Jesse Stone

Publisher: Putnam
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0399143041
Date: September 1997

After a busted marriage kicks his drinking problem into overdrive and the LAPD unceremoniously dumps him, the thirty-five-year-old Stone's future looks bleak. So he's shocked when a small Massachusetts town called Paradise recruits him as police chief. He can't help wondering if this job is a genuine chance to start over, the kind of offer he can't refuse. Once on board, Jesse 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.

Purchase: Hardcover, Paperback, Large Print Hardcover.

Publisher: Putnam
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0399144331
Date: September 1998

Stiles Island is a wealthy and exclusive enclave separated by a bridge from the Massachusetts coast town of Paradise. James Macklin sees the island as the ultimate investment opportunity: all he needs to do is invade it, blow the bridge, and loot the island. To realize his scheme, Macklin, along with his devoted girlfriend, Faye, assembles a crew of fellow ex-cons - all experts in their fields - including Wilson Cromartie, a fearsome Apache. As Macklin plans his crime, Paradise police chief Jesse Stone has his hands full. He faces romantic entanglements in triplicate: his ex-wife, Jenn, is in the Paradise Jail for assault, he's begun a new relationship with a Stiles Island realtor named Marcy Campbell, and he's still sorting out his feelings for attorney Abby Taylor. When Macklin's attack on Stiles Island is set in motion, both Marcy and Abby are put in jeopardy. As the casualties mount, it's up to Jesse to keep both women from harm.

Purchase: Hardcover, Paperback, Large Print Hardcover.

Publisher: Putnam
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0399147799
Date: October 2001

The Paradise Men's Softball League has wrapped up another game, and Jesse Stone is lingering in the parking lot with his teammates, drinking beer, swapping stories of double plays and beautiful women in the late-summer twilight. But then a frightened voice calls out to him from the edge of a nearby lake. There, two men squat at the water's edge. In front of them, facedown, was something that used to be a girl.

The local cops haven't seen anything like this, but Jesse's L.A. past has made him all too familiar with floaters. This girl hadn't committed suicide; she hadn't been drowned: she'd been shot and dumped, discarded like trash. Before long it becomes clear that she had a taste for the wild life; and her own parents can't be bothered to report her missing, or even admit that she once was a child of theirs. All Jesse has to go on is a young man's school ring on a gold chain, and a hunch or two.

Purchase: Hardcover, Paperback, Large Print Hardcover, Large Print Paperback, Unabridged Audio CD.

Publisher: Putnam
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0399150870
Date: September 2003

Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone returns, tracking the path of a pair of thrill killers.

Investigating a serial killer in an affluent suburban town is difficult, and dangerous, and with the added pressures from the town selectmen and the media, the heat is turned up on Jesse. He's spending too much time with the bottle-and with his ex-wife -- neither of which helps him, or the case. And the harder these outside forces push against him, the more Jesse retreats into himself, convinced-despite all the odds -- that it's up to him alone to stop the killing.

As tough, clear-eyed, and sardonic as Jesse Stone himself, this is the Grand Master working at the peak of his powers.

Purchase: Hardcover, Paperback, Large Print Hardcover, Large Print Paperback, Unabridged Audio CD.

Publisher: Putnam
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0399152679
Date: February 2006

When a woman's partially decomposed body washes ashore in Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone is forced into a case far more difficult than it initially appears. Identifying the woman is just the first step in what proves to be an emotionally charged investigation. Florence Horvath was an attractive, recently divorced heiress from Florida; she also had a penchant for steamy sex and was an enthusiastic participant in a video depicting the same. Somehow the combination of her past and present got her killed, but no one is talking-not the crew of the Lady Jane, the Fort Lauderdale yacht moored in Paradise Harbor; not her very blond, very tan twin sisters, Corliss and Claudia; and not her curiously affectless parents, living out a sterile retirement in a Miami high rise. But someone - Jesse - has to speak for the dead, even if it puts him in harm's way.

Purchase: Hardcover, Kindle Edition, Paperback, Large Print Hardcover, Unabridged Audio CD.

Publisher: Putnam
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0399154043
Date: February 2007

The murder of a notorious public figure places Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone in the harsh glare of the media spotlight.

When the body of controversial talk-show host Walton Weeks is discovered hanging from a tree on the outskirts of Paradise, police chief Jesse Stone finds himself at the center of a highly public case, forcing him to deal with small-minded local officials and national media scrutiny. When another dead body-that of a young woman-is discovered just a few days later, the pressure becomes almost unbearable.

Two victims in less than a week should provide a host of clues, but all Jesse runs into are dead ends. But what may be the most disturbing aspect of these murders is the fact that no one seems to care-not a single one of Weeks's ex-wives, not the family of the girl. And when the medical examiner reveals a heartbreaking link between the two departed souls, the mystery only deepens.

Despite Weeks's reputation and the girl's tender age, Jesse is hard-pressed to find legitimate suspects. Though the crimes are perhaps the most gruesome Jesse has ever witnessed, it is the malevolence behind them that makes them all the more frightening. Forced to delve into a world of stormy relationships, Jesse soon comes to realize that knowing whom he can trust is indeed a matter of life and death.

Purchase: Hardcover, Kindle Edition, Paperback, Large Print Hardcover, Unabridged Audio CD.

Publisher: Putnam
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0399154604
ISBN-13: 9780399154607
Date: February 2008

The last time Jesse Stone, chief of police of Paradise, Massachusetts, saw Wilson "Crow" Cromartie, the Apache Indian hit man was racing away in a speedboat after executing one of the most lucrative and deadly heists in the town's history. Crow was part of a team of ex-cons who plotted to capture Stiles Island, the wealthy enclave off the Paradise coast, by blowing up the connecting bridge. Residents were kidnapped, some were killed, and Crow managed to escape with a boatload of cash, never to be seen again. Until now.

So when Crow shows up in Jesse's office some ten years after the crime, it's not to turn himself in. Crow is on another job, and this time he's asking for Jesse's help-by asking him to stay out of his way.

Crow's mission is simple: find young Amber Francisco and bring her back to her father, Louis, in Florida. It should be an easy payday for a pro like Crow, but there are complications. Amber, now living in squalor with her mother, Fiona, is mixed up with members of a Latino gang. And when Louis orders Crow to kill Fiona before heading back with Amber, he can't follow through. Crow may be a bad guy, but he doesn't kill women. It's up to Jesse to provide protection.

Meanwhile, Jesse's on-again, off-again relationship with ex-wife Jenn picks up steam as Jenn investigates the gang problem for her TV station. As they dig deeper, the danger escalates. The life of a young girl hangs in the balance, and saving Amber could be the miracle Jesse and Jenn need for themselves, too.

Purchase: Hardcover, Kindle Edition, Large Print Hardcover, Unabridged Audio CD.

Original air date: February 20, 2005 on CBS.
DVD release date: June 28, 2005.

Plot Synopsis: In the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts, the experienced Chief of Police Jesse Stone is investigating a murder and a rape case. When a series of murders happen with the same "modus-operandi", Jesse discloses the identity of the killers. However, without the motive, proof or weapon, he has to wait for an opportunity to catch the murderers.

Note: Although the 1st movie filmed, it is based on the 4th book in the series.

Buy from: Mysteries on TV - Jesse Stone.

Original air date: January 15, 2006 on CBS.
DVD release date: June 12, 2007.

Plot Synopsis: In Santa Monica, California, the former detective Jesse Stone moves to Paradise, Massachusetts with his old dog Boomer, after having drinking problem on duty. He is invited by the Paradise's powerful counselor Hastings Hathaway to be the substitute for the former Chief Lou Carson, who had an earlier retirement. In his first assignment, he hits the abusive husband Joe Genest, who has not respected a restraint order. The local attorney Abby Taylor visits him after the incident and they have an affair. When Lou is killed, Chief Jesse Stone suspects of the mobster Joe and Hastings, and plots a situation trying to disclose the truth.

Note: This 2nd movie is based on the 1st book in the series and is often listed as a "prequel".

Buy from: Mysteries on TV - Jesse Stone.

Original air date: April 30, 2006 on CBS.
DVD release date: June 12, 2007.

Plot Synopsis: When the body of a fourteen years old teenager is found in the margin of the river in Paradise, Massachusetts, the Chief of Police Jesse Stone and his officer Simpson seek clues in the spot. Through a graduation ring of a student that they find nearby the corpse, they identity the dead girl, the local slut Billy Bishop. Meanwhile, his department deals with a domestic violent situation with an aggressive and abusive husband that beats his wife. Along his investigation, Stone discloses that the famous writer Norman Shaw was too much close to the victim and intended to write the biography of the famous gangster Leo in his next book. Joining the pieces of evidences like a puzzle, Stone unravels the identity of the criminal.

Buy from: Mysteries on TV - Jesse Stone.

Original air date: May 22, 2007 on CBS.
DVD release date: February 24, 2008.

Plot synopsis: Jesse Stone has settled in as the police chief of the small New England town of Paradise, Massachusetts, and his ultimate nightmare has come true: Stone finds himself filling his time writing parking tickets and struggling to keep his ever-present attraction to beautiful women and booze under control.

With one of his officers on maternity leave and another fighting for his life after suffering a gunshot wound, Jesse's restlessness gets the best of him and he re-opens a 12-year-old cold case involving the murder of a bank teller. Jesse finds his unsolved case unfolding while he's also investigating the tawdry circumstances surrounding an alleged rape aboard a yacht during the town's annual Race Week.

Note: Tom Selleck was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in Sea Change.

Buy from: Mysteries on TV - Jesse Stone.

Original air date: not yet aired (in post-production).
DVD release date: not yet released.

Plot synopsis: Paradise, Massachusetts, Police Chief Jesse Stone finds himself in trouble with the Town Council when he inadvertently becomes involved in a shoot-out on a Boston street. His friend, State Homicide Commander Healy, is seriously wounded and Jesse comes under investigation by the Boston Police Department's Internal Affairs Division, which causes him to be away from Paradise for extended periods of time.

Jesse further alienates the Council by firing the Paradise Police Department's most prodigious ticket writer, resulting in a considerable loss of revenue for the town. His issues with the Council are further exacerbated when a celebrated out of towner shows up in Paradise in search of her missing child, and Jesse agrees to take her case. His continued defiance of the Council's wishes now begins to jeopardize his very job.

Note: This is the first movie in this series not based on an existing Jesse Stone book. It is an original screenplay.

Original air date: not yet aired (in production).
DVD release date: not yet released.

Plot synopsis: Jesse Stone is suspended by the Paradise town council and working for the state investigating a series of murders in Boston. (This synopsis is preliminary.)

Note: This is the second movie in this series not based on an existing Jesse Stone book. It is an original screenplay co-written by Tom Selleck.

Jesse Stone
Stone Cold

Jesse Stone: Stone Cold

Tom Selleck is Jesse Stone, a former Los Angeles homicide detective who left behind the big city and an ex-wife to become the police chief of the quiet New England fishing town of Paradise, Massachusetts. Stone's old habits die hard as he continues to indulge in his two favorite things - scotch and women. When a series of murders take place, and a high school girl is raped, he's forced to face his own demons in order to solve the crimes.

Jesse Stone
Night Passage

Jesse Stone: Night Passage

This prequel to Stone Cold depicts Jesse Stone's (Tom Selleck) first days as Chief of Police of Paradise, Massachusetts. He must immediately find the killer of his predecessor, plus investigate a domestic violence situation involving the city's resident hothead, whose ties to a local bank manager expose a money-laundering scheme.

Jesse Stone
Death in Paradise

Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise

Jesse Stone (Tom Selleck) is settling into his new life in Paradise when he becomes obsessed with finding the killer of a teenage girl. His quest to solve the murder unearths facts indicating there is more to the girl's history than originally suspected and the new clues lead him to probe the Boston underworld.

Jesse Stone
Sea Change

Jesse Stone: Sea Change

Paradise Police Chief Jesse Stone (Tom Selleck) is bored with what he perceives as his mundane life, struggling to keep his drinking and his obsession with beautiful women under control. Stone's restlessness gets the best of him and he re-opens a 12-year-old cold file involving the murder of a bank teller. The inquiry reveals fresh clues and Stone soon finds himself busier than ever as the unsolved case leads to another centered around an alleged rape aboard a yacht during the town's annual Race Week.

• Jesse Stone has appeared in two other Parker novels: Back Story (a Spenser mystery) and Blue Screen (a Sunny Randall mystery).


• According to Parker, the fictional town of Paradise is based on towns in which he has lived including Marblehead, Mattapoisett, and a little bit of Lynnfield. Marblehead is a seaside community located just north of Boston, Mattapoisett is on the south shore of Cape Cod, and Lynnfield is north of Boston (not adjacent to any major body of water).


• The Jesse Stone movies are filmed in and around Halifax, Nova Scotia.


• The 5th movie made, Thin Ice, is not based on an existing Jesse Stone mystery but from an original screenplay written specifically for this series.

The TV Tattler: Tom Selleck and Robert B. Parker Chat About TV Movie "Jesse Stone" (link)

CBS News: Tom Selleck on Sea Change (YouTube video)

Robert B. Parker is the author of several mystery series.

The Spenser mystery series features a Boston private investigator who was introduced in The Godwulf Manuscript published in 1973. Spenser (no first name) is often accompanied by his sidekick Hawk.

The Jesse Stone mystery series (the subject of this lens) features ex-LAPD detective Jesse Stone who becomes police chief for the Massachusetts town of Paradise.

The Sunny Randall mystery series was reportedly created so that Helen Hunt could play the character in a film. (To date, no film has been produced.) Sunny Randall is also a private investigator in Boston.

In 1989, Parker completed a Philip Marlowe manuscript left unfinished by Raymond Chandler when he died in 1959. Titled Poodle Springs, Parker wrote a second Philip Marlowe mystery two years later titled Perchance to Dream.

In addition to these mystery series, Robert B. Parker is the author of many non-series titles, including books for young adults.

For a list of mysteries written by this author, see a Robert B. Parker bibliography. Also see Robert B. Parker's homepage.

Tom Selleck is the actor who portrays Jesse Stone in the television movies adapted from the books by Robert B. Parker.

In 2007, Selleck was nominated for an Emmy award for his portrayal of Jesse Stone in Sea Change.

Selleck has a long history in television. He is possibly best known for playing the role of Thomas Magnum in the series Magnum P.I.

For more information about this fine actor, see his entry on IMDB.com.