Rating: Summary: Jesse Stone has a promising future Review: I enjoyed both Jesse Stone books. I like the idea of a flawed character who is turning himself around and getting a second chance at life. I didn't like the exwife Jenn who supposedly was his downfall in the past. He should have kicked her to the curb. His taste in women is awful and apparently he has never heard of safe sex. I've read so many of the Spenser books, and I enjoyed a change. I'm glad that Pearl and Susan were left behind, although I think Pearl is by far more interesting than Susan.
Rating: Summary: One of his all-time best works Review: I found myself skimming the crime chapters, and concentrating on the love stories of Jesse Stone. This is a new area for Parker, and the way he expressed the emotions of the principals reminded me of romance authors. Not that this is a woman's story, not at all. But Stone has grown, matured, and sobered a lot since Parker's first novel about him. The ex-wife is here, the attorney girlfriend, and another, and how Stone manages these complex relationships has echoes to Spencer's simpler philosophy, but his feelings when with them, or analyzing his complicated life, were refreshing and detailed. I think this is a real departure for Parker, and wait with baited breath for further adventures in Paradise.
Rating: Summary: Disappointing Review: I liked the first Jesse Stone book, but was disappointed in this one. The trials and tribulations of Jesse's love live was overdone and the main plot wasn't strong enough to move the story along. The incident involving the teenagers was more interesting, but short lived. I am a big fan of Parker's, but this one was kind of a stinker.
Rating: Summary: Trouble in Paradise is a good read but not perfect. Review: I looked forward to the new Jesse Stone as I found the first one a nice surprise (I am a died in the wool Spenser fan). I did not like this one as well as the first one, though. Jesse jumps in and out of bed with all of the women most of the time (ever hear of AIDS?) as did Macklin when he could. Are we being set up to have Susan Silverman be Jenn's new shrink? And what's with the Susan and Spenser/Jesse and Jenn relationships? The really strong characters in both series are birds (Hawk and now Crow). Otherwise, Trouble in Paradise is a fast read, and usually a good read.
Rating: Summary: Great characters, bad plot... Review: I loved the characters in this book. They way he lets us see through their actions and dialog what kind of people they are is very refreshing (most authors today tend to tell us what the characters are like).However, the plot was a silly as they come and seemed to be there only to bring the characters together for a climax (or anticlimax in this case) and bears no resemblence to reality. That aside, it was an enjoyable read and introduces you to a different character for him other than Spenser.
Rating: Summary: Good read! Review: I thoroughly enjoy the dry humor used by Mr. Parker to endear his readers to his star gumshoe - Spenser. A very enjoyable book!
Rating: Summary: Paradise lost Review: I was really looking forward to the continuing adventures of Jesse Stone. My complaint about this story is that the ending failed to live up to the drama created as the story moved on. It ended too abruptly. I would like to see future novels with Jesse Stone to be longer so it will fel more like a novel and less like a TV episode.
Rating: Summary: Trite Review: I'm getting a little tired of strong men whose strong women find them too controlling, and therefore sleep around. It's become a Parker cliche, and not particularly interesting or believable. Aside from that, the usual snappy dialogue and fast-paced plot. Second rate Parker, but not bad.
Rating: Summary: Parker's best book to date Review: I've read every book that Robert Parker has written and I think this is his best to date: a fast-moving plot that won't let you stop reading, further development of his most interesting character(Chief Stone)since Hawk, as well as a wonderful villain and well developed secondary characters, and great dialogue. Best of all, no annoying Susan Silverman and that damn wonder dog!
Rating: Summary: lot of sizzle with minute traces of steak Review: If you've read other reviews here, then you know what the books about, who the new Parker protagonist is, yada, yada.... I want to say something about the language Parker used in this book. It is incredibly simple, simple declarative stuff. I was amazed how little descriptive detail is in this book. It's like reading a script, though, a script would have more detail. Now, this fact begs the question of being entertained. Sure, I was. I read the whole novel over the course of 3 connecting flights. But, gee, I'll forget I've read it by the end of the week. Should we require writers to do some actual writing? I don't think Parker broke a sweat over this one until he started signing royalty checks.
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