Robert B. Parker's Killing The Blues (Jesse Stone, #10)

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Robert B. Parker's Killing The Blues (Jesse Stone #10)

by Michael Brandman, Robert B. Parker (Creator), James Naughton (Narrator)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 2,962 ratings · 288 reviews

The Jesse Stone stories continue even after Robert B. Parker’s passing with Killing the Blues. In this novel, Jesse Stone is faced with what begins as a rash of stolen cars and escalates into arson and murder as Stone uncovers how deep this crime wave really goes. All the while, Paradise, Massachusetts is preparing for summer tourism with the help of event planner Alexis R...more

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Published September 13th 2011 by Random House Audio

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Mar 10, 2012 Randy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was surprised by Michael Brandon's take on Jesse Stone. I hadn't intended to read the continuations of the Stone and Spenser series by other writers. But Kevin Tipple reviewed this one on his blog, Kevin's Corner, and it intrigued me enough to give it a try.

Author Brandon has worked in the worlds of Robert B. Parker for years now. He wrote some of the Spenser telemovies and recently on Tom Selleck's series of Jesse Stone films.

He's managed to capture Parker's style very easily in KILLING THE B...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have never read another Robert Parker novel (or another Jesse Stone story) (or Michael Brandman) so have nothing to compare this book to. My husband reads heavy books (history, non-fiction, etc.) and reads a light detective novel once in a while for a break. He insisted that I read this one because it was quick, humorous and had a cat in it. I was reluctant because I hate detective/mystery type novels, but he insisted. He said it was a very quick read and I would (again) find it humorous and "...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Mike Jensen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is far too clear that Michael Brandman is a TV writer and producer. The main difference I can detect between the late Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone novels and this one is Brandman’s TV-like tendency to wrap up all the character’s storylines in the most positive and hopeful way possible, even when that stretches credulity to the point that it breaks. Parker’s work was far murkier with less hope for happy outcomes. There are other smaller indicators. The dialog does not read like Parker’s. Ins...more It is far too clear that Michael Brandman is a TV writer and producer. The main difference I can detect between the late Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone novels and this one is Brandman’s TV-like tendency to wrap up all the character’s storylines in the most positive and hopeful way possible, even when that stretches credulity to the point that it breaks. Parker’s work was far murkier with less hope for happy outcomes. There are other smaller indicators. The dialog does not read like Parker’s. Instead, it is like the dialogue in one of the Jesse Stone TV films that Brandman produces and sometimes co-writes. There is also that great TV and film cliché of the protagonist having to rescue a woman from the bad guy. This was tired in the era of silent pictures.

Brandman improves quickly as the chapters speed by, and to his credit, they do speed by. The earliest chapters read like a YA novel with awful prose. These chapters should have been scrapped and rewritten when Brandman was better at this, for the writing soon becomes mostly respectable. The story begins to “feel” set in Jesse Stone’s world.

There are also plotting problems. There are basically four plotlines entwined, plus the tale of the protagonist’s mental health that winds through them all. This being, in part, a police procedural, one expects multiple stories, but more experienced novelists make one of these the main plot and the others subplots. The story that seems as if it will become the main plot peters out 100 pages before the end of the novel. The result is that the book does not have a satisfying story structure. In better books, subplots parallel or contrast with the main plot. The revenge killer portion of this book does reflect the protagonist’s mental health story, but the other subplots just fill space and lead to those too neat happy endings.

This is not a good book. It is not even a competent book. It does, however, eventually evoke the character of Jesse Stone and the world he inhabits. That is the most important thing and it is an enjoyable place to be. If Mr. Brandman continues to grow as a novelist, he may produce a fine Jesse Stone book someday.(less)

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Jan 06, 2013 Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Spent half the morning with Robert Parker’s, Killing the Blues, by Michael Brandman, and was left pretty disappointed. Seeing praise for the author from Tom Selleck, star of the Jesse Stone TV movies, on the back of the book, should have been warning enough for me. I didn’t like the TV movies. I’m a long-time Parker fan, and, along with his Spenser novels, have enjoyed his series featuring Jesse Stone. Killing the Blues is the tenth installment featuring the Paradise, Massachusetts Police Chief,...more Spent half the morning with Robert Parker’s, Killing the Blues, by Michael Brandman, and was left pretty disappointed. Seeing praise for the author from Tom Selleck, star of the Jesse Stone TV movies, on the back of the book, should have been warning enough for me. I didn’t like the TV movies. I’m a long-time Parker fan, and, along with his Spenser novels, have enjoyed his series featuring Jesse Stone. Killing the Blues is the tenth installment featuring the Paradise, Massachusetts Police Chief, and it is the first written since Parker’s death in early 2010.

From page one, Parker’s voice is missing. Brandman, supposedly a student of the Jesse Stone series, misses the mark on many levels. His short, choppy sentences lack the cadence and the punctuated impact that Parker had mastered. Instead, almost all of Jesse’s dialogue seems forced and unnatural, and Brandman’s attempts at the witticism that has made Parker’s characters so endearing over the years just falls flat. Also off are the relationships between Jesse and his crime-solving teammates. The way he interacts with Molly, Suitcase, and Captain Healy just feels wrong and unfamiliar.

I struggled through the first 12-15 chapters, determined to finish what I started. The rhythm of the book started to grow on me and the storyline began to sprout wings and take off. As the side plots developed and the action started rolling, I found myself turning the pages faster and faster. Brandman skillfully solved all the puzzles he presented and tactfully wrapped up the story with a short, but intense, showdown between Jesse and the antagonist.

Fans of Parker will need to read this book, even if it’s only to take a short trip down memory lane. The Paradise landscape is there, along with the small town police force and their familiar names. Also included are small references to Jesse’s checkered past with the LAPD, and a nice encounter with Boston mobster, Gino Fish. As I mentioned, Brandman’s style grew on me, and, had this been a standalone novel rather than an attempt to continue a well-established (and well-loved) series created by one of the masters of detective fiction, I would not have read or rated it so critically.
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Dec 13, 2012 Thomas Rohde rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the first time that I've read a book where an author has continued a series another author had previously begun and I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it. I have a strong appreciation for adaptations, where artists take a story or character to another medium and create a new world for that character there, and I'm a fan of the Jesse Stone movies that Michael Brandman has worked on with Tom Selleck, but I'm not convinced of his work here. I appreciate the story and subjects that Brandman...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Christopher Everest rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, police-procedural, joan-parker-influence

First of all - I enjoyed it. And I am glad to say it was braver than I expected. I imagined how daunting it must be to start writing a character that another author created and brought to life. It would have been easy to create a "formulaic" approach to this book and I am glad to say I don't think that happened. Brandman's Jesse Stone is NOT the same man. I think he has developed a slightly more forgiving character without losing any of RBP's slickness and philosophical sparcity.

I DO think ther...more First of all - I enjoyed it. And I am glad to say it was braver than I expected. I imagined how daunting it must be to start writing a character that another author created and brought to life. It would have been easy to create a "formulaic" approach to this book and I am glad to say I don't think that happened. Brandman's Jesse Stone is NOT the same man. I think he has developed a slightly more forgiving character without losing any of RBP's slickness and philosophical sparcity.

I DO think there was a nervousness about this book. I felt that Brandman was, very reasonably, trying to ease himself into a new role (and franchise ?) and as a result tried to give Jesse a larger range of emotional experience than the early Stone books by RBP ever allowed. We see Jesse being willing to "psychologically sanction" Gino Fish and Vinnie Morris to "take care" of one of his problems. We see the educational and counselling side of Jesse deal with bullying and adolescent rebellion. We see Jesse making friends with a cat ! We see Jesse learning the art of compromise with Alexis. We see a part of Jesse's LA past come back to haunt him and Paradise. We see Jesse dealing with child abuse and parenting disfunctionality and of course the usual man-management problems of everyday life. Will Molly make his coffee ? Will he find a faster way of shopping for groceries ? Will we ever see a Selectman that Jesse actually likes ? [Why doesn't Paradise have a Selectwoman ?]

This complexity (NOT confusion) reminds me of the police procedural novels of Ed McBain (87th Precinct) with their multi-strand approach to crime fiction. It is not an RBP style but there is no problem with that. Where RBP found a resonance between different elements in the narrative and the characters often mirrored the events in their psychological changes of attitude I feel Michael Brandman has either not quite managed that yet (in this book)or does not ever intend to. Jesse belongs to him now so that is perfectly fair. If Jesse turns into a Steve Carella figure then RBP would be fairly satisfied.

I look forward to the next in the series (at which point I will almost certainly re-read this and find more in it). It was good to meet old friends again. I now look forwards to trying Ace Atkins' recreation of the Spenser franchise and wonder if Sunny Randall is on some writers' typewriter (as if they still use these !) at this very moment. Thank you RBP - Thank you Joan. (less)

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Jul 08, 2012 Eric_W rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: police-procedural

I always liked the Jesse Stone series better than Parker's Spenser novels. After his death, the series has apparently been taken over by Michael Brandman, and it's been a disappointment. He's tried to capture the staccato cadence of Parker's books and succeeded to some extent, but Stone has lost all subtlety and he's not as interesting a character. Meld that with several irrelevant side-plots that muddy things (cat, bullying, personal vendetta, another real estate agent squeeze, etc.) and one wo...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Kevintipple rated it 4 of 5 stars

“Robert B. Parker’s Killing the Blues” is the latest in the Jesse Stone series. With the sudden death of author Robert B. Parker in January 2010, this franchise now rest in the hands of Michael Brandman. Since Mr. Brandman has been the executive producer, among other duties, for the CBS movies it is hard to imagine who else would be better suited to pick up the series.
It is spring in Paradise, Massachusetts and at least some of the board of selectmen are still far more worried about the coming s...more “Robert B. Parker’s Killing the Blues” is the latest in the Jesse Stone series. With the sudden death of author Robert B. Parker in January 2010, this franchise now rest in the hands of Michael Brandman. Since Mr. Brandman has been the executive producer, among other duties, for the CBS movies it is hard to imagine who else would be better suited to pick up the series.
It is spring in Paradise, Massachusetts and at least some of the board of selectmen are still far more worried about the coming summer season with tourism and public appearances then actually providing constructive support and resources. It is an old situation to Jesse and one that he tolerates as folks do have to make their public positions known. Instead of power points and detailed speeches in public, Jesse Stone prefers to let his actions do the talking.
Behind the scenes, though he does not want to detail it out for the board of selectman, Police Chief Jesse Stone is at work investigating a string of auto thefts. It is a problem when tourists have their cars stolen. Not only does it provide a problem from the tourism angle and the life blood those dollars give the small community of Paradise, Massachusetts the recent thefts signal a far bigger problem with organized crime once again trying to move into the area. Not to mention the latest case of bullying over at one of the schools. If that was not enough, a career criminal recently released from prison is coming to Paradise bent on revenge against Jesse Stone and ultimately killing him. Of course, like any crazed convict of TV show or book, he first must make Jesse and his town suffers through various escalating acts of violence.
The 276 page book serves as a fitting tribute to the series and the style of Robert B. Parker. The Parker tradition of short chapters, the use of very few dialogue tags, very little description and plenty of action continues in this latest novel. This is a slightly harder edged Jesse, somewhat less reflective while more prone to unorthodox and possible illegal actions, as he works to keep his town of Paradise safe. How the series continues from here should be very interesting.

Robert B. Parker’s Killing The Blues: A Jesse Stone Novel
Michael Brandman
G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group, USA)
http://www.penguin.com
2011
ISBN# 978-0-399-15784-4
Hardback
275 Pages
$25.95

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2012
Reviews, news and more http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
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Jan 09, 2012 Natasha rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been reading Robert B Parker's various series since forever and loved his witty dialogue and fast-paced action. When Parker died in 2011 I assumed that his characters would die with him. I was quite surprised to discover Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues by Michael Brandman and incorrectly assumed that Parker left a book unfinished and Brandman stepped in to complete the novel. Not so. This is Brandman through and through. Brandman only bases his version of this Jesse Stone novel on Park...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Philip Virta rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mr. Brandman did an admirable job taking on Jesse Stone and picking up where the wonderful Robert B. Parker left off. I have long been a fan of Parker's Spenser and Jesse Stone books and I wasn't disappointed by this one. Brandman's stone is just a little different than Parker's, but not in a bad way. You can definitely tell where Mr. Brandman is tying things in to the TV movies starring Tom Selleck, but again, it's not a bad thing. I'm glad to know someone is picking up the torch and carrying o...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Gloria Feit rated it 4 of 5 stars

It is quite a challenge to be asked to pick up where a master like Robert B. Parker left off. But that is exactly the dare the author faced when the publisher asked him to continue writing the popular Jesse Stone series. Mr. Brandman was no stranger to Parker: they were friends for many years and collaborated on several Spenser and Stone movies on television. Still it was a formidable task.

So let us begin by noting that we will not compare this work with any of Parker’s oeuvre, simply because it...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Greg rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Not Parker fans!

Shelves: fiction-and-humor

Everyone is blessed with certain talents and attributes that can be developed into skills. One of mine is a well-honed skill of not writing like Robert B. Parker. And because I am so good at not writing like Parker, I can easily tell when others also don't write like Parker.

Michael Brandman doesn't write like Parker. It is apparent that he has studied Parker's writing style, probably talked with others who knew him well and had worked with him (family, friends, editorial team, etc.). The result...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Steven Belanger rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wanted to dislike it because the continuation of someone else's baby by another writer just doesn't sit well with me--and they usually fail, or seem intent to just make money (see: James Bond). But Brandman does a good job here, keeping most of Parker's Jesse Stone while adding the inevitable small changes. Most of these changes work.

Jesse talks a little more; he actually sounds a bit more like Spenser. I thought the original character was too quiet, as Brandman apparently did. Parker also got...more I wanted to dislike it because the continuation of someone else's baby by another writer just doesn't sit well with me--and they usually fail, or seem intent to just make money (see: James Bond). But Brandman does a good job here, keeping most of Parker's Jesse Stone while adding the inevitable small changes. Most of these changes work.

Jesse talks a little more; he actually sounds a bit more like Spenser. I thought the original character was too quiet, as Brandman apparently did. Parker also got hung up too much on Jenn; it was time for her to go, and she has. The Parker combination of Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall always seemed forced to me; perhaps he felt he had nothing much more to say about her,especially after Helen Hunt turned down the role. I don't know, but they definitely needed to break up, and they have. Stone also comes across here as a little more...stoic (sorry), which is odd since he speaks more here. But he admits directly that he didn't miss Sunny. In a Stephen King story, he'd be asking Parker directly why he had to date Sunny, anyway. His direct actions and verbosity work for me, though he also seems too Spenserian when he helps the ex-hood find a job, and when he talked to the female students, the teacher and the principal. (Note to Brandman: Massachusetts doesn't have homeroom anymore; it's now called advisory.) Parker's anti-teacher torch is definitely carried on.

So Stone doing his Spenser impersonation didn't work for me, and Stone is certainly not a cat-lover. I guess Brandman wanted to set up a Stone/Spenser duality; maybe he's taking over Spenser, too. If so, it was wise for him to turn out a Stone book first, before he tackled the iconic Spenser.

Brandman's book is a little edgier than Parker's would've been, maybe a little more noir. That's okay with me. A few things didn't work, but that's to be expected. And Brandman creates an admirable mixture of a book that's 70% Parker and 30% Brandman. Perhaps Parker, notoriously productive, already had a large part of the ms. written--notice that the copyright belongs to the Estate of Robert B. Parker, not to Brandman. Had this been 100% Brandman, I doubt that would be the case. We'll have to see with future Stone books.

The torch has changed hands, but it hasn't gone out. Brandman has earned the right here to run with it. (less)

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Oct 09, 2011 Rick Ludwig rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-since-retirement

I hesitated to read this book as I have a history of hating continuations of favorite series once the original author has died. Robert B. Parker is a favorite writer. Jesse Stone is a favorite series. So I should hate this, right? Wrong!

Michael Brandman has captured the essence of Parker's Jesse Stone and made me want to keep on reading. The quick, concise dialogue. The excellent characters. The complicated but resolvable plot. They're all here. Clearly, Brandman knew Parker personally and worke...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Love this series - good read - exciting - glad I get them out of the library and not waste money on a three hour entertainment. Pages just fly by.

Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone returns in a good new addition to the New York Times-bestselling series.

Paradise, Massachusetts, is preparing for the summer tourist season when a string of car thefts disturbs what is usually a quiet time in town. In a sudden escalation of violence, the thefts become murder, and chief of police Jesse...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Giovanni Gelati rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think like many fans saddened by the passing of Robert Parker, we were left with a question in our heads. Is this franchise going to be carried on and if so by whom? I have included Michael Brandman’s bio after the synopsis so if you have not heard of the author or his creds, now you do. I have to admit and have done so many times that I am a huge fan of Parker’s and his many franchises. Jesse Stone, the king of dialogue, is one of my favorites. I saw that this was set for release and I was of...more I think like many fans saddened by the passing of Robert Parker, we were left with a question in our heads. Is this franchise going to be carried on and if so by whom? I have included Michael Brandman’s bio after the synopsis so if you have not heard of the author or his creds, now you do. I have to admit and have done so many times that I am a huge fan of Parker’s and his many franchises. Jesse Stone, the king of dialogue, is one of my favorites. I saw that this was set for release and I was of two minds. Can they pull it off, can they even come close, and where are they going to this universe that I enjoy so much called Paradise?
The answers came for me rather quickly. I carefully read the jacket and the new author’s bio. I liked that they chose him to do this. I need to say this even though I am a book reviewer. I enjoy Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone; he carries it off pretty well. So when you mix the two, the writer that puts the words into Tom Selleck’s mouth and drives the television action with just the written word, how much closer can you get than to someone like Michael Brandman that has been inside of Robert Parker’s head and carried it off so many times in another media. I was happy, not euphoric, but happy. Now what is between the covers?
I saw a pattern and an agenda here. Was I happy with all of it? No. I was happy I was getting something that was as close to the original as possible, almost but not quite, but then again the guy that invented the brand, the universe, is no longer here. Let’s face facts, as readers and consumers, something was going to change, the visceral feel, that sameness, the fabric of the whole thing, there are a few new wrinkles in it. Are they all bad? No. I was happy to get the read in on a set of characters that I enjoy and hold dear. I think maybe too many “reviewers” took things a bit too seriously when they penned their reviews. A new sheriff is in town, and I am going to guess that includes a new direction and new media tie in as both are being written by the same guy. My question to you as a reader is, do you think that it is good for the same person to have control over both the written work as well as the visual one? Do you think that this franchise would be better carried off by having a different author?
Here is the synopsis and the author’s bio:
“Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone returns in a brilliant new addition to the New York Times-bestselling series.
Paradise, Massachusetts, is preparing for the summer tourist season when a string of car thefts disturbs what is usually a quiet time in town. In a sudden escalation of violence, the thefts become murder, and chief of police Jesse Stone finds himself facing one of the toughest cases of his career. Pressure from the town politicians only increases when another crime wave puts residents on edge. Jesse confronts a personal dilemma as well: a burgeoning relationship with a young PR executive, whose plans to turn Paradise into a summertime concert destination may have her running afoul of the law.

When a mysterious figure from Jesse's past arrives in town, memories of his last troubled days as a cop in L.A. threaten his ability to keep order in Paradise-especially when it appears that the stranger is out for revenge.
About the Author
Robert B. Parker was the author of more than fifty books. He died in January 2010.
Michael Brandman is uniquely qualified to carry the Jesse Stone series into the future. An award-winning producer of more than thirty motion pictures, he collaborated with Robert B. Parker on more than a dozen of them. Together they wrote the screenplay for Tom Selleck's TNT movie Monte Walsh. Brandman produced and Parker wrote three Spenser films for A&E, and their collaboration continued with the Jesse Stone TV movies currently broadcast on CBS. Brandman lives in California.”
Check out the newest releases from Trestle Press: April Pohren ”Welcome to the Land of Insanity” , Angelique LaFontaine & Eddie Frantom ”Thirty -1: Salvation”, B.R. Stateham ”Insatiable” from the “Drunk on the Moon” series by Paul D. Brazill, David Hoof ”Sharpshooter”, Karen Anna Vogel “The Amish Knitting Circle”, Lisa Taylor “Shana Black: The Invention” , Mark Cooper “Infection” ,Mark Cooper “How I met Your Mother: First Date”, De Miller “12 Steps” volume 2 of the “One” series by Mark Miller, Sam Lang “Reprisal: Shadow Boxing” volume 3, Michelle Vasquez “’Til Death Do Us Part”, Darren Sant ”Community Spirit” volume 2 of “The Tales of the Longcroft Estates”, J.E. Seymour “Pale Horse”, Tom Sumner “All I wanted was a Haircut #5”, Jeffrey Martin & Giovanni Gelati from The Author’s Lab/Collaboration series “Forsaken”, CQ Scafidi “Time Couriers” (Barnes & Noble’s Nook version), Darren Sant “Flashes of Revenge”,S.L. Schmidtz “Mina’s Daughter…The Harker Chronicles, Vol.1”, Chantal Boudreau “Weird,Wicked & Wonderful: Technopathy ,Volume 2”, Werner Lind & Giovanni Gelati from The Author’s Lab/Collaboration series “Mrs. G’s Vampires” , Sam Lang & Giovanni Gelati “Two John’s” from The Author’s Lab/Collaboration series.
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Jun 25, 2012 Robin rated it 3 of 5 stars

The acclaimed mystery novelist Robert B. Parkers died, wielding his craft in January 2010, but his great characters continue to intrigue and pull us into their world.
Acclaimed writer Ace Atkins has been signed to continue writing Parker’s iconic Spenser series. Michael Brandman, Hollywood producer and screenwriter of the touted made-for-TV Jesse Stone movies featuring Tom Selleck, has been tapped to continue writing that series.
The tourist season is descending on Paradise, Ma. A string of car th...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, series

Robert Parker wrote some of my favorite novels. Spenser was the quintessential wise-cracking PI that all others are modeled on. Sunny Randall came after V. I. Warshawsky and Sharon McCone but was better than either of them. And then there's Jesse Stone, a flawed character if there ever was one. Divorced with continuing problems with women, alcoholic but still drinking in moderation, and seeing a shrink to deal with his assorted problems which are many. Parker had the ability to write three diffe...more Robert Parker wrote some of my favorite novels. Spenser was the quintessential wise-cracking PI that all others are modeled on. Sunny Randall came after V. I. Warshawsky and Sharon McCone but was better than either of them. And then there's Jesse Stone, a flawed character if there ever was one. Divorced with continuing problems with women, alcoholic but still drinking in moderation, and seeing a shrink to deal with his assorted problems which are many. Parker had the ability to write three different series and give each character his/her own voice. Each character evolved as they went from story to story and yet they stayed true to their origins. And in each series there were the sidekicks and continuing characters that were written as well as the main characters. And the stories - what stories they were. Engagingly written with multiple story lines, red herrings, crosses and doubles-crosses and plot twists. But in the end Spenser or Sunny or Jesse prevailed and the villains were vanquished and justice was served.

I know, this is supposed to be a review of Michael Brandman's book entitled Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues. Brandman has written the 10th Jesse Stone novel and to appreciate this review, the reader needs to have an understanding of what Brandman was trying to accomplish and the standards that his work will be judged by. Not only by this writer, but by all others who are familiar with Parker's Jesse Stone novels. So...

All in all, Brandman has done a credible job of continuing the Jesse Stone series. Jesse, Suitcase and Molly are there along with Healy, Dix and Gino Fish. They are almost the same as when Parker wrote them but not perfectly. The snappy dialogue is delivered, but it is off just a bit. The plot and story lines are almost as good as if Parker had written them. Jesse solves the case and along the way fixes a few things that were broken - just like he did when Parker wrote him. Brandman has written a good story with characters that you can like and enjoy. In the end, this book is almost as good as if Parker had written it. And, you know, that's not a bad thing to say about Brandman's first outing writing Jesse Stone. I don't know that anyone else could have done a better job of channeling Robert B. Parker.

My test for a good book is fairly basic. Did I enjoy it and would I like to read another by the author? In the case of this book the answers are yes and yes. I hope that Brandman will continue the Jesse Stone series. Now that the first one is out of the way and the inevitable comparisons to Parker are over any more that follow will be welcomed by Jesse Stone fans. I suggest that if you haven't read the first nine Jesse Stone books that you do so first. And then grab this book, read it and enjoy it for what it is - a good story.(less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Johnnie Gee rated it 1 of 5 stars

First off you can tell this book was not written by Robert Parker the drop off from plot to execution is dramatic and excruciating. If you want a character who tries to act tough by not giving people answers to good questions; someone who can solve all problems like:

Getting teenage girls who have bad problems to decide oh,we are doing something bad and wont again.

Getting someone you don't like knocked off.

Getting someone in the mob to suddenly decide to go straight because of the talk you give h...more

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Jul 04, 2012 William Lavell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 16, 2011 Joe Young rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Michael Brandman has the "Jesse Stone" character down dead to rights! This is the same character that Robert B. Parker created and animated so well. A good tight story with Jesse Stone as Chief of Police in a small Boston area town of Paradise. Equally at home fighting with the town council or school principal or local gangsters who are starting up a chop shop with Honda's taken off the streets of Paradise. To add to the suspense, budget constraints in California lead to an early release of a ps...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Before reading this book, I read the reviews. There is a lot of discussion on this book because it was not written by the original author. I am not sure if the reviews of Michael Brandman's writing skewed my thoughts but I probably should not have read the reviews first. I was constantly looking for differences.

With that being said, I did notice a few differences in the characters. It seemed as if the relationship between Jesse and Molly was tense. I can always feel the friendly and sexual teasi...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've read all the Jesse Stone novels and have seen all the TV movies. I had little difficulty in separating the two in the past. Jesse Stone in the novels was still the younger Jesse Stone even after
the Tom Selleck TV movies. In Killing the Blues however, the image of Tom Selleck immediately came to
mind from page 1. It was Tom Selleck's Jesse Stone who was saying the words. I really can't explain it. That's fine with me, it was just a different reading experience. I didn't expect
Brandman to ch...more

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Nov 05, 2011 mwbham rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is a "Robert B Parker" book written by Michael Brandman, who worked with Parker to produce the TV adaptations of Parker's books and also did the screenwriting. This is a Jesse Stone novel. It looks like Parker's books in that it uses unusually thick paper, wide margins, and the majority of short sentences have their own line - even one word sentences. Hence the book cover to cover is greater than an inch thick. However, if you counted words I would expect the number to be 1/3 to 1/2 the num...more

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Jun 11, 2013 Will rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, romance, mystery, thriller

Rollo Nurse Seeks Revenge. Paradise hires a PR specialist to promote summer festivities, and she is hot and inevitably ends up swappin bodily fluids with Jesse. Budget cuts in California result in the release of former bad guy Rollo Nurse, who Jesse beat to a pulp in a drunken rage over Jenn, and he swears his revenge. Pet dog killings prelude Rollo's mischief which quickly escalates into murder of one of Stone's deputies. A car theft ring also drains Stone's attention until he squeezes info fro...more

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May 28, 2012 Cherie Waggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's hard to pick up where someone has left off and I'm happy to see that Robert Parker's Jesse Stone hasn't fallen into limbo. Michael Brandman does an excellent job of continuing on with Jesse's stoic one word answers and clipped dialogue. I could clearly hear Tom Selleck's voice (Tom Selleck portrays Jesse Stone in all the Jesse Stone made for tv movies). However, near the center of the book, Jesse gets a little lost to a Spenser-esque change in voice. Spenser, always one of my favorite of Ro...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Shawn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-detective

No one will mistake Brandman with Parker. Ace Atkins, the author conintuing the Spenser series, captured Parker's voice at least partially. Atkins got the feel of the characters, the style, and the language of Spenser. Brandman, unfortunately, is not as successfully. It is not a bad book, but it is far from Parker's Stone. One clearly sees the influence of the TV movies here, no surprise since that is how Brandman comes to the series. But Stone's edge, both from the Selleck movies and the Parker...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Keith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this one purely out of curiosity to see how well Brandman could imitate Parker or at least remain true to Parker's universe. My opinion is that Brandman did very well and that most Parker fans and Jesse Stone fans in particular will be pleased by this book. So why only 3 stars? Because it is one of those books that won't stick with me. It was a fun way to spend a couple of hours and it entertained me, but it made no real impression on me. Both Christi and I thought that the wrap up at the...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Tami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Film and TV producer Michael Brandman, who collaborated on several of the Jesse Stone TV movies, is continuing the series begun by Robert B. Parker. And doing so seamlessly. The most important part of any Parker novel is the dialogue. I would love to live in a world where everyone is as sharp and witty as his characters. Brandman nailed the short, snappy sentences and minimalist style.

Although plot usually takes a back seat to relationships in a Jesse Stone story, this story may have been a lit...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, reviewed, suspense, mystery

I was skeptical when I first started to read this book, as I really enjoyed reading Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall, and Spencer books, and did not know if Michael Brandman could pull it off. I was presently surprised to find that he had.

This read much like Parker's Jesse Stone, with the short, to the point, and somewhat wise-guy dialog. He digs into Jesse's character flaws in the same manner as Parker, and works in the recurring characters like Lt. Healy, and the Boston Mass. area...more

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About Michael Brandman

An award-winning producer of more than thirty motion pictures, he collaborated with Robert B. Parker on more than a dozen of them. Together they wrote the screenplay for Tom Selleck's TNT movie Monte Walsh. Brandman produced and Parker wrote three Spenser films for A&E, and their collaboration continued with the Jesse Stone TV movies currently broadcast on CBS. Brandman lives in California.

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Books by Michael Brandman

Robert B. Parker's Fool Me Twice (Jesse Stone, #11)

Robert B. Parker's Fool Me Twice. by Michael Brandman

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