The last time police chief Jesse Stone saw bad guy Wilson Cromartie, "Crow" was a tiny, hazy outline disappearing behind a speedboat wake. Ten years have passed and the career crook who pulled off the worst heist in Paradise, Massachusetts, history is now back, knocking on Jesse's door. But this old nemesis isn't turning himself in; he needs Stone's help and, astonishingly enough, it's an offer Jesse can't refuse. One of the most compelling protagonists in crime fiction.
Marilyn Stasio
Crow is Hawk, the enforcer in Parker's better-known Spenser series, before he was housebroken—which allows Jesse to be Spenser, before he got old. Jesse and Crow take target practice together…and discuss their careers…But mainly they talk the guy talk that is music to our ears.
—The New York Times
Publishers Weekly
Even if Parker's series about smalltown Massachusetts police chief Jesse Stone doesn't rank as most fans' favorite dish in the bestselling author's deli, listeners should enjoy James Naughton's clean and crisp way of bringing fictional characters to life. His performance alone is worth the price of admission. He makes Stone's wisecracks understandable and pungent. By lowering his voice just a bit and giving it some rougher edges, Naughton plays ex-con/hit man Wilson "Crow" Cromartie. A mobster has hired Crow to kill his wife and kidnap his daughter, but Crow has other ideas and needs Stone to stay out of his way. Will Stone step aside or will he join up with his former foe to save the women? There's no prize for guessing correctly, but the exciting story provides a fun way to pass a few idle hours. Simultaneous release with the Putnam hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 3, 2007). (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Library Journal
When Amber Francisco, the 14-year-old old daughter of a Florida racketeer, becomes involved with a Paradise Island gang banger, her father sends an enforcer to Massachusetts to bring her home. But after Wilson "Crow" Crowmartie-a dangerous Apache Indian hit man in the mold of another Parker character, Spenser's cohort, Hawk-is asked to kill the girl's mother, he turns to his old nemesis, police chief Jesse Stone (Sea Change ), to intervene. At the same time, Jesse's ex-wife, Jenn, investigates the gang problem for her TV station and in doing so exposes herself to danger. As in his Spenser novels, Parker allows his characters to dish out justice in their own way while just staying within the law. Blending descriptive detail with sparse dialog, Parker has not lost his touch. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/07.]
Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
JUN/JUL 08 - AudioFile
Parker's STRANGER IN PARADISE is his latest mystery to focus on Jesse Stone, the recovering-alcoholic cop who lives on Cape Cod. A visiting hit man, town concerns over busing, and the usual small-town intrigue all play out in an amiable fashion. As always, Parker's sparse prose and dialogue are best when spoken, and James Naughton delivers the staccato one-liners with ease. His voice is deep and raspy, and while he doesn't differentiate too much between characters, his rhythmic cadence allows the story to flow naturally and fits Parker's narrative voice well. Naughton is businesslike, never straying into caricature. He gives the reading an Everyman quality that keeps the listener firmly in the moment. A.Z.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
