Paradise Police Chief Jesse Stone is on the night
shift as Robert B. Parker’s Big Shot: A Jesse Stone Novel begins
and he likes it. He really likes it. It is something he does from time to time
as they are an eleven member police department. There Is plenty of money in
Paradise, Massachusetts, so the sight of the McLaren sports car on its own is
not surprising. At the same time, summer is over and that means the summer
people are gone. So, it is something to look at as it is just parked at the
side of the road.
When Jesse looks closer he realizes the driver is passed
out in the car. Woken up by Jesse, he comes out of the car belligerent and very
intoxicated. Not only does he refuse to cooperate, he takes a swing at Jesse.
Before long, he is in cuffs and on his way to the jail.
It isn’t until late in the morning of the next day
that Molly informs him that he arrested and jailed a notorious celebrity. The
man is Ramsey Devlin. The same Ramsey Devlin that beat the federal fraud case,
moved out of NYC, and into a newly constructed mansion monstrosity in the area.
The same house that many of the neighbors complained to the police about as the
eyesore was being constructed even though the situation had nothing to do with
the police.
Like his client, his attorney, Gordon Wilkes, is
arrogant and aggressive. The attorney claims that the arrest is nothing more
than police harassment at the behest of the federal government. Neither he nor
his client see that Devlin was out of line. Instead, they plan to sue the
department into oblivion.
Unfortunately, that first incident is not the last.
All too soon, Jesse is accused of murder and gets another lesson regarding
actual friends.
Robert B. Parker’s Big Shot: A Jesse
Stone Novel by Christopher Farnsworth is a mighty
good read. As author Reed Farrel Coleman did with the series years ago across several
books, and as Mr. Farnsworth did in the last novel, Buried Secrets, he again
captures the voice and spirit of the series as written by Robert B. Parker. The
book comes alive for the reader. It only takes a handful of pages before that
the tale is from somebody other than the original author. He has every aspect
of those reads down and this new tale just flows for the reader.
Strongly Recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/48ZTwtx
My digital ARC came by way of the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons, through NetGalley, and with no expectation of a positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
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