Night Passage (Jesse Stone Novel) - Softcover

Parker, Robert B

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0425183963 ISBN 13: 9780425183960

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2001

Synopsis

Title: Night Passage <>Binding: Mass Market Paperback <>Author: RobertB.Parker <>Publisher: BerkleyBooks

About this title

Review:

Fans often feel uneasy when the creator of a popular character ventures into new turf, and sometimes their trepidation is justified. But readers of Robert B. Parker's immensely popular Spenser series can breathe a sigh of relief: while Night Passage doesn't feature Spenser, his usual gang of associates or a Boston setting, it's vintage Parker--fast, witty, suspenseful and engaging.

Told in short, crisp chapters, it is the story of Jesse Stone, a 34-year-old who has just lost his Los Angeles policeman's job and his marriage because of a drinking problem. The book opens as Stone leaves California for his new job as chief of police in the picturesque town of Paradise, Massachusetts.

But Paradise isn't as placid as it seems--in fact, it's a festering mass of petty corruption, right-wing militia, sexual scandal and bad guys who favour strong-arm tactics. Night Passage boasts a delicious, classic setup: the lone lawman, new in town, must make his stand to clean up the place. Stone has been picked for the job because the town fathers figured he'd be weak and malleable; as he gradually pulls himself together, it turns out they have a surprise in store. Stone's qualities may remind you of Spenser's--he's taciturn, fearless, good-looking and compassionate--and in the end the plot's pleasing complexities are resolved a bit simply.

But Robert B. Parker is in fine form, with his smart-aleck wit under control and his prose at its economical best. Spenser fans and Parker neophytes alike will find plenty to enjoy here. And the setting is, after all, not far from Boston--dare we hope for a Spenser-Stone meeting in future books? --Laura Smith

Review:

Praise for Night Passage

"Parker's sentences flow with as much wit, grace and assurance as ever, and Stone is a complex and consistently interesting new protagonist."--Newsday

"Parker has always been a master of razor-sharp and witty dialogue, hard-driving suspense and memorable characterization. His Jesse Stone series promises to match if not excel the Spenser novels. Night Passage is a stunning debut."--Houston Chronicle

"Vintage Parker."--The Denver Post

"A page-turner...the protagonist is a believable, full-blooded man of Hemingwayesque dimensions. Full of action, spiced with fast-moving introspection."--Forbes

"A winner."--The Boston Globe

"You can always rely on Parker for some great talk and great scenes."--Kirkus Reviews

More Praise for Robert B. Parker

"If weight is to be given to prolific output as well as to literary excellence, it would be no stretch to claim that America's greatest mystery writer is Robert B. Parker."--The New York Sun

About this edition

• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0425183963
• ISBN 13: 9780425183960
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432