Stranger in Paradise

By: Robert B. Parker

Narrated by: James Naughton

Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

The last time Jesse Stone, chief of police of Paradise, Massachusetts, saw Wilson "Crow" Cromartie, the Apache Indian hit man was racing away in a speedboat after executing one of the most lucrative and deadly heists in the town's history. Crow was part of a team of ex-cons who plotted to capture Stiles Island, the wealthy enclave off the Paradise coast, by blowing up the connecting bridge. Residents were kidnapped, some were killed, and Crow managed to escape with a boatload of cash, never to be seen again. Until now.  

So, when Crow shows up in Jesse's office some 10 years after the crime, it's not to turn himself in. Crow is on another job, and this time he's asking for Jesse's help - by asking him to stay out of his way.

Crow's mission is simple: find young Amber Francisco and bring her back to her father, Louis, in Florida. It should be an easy payday for a pro like Crow, but there are complications. Amber, now living in squalor with her mother, Fiona, is mixed up with members of a Latino gang. And when Louis orders Crow to kill Fiona before heading back with Amber, he can't follow through. Crow may be a bad guy, but he doesn't kill women. It's up to Jesse to provide protection.

Meanwhile, Jesse's on-again, off-again relationship with his ex-wife, Jenn, picks up steam as Jenn investigates the gang problem for her TV station. As they dig deeper, the danger escalates. The life of a young girl hangs in the balance, and saving Amber could be the miracle Jesse and Jenn need for themselves, too.

©2008 Robert B. Parker (P)2008 Random House, Inc.

Jesse and Crow - the next Spenser and Hawk?

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 story, 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.

He Said, Ad Nauseam

After several hundred audio books, I finally hit rock bottom. My first bad review. Bad story and the the constant use of "He Said" drove me nuts! The narrator would speak the the line and then pause before saying "He Said". Ahhhhh! Over and over again!!!

I Don't Get It

I absolutely cannot understand the good reviews on this one. This is not a good book, and an even worse audiobook.

The dialogue is terrible! Aside from the fact that every spoken word is followed by "Crow said" "Jesse said" "Jen said" etc etc etc, the dialogue is campy and cliche'.

The story is marginal to decent, but there is nothing here to get excited about.

The reader was good given what he had to work with.

Good story, and good narration

Finally a good narrator for the Jessie Stone series. The story is as good as any of Parker's novels, and now we have a narrator who doesn't sound bored by the sound of his own voice.

Let's have some more Jesse Stone novels read by James Naughton.

What were you thinking?

This was selected for my Book Club Read so I purchased in on audible for my commute and in print for our meeting. I cannot wait for my meeting to ask - What were you thinking? The He said, she said was crazy and bad.

He Said, She Said

Good story, good reader but way too many "He Saids and She Saids" I found it very distracting.

Very Good

Most of the Jesse Stone are quite good and this one is no exception. It has all the typical Parker touches including personal codes, being a stand-up guy, bad men who do things that ultimately do good. The picture of Jesse's ex-wife Jen is a better, more sympathetic, fuller version of her than the one presented in previous books. It is also indicative of later works in the series where Jesse takes on the role of social arbiter if not social worker; as he seeks to help troubled teens in difficult circumstances. This is also the book that presents Molly Crane in a fuller manner than any of the others in the series. It does of course contain another of the typical Parker touches; the incessant he said, she said, Jesse said that are easily ignored in print but are jarring as well as irritating in audio form. An excellent read and a great listen as well.

Could Not Tell

The narration is so bad I could not get through 10 minutes. Always in third person. I listen to audiobooks compulsively and this was the worst ever encountered. If the book was good, could not tell. Maybe I will have to read! Who has time for that?

painful

From beginning to end, a painful experience to listen to this book. Thankfully it is short. I'm not even sure what happened.

Robert B. Slacker

This book could have been better, the abridged version would have been shorter and less painful to listen to. To dialog (usually a high point with this author) was horrible, pedestrian, disjointed, and mostly meaningless. The storyline (usually crisp and well thought out) was ridiculous, laughable, and sophomoric. It is time for Mr Parker to stop writing and take up knitting.

Better read really

This is a good book but there is too much "he said" "she said". Gets annoying as the story is easy to follow.