NIGHT PASSAGE
1998
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?
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Shylocks's Aphorisms and Allusions
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Spenser Novels
Spenser Related Publications
Jesse Stone Novels
Sunny Randall Novels
Raymond Chandler
Other Fiction
Non-Fiction
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The PI in Hammett and Chandler (300)
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1984
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Parker on Writing (75)
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1985
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Parker on Writing (300)
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1985
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