A review of Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues by Michael Brandman

Here’s the situation. I’ve read each of the novels in the “Jesse Stone” series one time. I’ve seen all of the “Jesse Stone” TV movies at least five-to-six times. Innocents Lost only three times so far, but I’m getting the urge to watch it again in the immediate future. Anyway, I love the books, and I love the movies, but I do have a difficult time separating one from the other. In other words, I get them mixed up with each other, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The author of the novels, Robert B. Parker, who was famous for his excellent “Spenser” series, died in January of 2010. That’s almost two years ago. It’s seems much longer to me as I’m sure it does with most of his long-time fans. Fortunately for us, Mr. Parker wrote two-to-three books a year, so there were still a few to be published in both the “Spenser” and “Jesse Stone” series when he passed away. The last book, Sixkill, finally came out this past May. Thankfully, the publisher, in conjunction with the Robert Parker estate, are continuing both the “Spenser” and “Jesse Stone” series with new authors tackling the job of creating exciting stories with the same characters in them that we’re all familiar with. Mystery writer, Ace Atkins, will be writing the new “Spenser” novels, and Michael Brandman, who is well known as one of the producers and co-writers of the “Jesse Stone” TV movies, will be continuing, yep, the “Jesse Stone” novels.

Though I’m now down to reading a novel every one-to-two weeks, I actually read Killing the Blues in only two days, which is a record for me. I couldn’t put the book down. For me, it was like watching a new “Jesse Stone” movie on television, but without all the camera angles. The book certainly fulfilled my expectations, which is all any reader can ask for.
In Killing the Blues, Jesse Stone has to deal with a series of car thefts that quickly escalate into a murder, a released convict who has revenge on his mind for our local police chief, a new girlfriend who happens to be Selectman Carter Hansen’s niece and who’s planning a summer rock concert in Paradise, a tray cat looking for a home, a young girl who takes a principal hostage and opens up a larger can of worms in regards to bullying and sexual abuse by teachers, and Jesse gets a new rental house on the rocky bluff with the footbridge leading over to it (the same house we see in the television movies).

Car theft in Paradise is a new experience for the locals, especially since the thieves are stealing Honda Accords and not the luxury automobiles most of the rich are driving. Several thefts occur in less than a week, but everything escalates when a victim is murdered while trying to prevent his car from being stolen. Jesse takes it personally and silently vows to avenge the widow by going after the man at the top of the car-theft ring. To do this, however, he will near the help of criminal, Gino Fish.

While working for the LAPD years before, Jesse arrested a man named Rollo Nurse and beat him senseless due to his inner rage at his wife, Jenn. Rollo went to prison, but not with every cell in his brain intact due to the pistol whipping. Once he’s paroled, Rollo decides it’s time that Jesse Stone paid for what he did to him. Rollo hops on a bus and reaches Paradise a few days later. Then, he begins a deadly campaign designed to get Jesse’s undivided attention and to let him know that death is waiting right around the corner for him.

While Jesse is investigating the sudden rash of car thefts and the unexplained killing of dogs in the community, a young female student takes the principal of her junior high school hostage. Jesse talks to the girl, which reveals more physical, emotional, and sexual abuse hidden beneath the surface of the educational system. Jesse’s personal life might be in shambles, but as a police officer, he knows exactly what has to be done to correct a given situation and always pushes ahead with his coply intuition.

The author, Michael Brandman, does an excellent job of bringing to life Robert Parker’s characters in a fun-filled, suspenseful novel. In some ways, I feel that Mr. Brandman knows Jesse Stone almost as good as Mr. Parker did and effortlessly captures the inner essence of this wounded individual who tries to do the right thing whenever possible. Now, in reading the novel, it may seem as if you were watching a new “Jesse Stone” movie. That didn’t bother me in the least. I had all the actors in mind who play the regular characters in the show and saw them vividly in each scene of the book. For me, it’s like visiting family for a few days, and it’s always a good experience.

I enjoyed the fact that the author attempted to update the “Jesse Stone” novels with what’s going on in the series, though there were some major differences. Unlike the show, Jesse has never left his position as police chief of Paradise in the books. Also, he’s lived in a rented condo until this novel, when his desire to be more isolated spurs him to rent a house on the rocky buff you’ve seen in the last several movies.

Now, this is also where some confusion comes in on my part in getting the shows and books mixed up. Reggie, the dog, doesn’t exist in this novel. Instead, a stray cat starts hanging around Jesse’s new home and soon chooses the police chief as her new owner. Captain Healy of the State Police lives next door to Jesse here and makes friends with the cat much faster than our hero does. Healy calls himself the Cat Whisperer. Hasty Hathaway is back in this book. Though he owns the used car lot, he has now been elected back to the town board. This is a clear jump from the TV movie, Innocents Lost. Last, but not least, Jesse and Carter Hansen seem to get along a little better here than in the television series, which leads in to the Paradise police chief striking up a relationship with the Selectman’s niece, Alexis Richardson.

It’s possible that not every fan will enjoy this new “Jesse Stone” novel as much as I did. I guess it will depend on how much you either like or don’t like the television movies. All in all, I think this is a fabulous continuation of the series, and I’m certain Robert Parker would be pleased to know that his characters have a new father and are doing well. There is a question in my mind as to whether or not Killing the Blues will be the next “Jesse Stone” movie in 2012.