Death in Paradise

A Jesse Stone Novel

By: Robert Parker

Narrated by: Robert Forster

The Paradise Men's Softball League has wrapped up another game, and Chief of Police Jesse Stone is lingering in the parking lot with his teammates, drinking beer, swapping stories of double plays and beautiful women in the late-summer twilight. But then someone makes a horrifying discovery at a nearby lake: At the water's edge, facedown, is something that used to be a girl.

The local cops haven't seen anything like this, but Jesse's L.A. past has made him all too familiar with floaters. This girl didn't commit suicide and she didn't drown. She'd been shot and dumped, discarded like trash. Before long, it becomes clear that the young woman had a taste for the wild life. Her own parents can't be bothered to report her missing or even admit that she once was a child of theirs. All Jesse has to go on is a school ring on a gold chain — and a hunch or two.

©2001 Robert B. Parker (P)2001 Phoenix Books, Inc.

I enjoyed the book

I really enjoy the Jesse Stone character and easily see him as looking like Tom Selleck

Robert B Parker

This is the third book in the Jesse zone series. This is also made into a movie by Tom Selleck and the other book is quite good. Dr Parker got his PhD by writing about Raymond Chandler and Hammett, and his work in his own novels is excellent.

Writing not good for audio.

I found the writing style uninspiring and formulaic. He'd throw in descriptions of clothing in pointless interruption of dialog. Our hero jumps into the sack with anybody, all the women are beautiful...
What I found irritating in the audio that wouldn't matter as much on paper was the dialog. Somehow the rhythm of "He said...She said...He said...She said" really stood out as repetitious in a way that hasn't bothered me in the hundreds of other audio books I've listened to.

Good mystery, too much empty angst

Jesse Stone, police chief of Paradise, Mass., is an appealing character -- think Spenser without the ever-annoying Susan and Hawk -- and his crimesolving is compelling. But enough of Jesse's endless discussions with his on-again, off-again ex-wife and his overblown "to drink or not to drink" soliloquies. You get the point after the first round, and could easily fast forward through all the rest without missing anything vital. Reader has the right style but mispronounces several words -- where is Joe Mantegna when we need him?

I loved it

a real good mystery i was thrilled
a suprising ending.wonderful narration
i imagined it in my head