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Night Passage (Jesse Stone Novels Book 1) by [Robert B. Parker]

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Robert B. Parker

Night Passage (Jesse Stone Novels Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Robert B. Parker (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3,772 ratings

Book 1 of 21: Jesse Stone Novels

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Robert B. Parker introduces readers to police chief Jesse Stone in the first novel in the beloved mystery series—a New York Times bestseller.

After a busted marriage kicks his drinking problem into overdrive and the LAPD unceremoniously dumps him, thirty-five-year-old Jesse Stone’s future looks bleak. So he’s shocked when a small Massachusetts town called Paradise recruits him as police chief. He can’t help wondering if this job is a genuine chance to start over, the kind of offer he can’t refuse.

Once on board, Jesse doesn’t have to look for trouble in Paradise: it comes to him. For what is on the surface a quiet New England community quickly proves to be a crucible of political and moral corruption—replete with triple homicide, tight Boston mob ties, flamboyantly errant spouses, maddened militiamen and a psychopath-about-town who has fixed his violent sights on the new lawman. Against all this, Jesse stands utterly alone, with no one to trust—even he and the woman he’s seeing are like ships passing in the night. He finds he must test his mettle and powers of command to emerge a local hero—or the deadest of dupes.

Print length

434 pages
Language

English
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Publisher

G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication date

July 1, 2001
Reading age

18 years and up
File size

1316 KB
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Popular Highlights in this book

What are popular highlights?

You need to be able to hear the truth, he thought. You can’t hear the truth, you got nowhere to start.
Highlighted by 87 Kindle readers
Jo Jo Genest first got into the money business through a guy named Fusco that he met at the gym in Somerville.
Highlighted by 58 Kindle readers

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Night Passage

“Parker’s sentences flow with as much wit, grace and assurance as ever, and Stone is a complex and consistently interesting new protagonist.”—Newsday

“Parker has always been a master of razor-sharp and witty dialogue, hard-driving suspense and memorable characterization. His Jesse Stone series promises to match if not excel the Spenser novels. Night Passage is a stunning debut.”—Houston Chronicle

“Vintage Parker.”—The Denver Post

“A page-turner...the protagonist is a believable, full-blooded man of Hemingwayesque dimensions. Full of action, spiced with fast-moving introspection.”—Forbes

“A winner.”—The Boston Globe

“You can always rely on Parker for some great talk and great scenes.”—Kirkus Reviews

More Praise for Robert B. Parker

“If weight is to be given to prolific output as well as to literary excellence, it would be no stretch to claim that America’s greatest mystery writer is Robert B. Parker.”—The New York Sun

About the Author

Robert B. Parker was the author of more than fifty books. He died in January 2010.

Amazon.com Review

Fans often feel uneasy when the creator of a popular character ventures into new turf, and sometimes their trepidation is justified. But readers of Robert B. Parker's immensely popular Spenser series can breathe a sigh of relief: while Night Passage doesn't feature Spenser, his usual gang of associates, or a Boston setting, it's vintage Parker--fast, witty, suspenseful, and engaging. Told in short, crisp chapters, it's the story of Jesse Stone, a 34-year-old ex-cop who just lost his L.A. policeman's job and his marriage due to a drinking problem. The book opens as Stone leaves California for his new job as chief of police in the picturesque town of Paradise, Massachusetts.

But Paradise isn't as placid as it seems--in fact, it's a festering mass of petty corruption, right-wing militia, sexual scandal, and bad guys who favor strong-arm tactics. Night Passage boasts a delicious, classic setup: the lone lawman, new in town, must make his stand to clean the place up. Stone has been picked for the job because the town fathers figured he'd be weak and malleable; as he gradually pulls himself together, it turns out they have a surprise in store. Stone's qualities may remind you of Spenser's--he's taciturn, fearless, good-looking, and compassionate--and in the end the plot's pleasing complexities get resolved a bit simply. But Robert B. Parker is in fine form in Night Passage, with his smart-aleck wit under control and his prose at its economical best. Spenser fans and Parker neophytes alike will find plenty to enjoy here. And the setting is, after all, not far from Boston--dare we hope for a Spenser-Stone meeting in future books?

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Booklist

Jesse Stone's career as an LAPD homicide detective is over, as is his marriage, thanks largely to booze. The good news is that Paradise, Massachusetts, needs a police chief. What Stone doesn't know is that city father Hasty Hathaway and acting chief Lou Burke are looking for a pushover to put in charge, and they figure a lush might do nicely. They pick the wrong lush. Stone drinks too much, but he doesn't push easily. Soon he has tangled with Paradise's leading thug, Jo Jo Genest, and is becoming curious about the local militia outfit, to which most of the town's leading citizens belong. The new chief's suspicions about the town intensify when he learns that his predecessor has been murdered in remote Wyoming. As Stone's first major case plays out, he balances still-considerable feelings for his ex-wife against the nascent affair he's having with a local lawyer. The new series by the creator of the hugely successful Spenser books has a great deal going for it: an empathetic, painfully flawed protagonist; an atmospheric small-town setting rife with corruption; and a whole new set of fascinating secondary characters. Parker is a true craftsman, and he's also extremely versatile, as he's proved in the past with his mainstream fiction and with his little-known classic, Wilderness (1979), and as he now proves again with this fine new series. Wes Lukowsky --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

After 24 Spenser titles (Small Vices, p. 90, etc.), Parker branches out with this tale of Jesse Stone, who's eased out of LAPD Homicide by his divorce-driven drinking, then hired by the sharp town fathers of Paradise, Mass., to replace Chief Tom Carson, who found out a little too much about Paradise. And there's lots to find out, because Board of Selectmen chair Hasty Hathaway--whose credentials also include heading Freedom's Horsemen, the local Aryan supremacist militia--is in bed with organized crime guys from Boston. Hasty's also in bed with Tammy Portugal (though you can hardly blame him: Mrs. Hasty is getting nasty with everybody in town but him); and when Tammy threatens to go public with their affair unless Hasty makes an honest woman of her, the stage is set for a no-holds-barred confrontation between Hasty, his crime connections (especially his fix-it man, body-builder Jo Jo Genest), his crooked cops, and Freedom's Horsemen (on one side) and taciturn loner Jesse (on the other). Longtime Spenser fans, who have been enjoying the clipped phone dialogue between Jesse and his ex, will be smacking their lips. But then, suddenly, everything's too easy. Jesse gets his drinking under control and makes key friends in Paradise. His force closes ranks behind him. The big-time mobsters get busy fighting among themselves. Jo Jo crumbles. Freedom's Horsemen implode. Don't even ask about Hasty. You can always rely on Parker for some great talk and great scenes. But you'll have to wait for later entries in this new series for a great story. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Inside Flap

f two dozen Spenser novels as well as numerous other works of fiction, Robert B. Parker is no stranger to either critical or popular acclaim. With his hallmark sharp wit and taut action, Parker has created in the Spenser series the standard against which all contemporary detective novels are measured, and a character considered the paragon of private eyes. In Night Passage, Parker sets the bar even higher, with the introduction of Jesse Stone, a hero cut from different cloth.

After a busted marriage kicks his drinking problem into overdrive and the LAPD unceremoniously dumps him, the thirty-five-year-old Stone's future looks bleak. So he's shocked when a small Massachusetts town called Paradise recruits him as police chief. He can't help wondering if this job is a genuine chance to start over, the kind of offer he can't refuse.

Once on board, Jesse doesn't have to look for trouble in Paradise: it comes to him. For what is on the surface a quiet New England commun --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Library Journal

The creator of the famed Spenser novels introduces a new detective series.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From AudioFile

In NIGHT PASSAGE, the corrupt city fathers of a Massachusetts town hire Jesse Stone as police chief because his bad record as an L.A. cop suggests that he will discharge his duties in the ineffectual way they need to continue their nefarious deeds. Jesse has far more character and capability than they give him credit for. The second volume continues Jesse's well-plotted adventures among the vividly drawn characters. Richard Masur gives an Apollonian reading of the narrative and nice impersonations of the characters. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005F4CCYS
Publisher ‏ : ‎ G.P. Putnam's Sons (July 1, 2001)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 1, 2001
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1316 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 434 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0425183963

Best Sellers Rank: #9,545 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #339 in Police Procedurals (Books)
- #353 in Police Procedurals (Kindle Store)
- #438 in Crime Thrillers (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
3,772 ratings

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Robert B. Parker

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Robert B. Parker (1932-2010) has long been acknowledged as the dean of American crime fiction. His novel featuring the wise-cracking, street-smart Boston private-eye Spenser earned him a devoted following and reams of critical acclaim, typified by R.W.B. Lewis' comment, "We are witnessing one of the great series in the history of the American detective story" (The New York Times Book Review). In June and October of 2005, Parker had national bestsellers with APPALOOSA and SCHOOL DAYS, and continued his winning streak in February of 2006 with his latest Jesse Stone novel, SEA CHANGE.

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Parker attended Colby College in Maine, served with the Army in Korea, and then completed a Ph.D. in English at Boston University. He married his wife Joan in 1956; they raised two sons, David and Daniel. Together the Parkers founded Pearl Productions, a Boston-based independent film company named after their short-haired pointer, Pearl, who has also been featured in many of Parker's novels.

Parker began writing his Spenser novels in 1971 while teaching at Boston's Northeastern University. Little did he suspect then that his witty, literate prose and psychological insights would make him keeper-of-the-flame of America's rich tradition of detective fiction. Parker's fictional Spenser inspired the ABC-TV series Spenser: For Hire. In February 2005, CBS-TV broadcast its highly-rated adaptation of the Jesse Stone novel Stone Cold, which featured Tom Selleck in the lead role as Parker's small-town police chief. The second CBS movie, Night Passage, also scored high ratings, and the third, Death in Paradise, aired on April 30, 2006.

Parker was named Grand Master of the 2002 Edgar Awards by the Mystery Writers of America, an honor shared with earlier masters such as Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen.

Parker died on January 19, 2010, at the age of 77.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

3,772 global ratings

5 star		63%
4 star		28%
3 star		7%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Janaj

Cut book sheath

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 10, 2023

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The book is is good condition. The cover sheath had two slits where it look like it was cut with a razor blade.

One person found this helpful

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Mountain Cat Mom

Good into

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 30, 2022

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I like this because I'd always liked the times we saw Jesse Stone in the show on TV & it gave me a good intro to how he got to Paradise & his relationship with his ex-wife & the town, etc. My spouse always really liked it when we saw it on TV.

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Charles van Buren

Good mystery and police work

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 23, 2022

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This first volume in the Jesse Stone series is a well written, engrossing mystery. The characters are well developed with Stone being a sympathetic character despite his personal problems.

The problem I had with the novel is its portrayal of a militia group as large, well -organized, obedient to its leader and willing to engage in violence to pursue a rather silly, unrealistic goal. I have no experience with militia groups but I do know a bit about the Ku Klux Klan in the late 1960's - early 1970's. Most members of one of the more active Klaverns in central Mississippi back in the bad old days didn't even bother to show up for regular meetings or pay their dues. If I remember correctly there were less than a dozen regulars at the weekly meetings. Of those only a handful were willing to engage in violence or any serious lawbreaking. I find it hard to believe that a militia group in Paradise, Massachusetts would be much different. But that probably will not bother most readers who can enjoy the book without skepticism.

3 people found this helpful

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LisaVD

Great book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 5, 2022

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Love the style of writing and Jesse Stone as police chief is a likeable character. I look forward to more by this author

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Greggorio!

A TOWN MEETS ITS DESTINY!!!!!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 17, 2013

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Reading NIGHT PASSAGE has been a fascinating experience. The majority of the Robert B Parker novels that I have enjoyed over the last three years have been from the hugely enjoyable Spenser series. As we know, NIGHT PASSAGE is the first in the Jesse Stone series and i have learnt that the two characters are not completely dissimilar. One (Spenser) is a private eye, and Stone sits on the other side of the law, doing essentially the same thing. But with less freedom. There is even a passage early on in the book in which Stone copies a thought that Spenser uses quite frequently word for word. The context is even the same.

One however, can not continue to compare the two any further at this stage as Spenser is infinitely more advanced than Stone. We are just getting to know the man, his weaknesses, his strengths, his morals, personal beliefs etc. And we are just getting to know the town of Paradise. Which, as it turns out, is not quite the innocent little haven town that its name might suggest.

Jesse Stone the cop, or the man, is not witty, or literate. He is not romantic. He is flawed. He is a drunk. He is, however, man enough to know this, and admit to it. He is also deeply committed to the office of town sheriff and everything that it represents. Which is good for the townsfolk of Paradise, and bad news for the troublemakers.

It turns out that the men in control of the town of Paradise are corrupt and led by one who is borderline delusional and not afraid to hurt people (or even worse) to get what they want. Jesse arrives in town and his experienced eyes see Paradise for the bent place that it is. He sees his new job, however, as a chance for redemption, and is determined to fix the mess the town is in, or die trying.

The book is a wonderful introduction to the Jesse Stone series of novels. A classic whodunit which contains sub mysteries, with one or two that are admittedly a little easy to solve. By the end, however, Stone saves the day, and the town, and finds himself on the path to self salvation as well.

3 people found this helpful

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Jean Wilbourn

Good read.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 11, 2022

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Bought book after watching movie. Easy read, kept my interest, didn't get bored. Will add additional books to my library.

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David S. Jackson

My favorite part about the Jesse Stone character is how hung ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 29, 2015

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My favorite part about the Jesse Stone character is how hung up he is on his ex. I've seen all of the movies with Tom Selleck, and now I'm finally reading the novels--I'm getting a lot more about the character from the novels. I'm also getting much more about all of the other characters in the movies that I never got before. The novels fill in so much more.

I give only four stars because of some firearms info that doesn't seem realistic to me. I'm a gun geek, and I cannot believe that a "great detective" from the downtown precinct of the LA Robbery/Homicide Div would carry a j-frame snub as a primary weapon, even in 2001. It would have been unlikely enough in 1991. In Mayberry or Paradise, okay, no problem. But not in LA Metro. Selleck changed this for the movies and carries a commander-sized 1911. That I could see I think. But these days big-city detectives get in too many shoot-outs to not carry heavier primary firearms. Even Jim Cirillo carried two DA revolvers as a primary, and that was about 1975 I think. But most readers won't care about this, so no problem.

For me, I enjoy the character's complexity. And even the bad guys are interesting. Hasty Hathaway seems very childlike in some ways, in his idealizing his world and in over simplifying his wife. Gino Fish, who apparently is gay (I never picked up on this in the movies--perhaps William Sadler has been in too many bad ass roles for me to see him as gay???) is wonderfully complex, although we only get an intro in this novel. From the movie, I thought he was a linear personality. Not so in the book. Lots of info about Jo Jo in the novel that wasn't in the movie. And his was perhaps the most simple character in the novel. Although even his "epithet" is a curious choice, given the circumstances in the novel. One wonders about his mommy issues, maybe a Madonna/Whore complex or something...

All in all, a terrific novel, competent writing, and some of my favorite detective characters ever!

7 people found this helpful

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P R J Matthews

excellent read hard to put down

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 2, 2018

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My wife and I have recently watched the series on TV featuring Tom Selleck as Jessie Stone so I got this first novel to see if we got more background to the reason behind his move from West to East coast USA. I wasn't disappointed it was a great read and apart from a couple of differences from the film I recon that Mr Selleck played Jessie to a T. Will get the next story in order when I have caught up with reading all my recent purchases.
P R Matthews

7 people found this helpful

Crystal

Jesse Stone

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 19, 2021

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I actually enjoyed this book. Fast pace, easy to read, strong characters and suspenseful. I was not sure what to expect because I don't usually read this genre. There was violence, crime, sex and swearing. There was tension as bad guys did more and more, assuming that the new police chief was their puppet.
I don't think that this is really a woman's novel but it was a good read. I expect that readership is mostly male. If you like a police story with great characters and creepy bad guys, then this is great for you.

One person found this helpful

Jl Adcock

Excellent opener to the Jesse Stone series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 19, 2017

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Washed-up LA cop Jesse Stone turns his back on his failed marriage and heads east to Paradise in the opening novel of Parker's Jesse Stone series. What could have been a story full of cliches featuring an alcoholic cop on the skids is honed into something rather excellent. Parker makes the craft of writing look ridiculously easy; the spare prose and witty, believable dialogue moves the story along at a cracking pace. There is also a sense of stillness and space amongst the action. The plot is almost Western-like, with Stone riding into town and uncovering dark deeds in small town America that leads to murder and deceit on a grand scale. With a pitch perfect finale, Parker leaves the reader wanting more. Impressive stuff from a master of the genre.

6 people found this helpful

L F.

I prefer the film.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 23, 2019

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I bought the book as I'd really enjoyed the film featuring Tom Selleck, and wanted to compare the two.
I'm afraid that imho the film wins hands down.
I only finished reading it because I was comparing it with the film, to see how faithful that was to the original - I probably wouldn't have finished it, if it had been a stand alone purchase. Which tells you how good the writing seemed to me.
In the film, Selleck is physically much bigger and older than the book character and his portrayal is much better for it - he brings gravitas and experience absent in the book. Thankfully, the mob hitman Jo Jo Genest becomes Jo Genest in the film, and although a musclebound thug in the book his film portrayal as a psycopath of normal size by Stephen Baldwin is far more nuanced and interesting. I wondered why the Irishwoman Molly Crane in the book, was portrayed as a black woman in the film - this was a change I didn't think was for the better.

Redhenry

Loved it!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 7, 2014

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I'd been aware of the Jesse Stone books for a long time, and had seen a couple of the TV films with the superb Tom Selleck. Spenser, though, was my guy. Witty and light-hearted in tone but punctuated by little jewels of descriptive prose. Also, Spenser, Hawk, Susan and the rest of the cast have become my friends over the years and I must have read some of the books five times. How could another series of stories compete? I watched another Jesse Stone film last weekend though and started to notice the things I liked about Spenser appearing in the Jesse Stone story. Yes, it's a TV adaptation but the snappy, economical dialogue was there, as was the real concern for ordinary people. I bought this first Jesse Stone immediately on the Kindle. Stone is as good a character as Spenser and probably easier to identify with for most people. The dialogue sparkles, the supporting cast are already developing their 'leitmotif' trademarks and the sense of place is delightful. There is a similar mix of booze, sex and violence but as with the Spenser books, Stone cares about people who are sidelined, ignored or downtrodden and there's the same idea that he is going to do the right thing regardless of the toes he steps on. I was also delighted to see a few of the minor characters from Spenserworld appearing in this story, such as Healy, the homicide commander, plus Gino Fish and Vinnie Morris. I've never come across an author who can do as much with a short sentence as Bob Parker and I am delighted to have a few more of his wonderful stories to discover.

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