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 Stone's future looks bleak.

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

Once on board he 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.

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 complexity' Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe

'The spare style of Parker's 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 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



Robert B Parker was the best-selling author of over 60 books, including Small Vices, Sudden Mischief, Hush Money, Hugger Mugger, Potshot, Widows Walk, Night Passage, Trouble in Paradise, Death in Paradise, Family Honor, Perish Twice, Shrink Rap, Stone Cold, Melancholy Baby, Back Story, Double Play, Bad Business, Cold Service, Sea Change, School Days and Blue Screen. He died in 2010 at the age of 77.



'A novel as fresh as it is bold ...Parker's sentences flow with as much wit, grace and assurance as ever, and Stone is a complex and consistently interesting new protagonist'



'The spare style of Parker's third-person narrative cleans the air'



'as richly novelistic as anything Parker has ever written ...light, shade, texture, and complexity'