Chapters 21-40

[BarryP]

Chapter 21
Bomb did not go off, but did not yield clues either. Sunny and Jesse kissed like they meant business.

Chapter 22
Jesse calls Vinnie Morris, a sort of retired syndicate shooter. (Coleman would have made this very dark, for Lupica, it is kind of “by the way”) Vinnie agrees to join the Paradise Posse.

Chapter 23
The Staties want to join the game too, but Jesse vetoes it. Sunny hints that she wants some alone time with Jesse. (interesting, but then, Lupica also writes the Sunny Randall series)

Chapter 24
Jesse thinks he gets close to his guy. Fires a warning shot, but no go. Loses him.

Chapter 25
Absolutely nothing happens in this chapter, unless you want to count the bologna sandwich.

Chapter 26
Jesse is back on the trail of Paul Hutton. Figures he had to be around for a reason.
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Chapter 27
Jesse goes back to interview the Cain’s and their nurse. No real help there.

Chapter 28
Jesse sees his shrink.. They talk Sunny and the case. He comes home to find Sunny waiting.

Chapter 29
Sunny and Jesse make love, and talk about Sunny’s other relationship with Richie, her ex. Love is always so complicated. Rinse and repeat, then the Staties call and say they may have find the bomber.
Chapter 30
The staties suspect does not pan out.

Chapter 31
Still, the Staties did have ideas, so Jesse, Sunny and company start the next phase. They are interviewing the boys who raped a girl in high school and were caught.

Chapter 32
Next interview is with the father of the ringleader. A large, graceless man who knocked his kid around. The father admits the kid thought about revenge, but back when it all happened. Tehy do get contact information from him though.

Chapter 33
Jesse goes to the prison to meet Hasty, the town official he put away as his first major investigation in Paradise. This leads nowhere.

Chapter 34
Jesse has some ideas about the killer, and has some wonders about Sunny and his relationship with her, and her relationship with her ex. He wonders what he knows, and who might be lying to him.

Chapter 35
Jesse goes to talk to the invalid that owns the house the murdered man went to. The man talks about making amends. So did Paul Hutton.

Chapter 36
Molly and Sunny head off for some interviews, on the way they dish about Jesse.

Chapter 37
The guy they want to interview (Bo) is not home. Sunny decide the best option is breaking and entering.

Chapter 38
The invalid dies. His wife is not sorry. Jesse wonders at the timing.

Chapter 39
They break in and find that the place looks like nobody has been there, but not like somebody packed and left.

Chapter 40
Still no good suspects. Jesse sends Suitcase to see if he can learn more about Paul in Florida.

[Ann]

Berry: I agree re chapter 22: Jesse's encounter and transaction with Vinnie Morris might have been darker in Coleman's hands. Sunny has a bigger part in the story than expected, though as you mentioned, Lupica also writing the Sunny Randall series makes her a character he knows well. The interaction between Mollie and Sunny is one of the few bright spots of humor and interesting banter. I thought the chapter with Jesse's shrink Dix was also a bright spot.
Jesse's trip to visit Hasty and Whit Cain felt flat to me, as you said, going nowhere.