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Jesse Stone #19
Robert B. Parker's Fool's Paradise
When an unknown man is found murdered in Paradise, Jesse Stone will have his hands full finding out who he was--and what he was seeking.
When a body is found at the lake in Paradise, police chief Jesse Stone is surprised to find he recognizes the murder victim--the man had been at the same AA meeting as Jesse the evening before. But otherwise, Jesse has no clue as to the man's identity. He isn't a local, nor does he have ID on him, nor does any neighboring state have a reported missing person matching the man's description. Their single lead is from a taxi company that recalls dropping off the mysterious stranger outside the gate at the mansion of one of the wealthiest families in town...
Meanwhile, after Jesse survives a hail of gunfire on his home, he wonders if it could be related to the mysterious murder. When both Molly Crane and Suit Simpson also become targets, it's clear someone has an axe to grind against the entire Paradise PD.
When a body is found at the lake in Paradise, police chief Jesse Stone is surprised to find he recognizes the murder victim--the man had been at the same AA meeting as Jesse the evening before. But otherwise, Jesse has no clue as to the man's identity. He isn't a local, nor does he have ID on him, nor does any neighboring state have a reported missing person matching the man's description. Their single lead is from a taxi company that recalls dropping off the mysterious stranger outside the gate at the mansion of one of the wealthiest families in town...
Meanwhile, after Jesse survives a hail of gunfire on his home, he wonders if it could be related to the mysterious murder. When both Molly Crane and Suit Simpson also become targets, it's clear someone has an axe to grind against the entire Paradise PD.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 2020
1009 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
About the author
Mike Lupica
110 books1,206 followersMichael Lupica is an author and American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews
April 27, 2023
Another book about the last boy scout as created by Robert B Parker as written by a new continuation writer after the original writer leave this mortal coil.
Anyhow Jesse is still the chief of police in Paradise and there are mysteries to be solved in Paradise. Who is the man murdered in the park and why visit the Cain residence (all those biblical references). Then there is the issue of attacks on Jesse, Molly & Suit, somebody certainly needs some attention en can be assured he/she is getting just that.
True to the original books, playfull banter interrupted by actual bouts of detecting in which Jesse finds his answers and rest is restored to Paradise.
All is well and so I can continue to pursue the next two books of mr Lupica that continue to tell about the life and times of one Jesse Stone.
Anyhow Jesse is still the chief of police in Paradise and there are mysteries to be solved in Paradise. Who is the man murdered in the park and why visit the Cain residence (all those biblical references). Then there is the issue of attacks on Jesse, Molly & Suit, somebody certainly needs some attention en can be assured he/she is getting just that.
True to the original books, playfull banter interrupted by actual bouts of detecting in which Jesse finds his answers and rest is restored to Paradise.
All is well and so I can continue to pursue the next two books of mr Lupica that continue to tell about the life and times of one Jesse Stone.
October 31, 2020
I have enjoyed several books in the Jesse Stone series by Mike Lupica. Though I am working on catching up on all the previous books in the series. I have to say, I was glad that Fool’s Paradise can certainly be read as a stand alone.
There are actually several murder investigations going on within this story. All of which are very intriguing and interesting in their own way.
As always, Jesse Stone comes through with his quirky ways while fighting his demon of alcohol.
I enjoy a well told police procedural which is exactly what Fool’s Paradise gave me.
There are actually several murder investigations going on within this story. All of which are very intriguing and interesting in their own way.
As always, Jesse Stone comes through with his quirky ways while fighting his demon of alcohol.
I enjoy a well told police procedural which is exactly what Fool’s Paradise gave me.
December 14, 2025
A stranger is murdered and Jesse and two of his officers are also targeted. There is a lot of friendly banter between Jesse, Molly and Suit. With no apparent motives, the unrelated investigations are slow developing. It comes together in the last 90 minutes or so.
September 13, 2020
Love Jesse being sober. The mystery storyline is ok. Didn’t like all the women in the entire story objectified. All of them described as built and beautiful. Nothing wrong with that but story relevance? How about smart or sinister? Jesse and Sunny are their best selves with each other? How exactly?
September 9, 2020
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S FOOL'S PARADISE ABOUT?
Suitcase Simpson calls Jesse to the scene of a murder, an unidentified man has been found shot at the lakeshore. Jesse recognizes the man—they'd been at the same AA meeting the previous night. It's not Jesse's regular meeting, and he didn't think this man was a regular, either. But at least they had a first name to go off of.
Suit is able to find out at least a little about what the man did after the meeting. He'd taken a taxi from the neighboring town into Paradise. He even had an address—the mansion of a rich and influential family who'd been in Paradise for ages. They're quick to claim they didn't know the man, or that he'd been at the house in the hours before he was shot. No member of PPD believes this, but there's little they can do until they learn a bit more about the victim.
Jesse admits this isn't entirely rational—but doesn't back off from it—the fact that he and the victim came to the same meeting, both needing the help that can be found there, created a link for between the two of them. Jesse felt like he owed this man justice more than he would another victim (not that Jesse's ever been known to not try to find justice for anyone, it's just personal this time). I loved this little touch—it felt very true to the character and his circumstances, but something that a lot of authors wouldn't do.
Not long after this, someone takes a shot at Jesse while he's in his home. Soon, other members of the PPD are attacked off-duty. As always, Jesse, Molly, and Suit acknowledge that coincidences exist, but they have a hard time believing in them. So while they try to identify the murder victim and figure out what he's going in Paradise (and that part of Paradise in particular), they also need to figure out why someone would be attacking the PPD. And are the two cases related?
A NICE LITTLE BONUS
There's a lot of Molly in this book. She gets whole chapters without Jesse in them, and a lot of space on her own in chapters with him. We get a little bit of an off-the-job look at Molly, as well as seeing her work part of the investigation. Yes, Jesse's the central character and should be the focus—but any time that Lupica (or whoever) can flesh out Molly, Suitcase, or any of the others is time well spent (I like the new deputy, too—he was a nice touch). But Molly's been a favorite since Night Passage introduced this world, and she's rarely been used as well as the character should've been. It's so nice to see that.
LUPICA'S TAKE ON JESSE STONE
I was worried about Lupica being given the reins of this series. I was such a fan of what Colman had done, saving the series from the Michael Brandman debacle—and even from some of the uneven quality that Parker had given toward the end.
But Lupica did exactly what he needed to do—and exactly what I'd hoped (and didn't expect). He embraced the developments that Coleman introduced and built on them. He could've ignored them, or written around them, but he kept Jesse going to AA, he worked on the new relationship with Cole, and Paradise and the Paradise Police Department the same way Coleman had, treating that bit of the series with as much respect and influence as the first nine novels.
Stylistically, Lupica's closer to Parker than Coleman—which makes sense, it's the more natural way for him to write (and will likely win back some of Coleman's detractors). It works for the series, it works for the author—all in all, it's a good move.
I freely admit that I was skeptical and pessimistic about anyone but Coleman at the post-Parker helm of Jesse Stone and am glad to be proven wrong.
SOMETHING I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY
While I have thought in the past that the best use of Sunny Randall was when Parker used her in the Jesse Stone novels, I wasn't thrilled to see her in these pages—I thought that Stone, at least, had grown past this relationship. It's not what it was back in the 3-4 books that Parker wrote with them as a couple, but reflects where they both are now.
I've got to say, I liked her here. I liked her in Paradise more than I liked her in the two books that Lupica has written about Sunny. If he keeps this up, I won't complain.
LUPICA'S WAR ON MY SANITY
Sure, that's hyperbolic. But it felt like he was doing this to just bug me.
The mansion that the taxi pulled up to that fateful night is owned by the Cain family, Whit and Lilly Cain. Whit suffered a stroke a few months back, so his wife, Lilly, is who Jesse primarily interacts with. She's brash, confident, loud, and flirtatious.
Now, I've watched the Veronica Mars series more times than I should have. Season One more than the rest. Every time I read "Lilly Cain," I couldn't think about anything other than "Lily Kane," Veronica's brash, confident, loud, and flirtatious friend.
I know it's a coincidence, that neither name is all that rare. But it didn't feel that way.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT FOOL'S PARADISE?
I liked this so much more than I expected to. I went into this hoping I wouldn't hate it, and it didn't take long at all for me to realize I was enjoying it. The prose crackled and moved quickly. There was enough of Jesse's quiet humor to keep me grinning. The relationships and banter between the characters was spot on. The cases were compelling, interestingly framed, and well-executed. Lupica tied his novel into the overall history of the series well (referencing over half of the books, I think) and established that he's the right man for the job. I strongly recommend this—either for new readers or established fans. Robert B. Parker's Fool's Paradise is a satisfying read that'll get you eager to see what comes next.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.
---
WHAT'S FOOL'S PARADISE ABOUT?
Suitcase Simpson calls Jesse to the scene of a murder, an unidentified man has been found shot at the lakeshore. Jesse recognizes the man—they'd been at the same AA meeting the previous night. It's not Jesse's regular meeting, and he didn't think this man was a regular, either. But at least they had a first name to go off of.
Suit is able to find out at least a little about what the man did after the meeting. He'd taken a taxi from the neighboring town into Paradise. He even had an address—the mansion of a rich and influential family who'd been in Paradise for ages. They're quick to claim they didn't know the man, or that he'd been at the house in the hours before he was shot. No member of PPD believes this, but there's little they can do until they learn a bit more about the victim.
Jesse admits this isn't entirely rational—but doesn't back off from it—the fact that he and the victim came to the same meeting, both needing the help that can be found there, created a link for between the two of them. Jesse felt like he owed this man justice more than he would another victim (not that Jesse's ever been known to not try to find justice for anyone, it's just personal this time). I loved this little touch—it felt very true to the character and his circumstances, but something that a lot of authors wouldn't do.
Not long after this, someone takes a shot at Jesse while he's in his home. Soon, other members of the PPD are attacked off-duty. As always, Jesse, Molly, and Suit acknowledge that coincidences exist, but they have a hard time believing in them. So while they try to identify the murder victim and figure out what he's going in Paradise (and that part of Paradise in particular), they also need to figure out why someone would be attacking the PPD. And are the two cases related?
A NICE LITTLE BONUS
There's a lot of Molly in this book. She gets whole chapters without Jesse in them, and a lot of space on her own in chapters with him. We get a little bit of an off-the-job look at Molly, as well as seeing her work part of the investigation. Yes, Jesse's the central character and should be the focus—but any time that Lupica (or whoever) can flesh out Molly, Suitcase, or any of the others is time well spent (I like the new deputy, too—he was a nice touch). But Molly's been a favorite since Night Passage introduced this world, and she's rarely been used as well as the character should've been. It's so nice to see that.
LUPICA'S TAKE ON JESSE STONE
I was worried about Lupica being given the reins of this series. I was such a fan of what Colman had done, saving the series from the Michael Brandman debacle—and even from some of the uneven quality that Parker had given toward the end.
But Lupica did exactly what he needed to do—and exactly what I'd hoped (and didn't expect). He embraced the developments that Coleman introduced and built on them. He could've ignored them, or written around them, but he kept Jesse going to AA, he worked on the new relationship with Cole, and Paradise and the Paradise Police Department the same way Coleman had, treating that bit of the series with as much respect and influence as the first nine novels.
Stylistically, Lupica's closer to Parker than Coleman—which makes sense, it's the more natural way for him to write (and will likely win back some of Coleman's detractors). It works for the series, it works for the author—all in all, it's a good move.
I freely admit that I was skeptical and pessimistic about anyone but Coleman at the post-Parker helm of Jesse Stone and am glad to be proven wrong.
SOMETHING I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY
While I have thought in the past that the best use of Sunny Randall was when Parker used her in the Jesse Stone novels, I wasn't thrilled to see her in these pages—I thought that Stone, at least, had grown past this relationship. It's not what it was back in the 3-4 books that Parker wrote with them as a couple, but reflects where they both are now.
I've got to say, I liked her here. I liked her in Paradise more than I liked her in the two books that Lupica has written about Sunny. If he keeps this up, I won't complain.
LUPICA'S WAR ON MY SANITY
Sure, that's hyperbolic. But it felt like he was doing this to just bug me.
The mansion that the taxi pulled up to that fateful night is owned by the Cain family, Whit and Lilly Cain. Whit suffered a stroke a few months back, so his wife, Lilly, is who Jesse primarily interacts with. She's brash, confident, loud, and flirtatious.
Now, I've watched the Veronica Mars series more times than I should have. Season One more than the rest. Every time I read "Lilly Cain," I couldn't think about anything other than "Lily Kane," Veronica's brash, confident, loud, and flirtatious friend.
I know it's a coincidence, that neither name is all that rare. But it didn't feel that way.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT FOOL'S PARADISE?
I liked this so much more than I expected to. I went into this hoping I wouldn't hate it, and it didn't take long at all for me to realize I was enjoying it. The prose crackled and moved quickly. There was enough of Jesse's quiet humor to keep me grinning. The relationships and banter between the characters was spot on. The cases were compelling, interestingly framed, and well-executed. Lupica tied his novel into the overall history of the series well (referencing over half of the books, I think) and established that he's the right man for the job. I strongly recommend this—either for new readers or established fans. Robert B. Parker's Fool's Paradise is a satisfying read that'll get you eager to see what comes next.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.
October 7, 2020
Drags
Did not like the endless introspection. Very little action. Book was boring. Expected more from Mike Lupica . Maybe it’s time Jesse Stone retires.
Did not like the endless introspection. Very little action. Book was boring. Expected more from Mike Lupica . Maybe it’s time Jesse Stone retires.
October 15, 2020
Jesse Stone is one of my all time favorite books (and TV series/Hallmark Show). His struggles with drinking throughout the series is both realistic and part of Jesse's character. It makes the series so real that he tries and fails and tries and fails. MIke Lupica, in his first try at Jesse Stone, has introduced vulgar language almost on every page and has turned me completely off to reading Jesse Stone by Mike Lupica again. This is not the world Robert Parker created and Brandeman, and Reed Coleman continued. Paradise and Jesse Stone novels were perfectly realistic, just like the Godfather book and movies were. What was the sense of it i wonder ? All of a sudden, we're all throwing around street language , when Gino Fish and company could hardly be ever heard dropping the F bomb and they were street thugs !
Lots of other reviewers are going over the plot of the book, but I will not, but I love Paradise and Suit and Molly and won't bother you with it. Its fine, but the language turned me off completely.
Get a new author for the next round and Mike go back to kids books...
Lots of other reviewers are going over the plot of the book, but I will not, but I love Paradise and Suit and Molly and won't bother you with it. Its fine, but the language turned me off completely.
Get a new author for the next round and Mike go back to kids books...
September 6, 2020
First of all I have to thank Mike Lupica for letting Jesse Stone live on and for getting Robert B. Parkers other characters be more involved. I really enjoy small town mysteries. This is a well written book and I hope there will be more of them, I also thank #Edelweiss #PenguinPublishingGroup and #GPPutnamsSons for giving me this wonderful book.
August 4, 2020
In Robert B. Parker's Fool's Paradise (G.P. Putnam 2020), #19 in the Jesse Stone series originally begun by Robert Parker and now continued by his estate, the murder of a recovering alcoholic in Paradise sets Chief Jesse Stone on a long path of tangled clues. It starts out complicated when Jesse realizes he knows the man and gets moreso when the case takes an unexpected turn.
For a police drama, this one has lots of attitude. Jesse talks often about how he got where he is, as the chief law enforcement in this small town, as do many of the other characters, sharing their introspection on life. At times, to me, these diversions overshadowed the police work and approached becoming a distraction to why I selected a police drama novel. Other readers might come away feeling more connected to the characters.
Whichever side you fall on, you'll definitely agree that Lupica tells this story with a sense of humor and a light touch that keeps events from becoming too serious. Here are some of my favorite lines:
“I think of myself as a work in progress”
"...having a hangover was like having a second job."
"... he’d rather be caught wearing women’s clothing than catch another floater."
"Molly Crane had always said he was the alonest man she’d ever known."
Overall, a worthwhile read if you want your police chiefs to be human and not too busy to be friendly and personable. A note. If you watched the TV show with Jesse Stone, this series is much better.
For a police drama, this one has lots of attitude. Jesse talks often about how he got where he is, as the chief law enforcement in this small town, as do many of the other characters, sharing their introspection on life. At times, to me, these diversions overshadowed the police work and approached becoming a distraction to why I selected a police drama novel. Other readers might come away feeling more connected to the characters.
Whichever side you fall on, you'll definitely agree that Lupica tells this story with a sense of humor and a light touch that keeps events from becoming too serious. Here are some of my favorite lines:
“I think of myself as a work in progress”
"...having a hangover was like having a second job."
"... he’d rather be caught wearing women’s clothing than catch another floater."
"Molly Crane had always said he was the alonest man she’d ever known."
Overall, a worthwhile read if you want your police chiefs to be human and not too busy to be friendly and personable. A note. If you watched the TV show with Jesse Stone, this series is much better.
July 31, 2020
I've read - and thoroughly enjoyed - this author's updates of the late Robert B. Parker's Sunny Randall series. But if he's penned any other in the Jesse Stone series, I missed reading them. That said, I'll make sure it won't happen again. While none of Parker's characters will ever surpass Spenser in my book, Jesse comes in at a close second (admittedly, the casting of hunky Tom Selleck in the TV movies moved him up a notch or two).
Honestly, warming up to this one took some time; much of the first half, at least, seemed more focused on the affirmation - or reaffirmation - of Jesse's relatively newfound sobriety and crazy mixed-up love life than action-filled plot. But then, it took off - and kept going at top speed right to the end.
As this one begins, residents of Paradise, Massachusetts, are celebrating the reopening of the town's historic movie theater; fundraising efforts to rebuild were spearheaded by wealthy Lily Cain, one of Jesse's friends. But the reverie is interrupted by a call from Luther "Suitcase" Simpson, one of Jesse's detectives. A dead man, he reports, has been found near the lake. Further complicating matters is that there's no immediate way to identify the body, but Jesse recognizes him from a recent AA meeting both attended. That, too, is somewhat of a dead end, since AA protocol mandates never revealing last names. After more digging, the only clue is that the man apparently stopped at the Cain family compound not long before he was killed.
Things start to get even more complicated as the welfare and lives of Jesse, Suitcase and Deputy Molly Crane are threatened. Those incidents may be tied to the murdered man, or maybe not; suspicions start pointing to an old rape case that involved young perpetrators who may be looking for revenge. Early on in the investigation, Jesse's on-again, off-again lady friend and investigator Sunny Randall pops into town - taking advantage of a break from the ex-husband she still loves when the spirit moves her to help the Paradise police team get to the bottom of things (and, using her female wiles, help Jesse stay on the wagon).
All in all, another one well done. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-publication copy.
Honestly, warming up to this one took some time; much of the first half, at least, seemed more focused on the affirmation - or reaffirmation - of Jesse's relatively newfound sobriety and crazy mixed-up love life than action-filled plot. But then, it took off - and kept going at top speed right to the end.
As this one begins, residents of Paradise, Massachusetts, are celebrating the reopening of the town's historic movie theater; fundraising efforts to rebuild were spearheaded by wealthy Lily Cain, one of Jesse's friends. But the reverie is interrupted by a call from Luther "Suitcase" Simpson, one of Jesse's detectives. A dead man, he reports, has been found near the lake. Further complicating matters is that there's no immediate way to identify the body, but Jesse recognizes him from a recent AA meeting both attended. That, too, is somewhat of a dead end, since AA protocol mandates never revealing last names. After more digging, the only clue is that the man apparently stopped at the Cain family compound not long before he was killed.
Things start to get even more complicated as the welfare and lives of Jesse, Suitcase and Deputy Molly Crane are threatened. Those incidents may be tied to the murdered man, or maybe not; suspicions start pointing to an old rape case that involved young perpetrators who may be looking for revenge. Early on in the investigation, Jesse's on-again, off-again lady friend and investigator Sunny Randall pops into town - taking advantage of a break from the ex-husband she still loves when the spirit moves her to help the Paradise police team get to the bottom of things (and, using her female wiles, help Jesse stay on the wagon).
All in all, another one well done. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-publication copy.
September 23, 2020
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. His last three books – “The Hangman’s Sonnet”, “Colorblind”, and “The Bitterest Pill” – were especially memorable, and their strong arcs were Jesse’s Stone’s best writing in my opinion.
Now, Mike Lupica, who has done a surprisingly good job of resurrecting Parker’s Sunny Randall series, is being given the creative control of Jesse Stone, the city of Paradise, Molly, Suit, and all the rest of the characters. And I am going to be very transparent in my honesty, this is going to be a tough transition for me after practically falling head over heels in literature love for all that Coleman achieved in transforming Stone into one of the best series in the mystery genre. Coleman has set an incredibly high bar and Lupica has his work cut out for him.
“Fool’s Paradise” starts off with two surprises for Stone. The first is Jesse and his team finding a dead body at the town’s local lake which kicks off a murder investigation. The second is even more so, when Jesse recognizes the victim. It is a man that attended the same AA meeting as Jesse the night before. Although Jesse doesn’t know the man’s identity or purpose for being in Paradise, it’s apparent that the man is not a local.
Things get even more interesting when no ID is found on the body, and research through law enforcement channels reveals no information. No reports of missing persons match his description nor any persons wanted for criminal activities. The only clue involves a taxi dropping the victim prior to his demise in front of the house of the one Paradise’s most wealthy families.
Then things get worse when Jesse is attacked by heavy gunfire in his home and he luckily survives. He recognizes that his investigation may be scaring someone who wants Jesse to stop. It doesn’t take long for other members of Jesse’s team, Molly Crane and Suitcase Simpson, to get caught in the crosshairs and become targets along with Jesse. Now the entire Paradise Police department is all at risk for their lives as well as their loved ones. Can Jesse solve the mysterious ID of their victim? And why it appears to have brought deadly killers to their town before another member of his team, or himself, ends up dead?
Transitioning from Coleman to Lupica wasn’t too bad in some ways, but there were a couple of painful miscues that bothered me quite a bit.
First, the good stuff. Although Lupica didn’t tap into the same unique understanding of Jesse Stone as well as Coleman did, Lupica did a pretty good job of capturing the qualities of small town of Paradise, Massachusetts. The characters were authentic and interesting, and contributed to the unfolding mystery being told. It was especially interesting to see Molly’s expanded role, her family situations described, and individual chapters devoted to her activities. I thought that worked for the most part, not only for plotting purposes, but it also served to expand the character base around Jesse Stone.
Lupica also had the habit of mentioning places where previous events from prior novels took place as well as characters from the past. I noticed that some readers liked that habit and others didn’t care for it. For me, I didn’t mind. I found those references rather nostalgic.
Now for the bad stuff. There’s not too much to criticize, but one habit of Lupica’s absolutely drove me crazy. For some strange and downright unknown reason, Lupica has Jessie swearing. Not a little. Not occasionally. A lot. All of the flipping time throughout the whole book. Way, way too much.
Jessie has always been known for his sharp wit and sarcastic comments, but he rarely ever swears. Almost never. And in the rare moments that he does, it is usually in some kind of cynical retort to someone who swore at him first. But never can I remember Jessie swearing out of anger so easily and casually. It is not him. And every time he swears in the book, it is a concert pianist who hits the wrong key and everyone cringes in shock.
I am against characters who swear, if it is truly a part of who they are, but the free-flowing profanity coming out of Jessie’s mouth in this book is absolutely and completely out of character. And it makes no sense. I kept asking myself what were the editors thinking when they did their reads of the manuscript and provided their feedback. This is just a horrible miss that clanks throughout the book from beginning to end. Several times I found myself being completely disrupted from the story and wondering how this was allowed to happen.
In addition to this strong pet on my part, I found the mystery rather easy to figure out. It took Stone longer to figure it out because we needed to reach the 300-page count, but it was rather predictable. I also felt that Lupica spent a lot of time focusing on Jessie’s alcoholism. I don’t mean to downplay it in any way, because alcohol addiction is serious. However, Jessie was doing pretty good coming out of the last book and was an upward positive swing. Now, in this book everything is gloom and doom for Jessie and every single moment of the day is about him reflecting on drinking. What happened since the last book to push him back to down to the depths of despair that he is so ripe to fall again?
And to make it worse, Lupica has Jessie leaning on Sunny as his crutch way too much. Yes, Jessie can love her. They have a strong past together and their relationship is good for both of them. But this time out, Jessie’s acting like she’s the only thing keeping him from drinking and the only woman in the world for him. Lupica’s got jessie acting all lonely and less than his full self without her. Jessie’s been alone before and never been so dependent on another person as he suddenly is with Sunny this time out. I’m sorry, but for me it’s too heavy handed and dramatic.
To be fair, even with all of these criticism’s, the book is not bad. There are things that Lupica did a good job of. He just needs to refine his understanding of Jessie’s Stone’s character, how he handles relationships, and stop all of that nonsensical profanity. It took Coleman time to capture the essence of Jesse Stone. It didn’t happen all in one book. And the same for Ace Atkins trying to find Spenser’s voice and mannerisms. It was a journey to get there. So I am going to try and be patient with Lupica. I like his Sunny Randall books and think he’s done a pretty good job with them. But let’s be honest. Sunny only had six books going when Robert B. Parker passed away, she was more sarcastic, a swearer by nature, and she was the least developed of his characters. Sunny doesn’t have the longer history and traditions that Spenser and Jesse Stone have established. They come with expectations, and strong ones at that because of Atkins and Coleman’s great work to lengthen their classic standard.
All right, Lupica, we’re going to be patient, but you’ll need to work on some things and get them right… Good luck and best wishes…
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. His last three books – “The Hangman’s Sonnet”, “Colorblind”, and “The Bitterest Pill” – were especially memorable, and their strong arcs were Jesse’s Stone’s best writing in my opinion.
Now, Mike Lupica, who has done a surprisingly good job of resurrecting Parker’s Sunny Randall series, is being given the creative control of Jesse Stone, the city of Paradise, Molly, Suit, and all the rest of the characters. And I am going to be very transparent in my honesty, this is going to be a tough transition for me after practically falling head over heels in literature love for all that Coleman achieved in transforming Stone into one of the best series in the mystery genre. Coleman has set an incredibly high bar and Lupica has his work cut out for him.
“Fool’s Paradise” starts off with two surprises for Stone. The first is Jesse and his team finding a dead body at the town’s local lake which kicks off a murder investigation. The second is even more so, when Jesse recognizes the victim. It is a man that attended the same AA meeting as Jesse the night before. Although Jesse doesn’t know the man’s identity or purpose for being in Paradise, it’s apparent that the man is not a local.
Things get even more interesting when no ID is found on the body, and research through law enforcement channels reveals no information. No reports of missing persons match his description nor any persons wanted for criminal activities. The only clue involves a taxi dropping the victim prior to his demise in front of the house of the one Paradise’s most wealthy families.
Then things get worse when Jesse is attacked by heavy gunfire in his home and he luckily survives. He recognizes that his investigation may be scaring someone who wants Jesse to stop. It doesn’t take long for other members of Jesse’s team, Molly Crane and Suitcase Simpson, to get caught in the crosshairs and become targets along with Jesse. Now the entire Paradise Police department is all at risk for their lives as well as their loved ones. Can Jesse solve the mysterious ID of their victim? And why it appears to have brought deadly killers to their town before another member of his team, or himself, ends up dead?
Transitioning from Coleman to Lupica wasn’t too bad in some ways, but there were a couple of painful miscues that bothered me quite a bit.
First, the good stuff. Although Lupica didn’t tap into the same unique understanding of Jesse Stone as well as Coleman did, Lupica did a pretty good job of capturing the qualities of small town of Paradise, Massachusetts. The characters were authentic and interesting, and contributed to the unfolding mystery being told. It was especially interesting to see Molly’s expanded role, her family situations described, and individual chapters devoted to her activities. I thought that worked for the most part, not only for plotting purposes, but it also served to expand the character base around Jesse Stone.
Lupica also had the habit of mentioning places where previous events from prior novels took place as well as characters from the past. I noticed that some readers liked that habit and others didn’t care for it. For me, I didn’t mind. I found those references rather nostalgic.
Now for the bad stuff. There’s not too much to criticize, but one habit of Lupica’s absolutely drove me crazy. For some strange and downright unknown reason, Lupica has Jessie swearing. Not a little. Not occasionally. A lot. All of the flipping time throughout the whole book. Way, way too much.
Jessie has always been known for his sharp wit and sarcastic comments, but he rarely ever swears. Almost never. And in the rare moments that he does, it is usually in some kind of cynical retort to someone who swore at him first. But never can I remember Jessie swearing out of anger so easily and casually. It is not him. And every time he swears in the book, it is a concert pianist who hits the wrong key and everyone cringes in shock.
I am against characters who swear, if it is truly a part of who they are, but the free-flowing profanity coming out of Jessie’s mouth in this book is absolutely and completely out of character. And it makes no sense. I kept asking myself what were the editors thinking when they did their reads of the manuscript and provided their feedback. This is just a horrible miss that clanks throughout the book from beginning to end. Several times I found myself being completely disrupted from the story and wondering how this was allowed to happen.
In addition to this strong pet on my part, I found the mystery rather easy to figure out. It took Stone longer to figure it out because we needed to reach the 300-page count, but it was rather predictable. I also felt that Lupica spent a lot of time focusing on Jessie’s alcoholism. I don’t mean to downplay it in any way, because alcohol addiction is serious. However, Jessie was doing pretty good coming out of the last book and was an upward positive swing. Now, in this book everything is gloom and doom for Jessie and every single moment of the day is about him reflecting on drinking. What happened since the last book to push him back to down to the depths of despair that he is so ripe to fall again?
And to make it worse, Lupica has Jessie leaning on Sunny as his crutch way too much. Yes, Jessie can love her. They have a strong past together and their relationship is good for both of them. But this time out, Jessie’s acting like she’s the only thing keeping him from drinking and the only woman in the world for him. Lupica’s got jessie acting all lonely and less than his full self without her. Jessie’s been alone before and never been so dependent on another person as he suddenly is with Sunny this time out. I’m sorry, but for me it’s too heavy handed and dramatic.
To be fair, even with all of these criticism’s, the book is not bad. There are things that Lupica did a good job of. He just needs to refine his understanding of Jessie’s Stone’s character, how he handles relationships, and stop all of that nonsensical profanity. It took Coleman time to capture the essence of Jesse Stone. It didn’t happen all in one book. And the same for Ace Atkins trying to find Spenser’s voice and mannerisms. It was a journey to get there. So I am going to try and be patient with Lupica. I like his Sunny Randall books and think he’s done a pretty good job with them. But let’s be honest. Sunny only had six books going when Robert B. Parker passed away, she was more sarcastic, a swearer by nature, and she was the least developed of his characters. Sunny doesn’t have the longer history and traditions that Spenser and Jesse Stone have established. They come with expectations, and strong ones at that because of Atkins and Coleman’s great work to lengthen their classic standard.
All right, Lupica, we’re going to be patient, but you’ll need to work on some things and get them right… Good luck and best wishes…
September 20, 2020
Somewhere I feel that I read that publishers of the post Robert B. Parker Jesse Stone series was going to put it to rest. If so, perhaps this is the last book in the series, and frankly that is not a bad thing. Attempted rapes, and a murder of a man whom Jesse encounters at a 12 Step Meeting are what pull the reader into the story.
The series, though handled adeptly by author Mike Lupica seems both a little tired and too bound within its world. One of the mysteries involved brings back some previous suspects from an earlier novel in the series; add that in Jesse's teasing, his struggling or not with drink, I felt so confined like the author wanted to break out and take these characters somewhere else but in order to stay in the world created by Parker were forced to stay
When the novel takes off is when Sunny Randall (another Parker character/refugee, whose stories are excellently penned by Mr .Lupica) comes to Paradise to join in and help Jesse and test their romantic boundaries does the story begin to spark life. By the stories conclusion I felt that Paradise is lost forever, and the books have gone past their usefulness. I did not even enjoy the usual check in with familiar folks as I enjoyed in the past.
My hopes are that what I heard is correct, that this is the last. I say reading is for completists like me. Regardless of both, here is hoping that Jesse and maybe Sunny are released from what binds them to their getting tired worlds and venture out together to something better.
The series, though handled adeptly by author Mike Lupica seems both a little tired and too bound within its world. One of the mysteries involved brings back some previous suspects from an earlier novel in the series; add that in Jesse's teasing, his struggling or not with drink, I felt so confined like the author wanted to break out and take these characters somewhere else but in order to stay in the world created by Parker were forced to stay
When the novel takes off is when Sunny Randall (another Parker character/refugee, whose stories are excellently penned by Mr .Lupica) comes to Paradise to join in and help Jesse and test their romantic boundaries does the story begin to spark life. By the stories conclusion I felt that Paradise is lost forever, and the books have gone past their usefulness. I did not even enjoy the usual check in with familiar folks as I enjoyed in the past.
My hopes are that what I heard is correct, that this is the last. I say reading is for completists like me. Regardless of both, here is hoping that Jesse and maybe Sunny are released from what binds them to their getting tired worlds and venture out together to something better.
November 18, 2020
It's fun to be able to continue to enjoy an author's books even if someone else is doing the writing. Mike Lupica has captured Robert B. Parker's style very well in this latest Jesse Stone. When I read the first Jesse Stone after Parker died, I was disappointed. The writer had turned Jesse into a character I didn't know. Apparently others felt the same. It turns out there are a bunch of others written by someone else. This is the first one by Mike Lupica. I may just check out some of the older ones now.
The book opens with the murder of a stranger who Jesse saw at an AA meeting. He took a cab to the gates of the mansion of a wealthy family in Paradise. It takes some serious legwork but Jesse figures it out. In the meantime someone takes a shot at him, tries to rape his deputy and leaves a pipe bomb at the front door of another deputy.
Sunny Randall is an important part of this book which I liked. I always thought Parker should have written more Sunny Randall books before he died. Anyway, this was a fun diversion.
The book opens with the murder of a stranger who Jesse saw at an AA meeting. He took a cab to the gates of the mansion of a wealthy family in Paradise. It takes some serious legwork but Jesse figures it out. In the meantime someone takes a shot at him, tries to rape his deputy and leaves a pipe bomb at the front door of another deputy.
Sunny Randall is an important part of this book which I liked. I always thought Parker should have written more Sunny Randall books before he died. Anyway, this was a fun diversion.
November 8, 2020
We were pleased to learn that Mike Lupica, famed sports reporter known for pithy TV editorials, had taken over the Sunny Randall series for the estate of Robert B. Parker. We liked his first two novels extending that set, despite perhaps too much vulgar language for our tastes. We also liked the hints of Sunny and Jesse Stone collaborating both professionally and romantically.
That relationship runs fairly full on in Lupica’s now first extension with “Fool’s Paradise” to Parker’s Police Chief Jesse Stone series. As another reviewer amusingly pointed out, this novel makes the tenth extension (by three different authors) to the original nine-book set.
Two situations add considerable suspense to this outing. A dead man has been found whom our Chief recognizes but only knows his first name from an AA meeting Jesse (now-sober albeit struggling) recently attended. Eventually the man is identified through some dogged police work, but little or no motive is forthcoming. Meanwhile, Jesse, Molly, and other members of the small-town Paradise PD are subjects of clumsy violence attempts, which leads to Sunny Randall coming up from Boston to help bodyguard. That matter seems to relate back to a decade-ago rape case involving several high-schoolers, with a couple of deaths complicating matters. Eventually both puzzles are solved, to a somewhat incomplete application of justice.
Despite again the somewhat objectionable, and to us, unnecessary offensive language, we enjoyed the reunion with several favorite and fun characters. As far as we’re concerned, bring on plenty more! {3.5}
That relationship runs fairly full on in Lupica’s now first extension with “Fool’s Paradise” to Parker’s Police Chief Jesse Stone series. As another reviewer amusingly pointed out, this novel makes the tenth extension (by three different authors) to the original nine-book set.
Two situations add considerable suspense to this outing. A dead man has been found whom our Chief recognizes but only knows his first name from an AA meeting Jesse (now-sober albeit struggling) recently attended. Eventually the man is identified through some dogged police work, but little or no motive is forthcoming. Meanwhile, Jesse, Molly, and other members of the small-town Paradise PD are subjects of clumsy violence attempts, which leads to Sunny Randall coming up from Boston to help bodyguard. That matter seems to relate back to a decade-ago rape case involving several high-schoolers, with a couple of deaths complicating matters. Eventually both puzzles are solved, to a somewhat incomplete application of justice.
Despite again the somewhat objectionable, and to us, unnecessary offensive language, we enjoyed the reunion with several favorite and fun characters. As far as we’re concerned, bring on plenty more! {3.5}
October 13, 2020
One mostly thinks of Mike Lupica as one of the better known sports writers in America, but, as a "legacy author" carrying on the Robert B. Parker Jesse Stone or Sonny Randall series, he also makes his mark...He has an uncanny way of catching the Parker rhythms of speech, introspection and humor within these series...In "Fool's Paradise" a corpse just happens to be someone Jesse has met at an AA meeting...That particular connection make Stone particularly tenacious as he digs into this murder mystery...His tenacity brings him into contact with one of the wealthiest families in Paradise...Just Good Stuff!!!
August 7, 2022
Im not too sure about this book. There were two incidents that took place simultaneously but didn’t really help this book.
Of course, Jesse is still dealing with being an alcoholic but he’s just several months in and his willpower is phenomenal. He’s okay with others drinking around him? I’m not sure about that one. I do under that every day is a battle to remain sober but let’s not put temptation right there in front of him.
As stated before, there’s two incidents that are happening almost parallel to each other. One involves the three main police officers; Jesse, Molly, & Suit. The other involves a complete stranger without any identification or relationship to the town. Secrets are never secret. If you read the book, then you’ll get the meaning of that statement.
Of course, Jesse is still dealing with being an alcoholic but he’s just several months in and his willpower is phenomenal. He’s okay with others drinking around him? I’m not sure about that one. I do under that every day is a battle to remain sober but let’s not put temptation right there in front of him.
As stated before, there’s two incidents that are happening almost parallel to each other. One involves the three main police officers; Jesse, Molly, & Suit. The other involves a complete stranger without any identification or relationship to the town. Secrets are never secret. If you read the book, then you’ll get the meaning of that statement.
January 22, 2023
It’s a good story about a small town police chief. Just has a lot of small details
June 1, 2021
This book is my least favorite in the Jesse Stone series because of the writing style (or lack of). Mike Lupica managed after 18 books to turn the characters into foul language impersonators of characters past. Lupica does not believe that vulgarity is no substitute for wit. I learned Marine Speak while serving many years ago so I am familiar with the language. The offense is that these characters did not need the damns, shits and f#*&s and all of the rest to make them interesting and relevant. I like Jesse Stone and have read 19 to date but I could barely finish this one. Someone should fire Mike Lupica. I know that he wrote the next book but no more for him please.
October 21, 2021
Profanity is through the roof which is completely out of character with R.B. Parker's writing. Weird references to jokes and movie quotes. Jesse is suddenly full of himself. The story has a very unsatisfying ending too. Overall, everyone is two dimensional and barely resembling original characters. Also the banter triesto be witty but fails miserably. The gratuitous swearing is not that funny and grates immensely. (I swear plenty myself, but this just felt completely wrong for this series). I will not be reading another installment by this author.
October 25, 2020
This was the first Robert B Parker book I've ever read (listened to), and I'll take a lot of convincing, before I'd try another. As one or two other reviewers mentioned, I too found it overtly sexist and lacking in substance. I found out after starting it, that it was not written by Parker himself, so perhaps that explains why most of the Parker books seem to be very popular, and this one is an anomaly. In any case, I'm not in a hurry to find out.
September 8, 2020
9/6/2020 Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net
9/8/2020 Embarrassingly, I totally had Robert B Parker mixed up with Richard Stark because of the latter's Parker novels. I'm starting to wonder whether I do, in fact, read too many books. And, given this title, whether I watch too little TV, as I've definitely watched a wee bit of the Stone Cold adaptation but never had the time to get through an entire Jesse Stone movie. I've still watched enough to totally envision Tom Selleck as the lead of this engrossing 19th(!) installment of the long-running series tho.
Since I haven't actually read any books by Mr Parker, my faulty recollection notwithstanding, I have no way of telling how true Mike Lupica is to the style of the author whose mantle he's picked up. What I can safely say is that he writes a wildly entertaining small town police procedural that any crime novelist would be proud to call their own.
Jesse Stone is the police chief of Paradise, Massachusetts, and a recovering alcoholic. When a body is found near the lake, Jesse is surprised to discover that the victim was a man he'd just met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting a town over. Paul, as the victim had introduced himself, is in death devoid of wallet, ID or cellphone, so it looks like this could have very well been a mugging gone awry. But a check with local cab companies reveals that Paul was last seen being dropped off at the gates of the wealthy Cain family's estate quite a distance away.
Despite Jesse's friendship with matriarch Lily, the Cains pretty much stonewall his inquiries, claiming to have never met Paul either on the night he was murdered or at any point beforehand. Jesse and his loyal deputies, Molly Crane and Suitcase Simpson, begin their painstaking detective work into Paul's background but are soon distracted by seemingly personal attacks with very different MOs. Could these have anything to do with the mysterious Paul or has someone from the past shown up with a grudge against the Paradise PD?
I really enjoyed getting to know Jesse and his crew, and honestly didn't feel at all confused by any of the complicated interpersonal relationships inherent in reading the latest in a 19-book series. Mr Lupica does a terrific job of keeping things accessible for the new reader while also writing a fine mystery that incorporates tons of characters series fans will easily recognize, including the luminous Sunny Randall. Given how even I, a relative newcomer, enjoyed the callbacks to prior events from the series, I can only imagine the delight of long-time readers.
I'm definitely putting the Jesse Stone series on my To-Read list despite my own worries about too much reading. One can never enjoy too many solid mystery novels, I believe. Besides, there's no way I'm ever mistaking Jesse for Parker, entertaining as both protagonists can be! I'm only glad I finally had the chance to learn to differentiate between the two and between their authors.
Robert B. Parker's Fool's Paradise by Mike Lupica is out today from Putnam Books, and is available at all good booksellers.
9/8/2020 Embarrassingly, I totally had Robert B Parker mixed up with Richard Stark because of the latter's Parker novels. I'm starting to wonder whether I do, in fact, read too many books. And, given this title, whether I watch too little TV, as I've definitely watched a wee bit of the Stone Cold adaptation but never had the time to get through an entire Jesse Stone movie. I've still watched enough to totally envision Tom Selleck as the lead of this engrossing 19th(!) installment of the long-running series tho.
Since I haven't actually read any books by Mr Parker, my faulty recollection notwithstanding, I have no way of telling how true Mike Lupica is to the style of the author whose mantle he's picked up. What I can safely say is that he writes a wildly entertaining small town police procedural that any crime novelist would be proud to call their own.
Jesse Stone is the police chief of Paradise, Massachusetts, and a recovering alcoholic. When a body is found near the lake, Jesse is surprised to discover that the victim was a man he'd just met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting a town over. Paul, as the victim had introduced himself, is in death devoid of wallet, ID or cellphone, so it looks like this could have very well been a mugging gone awry. But a check with local cab companies reveals that Paul was last seen being dropped off at the gates of the wealthy Cain family's estate quite a distance away.
Despite Jesse's friendship with matriarch Lily, the Cains pretty much stonewall his inquiries, claiming to have never met Paul either on the night he was murdered or at any point beforehand. Jesse and his loyal deputies, Molly Crane and Suitcase Simpson, begin their painstaking detective work into Paul's background but are soon distracted by seemingly personal attacks with very different MOs. Could these have anything to do with the mysterious Paul or has someone from the past shown up with a grudge against the Paradise PD?
I really enjoyed getting to know Jesse and his crew, and honestly didn't feel at all confused by any of the complicated interpersonal relationships inherent in reading the latest in a 19-book series. Mr Lupica does a terrific job of keeping things accessible for the new reader while also writing a fine mystery that incorporates tons of characters series fans will easily recognize, including the luminous Sunny Randall. Given how even I, a relative newcomer, enjoyed the callbacks to prior events from the series, I can only imagine the delight of long-time readers.
I'm definitely putting the Jesse Stone series on my To-Read list despite my own worries about too much reading. One can never enjoy too many solid mystery novels, I believe. Besides, there's no way I'm ever mistaking Jesse for Parker, entertaining as both protagonists can be! I'm only glad I finally had the chance to learn to differentiate between the two and between their authors.
Robert B. Parker's Fool's Paradise by Mike Lupica is out today from Putnam Books, and is available at all good booksellers.
July 11, 2022
Robert B. Parker’s Fools’ Paradise (Jesse Stone #19) by Mike Lupica (G.P. Putnam’s Sons 2020) (Fiction - Mystery) (3659).
This is a Mike Lupica take on the Jesse Stone series. [Personal Note: I’ve enjoyed Lupica’s work on behalf of the Robert B. Parker Estate thus far, and he does a pretty darn good job this time out as well. I feel like I’ve earned the right to submit an opinion, for I believe I’ve read (and reviewed) every single book in the Robert B. Parker pantheon.]
Fool’s Paradise finds Jesse at home in Paradise, Massachusetts working closely with Molly, Suitcase, and the usual supporting cast of locals. When dead bodies begin to turn up, characters from other Robert B. Parker series begin to appear. Sunny Randall has a big role, Vinnie Morris shows up, and even Rita Fiore is involved in the backstory.
A guy with no identifying information is found dead in a pond from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. He turns out to be someone Jesse recognized from a shared handshake at an AA meeting the night before. Other than the first name “Paul,” no information is known about him.
The author weaves one thread which involves three generations of an old family of great wealth. Another plot line involves a decade-old sexual assault scandal, and a third story arc follows Jesse as he “white-knuckles” his way through sobriety and a new-ish relationship.
Fool’s Paradise is as good as any Jesse Stone tale. In some ways it’s better than many of the previous offerings. I was impressed with - and surprised by- the result.
I understand Mike Lupica has written Jesse Stone #20 for the Parkers. I’m looking forward to it.
My rating: 7.25/10, finished 7/11/22. (3659)
August 2, 2021
Robert Parker passed away in 2010 leaving several of his longtime series to languish. His estate ended up passing his most prolfic and longest lasting Spenser series in the hands of Ace Atkins. Atkins finally found his footing after a his first few books to the point that they are almost as good as Parker's originals.
His Sunny Randle series was not picked up until a couple of years ago and are now being penned by sportswriter Mike Lupica. Lupica has done an excellent job with this series capturing the characters and story quite well. But Parker's Jesse Stone series has had a tougher road to go passing through two different authors who struggled across the board. Nut now, with Mike Lupica taking over this series, Jesse Stone is back on the right path. Lupica's first entry, Fool's Paradise is well written, true to Parker's idea for the title character while paying homage to the Parker history of Jesse Stone.
If you gave up on Jesse Stone after Parker passed away, I recommend that you pick this up and give it a try. I suspect that you will enjoy it. Parker didn't write it but, he almost could have.
His Sunny Randle series was not picked up until a couple of years ago and are now being penned by sportswriter Mike Lupica. Lupica has done an excellent job with this series capturing the characters and story quite well. But Parker's Jesse Stone series has had a tougher road to go passing through two different authors who struggled across the board. Nut now, with Mike Lupica taking over this series, Jesse Stone is back on the right path. Lupica's first entry, Fool's Paradise is well written, true to Parker's idea for the title character while paying homage to the Parker history of Jesse Stone.
If you gave up on Jesse Stone after Parker passed away, I recommend that you pick this up and give it a try. I suspect that you will enjoy it. Parker didn't write it but, he almost could have.
November 11, 2020
When Robert B Parker passed his the characters were franchised out-which is why I am still reading about Spenser, Sunny Randall, and (our topic du jour) Jesse Stone. Fool's Paradise is the new Stone novel-it is written by Mike Lupica. This is not Lupica's first rodeo with these characters. Jesse and company are faced with a multi-pronged investigation that features some surprises. I miss Mr. Parker's trademark wit he was so very talented at crafting dialog. Lupica cannot match him but once he gets cooking Fool's Paradise proved very entertaining.
October 11, 2021
A Jesse Stone book is usually a good bet and this one didn’t disappoint. Good mystery and good narration by James Naughton.
November 15, 2020
Good story, I have really enjoyed every Jesse Stone book!
October 17, 2020
Jesse Stone is a Robert B. Parker character and this story written by Mike Lupica does a good job of continuing the story of the character. If you are a fan of Parker, you might want to read this. It is light mystery fiction. Ok but nothing special.
September 21, 2020
Robert B Parker's heirs have taken great pains to ensure his legacy -- and his characters -- live on.
They have selected various crime writers to continue the Spenser, Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall and Cole/Hitch series. All of the characters -- and their respective series -- have fared well with the changes. They have changed with the times and evolved into characters that may be a bit different than those Parker created.
Jesse Stone has benefited most from the changes. He has a son, has dealt with his alcoholism and has truly grown. But maybe he has grown too much and has changed more than the Parker family could accept.
Enter family friend sports writer Mike Lupica, who only recently took over the Sunny Randall series. He has just written his second book in the series originally created as a film vehicle for Helen Hunt.
But now the family has asked him to also take on Jesse Stone, becoming the third author to attempt to follow in Parker's footsteps in Paradise.
What better way than to have Stone and Randall renew their relationship, enabling Lupica to write a book that features both characters?
But it's a book filled with ghosts, in more ways than one. First, you have flash backs to many of Stone's most famous cases over the years. Then you have characters from an older Parker book reappearing in a new mystery for Lupica. And then you have the troubled ghost of Jesse Stone past tromping all over the new Jesse so ably created by Reed Farrel Coleman.
The result is a mixed bag. It begins with longer paragraphs and less choppy dialog than has previously graced Parker's pages. Lupica finds his way about midway. While the writing flows better, the throwback/reset Jesse Stone is just a little hard to take.
He was doing so well. But maybe he'd outgrown the Parker character a bit. Hence the family's call to the bullpen.
So now Lupica has two of Parker's series. Whatever you do, do NOT give him Spenser. Ace Atkins is doing just fine with that franchise, thank you.
They have selected various crime writers to continue the Spenser, Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall and Cole/Hitch series. All of the characters -- and their respective series -- have fared well with the changes. They have changed with the times and evolved into characters that may be a bit different than those Parker created.
Jesse Stone has benefited most from the changes. He has a son, has dealt with his alcoholism and has truly grown. But maybe he has grown too much and has changed more than the Parker family could accept.
Enter family friend sports writer Mike Lupica, who only recently took over the Sunny Randall series. He has just written his second book in the series originally created as a film vehicle for Helen Hunt.
But now the family has asked him to also take on Jesse Stone, becoming the third author to attempt to follow in Parker's footsteps in Paradise.
What better way than to have Stone and Randall renew their relationship, enabling Lupica to write a book that features both characters?
But it's a book filled with ghosts, in more ways than one. First, you have flash backs to many of Stone's most famous cases over the years. Then you have characters from an older Parker book reappearing in a new mystery for Lupica. And then you have the troubled ghost of Jesse Stone past tromping all over the new Jesse so ably created by Reed Farrel Coleman.
The result is a mixed bag. It begins with longer paragraphs and less choppy dialog than has previously graced Parker's pages. Lupica finds his way about midway. While the writing flows better, the throwback/reset Jesse Stone is just a little hard to take.
He was doing so well. But maybe he'd outgrown the Parker character a bit. Hence the family's call to the bullpen.
So now Lupica has two of Parker's series. Whatever you do, do NOT give him Spenser. Ace Atkins is doing just fine with that franchise, thank you.
February 6, 2021
Really good interpretation of Jesse Stone by Mike Lupica, but just wrapped up too nicely for a Parker novel.
February 8, 2021
This book was okay. Author Mike Lupica and the other authors that have stepped in to fill Robert Parker's shoes do a pretty good job.
But only 2 stars worth this time for me. I don't know if I'm getting a little tired of the series, or the author is coasting a little. I was interested in the original mystery, but then another mystery popped in and was resolved and then the first mystery was wrapped up a little too quickly and unsatisfying-ly.
Also, is it just me or is the crew's dialogue, Jesse's and Sunny's in particular, getting a little too cool for the room? They seemed a little more pleased with themselves than usual; a lot if their banter was tributes to themselves or each other. Eh, could be crabby old lady me, but I'm just not as caught up with them as they are with each other.
Love Molly and Suit. And Vinny. I'd like to see a story more Vinny centered.
That's it. Not great but not bad. If you're a fan ofJesse Stone give it a try and tell us what you think.
But only 2 stars worth this time for me. I don't know if I'm getting a little tired of the series, or the author is coasting a little. I was interested in the original mystery, but then another mystery popped in and was resolved and then the first mystery was wrapped up a little too quickly and unsatisfying-ly.
Also, is it just me or is the crew's dialogue, Jesse's and Sunny's in particular, getting a little too cool for the room? They seemed a little more pleased with themselves than usual; a lot if their banter was tributes to themselves or each other. Eh, could be crabby old lady me, but I'm just not as caught up with them as they are with each other.
Love Molly and Suit. And Vinny. I'd like to see a story more Vinny centered.
That's it. Not great but not bad. If you're a fan ofJesse Stone give it a try and tell us what you think.
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