High Profile (Jesse Stone)
by Robert B. Parker
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Book Reviews of High Profile (Jesse Stone)
Book Review: Living on his laurels!
Summary: 1 Stars
First, I'm a fan of Robert B. Parker and have read most of his books. Second, this novel is old news, but here's my review anyway. This is the first Parker novel I really did not like at all. Someone at Putnam's must have known how bad it was because even the dust jacket synopsis has nothing to do with the actual novel. There may be some "small-minded local officials and national media scrutiny" but it is a minor annoyance in the book. And the "heartbreaking link" between the victims isn't written as if it was intended to be heartbreaking. Also the "girl's tender age" is 30, which doesn't fit my idea of tender age. Of course it may be a tender age for Parker's Characters. (Spencer Met Susan in 1973 (read Looking for Rachael Wallace)and Spenser was 37 when he met Susan (read God Save the Child).
This book is not about a murder or two, or three murders. It's about the love lives of Jesse, who can't get along without Jenn no matter how many men she sleeps with, and Jenn, who sleeps with any man no matter who or what he is, and Jesse, who thinks he may not be able to get along without Sunny even though Sunny can't get along without her ex, and Sunny, who thinks she may love Jesse, knows she still loves her ex, and is willing to play bodyguard to Jenn. She should have killed Jenn which would have solved most of Jesse's problems and made the novel interesting. You would think Jesse, Jenn and Sunny are all the "tender age" of 18 rather than the old, experienced lovers they are supposed to be.
Last, but not least, I wondered why, while reading, I kept thinking I was turning two pages at a time when I wasn't. It was because the paper is twice as thick as it is in most books. It qualifies as a novel length book because of wide margins, thick pages, and 63 chapters each of which is introduced by a large number that takes two-thirds of the first page of each chapter. I'm sure Putnam's is aware of the shortcomings of this book but they know they will probably make money from Parker novels. I hope the next one is better or that Mr. Parker retires with his good name intact.
Book Review: another ho-hum reading experience, for the most part
Summary: 3 Stars
I did like the actual mystery in this one, but so many other things made it not a great read.
I've been having a problem for a while with the way Jesse and Jen's "relationship" keeps plugging along. I will admit that I typically have problems with those relationships (real, fictional--it doesn't really matter much to me) where the partners are seemingly getting very little of substance out of the connection they share but somehow manage to elevate that connection in their minds so that it seems. . .I don't know. . ."meant to be" or "inescapable." Bollocks. When someone can't be faithful to his/her partner, even when that person knows how destructive the infidelity is, that's. . .well, crap.
In this book, Jesse keeps the whole Jen thing going pretty much as it has been. She continues to lie to him and treat him disrespectfully, but he can't shake her, and she says she can't shake him. At the same time, he's interested in Sunny, but THAT relationship is fraught with bizarre co-dependency, too. Lovely.
So. What do we get?
We get Jesse and Sunny, et. al., still being extraordinarily capable of seeing their own flaws and insecurities but being relatively unwilling to do a darn thing about them other than keep choosing to remain in relationship limbo, basically.
Since pretty much all of Parker's recent Stone/Randall novels head in this same direction, I find myself pondering whether it's worth picking them up any longer. I still find Spenser moderately interesting (although if I have to read one more description of how Susan sips a quarter-ounce of wine over the space of 10 hours, I will throw the book against the nearest wall), but it's rough to shell out beaucoup bucks for very short AND predictable books.
(Before you say to me that Jesse, Sunny, and Jen are like lots of people I'd meet every day, I'll say this: I wouldn't want to read about THEIR co-dependency issues book after book, either. ;-))
Book Review: Not one of his best
Summary: 2 Stars
When a bullet-ridden body is found hanging from a tree in a public park in Paradise, Massachusetts, Police Chief Jesse Stone is called in to investigate the death. When he finds out the body is that of controversial talk show host Walter Weeks and that there was a second murder of someone close to Weeks, Jesse wants to solve the case quickly before the national media gets too much involved. He is also trying to help his ex-wife, Jenn, who claims she was raped. Jesse has plenty of suspects in the Weeks case and as he struggles to untangle the messy case he is also trying to untangle the messy relationship he has with Jenn and wonders just what his relationship with Sunny Randall is.
Although I usually enjoy reading Robert Parker's books, "High Profile" just didn't do it for me. All of his usual elements are in the book - his pitch perfect depiction of Boston and a story driven mostly by witty dialogue (if only I could think up comebacks as quickly as each character in the book does). The mystery aspects are okay - the plot of who killed the victims and why is interesting but not developed enough. Instead, most of the book is about Jesse and his complicated relationship not only with his ex-wife Jenn but Sunny Randall. Jesse spends way too much time dwelling over his relationship with Jenn and far too little time investigating the case. This might have been forgivable except for the fact that Jenn is one of the most unlikable characters I've come across in a book and it is hard to understand why Jesse is continually drawn to her. Sunny's character isn't much better as she is involved in a similarly conflicted relationship with her ex-husband Richie. Finally, when Parker does get back to the mystery of Weeks murder, while there are some nice plot twists, the scene where Jesse confronts the murderer ends in a totally unbelievable way.
"High Profile" is not one of Robert Parker's better books.
Book Review: Well-crafted, finely written, but unoriginal story
Summary: 4 Stars
Having seen several Jesse Stone movies on television, I decided it would be entertaining to read about him rather than see him. Unfortunately or perhaps accurately, it is hard to escape seeing Tom Selleck when reading a Jesse Stone book! The story begins with a double murder, one of which is a high profile writer and television star. His murder brings attention to the town of Paradise with the Governor of Massachusetts getting involved.
As Stone investigates he discovers a womanizer with two ex-wives, a wife, and a current girlfriend plus a suspicious bodyguard and an assortment of lawyers. With a large estate at stake, Stone intuitively knows that greed and passion are likely motives behind the murders. Uncovering lies, manipulations, adultery, and apathy toward the deceased, Jesse Stone forces the killer to reveal himself. In the midst of the investigation Stone continues to be confused about his own alcoholism and the unhealthy power his ex-wife has over him.
Enters Sunny Randall, Stone's latest interest, to protect his ex-wife from a supposed rapist. She does so only to discover more lies and deceit. Confronting Jenn, Jesse knows he should reject her permanently but is unable to do so. Several psychological insights abound referencing the complexity of relationships, sex, and power making High Profile read like a Raymond Chandler or John D. MacDonald book of old.
Aside from the unoriginal story--wife and former lover plan the demise of a wealthy television personality--High Profile is a fine mystery demonstrating the anguish of people's lives. Although flawed, Jesse Stone is an excellent chief of police determined to ferret out the killer. Smooth prose, terse dialog, clever craftsmanship, and perceptive human insights come together to give an exciting and engaging reading experience.
Book Review: Stronger entry in Parker's Stone series
Summary: 5 Stars
Robert Parker is one of those guys who writes so fast that he's got to have several series of books in order to keep from tiring out his main character. After all, his mainstay, Spenser, is the same age as Parker. Back 10 or 15 books ago, Spenser used to mention that he was a Korean War veteran. Most of those guys are AARP members, wonderful heroes and worthwhile people, but not that scary any more the way the main character in one of Parker's books should be. So he created a second and third character. One's a younger female version of Spenser named Sunny Randall. The other is younger too, a homicide detective from LA who drank himself out of that job and wound up working as the police chief in Paradise Massachusetts. Both of the characters mentioned here appear in this latest book, though Stone's the main character.
When a nationally syndicated conservative talk-show host winds up dead in Paradise, shot three times in the chest and then hung from a tree, Stone has a lot of things to deal with. When the guy's assistant, a comely female, is found dead in a dumpster behind Paradise's diner, things really become a mess. The media descends on the town, the governor shows up to make sure the investigation is going in a direction he likes, and to make things worse, Stone's ex-wife (with whom he's still in love) announces she's been raped, and demands protection. Stone summons Sunny Randall (with whom he had a romance in Blue Screen last year) to protect the ex while he investigates the killings.
I enjoyed this book more than most of the Parker novels I've read recently. The plot actually had a twist or two, and while the ending was predictable, it's still a good book. I would recommend this book to almost anyone, it's a good story.