Night Passage

The First Jesse Stone Mystery

After a busted marriage kicks his drinking problems into overdrive and the LAPD unceremoniously dump him, 35-year-old Jesse Stones future looks bleak.

So hes shocked when a small Massachusetts town called Paradise hires him as their police chief.

Once on board he doesnt 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.

He finds he must test his mettle and powers of command to emerge a local hero - or the deadest of dupes.

as richly novelistic as anything Parker has ever written ...light, shade, texture, and complexityRichard Dyer, The Boston Globe

The spare style of Parkers third-person narrative cleans the air Marilyn Stasio, New York Times

A novel as fresh as it is bold ... Stone is a complex and consistently interesting new protagonistNewsday

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