Death in Paradise

A Jesse Stone Novel

By: Robert B. Parker

Narrated by: Robert Forster

Length: 5 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Chief of Police Jesse Stone returns to investigate the murder of a troubled teenager in a seemingly bucolic New England town.

The Paradise Men's Softball League has wrapped up another game, and 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 a frightened voice calls out to him from the edge of a nearby lake. There, two men squat at the water's edge. In front of them, facedown, was 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 hadn't committed suicide; she hadn't been drowned; she'd been shot and dumped, discarded like trash. Before long it becomes clear that she had a taste for the wild life; and 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 young man's school ring on a gold chain, and a hunch or two.

©2001 Robert B. Parker (P)2001 New Millenium Audio, All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

"A page-turner...one of the master's best." (The Washington Post Book World)
"Prose whose impeccability speaks of decades of careful writing." (Publishers Weekly)

He said, she said....

Love Robert B. Parker, love his books, and especially love his Jesse Stone character who is a good solid man's man, tells it like it is. This is a good "read", light on the mystery but the reason for my two star rating is the constant, annoying "Jesse said" and "she said" which got under my skin. Driving 150 miles somewhere this week? This is the right book, nothing too complicated, few characters to keep up with, and the ending is rather predictable.

Sorry

I'm sorry I bought this audio book. I got so tired of all the "he said" and the monotone boring narrator who gave the same voice to all characters that the story just didn't work for me.

Horrific narration

I listen to a lot of audiobooks, from fiction to non-fiction to educational. For recreation, I thoroughly enjoy law enforcement procedurals of all types and can never get enough. I have watched the few Jesse Stone TV events and enjoyed them so I thought I’d listen to the series of audiobooks. Honestly, I’d rather listen to schoolchildren scratching a chalkboard than listen to this narrator. He is so brutally deadpan and monotone that I couldn’t even get to chapter three before returning my first ever book to Audible.com.
I guess I am spoiled listening to the likes of George Guidall narrating the Walt Longmire Series, or Titus Welliver doing the Harry Bosch Series or the Cole & Hitch Series. In fact, I’ll stop listening to the Cole & Hitch Series with the last Titus Welliver narration because the narrator that takes over after him has been panned in reviews. Audible books are an outstanding accompaniment to driving long distances or during exercise. However, it’s not just the story that matters here. The narration is vital. If it’s bad, there’s no reason to listen whatsoever because it kills the mood and distracts your mind away from the story. That’s what happened to me with this Jesse Stone novel. I just absolutely couldn’t take the pain the narration caused. So, I can’t say anything about the actual story. Sorry.

DO NOT GET THIS, "He said...." She said, "....."

What disappointed you about Death in Paradise?

Th narrator had a decent style in Hit Man by Lawrence Block. I thought I'd give him another go. I seldom offer reviews, but I do not want others to waste your earned money on this horrible narration. Please just listen to the sample and I absolutely insist that you do NOT support this horrible performance.

Would you be willing to try another book from Robert B. Parker? Why or why not?

No. The reason is because his story is decent, but he did not do his research. I live in Massachusetts. He does not have accurate details that even come close to the towns that he attempts to parallel. I understand that this book is fictional, but he does not even come close to telling a story that could happen in Mass.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Robert Forster?

Alan Sklar or Tony Roberts, but without the he said...and she said...

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Death in Paradise?

Just more accurate Massachusetts details.

The book is good

This is a bad audio copy. Don’t buy this. Save your money. It sounds like it’s read in a train tunnel

Bad

One of the worst crime novels I have ever read. Real Elmore Leonard instead. Robert Forster reading it was the only good part of it.

Worst narrator

Please stop using this narrator, he ruins the story. I returned the book 5 minutes into it, I couldn’t take Robert Forster’s performance.

The poorest of Robert B Parker;s novels

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I don't know

Has Death in Paradise turned you off from other books in this genre?

No..I love every one of the other Robert B Parker's books.....and I own them all. This one is full of angst about Jesse's ex--wife, a ditz who anyone can see is "using"Jjesse, his drinking, and sexual tension, which Parker generally handles with flair, but, in this book, seems crass and overplayed. The plot is cast in third place so Jesse can maunder about his past, etc...Awful!,,

Have you listened to any of Robert Forster’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Death in Paradise?

How do I count the ways.......his editor took a nap on this one. Dreadful book.

He said - she said - they all said

The story is good enough, but the narration is flat and all the "he said", "she said", "so-and-so" saids is very annoying. I guess blame that on the author? There never seems to be punctuation or voice inflection though. A question by Jesse is ended with a flat monotone "Jesse said". I listened to it all the way through, but it was hard to finish.

"he said"

What disappointed you about Death in Paradise?

The narration is flat. I was distracted by the constant

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Its one of those endings like turning another page. This is simply one chapter in a longer volume.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The story explores a flawed man doing a good job as a cop, but the narration makes it seems so mundane.