Review: "Robert B. Parker's Damned If You Do: A Jesse Stone Novel" by Michael Brandman

Paradise Police Chief Jesse has a feeling he knows the dead woman from somewhere. Found in a bungalow at the Surf and Sand motel the dead woman might be 20 or a little younger. Whether the name she used on the motel register is correct or not is any one's guess. Naked and dead with no identification makes things hard with identifying her. Then there is the compounding fact she drove a car with stolen plates.  Finding out who she was is going to be a huge problem and a definite hindrance to the homicide investigation.

What is clear from the get go that based on where she had been found and her recent short stays at the run down motel Jesse Stone has quickly determined that she was making money the old fashioned way. Apparently she was an independent contractor, despite the serious efforts of two different pimps, who both wanted her in their respective stables. She was a young and attractive pawn in their turf battle for power and her death has escalated the tensions involved in that situation. Jesse will deal with that later---right now he wants to identify her for her parents and then find her killer.

Robert B. Parker's Damned If You Do: A Jesse Stone Novel written by Michael Brandman continues the series in a good way. Both the primary storyline of the above homicide case as well as a secondary one involving possible abuse of the elderly at a local retirement home move forward at a rapid pace. Along the way there are plenty of opportunities for Jesse to crack wise, chat with Dix his therapist, and do what he does best to irritate those in power and seek justice.

Scheduled to be released in September this latest in the series is another good one. It breaks no new ground in terms of the continuing characters and none is expected by faithful readers. It continues the late Robert B. Parker's writing style of short chapters, very little description of settings, and snappy dialogue used to move the action forward. The book comes together well and provides another entertaining fast read with Jesse Stone.

Robert B. Parker's Damned If You Do: A Jesse Stone Novel

Michael Brandman

G. P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group USA)

http://www.penguingroup.com

September 10, 2013

ISBN#978-0-399-15950-3

Hardback (also available in e-book and audio formats)

288 Pages

$26.95

I received an ARC of this title due to my participation in the “LibraryThing Early Reviewers” group for my use in an objective review.  As such, my above review appeared there first last Saturday before appearing here on the blog.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2013