Stone Cold (Parker, Robert B.) (Hardcover)

The novel has several, nicely intertwined story lines. If you like all of the story lines, you'll think this is a great book. If you dislike any of them, you will grade Stone Cold down one star for each one that you don't care for.

If you are new to the series, I suggest that you start with Death in Paradise and work your way forward to this one.

I must admit that I love the constant allusions to Paradise Lost and other books about those who are out of touch with God's grace. In this novel, we have two villains who are very much like Milton's residents of the nether regions who have fallen from grace because of their fascination with themselves. There are also three young men who are like those whom Dante describes as being overcome by lust in the Inferno. Lastly, there are Jesse and his ex-wife Jenn who seem to be looking for something that they cannot even define, like the lost souls of those who have never known God's grace such as the barbarians in the Inferno.

The major plot line features a pair of serial killers who enjoy the feeling of power and superiority that their type of murder provides. In the process of gratifying themselves, they terrorize Paradise, and leave Jesse without two of his closest friends and colleagues. He also finds himself staring down their gun sights. The story is developed as a simple police procedural (without much progress for some time) which makes the book more complex and interesting.

The most touching plot line though is about a young woman who is raped and threatened by three insensitive bullies. Jesse tries to do the right thing, and discovers the limits of how much one person can do for another under dire circumstances.

The continuing plot line involves Jesse's troubled relationships with women, and shows him at his most confused. At the same time, his problems are better developed here than in earlier books by showing how he relates to different women in different ways and what he says to his psychiatrist about them. For those who don't enjoy psychiatry, it may get a little deep when Jenn and Jesse are sharing what their psychiatrists have had to say about their relationship.

Of primary interest for the future is that Jesse seems to start to come to grip with some of his failings, weaknesses and attitudes. He begins to show the potential to use his pain to learn and make progress.

I came away looking forward to the next book in the series.

Because the dialogue is so smooth and delicious, you'll find yourself finishing the book very rapidly. Stone Cold will hit you just like a perfect martini . . . great going down and warming afterward.

Jesse Stone, the cop hero, whose personal life and 'investigation' we follow only has to give a woman the eye and she can't wait to be alone with him. One such woman just happens to end up as the third victim of the book's nasties - a (married) couple of implausible and rather unconvincing middle-aged serial killers. Jesse takes the woman's death surprisingly well and moves on with his life and the next loose woman.

Meanwhile the 'investigation' ticks along. And hey presto, a little bit of routine police work and the computer gives them their prime suspects. All it took was a search of the gun register coupled with a call to the DMV. How fortunate can you get. And when Jesse meets these people he instantly 'knows' they are the killers. But alas, he has no evidence with which to nail them. Not to worry, he guesses he is their next victim - how convenient - and hatches an ambush. But, oh no, it goes wrong and someone else gets killed. A cop this time. Oh well, time for another shag and a visit to the shrink.

Oh, forgot to mention that these killers draw suspicion because they have a .22 gun registered in their name, which they gladly offer to the cops for forensics. The fact is, it's not the murder weapon. Hah! They have another .22 they use for that. So, I ask myself, why not use an unregistered murder weapon of a different calibre so as not to draw attention in the first place. Or am I being too much of a spoilsport?

So, lots of irritations in the details. Overall, the plot lacked imagination and excitement. It had no sense of reality and no real surprises.

As for the writing, the descriptions were bland, the language uninspiring, and the dialogue - which accounts for about 75% of the book, average - none of the sparkle of, say, Elmore Leonard (OK, few authors can reach those heights, but if you're going to make 75% of your novel dialogue, at least apply a decent sprinkling of glitter and originality).

Has it put me off Robert B? No, I'll give him another chance. It's a rare author who can lay claim to over 40 books and not write a duff one. But if, as I was, you are looking to dip into the man's work, take a tip from me and start with one of his other titles. I can't believe this is one of his better offerings.

The novel has several, nicely intertwined story lines. If you like all of the story lines, you'll think this is a great book. If you dislike any of them, you will grade Stone Cold down one star for each one that you don't care for.

If you are new to the series, I suggest that you start with Death in Paradise and work your way forward to this one.

I must admit that I love the constant allusions to Paradise Lost and other books about those who are out of touch with God's grace. In this novel, we have two villains who are very much like Milton's residents of the nether regions who have fallen from grace because of their fascination with themselves. There are also three young men who are like those whom Dante describes as being overcome by lust in the Inferno. Lastly, there are Jesse and his ex-wife Jenn who seem to be looking for something that they cannot even define, like the lost souls of those who have never known God's grace such as the barbarians in the Inferno.

The major plot line features a pair of serial killers who enjoy the feeling of power and superiority that their type of murder provides. In the process of gratifying themselves, they terrorize Paradise, and leave Jesse without two of his closest friends and colleagues. He also finds himself staring down their gun sights. The story is developed as a simple police procedural (without much progress for some time) which makes the book more complex and interesting.

The most touching plot line though is about a young woman who is raped and threatened by three insensitive bullies. Jesse tries to do the right thing, and discovers the limits of how much one person can do for another under dire circumstances.

The continuing plot line involves Jesse's troubled relationships with women, and shows him at his most confused. At the same time, his problems are better developed here than in earlier books by showing how he relates to different women in different ways and what he says to his psychiatrist about them. For those who don't enjoy psychiatry, it may get a little deep when Jenn and Jesse are sharing what their psychiatrists have had to say about their relationship.

Of primary interest for the future is that Jesse seems to start to come to grip with some of his failings, weaknesses and attitudes. He begins to show the potential to use his pain to learn and make progress.

I came away looking forward to the next book in the series.

Because the dialogue is so smooth and delicious, you'll find yourself finishing the book very rapidly. Stone Cold will hit you just like a perfect martini . . . great going down and warming afterward.