Heard just about all the Spenser books so decided to give a listen to Parker's new hero - Jessie Stone. Turned out to be a great choice. Stone has all..Show More » of Spenser's knowhow but is a lot more flawed - and more human. Very easy to identify with. The mystery was also excellent and had me guessing to the end.

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I've been a big fan of the late Robert B. Parker's Spenser for many years, and read about half of the those books in audio form. They are always very ..Show More »good, and occasionally great. I had never read a Jesse Stone novel until I came across this short one in a recent Audible Sale, and seeing that it was read by my hometown hero, Robert Forster, I couldn't resist.

The book was great, and I look forward to seeking out the rest of the novels in this series, especially if they are read by Forster. I know his thick Raaachester accent irritates some who aren't used to it, but his characterizations and smooth demeanor are dead-on for this type of book. Great fun!

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OMG! Way too many he said, she said. Way too annoying. I even gave the CDs for a friend to listen to and he couldn't even finish the audio either. ..Show More » Don't know if this was the narrator or the authors fault, but it made me crazy.

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I was initially drawn to this series and its characters, especially because the Spenser novels have become so trite and formulaic. The murder investig..Show More »ation in this book is reasonably interesting -- so many suspects with so many motives -- but the central characters are just getting silly. Jesse's inability to distance himself from his lying, unfaithful, manipulative and narcissistic ex-wife -- who proves herself even more despicable in this novel -- makes it difficult to trust his judgment on anything else. He's also turning into a bit of a bully. And Sunny, the private investigator and Jesse's potential new love interest, is equally in thrall to her ex, who may or may not be a mobster. Don't these people learn from the criminals they investigate? Supporting characters Molly and Suitcase are more fleshed out here, which is fun and welcome. I guess I'm just as bad as Jesse and Sunny, because I'll never give up on Parker, even though his last few books have been so disappointing -- whatever happened to the man who wrote such books as Looking for Rachel Wallace?

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I thought of this at the end of the first appearance of Crow, not entirely unlike the first meeting in a novel of Spenser and Hawk. This was a good s..Show More »tory, better than the last crossover with Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall. Crow is a bad guy, but you like him for his autonomy, a hallmark characteristic of all Parker characters. Stone is more of a smartass in this book, much like a well loved Boston PI. James Naughton is a very good reader and you eventually stop noticing the endless "he said she said" overlays that are invisible on the paper page but really stand out in the audible book.




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I've enjoyed Robert parker books but this book has messed up both the Jesse stone and the Sonny Randall series for me. Mr parker only needs to go bac..Show More »k to the last 2 Sonny Randall books to realize that he has messed the plot line in night and day because he wanted to get rid of Jen and bring Sonny Randall back as a love interest. So he merely pretends the last 2 Sonny Randall books don't exist and uses her in the story line while pretending that she and her ex husband are not seeing one another. My question to mr Parker is since Richie was mas married and divorced from his wife during the last 2 Sonny Randall books and he had given it all up for Sonny, have you married him off again? I enjoyed one Sonny Randall and her brief affair with Jesse and her appearance in several other books but I'm soory that I bought this book and probably won't be buying anymore books in the Jesse Stone series until he gets his plot lines straight.

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I gave the third star for memory. As I listened, I saw in my mind's eye all of the Parker characters that seemed so real. Split Image was like all of..Show More » the Parker novels; crime never went unpunished and romance had rules. Read this book for nostalgia, knowing we will never again be charmed by Jessie and Spenser, Hawk, Susan, Healy, Rita, Sunny, even old Suitcase Simpson. I wanted to read for enough years to see Molly the new Chief and Suit, Chief Detective. Farewell Robert Parker, you were one of the best.

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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 ch..Show More »aracters. 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.

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Michael Brandman may be able to keep the Jesse Stone character going.

The dialog wasn't as sharp as in the past - but it was close.

..Show More »I still miss Joe Montegna narrating - but James Naughton would be my second choice,

All in all - if you are a Jesse Stone fan - enjoy the listen.

If you are new to this series - get going, you are missing some great books!

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