I owe Robert Parker an apology. After his Spenser series, which once was the best darn detective series currently being written, went so badly downhill I didn't think he was still capable of writing a book as good as Night Passage. Glad to say I was wrong. Though not as lighthearted or funny as the Spenser novels Night Passage is a better-written book then the majority of books in that series. The writing is tighter, the characterization more realistic and while the sharp wit and snappy one liners that made the Spenser novels so much fun are absent they are suprisingly not missed. The hero of Night Passage, Jesse Stone, was a successful homicide detective in LA until a failed marriage brought him perilously close to alcoholism leading in turn to his dismissal from the police force. Despite being drunk during his interview Stone is hired as police chief in a small Boston town named Paradise, but soon begins to realize the town leaders had ulterior motives for hiring an apparent lush as their police chief. Unlike Spenser, who is outgoing and passionate, Stone is a more intense and serious minded investigator who plays his cards very, very close to his chest (his favorite saying seems to be "I never got into trouble keeping quiet.") driving both friends and enemies crazy with his calm reticence. One other refreshing aspect of Stone�s character is that while he loses his emotional center when his marriage ends he eventually manages to recover his dignity, especially in dealing with his ex, something that Spenser was never able to manage.Another bit of fun in this series is Mr. Parker�s use of characters from his Spenser series. Healy, the state police detective from the Spenser novel God Save The Child shows up along with mobsters Gino Fish and Vinnie Morris. It was especially nice to see Vinnie again since, given some of the events in the Spenser series, I was afraid Vinnie was either going to disappear completely or be given the same warm cuddly treatment that ruined the character of Spenser�s mercenary friend Hawk. It will be interesting to see what sort of stories Mr. Parker can come up with for Stone since, as is pointed out repeatedly in Night Passage, the type of crime the small town of Paradise faced in this book is unusual for a town that size. I�m sure Mr. Parker will find something for Stone to do other then bust jaywalkers, but whether it will be anything simultaneously interesting and believable in a town the size of Paradise will have to be seen. Finally, I wonder how long it�ll take before Spenser and Stone cross paths? Now that could be something to see!
Average Grade: A
