I realize that I have been blogging about books written by a number of great female writers this summer. However, one of the all time great writers is Robert B. Parker, author of the popular Spenser series. Parker has another series that I also enjoy: the Jesse Stone novels. Several have been made into TV movies, starring Tom Selleck, so whenever I read one of these books, I am picturing Tom Selleck as Jesse.
In Death in Paradise (2001), Jesse has settled into his job as the police chief of Paradise, a small town in Massachusetts not that far from Boston. He is still seeing his ex-wife, Jenn and is starting to recognize that he has some issues with alcohol and moving on. Jesse once played professional baseball and enjoys a regular game with friends; one night, after their game, several men discover the body of a young girl at the edge of the water. Suddenly, Jesse is investigating a missing girl who became a victim of homicide.
Robert Parker is the master of dialogue, description, and characterization. He does a skillful job of mixing humor, real life situations and details of police procedure. Jesse works with an interesting group of people, including the ever efficient and articulate Molly, Suitcase, and a few cops from the Boston force. The extra layer of pyschological insights into troubled relationships and substance abuse adds complexity and interest.
Jesse is determined to find the person guilty of killing the young girl, and in order to do so, he has to enlist the help of other officers to gather information and do some old fashion surveillance. As he does so, he has to deal with other cases and crises.
If you are looking for another series full of interesting characters and cases, check out the Jesse Stone series. The first two books are Trouble in Paradise and Night Passage; Death in Paradise is book three. You can find them in the Mystery section of the WPL.
c Waterloo Public Library 2008
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