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Amongst the many crime writers who have been able to make a mark amongst readers and critics, there is no doubt that the name of Robert B. Parker belongs right at the top. He is an American novelist and is famous for writing around 40 novels which revolved around the character Spenser. It also would be pertinent to mention here that some of his works were also featured as TV serials and one such serial was For Hire. The Spenser novels are bestselling novels and are clubbed along with the major top selling crime thrillers across the country at any given point in time.
Amongst the various others novels Parker has written, we need to mention the Jesse Stone series which have also have found very good acceptance amongst thousands of his fans. After Parkers death the series was continued by various different authors such as Reed Farrel Coleman and Michael Brandman.
Order of Jesse Stone Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Night Passage | 1997 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Trouble in Paradise | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Death in Paradise | 2001 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Stone Cold | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Sea Change | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | High Profile | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Stranger in Paradise | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Night and Day | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Split Image | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Killing The Blues | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Fool Me Twice | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | Damned If You Do | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | Blind Spot | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | The Devil Wins | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | Debt to Pay | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 16 | The Hangman's Sonnet | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 17 | Colorblind | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 18 | The Bitterest Pill | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 19 | Fool's Paradise | 2020 | Description / Buy | |
| 20 | Stone's Throw | 2021 | Description / Buy | |
| 21 | Fallout | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 22 | Buried Secrets | 2025 | Description / Buy |
Jesse Stone Awards
Parker never won any awards for the Jesse Stone series of novels however ince he was a prolific and well known writer, it was only natural that his writing talents would be recognized not only by his fans but by also critics and admirers. He has won a number of awards.
He has been nominated thrice for his works and is also the recipient of two Edgar Awards. The awards were given by the Mystery Writers of America. The first award was for the Best Novel Award in 1977. It was for the fourth novel in the Spenser series named Promised Land. Again in 1983 he received the Maltese Fiction Award from Japan for his work Early Autumn.
In 1990 he had the distinction of sharing a nomination for the Best Television Episode along with his wife Joan. This was for the TV series B. L. Stryker. He however, did not win the award but the work was appreciated well. In 2002 he was also the proud recipient of Grand Master Award and his collective oeuvre. In 2008 he also received the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award. Hence it would be pertinent to mention that he has been awarded quite a few times for his various works.
Jesse Stone in TV/Movies
Numerous books by Robert B. Parker about the character Jesse Stone have been made into TV and movies starring Tom Selleck. These include Night Passage, Lost in Paradise and Death in Paradise.
The movies are made for TV specials that have aired on CBS and the Hallmark Channel. Starring Tom Selleck, the first one aired in 2005 and they have continued to make them in the years to come with the newest movie coming out in 2015. The series has been extremely well received with Selleck even receiving Emmy nominations for his role as Jesse Stone.
The movies stick pretty close to the original storylines of the books with the only exceptions made for some content that might be deemed inappropriate for network television. Robert B. Parker, the author of the original series, has said that he believes these movies are the best adaptions of his movies and he is particularly a big fan of Selleck’s portrayal of the title character. These movies have done well and we should expect more to be made in the future.
Best Jesse Stone Books
The first novel in the series, Night Passage, is generally accepted as the best book in the Jesse Stone series. Stone has a bleak future ahead of him – his marriage is over, his drinking problem is – well, worse than before – and he’s dumped from the LAPD. Things aren’t looking good until the small town of Paradise hires him as their chief of police. The beginning of the Jesse Stone series is excellent as what seems to be a nice, quiet town ends up being a place full of crime! Boston mobs, triple homicides, psychopaths around the town and much more.
Another Jesse Stone book people really like is Night and Day. In this one there’s a peeping Tom on the loose – however things are going to get worse with the Tom sending notes to the chief of police to let him know what he’s planning to do. 8 books in it was clear Parker hadn’t lost it.
Stranger In Paradise: This is one of the most popular books in the series and is one of the books that has been adapted for a TV movie. In this one, Jesse adjusts to his new role of police chief in Paradise, Massachusetts. When an Apache hitman named Crow shows up looking for a young girl and her mother. The books also continues the on-again, off-again relationship between Jesse and his ex-wife Jen. One wishes that they might reach some sort of resolution with this relationship, but the chemistry between the two characters manages to keep it interesting. Even seven books into the series. This is a real fast read and a standout in the series.
Other Book Series You May Like:
If you’re a fan of the Jesse Stone series you’ll love anything else written by Robert B. Parker. That includes of course the incredible “Spenser” series but leave some room on your bookshelf for the “Sunny Randall” series. Both great series that belong up there with Jesse Stone and show just what a talent writer Robert B. Parker was.
What Is The Next Book in The Jesse Stone Series?
The next book in the The Jesse Stone Series by Robert B. Parker is Buried Secrets and will be released on February, 4th 2025.
Jesse Stone, like many other protagonist detectives, is a troubled man; he has a past and perhaps a drinking problem. However, he always manages to rise above and crack the case, even if he doesn’t know who he can trust.
I was pleasantly surprised when I decided to give this series a shot. I dabbled in Parker’s Spenser series so I was pleased when this series held up just was well. I read the first four books and looking forward to reading more.