Stranger in Paradise (Jesse Stone Novels)

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Product Description
Police Chief Jesse Stone faces his most fearsome adversary in the latest addition to the celebrated series.

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 ten 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 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.

Customer Reviews: Read 52 more reviews...

3 out of 5 stars

Unusual Jesse Stone Novel February 19, 2008
18 out of 21 found this review helpful

This is definitely one of the oddest Jesse Stone novels that Robert Parker has written. In Stranger In Paradise, Stone is confronted by William "Crow" Cromartie who has come to town to bring the daughter of Miami gangster back to her father. The catch is, Crow has been instructed to kill the girl's mother and he doesn't kill women. Instead he solicits Stone to stay out of his way while he protects the girl and takes care of the other bad guys. Catch number two is, last time Crow was seen in Paradise he was speeding off with 10 million dollars leaving behind a string of bodies. Needless to say Jesse gets caught up in the matter and he and Crow become uneasy allies. Jen, Jesse's ex-wife is very much in this novel, are Molly Crane and Suitcase Simpson. And they all act oddly.

This novel was certainly entertaining and the situation rather messy. It wasn't one of my favorites though.

2 out of 5 stars

I think I've read this one before... February 21, 2008
14 out of 17 found this review helpful

I am a gigantic fan of Robert B. Parker. I've read all of the Spenser books, the Stone books and the Randall books. And I'm slowly "re-reading" the Spenser books as audiobooks.

It is not lightly that I give this book two stars.

The Stone novels were always different than the Spenser / Sunny Randall novels. Spenser and Sunny always have that buddy network to fall back on (especially Hawk and Spike, respectively) Jesse has always been alone, except for his on-again off-again ex-wife, who actually makes his sense of being alone even stronger.

That whole formula is thrown out. Instead, we have a combination of a re-make of Spenser's April Kyle and Paul Giacomin stories told under Jesse Stone this time around. This time around we now have Amber.

Rather than Spenser's Hawk (a mysterious, unstoppable African-American who operates on the wrong side of the law that the ladies find irresistible and shares witty racial banter with Spenser) we now have Stone's Crow (a mysterious, unstoppable Native American who operates on the wrong side of the law that the ladies find irresistible and shares witty racial banter with Stone). Hawk. Crow. C'mon!

Parker often recycles previous plots (how can he not - he's written so many books!) but this was just too much for me. The story is easy to read, interesting and enjoyable, but it has too many recycled features for my taste.

4 out of 5 stars

Solid And Entertaining Crime Fiction From A Master March 28, 2008
7 out of 9 found this review helpful

I've been a fan of Robert B. Parker's novels since 1978, which might be part of the problem with his latest offering STRANGER IN PARADISE. I love the author's writing style, his usual commentary on society and the individual, and his one-liners. All of those are present in the latest book, but in some ways too many of the same plots are revisited in this one.

This is the seventh Jesse Stone novel. Stone is a former Los Angeles policeman turned drunk turned small town Paradise, Massachusetts police chief. He's also struggling through working out a relationship with his ex-wife Jennifer, which has been one of the on-going subplots of the series. That particular subplot has gotten a little irritating at times because it doesn't seem to be going anywhere but constantly looms over every book.

The book had a lot of potential. Wilson Cromartie, a villain from an earlier book, puts in an appearance to tell Jesse he's going to be around town for a while. Ten years ago, Crow - the name he's called throughout the book - was part of an armed robbery gang. At the end of that, Crow chose not to harm the women hostages the gang had but managed to escape with ten million dollars.

This time around, Crow is in town working on a case, looking for the daughter of a big-time Mafia guy in Florida. I really enjoyed the way Crow and Jesse got a feel for each other and acknowledged how dangerous the other could be. When it comes to pared-down prose and tough guys, nobody delivers the goods the way Parker does.

As it turns out, Amber Francisco is a fourteen-year old mess being raised by her white trash mother. I didn't quite see how the mother went from living the high lifestyle in Florida to living a life barely getting by in Paradise, but I went with it. In addition to living the poor lifestyle, Amber has also hooked up with a young, violent Latino gang in the area.

Parker plays fast and loose with the plotting. Several things are going on throughout the novel. The past encounter with Crow threads throughout, but I'm not quite sure I'm willing to buy everything Parker promotes this time. One of the things that most jarred me was the attraction to Crow by one of the former hostages from that armed robbery ten years ago. Parker sets Crow up to be this sexual fantasy figure for that woman and they have a "one-time deal" encounter.

Not only that, but Crow's sexual magnetism wins over the one character in this series that I thought would never stray outside her marriage. Parker has explored the nature of sex and attraction throughout this series, and I've gone along with it. But, to me, this encounter really cheapened what I thought was a fantastically solid character. This decision really bothered me, which is a good thing on one level because it shows how realistically the author has created his characters.

But the sexual theme seems to hit a high note in STRANGER IN PARADISE. Especially the topic of cheating and how people didn't have to feel guilty about it. That jarred. Usually Parker ties his explorations of the subject to the plot, but this time I don't think that existing criteria was met.

Furthermore, when Crow makes the decision to save Amber and free her from her father rather than kidnap her and take her back home as he's been hired to do, the book started resonating themes from earlier Parker books. In EARLY AUTUMN, Parker's iconic private eye hero Spenser chooses to rescue a young boy from parents that only use him as a pawn in their on-going battle. In CEREMONY, Spenser rescues young April Kyle from parents that don't care about her by moving her from street hooker to high class call girl. The story with Amber smacks of both those books but doesn't dig into the plot as deeply as either of those did.

Truthfully, Crow echoed Parker's earlier creation of Spenser's friend, Hawk. Both of those characters have the same animal magnetism, skewed senses of honor, and no remorse over killing people or doing what they want to do in spite of the law.

STRANGER IN PARADISE is a fun romp. I sat down and read it straight through. I always save Parker books till a day on the weekend so I can read them without interruption. In that respect, the book was fantastic as always. I love the repartee and the familiar characters. But with all the build-up regarding Amber Francisco, I don't know whether to expect her return in future novels in the Jesse Stone series, or never hear from her again. And I don't honestly know which I'd prefer.

Parker is my favorite author, though, and I look forward to subsequent books in this series as well as others. He's still delivering straight-forward tales of crime, detective, and tough guys. It's a combination I just can't stay away from.

5 out of 5 stars

(4 stars) An Apache Warrior Looking for a War February 5, 2008
6 out of 14 found this review helpful

This is the seventh book in the Jesse Stone series by Robert Parker; it builds on the storyline and characters in the earlier novels. It begins with the surprise visit of Wilson Cromartie (Crow) to Jesse's office; thus proceeding from the point where TROUBLE IN PARADISE (the second book in the series) concluded ten years ago, with Crow disappearing with a boatload of money (literally), several dead bodies left behind, and the innocent maidens rescued from their captors. (As Crow now tells Jesse, "You know I'm not going away, and I know you're not going away.") The usual cast of characters who have peopled the series (Molly Crane, Suitcase Simpson, Dix, Daisy Dyke, and Jesse's former wife Jenn) all play integral roles, but except for a brief appearance by Healy and an oblique mention of Rita Fiore, the characters from the other two Boston area Parker series (Spenser and Sunny Randall) who are often interwoven with action in this series in are conspicuously absent this time. And while the nuances of the established relationships and knowledge of the series characters certainly added to my enjoyment as an unabashed long time Parker fan, enough of that background information is woven into this story so that both occasional Parker readers and first time buyers should greatly enjoy this story.

It is standard Parker fare, and my rating is in comparison with his earlier work and the crime/mystery genre - not in comparison to the literary classics. The book consists of short chapters and terse dialog, is heavy on the discussion of Jesse's flaws and the continuing drama of his relationship with Jenn, has lots of sardonic humor, and as usual is the repeated morality play that is the basis of all Parker novels. It is a one day read if you get hooked or have a long plane ride, or a two day read if you have other things to do or just want to take a little time to savor the fact that another Parker book has been published.

Crow informs Jesse that he has returned to Paradise in the employ of an unnamed individual who is searching for a missing person who he believes resides in the area; we soon learn that it is Amber Francisco, a young girl who has disappeared with her mother to escape a controlling father and difficult and perhaps violent home environment. Of course, Jesse is both unsure of Crow's endgame and desirous of being able to arrest him on some charge related to the events of ten years ago, although Crow assures him that the statute of limitations is past for all crimes except murder (of which there is no evidence and no witnesses wiling to testify). At the same time, Jesse recognizes that in some ways he and Crow share many traits (and an expertise with firearms) in common; and perhaps a code of honor as well although Crow is not inhibited by the legalities which circumscribe Jesse's work. There are also a few subplots which add to the story, both including Crow's love of and appreciation for women and the "threat" to Paradise created by the opening of a school for disadvantaged kids from the neighboring town of Marshport. (A complicating factor is that Amber has become involved with a violent Latino game from that town.)

However, the main plot involves three interrelated elements. First, can Crow and Jesse somehow establish a modus vivendi which will enable them to develop a plan which will allow them to have a chance of rescuing Amber from both the gang and her pursuer, despite the fact that she may not to be saved. (And even if she is rescued, has she been too damaged to be have a chance at redemption?) Second, what are Crow's real motives? Is he simply following the code and tradition of his supposed Apache ancestry or are there more complicated factors involved? ("Cowboys and Indians. With real guns and real bullets...this could get him killed. Or not. The uncertainty made the game.") Third, how will the fact that this becomes a news story of great interest to Jenn in her role as a TV investigative reporter affect Jesse's and Jenn's relationship? (Will the situation involving Amber and Crow somehow become an agent for change?) For readers of the series, the developments in this case may have a dramatic impact and afford a possible breakthrough on both the lives of Jesse and Jenn and their possible future together, although the extent is only hinted at by the conclusion.

One caution- these are flawed characters, consistent with Parker's view of the world and the nature of this genre. But perhaps more than usual, there is gratuitous sleeping around, although not in the same depressing and exploitive manner as SEA CHANGE (an earlier book in the series). However, one particular incident in this book (not central to the plot) disappointed my wife (an avid Parker fan) as out of character with the individual involved and lessened her enjoyment of the story. However, it certainly was in keeping with Jesse's observation that at times he felt like he was "police chief of Peyton Place", an apt reference for those who remember the sensation caused by that novel about a small New England town when it was first published in 1956.

Despite the above caveat, this is vintage Robert Parker. I thoroughly enjoyed STRANGER IN PARADISE, and highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a crime story which utilizes a reasonably straightforward plot as a means of character development of individuals both previously familiar and newly introduced to the reader. It is great fun when an interesting character reappears in a series after a several year absence, a device which Parker has utilized to good effect in the Spenser series as well.

5 out of 5 stars

Vintage Jesse February 10, 2008
6 out of 12 found this review helpful

While I still enjoy all of Parker's novels I am particularly fond of the Jesse Stones, in part because of the excellent films with Tom Selleck playing Jesse. I now hear his voice as I read the precise, minimalist dialogue. I wonder if Parker hears Selleck's voice and sees his face as he writes the novels.

Stranger in Paradise is vintage Jesse. There are multiple plot lines here, but all are transparent and easy to follow, despite the human complexities that serve as their backdrop. The narrative is like Jesse himself--a straightforward, straight talking individual with a psyche rent with pain and blocked aspiration. Parker lets us have a look at the scar tissue on Jesse's soul, but doesn't get too carried away with it. The balance between action and reflection is perfect.

Jesse is seeing a shrink these days; Molly and Suit are committing adultery and Jenn is on the scene, big time. Jenn is not intrusive; I far prefer her to Susan Silverman. And with Cromartie back, Jesse has his own Hawk. So the ensemble cast works very nicely; the plot lines come together perfectly; the sexual tension adds some spice and we have a violent buddy for Jesse to partner with against the bad guys (who receive their due).

Each of Parker's novels tends to have a signature line, one that is sweet and simple and endlessly memorable. Stranger in Paradise is no exception. The line: "There is no quiet quite like the one that follows gunfire."

Enjoy.

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