for the right reasons. I enjoyed seeing Molly, Suitcase, and Vinnie Morris. I became totally caught up in the story, positively engrossed in every word. Top notch series!
August 8, 2019
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Well, it's pretty clear that Don Winslow has left his mark on Reed Farrel Coleman—there's a quotation from Winslow on the so-called War on Drugs as the epigraph to this novel. Jesse cites it and alludes to it later in the novel. It's a good line—catchy and insightful (and, not that it matters, I agree 100% with it)—don't misunderstand me, but I'm used to Robert B. Parker characters citing Shakespeare, (Edmund) Spenser, Shelley, and songs from the late 60s/70s. I don't think I've ever seen one quote someone contemporary. The latest focus of most of our country in that War is the Opioid Crisis, in The Bitterest Pill, that epidemic shows up in Paradise, Massachusettes—partially fulfilling Vinnie Morris' prediction to Jesse that Boston crime was on its way to Paradise.
A student at Paradise High—the daughter of a city councilman—dies of an overdose and the city is rocked. It can't be the first drug-related death in its history, but this was a different kind of thing. She's not an obvious user, cheerleader, from a well-to-do family, and so on. Not the kind of person that Paradise is ready to believe would be an addict or that would die of an O.D.
What's obvious to Jesse and his team is that if they don't shut down the supply chain that fed this girl her drugs, she won't be the only death, she'll just be the first. This sets Jesse on a Hunt through Paradise High School and Boston's underbelly. There's a moment that made me think of Connelly's Two Kinds of Truth (which just means that Connelly and Coleman have both done their research into the ways prescription drug rings work, not that Coleman's copying anything)—but there's a difference. Bosch is trying to deal with a situation, he's involved in busting a ring as a means to an end. Jesse? He's trying to protect his town it's personal—and the ways that this particular ring is trying to invade Paradise are more diverse than what Bosch dealt with.
Skip this next paragraph if you're worried about Colorblind spoilers.
I avoided talking about the new character Cole last time out, because, how could I? I'm on the fence with him, honestly. I don't see where he was necessary—Jesse has Suit to father (although, at this stage, Luther doesn't need much), he's got the weight of the city on his shoulders, what's added to the character by this relation? On the other hand, scenes with him are done so well, and Jesse's different with him. I really enjoy him—he's not the Paradise equivalent of Paul Giacomin, thankfully (nothing against Paul, we just don't need another one), he's a different kind of character (as Jesse was compared to Spenser and Sunny).
Speaking of Suitcase, I think I've loved everything Coleman's done with him (every major thing, anyway, there might have been a scene or two that I forgot about), other than not using him as often as he could. But there's a scene with Suit and Cole in this book that is so well done that it's one of those passages I could read from time to time just to smile at. He's come a long way. Molly seemed a little under-used, but she was good whenever she showed up and did get to shine a bit. I think Coleman overplayed the difficulty of Molly doing her job because of the way this case impacted Paradise's children a bit (really not much), and, as always, he's too dependent on bringing up the incident with Crow in relation to Molly. But on the whole, Suit, Molly and the rest of Paradise PD came off pretty well.
For awhile under Coleman and Ace Atkins, Vinnie Morris seemed more dangerous, more of a wild card—less "tamed." But both the way that Atkins has used him the last time or two and here he seems to be tacking back to a friendly criminal who's too willing to help out the non-criminal element. Frankly, I prefer the less-tame version, but as someone who's enjoyed Vinnie since he worked for Joe Broz ages ago, I don't care, I just like seeing him on the page.
After the very effective use of the mayor recently, I was surprised at her absence in this novel—not that there was room for anything like that.
There's really one more supporting character that we should talk about—Alcohol. Jesse's greatest foe (although, you could argue he's the enemy and alcohol is the tool he uses to attack himself, but...eh, let's make this easy and say alcohol). He may be clean and sober, but he's still an addict, and his drug of choice is still a near-constant presence in his life. I love, respect and admire the way that Jesse (and Coleman) have dealt with this subject, particularly since Jesse stopped drinking. It's so much more believable (and healthy) than Jesse's attempts to manage his drinking before. I liked the approach in Colorblind, and continuing it in The Bitterest Pill made it stronger.
So, we've got Jesse battling personal demons (but with a clearer head), adjusting to a new personal reality, and dealing with a potentially crushing crime wave that's leaving a trail of destruction through the youth of Paradise. Throw in the instability of a new romantic relationship? Jesse's in a pretty healthy place, but given the pressures (and a couple I didn't list)—it's gotta be weighing on him, and Coleman does a pretty good job of balancing the health and precarious nature of Jesse's state of mind.
As Coleman's writing, it seemed frequently that he was trying too hard to make this something the level of Colorblind or Debt to Pay, and didn't quite make it. Maybe because he was trying so hard? The topic he's dealing with is important, so it's understandable he's taking big swings to hit this out of the park. But there are a few sentences that no one but Reed Farrel Coleman could have written. They were gorgeous and practically sang. I don't want to sound like one of those anti-genre literary snobs, but Coleman comes close to transcending the genre and its easy to see the impact his poetry frequently has on his prose.
At the same time, he's an effective mystery writer—there are red herrings all over the place for readers to get distracted with. As far as the main conduit for drugs into the school goes, I had a candidate I was sure of and a back-up, and another one, too. I couldn't have been more wrong and had dismissed the actual perpetrator without much thought at all. While ratcheting up the tension, keeping me locked into the story, he pulls the wool over my eyes and manages a few lines that are practically lyrical. There are few in the genre who can match that.
The ending of this novel came as a little bit of a gut punch. Granted, there was a sense in which the last couple of pages couldn't have gone any other way—I'll leave the specifics out of it, but the last few paragraphs were hard to read. But they were so, so good. They might be the most effective few paragraphs in the book. I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that just when you think the story's done, it's not.
Rumor has it that this is Coleman's last Jesse Stone book—I hope it's not true, but it'd make sense as he's switching publishers. As I said when his first entry in this series came out, his was the best Jesse Stone since Parker's early days with the series. Yes, he didn't do things the way Parker would have (especially later), but what he did was honest and genuine to the spirit of the characters and series that Parker left. Stone has a complexity that Spenser lost in the mid-80s, and Coleman recaptured that. The Bitterest Pill might not have been Coleman's Stone at his best, but I think that's largely because he was trying too hard to say something about the societal impact of the drugs (whereas in Colorblind it seemed effortless). And, while it wasn't as good as it wanted to be, it was very, very good, and will go down as one of the higher points of the series.
The Bitterest Pill would be a good place to meet Jesse Stone and the rest of the Paradise Police Department, and it's a great way for long-time fans/readers to touch base with them. I strongly recommend this.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Putnam Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post—I thank both groups for this.
---
Well, it's pretty clear that Don Winslow has left his mark on Reed Farrel Coleman—there's a quotation from Winslow on the so-called War on Drugs as the epigraph to this novel. Jesse cites it and alludes to it later in the novel. It's a good line—catchy and insightful (and, not that it matters, I agree 100% with it)—don't misunderstand me, but I'm used to Robert B. Parker characters citing Shakespeare, (Edmund) Spenser, Shelley, and songs from the late 60s/70s. I don't think I've ever seen one quote someone contemporary. The latest focus of most of our country in that War is the Opioid Crisis, in The Bitterest Pill, that epidemic shows up in Paradise, Massachusettes—partially fulfilling Vinnie Morris' prediction to Jesse that Boston crime was on its way to Paradise.
A student at Paradise High—the daughter of a city councilman—dies of an overdose and the city is rocked. It can't be the first drug-related death in its history, but this was a different kind of thing. She's not an obvious user, cheerleader, from a well-to-do family, and so on. Not the kind of person that Paradise is ready to believe would be an addict or that would die of an O.D.
What's obvious to Jesse and his team is that if they don't shut down the supply chain that fed this girl her drugs, she won't be the only death, she'll just be the first. This sets Jesse on a Hunt through Paradise High School and Boston's underbelly. There's a moment that made me think of Connelly's Two Kinds of Truth (which just means that Connelly and Coleman have both done their research into the ways prescription drug rings work, not that Coleman's copying anything)—but there's a difference. Bosch is trying to deal with a situation, he's involved in busting a ring as a means to an end. Jesse? He's trying to protect his town it's personal—and the ways that this particular ring is trying to invade Paradise are more diverse than what Bosch dealt with.
Skip this next paragraph if you're worried about Colorblind spoilers.
I avoided talking about the new character Cole last time out, because, how could I? I'm on the fence with him, honestly. I don't see where he was necessary—Jesse has Suit to father (although, at this stage, Luther doesn't need much), he's got the weight of the city on his shoulders, what's added to the character by this relation? On the other hand, scenes with him are done so well, and Jesse's different with him. I really enjoy him—he's not the Paradise equivalent of Paul Giacomin, thankfully (nothing against Paul, we just don't need another one), he's a different kind of character (as Jesse was compared to Spenser and Sunny).
Speaking of Suitcase, I think I've loved everything Coleman's done with him (every major thing, anyway, there might have been a scene or two that I forgot about), other than not using him as often as he could. But there's a scene with Suit and Cole in this book that is so well done that it's one of those passages I could read from time to time just to smile at. He's come a long way. Molly seemed a little under-used, but she was good whenever she showed up and did get to shine a bit. I think Coleman overplayed the difficulty of Molly doing her job because of the way this case impacted Paradise's children a bit (really not much), and, as always, he's too dependent on bringing up the incident with Crow in relation to Molly. But on the whole, Suit, Molly and the rest of Paradise PD came off pretty well.
For awhile under Coleman and Ace Atkins, Vinnie Morris seemed more dangerous, more of a wild card—less "tamed." But both the way that Atkins has used him the last time or two and here he seems to be tacking back to a friendly criminal who's too willing to help out the non-criminal element. Frankly, I prefer the less-tame version, but as someone who's enjoyed Vinnie since he worked for Joe Broz ages ago, I don't care, I just like seeing him on the page.
After the very effective use of the mayor recently, I was surprised at her absence in this novel—not that there was room for anything like that.
There's really one more supporting character that we should talk about—Alcohol. Jesse's greatest foe (although, you could argue he's the enemy and alcohol is the tool he uses to attack himself, but...eh, let's make this easy and say alcohol). He may be clean and sober, but he's still an addict, and his drug of choice is still a near-constant presence in his life. I love, respect and admire the way that Jesse (and Coleman) have dealt with this subject, particularly since Jesse stopped drinking. It's so much more believable (and healthy) than Jesse's attempts to manage his drinking before. I liked the approach in Colorblind, and continuing it in The Bitterest Pill made it stronger.
So, we've got Jesse battling personal demons (but with a clearer head), adjusting to a new personal reality, and dealing with a potentially crushing crime wave that's leaving a trail of destruction through the youth of Paradise. Throw in the instability of a new romantic relationship? Jesse's in a pretty healthy place, but given the pressures (and a couple I didn't list)—it's gotta be weighing on him, and Coleman does a pretty good job of balancing the health and precarious nature of Jesse's state of mind.
As Coleman's writing, it seemed frequently that he was trying too hard to make this something the level of Colorblind or Debt to Pay, and didn't quite make it. Maybe because he was trying so hard? The topic he's dealing with is important, so it's understandable he's taking big swings to hit this out of the park. But there are a few sentences that no one but Reed Farrel Coleman could have written. They were gorgeous and practically sang. I don't want to sound like one of those anti-genre literary snobs, but Coleman comes close to transcending the genre and its easy to see the impact his poetry frequently has on his prose.
At the same time, he's an effective mystery writer—there are red herrings all over the place for readers to get distracted with. As far as the main conduit for drugs into the school goes, I had a candidate I was sure of and a back-up, and another one, too. I couldn't have been more wrong and had dismissed the actual perpetrator without much thought at all. While ratcheting up the tension, keeping me locked into the story, he pulls the wool over my eyes and manages a few lines that are practically lyrical. There are few in the genre who can match that.
The ending of this novel came as a little bit of a gut punch. Granted, there was a sense in which the last couple of pages couldn't have gone any other way—I'll leave the specifics out of it, but the last few paragraphs were hard to read. But they were so, so good. They might be the most effective few paragraphs in the book. I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that just when you think the story's done, it's not.
Rumor has it that this is Coleman's last Jesse Stone book—I hope it's not true, but it'd make sense as he's switching publishers. As I said when his first entry in this series came out, his was the best Jesse Stone since Parker's early days with the series. Yes, he didn't do things the way Parker would have (especially later), but what he did was honest and genuine to the spirit of the characters and series that Parker left. Stone has a complexity that Spenser lost in the mid-80s, and Coleman recaptured that. The Bitterest Pill might not have been Coleman's Stone at his best, but I think that's largely because he was trying too hard to say something about the societal impact of the drugs (whereas in Colorblind it seemed effortless). And, while it wasn't as good as it wanted to be, it was very, very good, and will go down as one of the higher points of the series.
The Bitterest Pill would be a good place to meet Jesse Stone and the rest of the Paradise Police Department, and it's a great way for long-time fans/readers to touch base with them. I strongly recommend this.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Putnam Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post—I thank both groups for this.
January 9, 2022
No. No. and No. This is not the Jesse Stone that I've come to love. I have 2 more books sitting here - I may try them - not too sure. Robert B. Parker was a gem for sure - and oh soooo missed!
April 19, 2022
Not quite the same quality of writing as Robert B. Parker, but Coleman does well with the materials provided to him. Jesse is quite a bit older and has a son! And he's quit drinking too, which plays a role in the story. The opioid problem--which is the theme of this book--has not gotten any better, sadly.
October 10, 2019
We really enjoy the Jesse Stone novels (as we do the nine made-for-TV movies), whether it be the nine Parker originals, the three Michael Brandon extensions, or now this sixth addition to the set by Reed Coleman. We don’t bother to carp about proximity to the Parker novels – they’re all fun.
The subject matter of “Pill”, though, is a bit depressing, as the plot starts with the drug overdose death of a popular teenager. What unfolds is an insidious opioid and other drug-running scheme that eventually leads to many more slayings before Jesse and the Paradise PD close in on the drug henchmen and brutal murderers.
So while the contemporary topic did not particularly appeal, the story was good police work at a minimum, with a few wrinkles more personal to our protagonist to be good enough entertainment.
The subject matter of “Pill”, though, is a bit depressing, as the plot starts with the drug overdose death of a popular teenager. What unfolds is an insidious opioid and other drug-running scheme that eventually leads to many more slayings before Jesse and the Paradise PD close in on the drug henchmen and brutal murderers.
So while the contemporary topic did not particularly appeal, the story was good police work at a minimum, with a few wrinkles more personal to our protagonist to be good enough entertainment.
September 21, 2019
Reed Farrel Coleman’s take on Paradise, Massachusetts police chief Jesse Stone continues to be an intriguing and extremely worthwhile experience. Jesse, for better or worse, was constantly in the shadow of Spenser, Robert B. Parker’s longer-running and better-known creation. Coleman’s hand has been on the steering wheel of Jesse’s cruiser for several years now, gently taking the stories into his own lane while respecting Parker’s vision and characters. The result is an evolution that has made Jesse and all within his circle more interesting.
THE BITTEREST PILL, the latest installment, is an excellent example of this. The job of a small town police chief is a tough one. There is no insulation, no phalanx of assistants to get between the job and an upset citizenry. So when the opioid epidemic dramatically comes to Paradise, the demand for a solution is swift and sure. The manifestation in this case is the sudden death by drug overdose of a very popular cheerleader at Paradise High School. The school is a mix of Paradise's haves and have-nots, but the drug use that is inexorably flowing into the town from nearby Boston does not discriminate among the economic and social classes.
Jesse is not above using his contacts and associates on both sides of the law to follow the trail of the epidemic through Paradise and back to its source, but even he is surprised to find that there are links among not only the students but also the faculty at Paradise High. Additionally, he receives opposition --- direct and otherwise --- from some pillars of the local community, who believe that they are protecting their children but are actually further endangering them by their misguided actions.
Meanwhile, Jesse is balancing the concerns of the community with some of his own issues, which include relishing his newfound sobriety while attempting to maintain it and wondering what secret his recently discovered adult son seems to be concealing from him. Jesse also enters into a new relationship with someone who is full of surprises but very slow in revealing them, and for good reason. In addition, there are several mysteries, great and small, and Jesse continues to uncover them practically up to the book’s last page.
Reed Farrel Coleman and Jesse Stone remain an excellent fit. Parker’s stories were always strongly driven by entertaining dialogue. While Coleman’s narrative style is a bit more balanced in terms of plotting, he has (as did Parker) a fine ear for the back and forth of character discourse, thus sharpening the personalities of anyone who wanders into and out of the scenes and vignettes that populate his books. While the plot here is fairly straightforward, and blessedly so, there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader gently off-balance and greatly entertained. Whether or not you were a fan of this series before Coleman took over the writing reins, you should be reading it now.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
THE BITTEREST PILL, the latest installment, is an excellent example of this. The job of a small town police chief is a tough one. There is no insulation, no phalanx of assistants to get between the job and an upset citizenry. So when the opioid epidemic dramatically comes to Paradise, the demand for a solution is swift and sure. The manifestation in this case is the sudden death by drug overdose of a very popular cheerleader at Paradise High School. The school is a mix of Paradise's haves and have-nots, but the drug use that is inexorably flowing into the town from nearby Boston does not discriminate among the economic and social classes.
Jesse is not above using his contacts and associates on both sides of the law to follow the trail of the epidemic through Paradise and back to its source, but even he is surprised to find that there are links among not only the students but also the faculty at Paradise High. Additionally, he receives opposition --- direct and otherwise --- from some pillars of the local community, who believe that they are protecting their children but are actually further endangering them by their misguided actions.
Meanwhile, Jesse is balancing the concerns of the community with some of his own issues, which include relishing his newfound sobriety while attempting to maintain it and wondering what secret his recently discovered adult son seems to be concealing from him. Jesse also enters into a new relationship with someone who is full of surprises but very slow in revealing them, and for good reason. In addition, there are several mysteries, great and small, and Jesse continues to uncover them practically up to the book’s last page.
Reed Farrel Coleman and Jesse Stone remain an excellent fit. Parker’s stories were always strongly driven by entertaining dialogue. While Coleman’s narrative style is a bit more balanced in terms of plotting, he has (as did Parker) a fine ear for the back and forth of character discourse, thus sharpening the personalities of anyone who wanders into and out of the scenes and vignettes that populate his books. While the plot here is fairly straightforward, and blessedly so, there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader gently off-balance and greatly entertained. Whether or not you were a fan of this series before Coleman took over the writing reins, you should be reading it now.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
October 21, 2019
This was just as good as the others in the series. I like the pace in Paradise and Jesse Stone is a great character. I only wish that Tom Selleck would do more movies about him. For a while I thought that it would go to hell for Jesse and his relations again but...
November 8, 2019
If you have been paying any attention at all you know about the Opioid crisis and the fact that the war on drugs has been a colossal and expensive failure. Author Reed Farrel Coleman uses that common knowledge as the background for The Bitterest Pill: A Jessie Stone Novel.
The opioid crisis has made it to the coastal region of Paradise, Massachusetts. When the legal drugs run out, those desperate have to turn to heroin to get their fix. That can have tragic and disastrous consequences. Local student and cheerleader Heather Mackey has been found dead in the bedroom of her home thanks to a heroin overdose. Clearly, she had to have gotten the drugs from somewhere and the most obvious place would by way of somebody, at her school, Paradise High School.
The end user is just the tip of the iceberg. Somewhere and hidden in the shadows are the folks pulling strings and make money off of addiction and death. While Paradise Police Chief Jesse Stone and his team work to uncover the bosses, the bosses and others work to obstruct and kill off all venues of investigation by any means necessary.
The latest book in this series is another good if depressing read. Plenty of facts about the drug problem in this country are interwoven into the fictional storylines as work in The Bitterest Pill: A Jesse Stone Novel. For those of us who have battled our own addictions to pain killers and alcohol while dealing with chronic pain and more, much of this read will ring very true. As one would expect from this author, the book is another solidly good read well worth your time.
The Bitterest Pill: A Jesse Stone Novel
Reed Farrrel Coleman
http://reedcoleman.com/
Thorndike Press (Gale, a Cengage Company)
https://www.gale.com
2019
ISBN# 978-1-4328-6858-1
Large Print Hardback
475 Pages
Large print material came from the Lakewood Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2019
The opioid crisis has made it to the coastal region of Paradise, Massachusetts. When the legal drugs run out, those desperate have to turn to heroin to get their fix. That can have tragic and disastrous consequences. Local student and cheerleader Heather Mackey has been found dead in the bedroom of her home thanks to a heroin overdose. Clearly, she had to have gotten the drugs from somewhere and the most obvious place would by way of somebody, at her school, Paradise High School.
The end user is just the tip of the iceberg. Somewhere and hidden in the shadows are the folks pulling strings and make money off of addiction and death. While Paradise Police Chief Jesse Stone and his team work to uncover the bosses, the bosses and others work to obstruct and kill off all venues of investigation by any means necessary.
The latest book in this series is another good if depressing read. Plenty of facts about the drug problem in this country are interwoven into the fictional storylines as work in The Bitterest Pill: A Jesse Stone Novel. For those of us who have battled our own addictions to pain killers and alcohol while dealing with chronic pain and more, much of this read will ring very true. As one would expect from this author, the book is another solidly good read well worth your time.
The Bitterest Pill: A Jesse Stone Novel
Reed Farrrel Coleman
http://reedcoleman.com/
Thorndike Press (Gale, a Cengage Company)
https://www.gale.com
2019
ISBN# 978-1-4328-6858-1
Large Print Hardback
475 Pages
Large print material came from the Lakewood Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2019
September 28, 2019
#18 in the Jesse Stone series. This 2019 series entry by author Reed Farrel Coleman is #6 that he has written since the death of the series originator Robert B. Parker. Coleman's take on the series maintains the original series characters and setting, but the novels have taken a nourish flavor and Stone's alcohol addiction plays a central role. The series does continue to be very readable and the personal growth of the continuing characters add to its entertainment value.
Heather Mackey is an elite student and a cheerleader. She has a great future ahead of her, until she doesn't, thanks to a heroin overdose. Jesse Stone, Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief, is a former L.A. cop who knows that kids don't usually jump right into heroin. Jesse starts digging at the high school and finds that Heather's grades had been declining, and she had lost her spark since suffering a back injury the year before. It's the first in what Jesse learns is a disturbing pattern: painful injuries followed by opioid addiction and then the reliance on illegal street drugs. The local supplier is a classmate of Heather's, but in short order he's found murdered. Jesse sets out to move up the supply chain
Heather Mackey is an elite student and a cheerleader. She has a great future ahead of her, until she doesn't, thanks to a heroin overdose. Jesse Stone, Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief, is a former L.A. cop who knows that kids don't usually jump right into heroin. Jesse starts digging at the high school and finds that Heather's grades had been declining, and she had lost her spark since suffering a back injury the year before. It's the first in what Jesse learns is a disturbing pattern: painful injuries followed by opioid addiction and then the reliance on illegal street drugs. The local supplier is a classmate of Heather's, but in short order he's found murdered. Jesse sets out to move up the supply chain
October 20, 2019
Love that Reed Farrel Coleman has been given the privilege of continuing the Jesse Stone character. This was one of the best of this series. It has many twists and turns that were not revealed until the end. Keep writing!
November 12, 2019
Tough to read at first. The dialogue is not nearly as snappy as Parker’s. I do feel the descriptions of an addict’s desperation we’re done well
December 29, 2019
While I enjoyed this entry, the end of the book just falls flat. It's like the author had a page limit and had to rush to tie up all of the story lines. The first two-thirds of the book were very good. Jesse Stone is getting to be like Ken Bruen's Taylor character. It's not safe to be close to him.
August 3, 2022
This is one book that was well written by this author. It's full of mystery, suspense, and action. I already selected who the murderer was but then changed my mind because of the deft way the author kept including hints towards another suspect.
The story deals with the drug epidemic that's occurring all over the world. A very determined police chief and his team of officers made this an interesting story.
The story deals with the drug epidemic that's occurring all over the world. A very determined police chief and his team of officers made this an interesting story.
June 25, 2023
wish the ending could’ve been a bitt better but this was a fast read
October 18, 2019
Another home run by Reed as he really steps up the pace on the Jesse Stone series the last two novels!
July 12, 2021
This was a really good one in the series.
September 19, 2019
The Parker Estate's choice of Reed Farrel Coleman as the "legacy author," for the continuation of the Jesse Stone series, has been a good choice...The continuing storylines and the ghosts that haunt Jesse, as well as, catching Parker's characterizations makes for a fulfilling read...Not just a police "pot-boiler."...The producers of the Jesse Stone made-for-TV series were excellent as well...In this one, Boston's big-city evils have edged their way into Paradise with its urban epidemic of drugs, specifically opioids. Things come to a head with the death of a popular high-school cheerleader and the Paradise HS, the seemingly center of these troubles...A-Real page-turner!!!
September 19, 2019
Reed Farrel Coleman has made Jesse Stone his character.
It took him a while. First he had to step into Robert B Parker's long-running series. Then he had to learn to think and move like Stone and the other characters in the series.
But now the series is all his. Stone is a different person than he was when Parker died. He's sober. He's a father. And the other characters around him are changing, too.
It's still got a Parker foundation. But the series is revitalized and moving along nicely under Coleman's stewardship.
It took him a while. First he had to step into Robert B Parker's long-running series. Then he had to learn to think and move like Stone and the other characters in the series.
But now the series is all his. Stone is a different person than he was when Parker died. He's sober. He's a father. And the other characters around him are changing, too.
It's still got a Parker foundation. But the series is revitalized and moving along nicely under Coleman's stewardship.
January 5, 2022
A good mystery, focusing on the use of narcotics in a local High School . Not the first in a series, which made it a bit hard to pick up on the back story, but that was my fault for not checking.
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