Late summer and Paradise, Massachusetts has been pretty
calm. The biggest issue has been some petty vandalism. For Police Chief Jesse
Stone the break from anything significant has been good as he is a bit preoccupied
with his personal life. On the plus side, there is Diana who is becoming
increasingly important to him and the feeling seems to be mutual. He is also
working on his sobriety and making a definite effort to resist the deeply
ingrained ritual of drinking.
On the negative side, Jesse is coming to the realization that
his diamond skills are diminishing. Age does that to all ball players and there
comes a time when the player can no longer compete at the level he or she set
for herself long ago. There is also the fact that Jenn is getting married again
and has invited him to her wedding to Hale Hunsicker down in Dallas. The
wedding is set for October and after a lot of thought about their past Jesse has
decided to tell her he won’t be there.
His plan to skip the wedding begins to change when Vinnie
Morris contacts him about the sudden death of Gino Fish. The mobster supposedly
killed his current male secretary and then himself. That is what the Boston police
believe and they are not about to listen to anything Vinnie has to say. Vinnie
does not believe that Gino would have done either act despite the fact that all
the evidence seems to indicate that is exactly what happened. He wants Jesse to
look into it and is calling due the favor Jesse promised Gino awhile back for his
help on a case.
Jesse agrees to look into the situation. He soon realizes that
the serial killer they know as “Mr. Peepers” is back and seeking vengeance. He
plans to kill everyone on his payback list while playing an elaborate mid game
with them. It isn’t enough to just kill those he holds responsible. He wants to
hurt them first by killing those they care about. For Jesse, that means Diana
as well as Jenn down in Dallas are at high risk.
Shifting in character point of view as well as by location,
the chase for Mr. Peepers goes from New England, to Dallas, and back again.
Readers know from nearly the start as they spend time with the killer why
things are happening the way they do. As a result, this is not a mystery read,
but a thriller style read where the hunt is on for the bad guy before he can
kill again and again.
Debt To Pay is also a turning point novel for several of the
characters including Jesse. Even if one had not read the recent interview with
author Reed Farrel Coleman, it is clear that some things are being wrapped up
to start Jesse on a new course. By the end of the read, it is clear that
nothing will ever be the same.
As one expects there will be complaints from some that this
novel does not read exactly like it would if Robert B. Parker was still doing
them. It does not. It comes very close and does so while creating a highly
entertaining read that continues the series.
Because numerous events that occurred in Blind
Spot are referenced and heavily discussed, as they are a major plot
point of Debt To Pay, I would suggest reading that book first. I would
also suggest reading the very interesting interview, You
Don’t Ask a Praying Mantis Why: MysteryPeople Q&A with Reed
Farrel Coleman , after reading the book as there are things in it that could be construed
as spoilers.
Robert B.
Parker’s Debt To Pay
Reed Farrel
Coleman
G. P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Random
House LLC)
September 2016
ISBN# 978-0-399-17143-7
Hardback (also available in large print
hardback, audio, and eBook formats)
352 Pages
$27.00
I won the book via a contest at Lesa’s Book Critiques.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
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