Review of "Stone Cold: A Jesse Stone Novel" by Robert B. Parker

Robert B. Parker just can't stop creating new characters. We first met Police Chief Jesse Stone in the book "Death in Paradise." This adventure takes place in Paradise, Massachusetts. Chief Stone is a worthy character to know. Chief Stone has a problem. Dead bodies keep showing up but there are no clues to follow. A man takes his dog out for a run on the beach where he is found dear a few hours later. A woman parks her car and runs into the grocery store. She is found dead behind her still loaded shopping cart. When a third body is found and the method of murder is the same we know that Chief Stone has a serial killer in his territory.

The problem I found with this mystery is that it was very difficult to like the hero. Jessie is a somewhat recovered alcoholic. He is still totally crazy for his ex-wife. All he knows is that he loves her and expects that she will return to the marriage. In the meantime, he loses no opportunity to have lady friends old and new over for sex. He is still on the hunt, apparently, and it's hard to like this deluded male personality. Politics and the media are driving him to solve these deaths. Of course he does solve them in the end of this mystery, but I still could not bring myself like him.