Rating: 
Summary: Jesse Stone fights two different categories of demons
Review: A husband and wife team of serial killers begins operating in Paradise, Massachusetts. They choose a victim and then methodically track their movements until they identify the perfect time to kill them, which is done by two simultaneous shots, one from each of them. After committing the crime, they go back to their apartment and make love while watching videos of their victim. Jesse Stone, the police chief in Paradise, is placed under great pressure to solve the murders. There is no apparent connection between the victims and the last one is a woman that Jesse was dating.
There is also another major case that Jesse is working on. A sixteen-year old girl was gang-raped by three guys who held her down and photographed her. Since the girl had immediately taken a bath after the rapes, there is no physical evidence. They have terrorized her so that she is afraid to accuse them. Jesse is furious and baits a trap for them by supposedly launching an undercover drug investigation at the high school. Since he sends officers that everyone knows, it is generally laughed off. However, one of his officers is female and while driving the bus, she spots one of the rapists smoking a joint. He is arrested and they find one of the photos in his backpack. This starts a process whereby they manage to identify and capture all three boys. However, since they are underage, a plea agreement is reached and they receive relatively light punishment. Jesse does what he can to help the girl, but eventually her family moves out of town.
While Jesse is chasing the demons that are killing people, he must also face some internal demons, his addiction to alcohol and his attachment to Jen, his ex-wife. She is a very selfish woman; she works for a local news station and tries to use Jesse's love for her to get inside information concerning the investigation. Jesse is able to stay away from the alcohol, but despite his relationships with other women, he cannot break away from Jen. When the other women ask him to explain it to them, all he can say is, "I love Jen (more)."
Jesse gets a break in the case when the serial killers target him as their next and last victim in Paradise. He understands that and positions several officers around the site they have chosen to commit the hit. Jesse wears a vest, counting on their pattern of shooting their victims in the chest. He is shot in the chest, but the killers have planned it so well, they manage to escape after killing another officer. However, their arrogance proves to be their undoing, Jesse manages to track them to Canada where they are arrested.
While the story line is a good mystery, what makes this story work so well is the quality of the dialog. The conversations between Jesse and his fellow officers, especially with Molly and Suitcase Simpson, are occasionally hilarious and always entertaining. Even though the dialog is nearly always deadpan and occasionally requires a bit of thought, it is as funny as other stories that are meant to be humorous. Robert Forster's narration also adds a bit of additional intensity, as he deadpans the jokes with just the right lack of extra inflection.
Rating: 
Summary: Stone Cold
Review: "Stone Cold" is the fourth Jesse Stone novel by Robert B. Parker, who is best known for his Spenser novels. Jesse is the police chief of the small seaside town of Paradise, Massachusetts. This novel has Jesse working on two important police cases and examining his personal life. A serial murderer is killing people at random with two shots from two .22 caliber guns. The reader learns that there are 2 murderers and why they are killing people. Jesse's life is very much in danger as it becomes apparent to him that he is to become a victim if he doesn't act fast. The other case involves the rape of a teen girl by three punks. Jesse also examines his personal life, and his love for Jenn, his ex-wife whom he still loves. This was my favorite Jesse Stone novel to date and it was a very satisfying read.
Rating:
Summary: Big fun.
Review: "Stone Cold", the fourth Jesse Stone novel by Robert B. Parker is breezy, fun, fast and entertaining.Parallel plots have small town police chief Jesse Stone attempting to solve a high profile serial killer case as well as a high school gang rape. The killers are Mensa types---truly diabolical and contemptible. Good solid police work by the overtaxed police force is carefully utilized to uncover the killers. The plot thickens when Jesse is certain of their identity, but lacks the hard proof necessary for arrest. The rape case is trickier. They know whodunit, however the victim and her parents are reluctant to testify or accuse the preps. So, subtlety, finesse and undercover work are employed to dupe the suspects into turning on each other. Very cleverly done! The running subplot involves Jesse's ambiguous relationship with his ex-wife enhances the story line, as we learn more about Jesse the individual as well as the cop. The lean Parker writing style makes the pages disappear. Snappy dialogue, absorbing good guys and bad guys, spare prose create a highly pleasurable read.
Rating:
Summary: Back to the Basics
Review: "Stone Cold" is one of the better, if not the best thing, Parker has written for a while. His Spencer novels are still great, but much of the allure of that series lies in the readers' love for Spencer, Susan, Hawk, and (of course)Pearl the Wonder Dog II. In "Stone Cold" the characters are still interesting--especially Rita--but it is the story and the action that drives the novel and keeps the reader turning the pages even, in my case, when I knew I should have been sleeping. You can feel the heat that Stone is under from the killing spree that he is trying to stop along with the tension of his mixed-up love life. The best part, however, lies in the readers being allowed to see some form of violence acted out on such characters--and here Parker does not spare the reader. In a world that has such monsters in it, it is good to feel Jesse hitting the bastards--and you do feel it--the writing is that damned good. This is Parker at his best, folks, don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: Stone Cold
Review: "Stone Cold" is the fourth Jesse Stone novel by Robert B. Parker, who is best known for his Spenser novels. Jesse is the police chief of the small seaside town of Paradise, Massachusetts. This novel has Jesse working on two important police cases and examining his personal life. A serial murderer is killing people at random with two shots from two .22 caliber guns. The reader learns that there are 2 murderers and why they are killing people. Jesse's life is very much in danger as it becomes apparent to him that he is to become a victim if he doesn't act fast. The other case involves the rape of a teen girl by three punks. Jesse also examines his personal life, and his love for Jenn, his ex-wife whom he still loves. This was my favorite Jesse Stone novel to date and it was a very satisfying read.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best
Review: Although Parker is a personal favorite and this was no exception, it's time for Jesse to dump Jenn. I find their relationship annoying at best and demeaning at its worst. Jesse deserves to both give and receive more in a relationship and become less shallow on the personal side.
Rating:
Summary: Great read
Review: Another fun romp through the mystery novel with Robert B Parker!
Rating:
Summary: Predictable but Entertaining
Review: Any fan of Robert Parker, especially those who like his Jesse Stone novels, will find this novel enjoyable. This work is more about developing the character of Jesse Stone than it is about the two crimes around which the story centers. Both crimes - we know who done it quickly without much buildup or mystery. But Jesse is front and center. And he seems much more melancholy, conflicted, and distant from his fellow man and woman than in any novel up this point. It will be interesting to see where Parker takes the character. Overall, another comfortable - that's a good word for Parker novels - piece of storytelling.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty lightweight reading
Review: As others have noted, this is not a big book. Lots of white space - I think it was a one day read for me. I have enjoyed the other Jesse Stone novels, but I guess the author needs to come up with something new. This is same-old-same-old. 1) Stone can't get over the ex-wife not matter what she does are how bad she treats him 2) Every good looking woman Stone meets wants to take him to bed, and almost without fail Stone goes along. There is no mystery in the book as the author shows you "who done it" at the start. Nor is there much drama or excitement when the guilty are caught. Might be worth a read at the cost of a paperback, or free from the library.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Jesse Novel
Review: Excellent story. Especially good in the procedures of police work and of course Jesse screwed up love life. He really needs to get over his ex-wife. As with the previous Jesse novels each one gives us new insight into Jesse life. So while Spenser will always be my favorite Jesse is getting closing the gap.
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