Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues: A Jesse Stone Novel

I was desperately hoping that this book would defy the usual pattern of a new author failing to adequately take over an old author's story line and characters. I was badly disappointed. Jesse Stone is NOT in character in some significant ways in this story. For example, I cannot imagine Parker's Jesse cavalierly shucking Sunny Randall just because she went to Europe for a job, and falling rapidly into bed with a shallow young woman just because she chased him. Molly is also out of character for most of the story, demonstrating a hardness that was never seen before; as is Lt. Healy, who appears to be Jesse's errand boy, rather than a powerful cop in his own right. I mostly read Parker's stories for the excellent characters and character development rather than the plot, and plot alone cannot hold this story up. Parker, like any good writer, SHOWS his story, doesn't TELL it. This writer tells, actually preaches at times. Even the premise of the story--that Jesse was vicious enough in L.A. to beat a criminal into brain damage--is so out of character for Parker's Jesse Stone that it strains credibility past breaking. Parker's Jesse is a violent man, not a mean one; and even drunkenness does not change basic character. Overall, even the excellent narration cannot make up for the flawed plot and poor characterizations. Not worth the hearing, and certainly not worth another, or another book.

This is the second Robert B. Parker novel I tried to listen to. The novel is very hard to finish with all the

More of the same. Not my favorite.

Not impressed. No obvious changes in character voices.

Not if the he said....she said....Jesse said continues. So annoying to listen to.

Jesse Stone

The humor was nice, The tone was right. To those worried that this wouldn't work in the wake of Parker's death, give it a listen. You won't be sorry. I look forward to the next entry in the series.

Naughton sounds like he is having fun with the book and that adds to the pleasure of the listening experience.

Somewhere in the upper middle. It held my attention and went by fast

I love the complexity of the Jesse Stone character

Yes, but I do not like how they constantly use the

I liked that he adopted the cat, or did the cat adopt him????

Maybe. The actually story was good. The rhythm of Robert B Parker isn't there.

I believe mentioning that would be a spoiler for the book and future readers. I wasn't surprised to see Jesse shy away from Sunny (since this was already mentioned) because Jesse Stone is basically a damaged guy and I think he will shy away from committment. I would like to see Sunny come back again.

I'm used to his narrative, and for the most part I think he does a good job, but he has to lose the lozenge or whatever he had in his mouth - it was VERY distracting!!

Yes - it is very short in comparison to other Robert B Parker books.

I thought it was interesting that they moved Jesse into some place that echoes the Tom Selleck movies.

While any true fan of the stone series knows this isn't Parker its very well done Bravo!

i enjoyed the storyline and the way it seemed to bring elements found in the movies

loved the tell tale " Jessie Stone " lines!

overall a great listen especially if you followed this series!

The story is lifeless, wandering and has a predictable outcome.

Handed it off to someone else to write. The last two Jesse's by Parker, and the last two TV adaptations by Brandman (and Selleck, as co-writer, co-producer) have lacked the energy and the interest of those that began the series. In Killing the Blues, Jesse wanders through without any passion whatsoever. The action is dull and formulaic and Brandman's effort to bring the books into the same setting as the TV show (Jesse moves to that house on the bay) is useless housekeeping.

I like his wry style. Others have complained that he doesn't give each character a separate voice but he actually does. It's subtle but enough for me. Cracked me up to hear him doing a Cialis commercial the day after I finished the book.

Disappointment. If the rest of the series is like this, I won't stick with it.

I liked the character, as usual, but it did not carry any weight as in the past Jesse Stone books, of which I have read all.

It seemed like there was an idea but it was never fleshed out. it was more like a short story.

Made me wish that Robert B. Parker had not died and had a chance to finish with a really good Jesse Stone story. It doesn't compare at all with the last Spencer story - Sixkill - that he wrote before his untimely death. I would venture to guess that an editor finished an manuscript he had left.

The author Michael Brandman (who wrote the screen plays for the Jesse Stone TV Movies starring Tom Selleck) continued the Jesse Stone legacy, but unfortunately he thinks he is still writing for the screen adaptation and not a book to follow in Robert B. Parker style.
The story is great, the narration is great, my main problem is Michael Brandman uses the book to marry up the book version and screen version of Jesse Stone, each of which in my eye(ear) were great in their own right but definitely different.

Overall I enjoyed the experience and am glad that Jesse Stone lives on, I only wish he would stay as he was.

I "bought" this book (actually, a free offer) thinking that it was a Parker novel. However, it isn't. And although I have read some books which were continuations of series established by someone else that were done well enough, this doesn't maintain Parker's tone. Moreover, it is a continuation of the TV movies, not the books -- this in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is something you should be prepared for. I can't say that this is a bad book, but it is a bad Parker book. This is the first book-on-tape I've tried, and it is a taste I haven't yet acquired; however, Naughton's performance was certainly acceptable.