Night Passage

By: Robert B. Parker

Narrated by: Richard Masur

Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

After a busted marriage kicks his drinking problem into overdrive and the LAPD unceremoniously dumps him, 35-year-old Jesse Stone's future looks bleak. So he's shocked when a small Massachusetts town called Paradise recruits him as police chief. He can't help wondering if this job is a genuine chance to start over, the kind of offer he can't refuse.

Once on board, Jesse doesn't have to look for trouble in Paradise: It comes to him. For what is on the surface a quiet New England community quickly proves to be a crucible of political and moral corruption - replete with triple homicide, tight Boston mob ties, flamboyantly errant spouses, maddened militiamen, and a psychopath-about-town who has fixed his violent sights on the new lawman. Against all this, Jesse stands utterly alone, with no one to trust; even he and the woman he's seeing are like ships that pass in the night. He finds he must test his mettle and powers of command to emerge a local hero - or the deadest of dupes.

©1998 Robert B. Parker (P)1998 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.

Vintage Parker

As always, Robert B. Parker manages to combine self-analysis, social commentary, macho heroics, and sly humor into a great mystery story. I'm not sure what the audio equivalent of a "page turner" is, but I thoroughly enjoyed each chapter and eagerly moved on to the next. Jesse Stone is not quite as funny as Spenser(my all time favorite mystery hero), but he is a complex and interesting character. Night Passage is well worth the listening time.

Good story poor quality audio

Great story. Enjoyed the story line. Similar to the Tom selleck series but with more detail and story lines. Poor quality audio however. Audible please update to a better experience.

Bad Audio

The story was great but the quality of the audio was so bad that it was hard to hear a lot of the words. Also, the narrator didn't have much change of voice between characters. Hope the next book is better.

poor reader. older or poor recording. good story.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

no, the story was ruined by the recording and the reader.

What did you like best about this story?

Typical Jesse Stone novel and a good start to the series. Read the paperback unless this
is redone.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Richard Masur?

No character to his voice. Monotone.

Do you think Night Passage needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

stupid question for this context. It's the first of a series.

Great Narration

This is an excellent debut for the Jesse Stone series, well written in true Robert B. Parker style.
Richard Masur's excellent narration however is dimmed by the recording of this particular title

We Need a Remake.

Anything written by this guy deserves quality. Why oh why is the sound on this recording so muddled? No one can spare the money to have an expert clean it up? Can't find 1 voice actor who'd do it with in budget or free? Sweet Jesus surely some state college about to graduate, needs it for their reel, would do it gladly. Seriously. Great story. Sound quality SUCKS!

perfect story not so good audio

my only complaint is that the audio was a bit tinny and mushy I have hearing problems in one ear so at times it was hard for me to understand

Poor sound quality

Good story, sounds like the narrator called in the recording over the phone. Would have been a good narration otherwise

As always another great story!

I’ve always enjoyed mr parkers writings and until that last year I’ve done the reading myself. It’s quite different being read to, but I must say I do enjoy it. The only downside is the audio on this story isn’t that great. It’s kinda hard at points to hear and there’s white noise pretty much through the entire story. Still great if played through speakers loud enough though, but tough with earbuds which is usually the opposite.

Good book terrible audio

It is like listening to an old time radio show on the worst speakers. Torturous!