I found this totally depressing. The characters were from the Jesse Stone series, but the style lacked the spark of Robert Parker. It was much wordier and longer. I felt like I had been wallowing in the sewer for a long time, and then the threat on the last page. I doubt I'll read any more of this series.

Blind Spot opens with the chief of police in Paradise, Ma., Jesse Stone, in New York for a reunion with men he played baseball with in his youth, before succumbing to injury. Not only did it rob him of his opportunity to play for the Dodgers, he also lost his girlfriend Kayla to his teammate Vic Prado, who is hosting the reunion. Coasting off his sporting achievements Prado fronts a business empire for crime boss Mike Frazetta, and needs a word with Jesse in private. Kayla is there of course, bu...

Intensely disappointing is the only way I can describe my feelings toward this Jesse Stone novel. I was really enjoying the direction the previous "ghost" writer was taking the Jesse Stone character and to me it seemed to be in the same direction that Robert B. Parker was taking the character as well. Michael Brandman put his own unique advancement on the character, but it fit. In fact, it fit extremely well.As a continuation of the story this novel and how it depicts a completely alcoholic and

Of all Robert Parker’s creations I like the Jesse Stone series the best. A couple of authors have attempted to continue the series, including Michael Brandman and now Reed Farrel Coleman, author of the Moe Prager series. I haven’t tried that series but will. I know some people disagree, but I think Coleman has better captured Jesse than Brandman. The interaction between Molly and Jesse is spot on.We get a little more back story on what happened to Jesse in the minor leagues as he agrees to go to...

Robert B. Parker’s BLIND SPOT (A Jesse Stone Novel) by Reed Farrel Coleman…..You’ll recognize the characters from Paradise PD, but that’s all this has in common with a mystery written by Robert B. Parker.BLIND SPOT follows Jesse Stone’s pre-police minor league baseball career and catastrophic injury for a bit. It sends reluctant Jesse to a team reunion and introduces a shady former teammate who married the onetime love of Jesse’s life.The crimes span the gamut from a dodgy Bernie Madhoff-like sc...

Jesse Stone takes a few days off from being police of chief in Paradise to attend a reunion of his old minor league baseball club that has been put together by Vic Prado, one of his former teammates who made it to the majors where he had a successful career. Vic is the guy who made the throw that got Jesse hurt and ended his own dreams of baseball glory. He also stole Jesse’s girlfriend at the time and later married her. And you thought your high school reunion was awkward….It turns out that aft...

Robert Parker was one of my favorites. This author makes an initial impression that is almost viable in terms of dialogue, but the Jesse banter quickly falls off into something tired. He overworks the plot on Suit. Three characters have almost identical relationship traits. The violence was beyond the Parker punching and kicking.

Loved this story until its ending which could and should have been more inspirational. 8 of 10 stars

Did you ever stay in a relationship too long and once you left you thought "wow, I really should have gotten out a lot earlier"? Well then that's pretty much my review of this book. I loved Robert B. Parker's books and the Jesse Stone series was especially good so after Parker died and they continued the series I kept reading because I really really enjoyed the characters, their interactions, their growth.But I'm done and ready to say goodbye to Jesse Stone.The last couple books have been sub-pa...

Robert B. Parker's Blind Spot by Reed Farrel Coleman.I was browsing through the CD's at the main Clearwater Public Library when my eyes saw a gold mine. A Jesse Stone book on CD. I thought I had read all there was to read of that fabulous Chief in Paradise but this was actually written by another. So I thought I would give it a try.Sensational! Mr. Coleman has it and I love it. He has captured Jesse Stone, Molly and Suitcase along with all the needed ingredients to hold my interest throughout th...

I listened to James Naughten excellent narration but even with a great reader, this book was like watching paint dry. Reed Ferrel Coleman simply doesn't hold a candle to Robert B Parker. I will skip future books in this series.

Possibly the worst adaptation of a Robert B. Parker character that I have read. The style of this book is so far from the Robert Parker, Jesse Stone, style that it hardly seems to have anything to do with keeping alive the Jesse Stone storyline or style. Mr. Parker did not constantly delve off into the inner thoughts and actions of the players in his Jesse Stone novels, but kept the focus on Jesse himself as he traversed through the elements of solving his cases. Where Mr. Coleman is agonizingly...

What a pleasant surprise to find Jesse Stone again! Coleman has picked up the reins from the late Robert B. Parker and brought the series back to life. Stone is the same tough, flawed, likeable guy that Parker created, with perhaps a little more intospection - but not so much that the story turns sappy.I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story, although the switches in point of view were a little hard to follow at the start. Once into the third chapter, the minor confusion resolved and I was a...

As a huge fan of the late Robert B. Parker's work - first and foremost, the Spenser series and to a somewhat lesser extent, those featuring Jesse Stone, I was really, really hoping this one would be as top-notch as possible given that Parker didn't write it. It's the 13th Stone installment and the first by Reed Farrel Coleman following several by Michael Brandman.But while Brandman came close to capturing Parker's voice, Coleman falls more than a bit short. That said, if I could give it 3 1/2 st...

Decades ago, looking for more and more authors who wrote good detective novels, I discovered the disciple of Raymond Chandler, Robert B Parker. His stories were not the whodunits I love, but his style and characters caught me. I was a Spenser, Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone fan.With Parker's passing, the estate has permitted authors to mimic Parker's minimalist hard-bitten style and keep the characters going. Some of these efforts have been more than passable. BLIND SPOT is not one of them.It nei...

Reed Farrel Colemann is the second writer to take over the Jesse Stone Series since Robert B Parker’s death in 2010. Parker had published nine Jesse Stone books and Michael Brandman added another three, many not well received. In picking up the series, Coleman has chosen to keep Parker’s distinct short chapters and snappy dialogue but place his own distinctive stamp on the work by continuing to develop the characters. This is the first of his Jesse Stone books and I for one am pleased he has tak...

Several years ago, a neighbor gave me a stack of books to read while recovering from an illness. I read and returned all of them except Blind Spot, which I came across this weekend. Turns out I read this too and remember not liking any more than the few authentic Parkers that I've read. Just not for me.

I was a huge Robert B. Parker fan and was saddened at his passing. Even though his estate allows certain others to write in his name, I don't think Coleman is really true to Parker's hard-bitten "move it along" style. Jesse Stone is a flawed hero brought to life by Parker and I loved him. I feel Coleman doesn't do him justice. I was a bit depressed reading this story, but not really annoyed until the last paragraph. It is disturbing that so many authors these days leave their endings open with t...

We were surprised to discover yet another writer trying to emulate Parker’s beloved Jesse Stone character. The three Michael Brandman continuation novels made sense, as he was the screen writer for the eight made-for-TV films about Jesse. We found Brandman’s style and content quite true to Parker’s original. However, this new guy, Coleman, author of about ten crime novels of his own, mistreats the characters, characterizing Jesse as little better than a lovesick alcoholic. He abandons the style

Terrific pulp novel! While not a form of literature or a great source of wisdom, pulp novels just thrill me to no end. This one is no exception. I admit to receiving this as a Goodreads giveaway, but those of you who read my reviews know that if I don't like a book I will most certainly be brutal. I have never read any of the books in this series before, but I knew right away this was the sort of thing I enjoy, hard boiled detectives, sexy ladies with secrets and wonderful, sharp-eyed women as