I was glad to see the Jesse Stone series continue after the death of Robert Parker. They may not be the same, but I think the stories are good. I like that they have addressed Jesse's drinking and that he is evolving.

I enjoyed this reunion with Jesse Stone. However, I didn't like the turn his character has taken and the alcoholism being such a big part of the book. Overall the story was good and I'd look forward to more books in this series.
Reed Farrel Coleman seemed to get the essence of Jesse Stone and the landscape of the overall story concept making a seamless transfer from Robert B Parker's envision of this series.

The Hangman's Sonnet is a mildly interesting novel, but I wonder why it is felt necessary to continue using the name of deceased author Robert B. Parker. Would the book not sell without it? The author has changed enough of Parker's typical themes and places to merit discontinuing Parker's name.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Reed Farrel Coleman is a first-rate mystery author who has had uneven results trying to continue the Jesse Stone series after original author Robert Parker's death. In this version, Coleman has jettisoned everything but Parker's names and places. It's a pure Reed Farrel Coleman book, a bit below average for him, but still a four star effort. Jesse Stone now seems like a depressive substance abuser from a gritty neighborhood in Long Island rather than his official persona of a high-flying homicide detective who took to alcohol after a painful divorce from a glamorous beauty in Los Angeles. Paradise is no longer a cheerful resort town with dark secrets among its wealthy residents, but a troubled place that attracts problems from outside.

Where Parker was interested in people and physical activities like eating, working out and having sex; Coleman likes architecture. Parker was precise about his action scenes, Coleman often forgets what he has written. In this book, Jesse Stone runs frantically through some dense woods without a path, despite the night being so dark he cannot see his hand in front of his face. Running through the woods is difficult enough in broad daylight; impossible in the pitch black.

On the plus side, Coleman handles his story of redemption and loss masterfully. He makes no attempt at a credible plot, but he does provide a fun one; with plenty of sharply drawn minor characters and clever misdirection.

Only the least critical Robert Parker fans will consider this a Jesse Stone novel, but it's a pretty good mystery in its own right.

I miss Robert b. Parker. These books just don't FEEL the same anymore. HAving said that, the book was good, just not great.

Paradise’s Chief of Police Jesse Stone is in a really bad place. None of his usual crutches—booze, throwing a ball into his beloved baseball mitt, babes (consensual relationships with intelligent women), losing himself in police work—are working. His life has been in a downward spiral since his fiancée Diana was murdered.

Jesse doesn’t really have the option to stay in a state of drunken stasis, however. His loyal deputy, Suitcase Simpson, has asked him to be his best man. On the morning of the wedding, an elderly woman, one of Paradise’s old guard, is brutally murdered. They say trouble comes in threes—the mayor, not one of Jesse’s fans, has told him to do everything in his power to ensure that a birthday celebration for Massachusetts’s answer to Bob Dylan goes swimmingly.

The morning of the wedding, Jesse learns that a gala 75th birthday party is to be held for folk singer Terry Jester. Jester, once the equal of Bob Dylan, has spent the last forty years in seclusion after the mysterious disappearance of the master recording tape of his magnum opus, The Hangman's Sonnet.

The Hangman’s Sonnet is the 16th book in the Jesse Stone series. Reed Farrel Coleman does an excellent job of carrying on Robert B. Parker’s legacy. Jesse is as laconic as ever. Showing up at Suit’s wedding is difficult yet so necessary; he decides to hide out in his office before showtime.

Fully sober for the first time in weeks, Jesse Stone was pounding the ball into the worn pocket of his old glove. As he slammed the ball into the glove over and over again, he stared out his office window at Stiles Island and the morning sunlight reflecting off the dark blue waters surrounding it. He was trying to steady his hands and empty his mind.

Some men prayed the rosary. Some meditated. He wasn’t one to overthink things. At least he hadn’t been until Mr. Peepers had shot Suit. Jesse could trace his self-doubt and second-guessing back to that bloody day. How many times in the last few months had he traced a jagged red line from the day Suit was wounded to the day Diana was killed? How many times had he rehashed the events between those two incidents, questioning his decisions? And today those questions rang in Jesse’s ears as loudly as they ever had.

A Jesse Stone who questions his decisions? A man who doubts his capabilities and second-guesses his moves? This is not the Jesse we know, which is unfortunate for the good citizens of Paradise as the body count mounts. The old lady’s murder is tied in with a publicity-filled search for The Hangman’s Sonnet’s master recording tape. Will the real Jesse Stone step up? His loyal staff covers for him in every way possible because they know what he’s going through, how Diana’s murder affected him.

For the past several months’ since witnessing the love of his life murdered right in front of him, Jesse had pared his existence down to three stark essentials: grief, regret, and Johnnie Walker Black. They had become like a noose around his neck to the exclusion of everything else, including his job as police chief.

Speaking of Johnnie Walker Black, in The Hangman’s Sonnet, Jesse’s relationship with his favorite fluid undergoes a sea change. In the past, “functional alcoholics like Jesse found romance in all the aspects and rituals of drinking.”

No, the clinking of the ice in the glass, the pour of the rich amber fluid, the peaty aroma, the hiss when he twisted the bottle cap, the glug of the soda pour, the swirling of the glass were as much foreplay as anything else.

The shift is from functioning to not. Jesse misses clues and nuances, seemingly “a dollar short and a day late” when it comes to solving the case. Eventually, he goes back to basics. Every Jesse Stone story is a dance between how he did things in LA and how he chooses to be the Police Chief of Paradise.

“When you want the guy at the top, you start at the bottom of the totem pole and work your way up” is what Jesse’s first detective partner had said to him. It was advice he heeded every time he’d built a case against someone up the food chain. And that was just what he meant to do now.

Looks like Chief Stone is back in the saddle again. Welcome back, Jesse.

Reed Farrel Coleman takes the reigns of the late Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series with The Hangman's Sonnet. Oddly, I've never read any of the novels in this series that were actually written by Parker. I did read and enjoy Michael Brandman's take on the character in Fool Me Twice, so I was excited to see what another author could bring to the table. True to form, The Hangman's Sonnet is a quick moving mystery that adequately evolves Jesse Stone as a character while adhering to the standards set in the books that have preceded it.

When the novel opens, Jesse Stone is a mess. He's a far cry from the stable, competent police chief we've come to know. Still reeling from the tragic murder of his wife-to-be, Stone has turned to alcohol to numb the pain. This self medicating is beginning to interfere with his work. Several times, his drunken blackouts cause him to miss important calls or meetings. The town's mayor, who has never seen eye to eye with her police chief, smells blood. She's waiting for any reason to fire Stone, and Jesse isn't doing much to prevent this from happening.

On top of his personal crisis, Stone's professional life is as busy as ever. The town is preparing to host a star-studded birthday bash for famed folk singer Terry Jester. Jester's lost album, The Hangman's Sonnet is the stuff of musical legend and would be worth a pretty penny if it were ever found. The security implications of this bash alone would be stressful but manageable for stone. Unfortunately for him, the body of an elderly woman was just discovered. With the entire town on him to solve the murder and secure the city before their big party, Stone must face his demons and solve the case. His career and entire livelihood is on the line.

True to form, The Hangman's Sonnet, is a light and entertaining read. The short chapters and fast-moving plot make for a book that is easily devoured within a few hours. For his part, author Reed Farrel Coleman is not bound by reverence to Parker and his character. While he maintains the spirit of Jesse Stone, he is unafraid to push the character into new, darker territory. This makes for a much more layered approach to character development that mostly works. The Hangman's Sonnet is certainly a worthy addition to the Jesse Stone series.

I received an ARC copy of this book thanks to Net Galley and the publisher. I have loved all of Robert B. Parkers books since day 1 and was so happy to hear that with approval from his estate the Jesse Stone and Spenser novels would continue. This book was great although I will admit that when I first started reading I could not get into it and I put it down for a week Once I picked it back up I could not put it down! I just didn't like all the alcohol and drinking text regarding Jesse but other than that I LOVED the book and it kept me interested the whole way through. I especially like the little meeting between Stone and Spenser....great with the two characters from different series merging for a few pages! Can't wait for the next Stone installment!!

Oh duh! Yes, of course, THAT Jessie Stone! I did recognize that name, but not having read any of Robert B. Parker's books, nor recognizing the name of the author, Reed Farrel Coleman (sorry, Mr. Coleman!), I just didn't connect the two until I went looking for a reason that Mr. Coleman was writing Parker's books. So, I wouldn't know how well (or not) Mr. Coleman continued the soul or spirit of the original Jessie Stone series. I can, however, review The Hangman's Sonnet as a standalone book, and surprisingly, it held up very well in view of the fact that this is a number of units into the series and with this writer.

Obviously, all the characters have had some history and I always love it when there is an obvious respect, albeit personality-driven camaraderie dialogue between major characters, especially the protagonist. In this case, the protagonist, Paradise Police Chief Jessie Stone, is still hell bent on punishing himself for the death of his fiancé, Diana. He does so with booze--lots of it--and no matter how much he drinks, it still won't drown the memory. His closest friends have been covering for him--something that may be getting old.

In this well developed plot, Jesse is facing the wedding of his protégé, Suit. About the same time, he is involved in the suspicious death of a matriarch of Paradise, Massachusetts and the announcement of a 75th birthday party for Terry Jester, a Bob Dylan big-name equal. There is an important A-Lister media attendance expected--major good stuff for the town and the mayor is all over it. It is Jester's final album, "The Hangman's Sonnet," missing since the album was recorded, that may surface--creating a media frenzy. But...no pressure...

Connected to the original death, it appears he has a homicide connected to the robbery from the old lady's house. The plot gets more complicated as he gets closer to the original album tape. Stone has lots of friends or contacts in high and low places on which he can call for information and though he seems to be plowing sludge, manages to pull together the whodunit.

While you might expect some of the whizbang of the original series might have been lost, I can't see where this might be less than the original author might have penned, given the popularity. The book is fast moving and kept involving new characters while whittling away at the nutshell--the payoff of a possible previously unreleased 40+ year old master of a master musician and his big name accompanists, guest vocalists, and technicians. (Interesting peek into the music industry.) While it was noted there is no loyalty among thieves, it would appear to be the same in the music industry.

I received this ebook download from Penguin Group Putnam, G. P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley in return for a read and review and appreciated the opportunity. Recommended read for any Robert B. Parker fan of the Jesse Stone series and author Reed Farrel Coleman for mystery, thriller, police procedurals, and suspense novels. Fun, fast book.

Reed Farrel Coleman's writing blends with Robert B. Parker's as smoothly as any of Johnnie Walker's whiskeys. The Hangman's Sonnet is the fourth of the Robert B Parker Jesse Stone series continuation by Coleman. Frankly had I not read his name on the cover I'm not sure I would have recognized the substitution.

Coleman's storytelling skills are sharp, the storyline tight. We have Jesse still in Paradise, still the sherrif and still drinking. Still grieving Dianna's death. Not much seems to have changed in Paradise, but change is coming, as Coleman hints to us, some good changes, and much needed. I enjoyed this newest of the Jesse Stone stories and plan on reading more of Mr. Coleman's earlier works. I look forward too to the next Jesse Stone novel. I think we'll see a different Jesse and possibly a different Paradise. Both seem to be teetering on the precipice of something better.

Robert B. Parker's The Hangman's Sonnet
By Reed Farrel Coleman
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review.
What an amazing job Reed Farrel Coleman does of carrying on the Jesse Stone series and the work of Robert B. Parker. I’ve long been fan of Parker and his Spenser franchise, not so much Jesse Stone. I am, however, a fan of this book. The Hangman’s Sonnet has a fabulous plot with enough twists and turns to leave the reader guessing until the end.
Music industry hype, dirty dealings, and a politically ambitious Mayor mean more trouble in Paradise for Jesse. Chief Stone has crawled back into the bottle, grieving over a murdered love while the 75th birthday celebration of a famous Dylan-like folk singer, the reclusive Terry Jester, is being planned in Paradise. The party, orchestrated by music industry old timers, would mean an invasion of A-List celebrities & the media to Paradise.
Jester’s unreleased album, the Hangman’s Sonnet, is a legend in the music world. The tracks of the album were laid down 40 years prior with the world class musical talents of the day. No one who wasn’t in the studio heard it, however, because the master was stolen immediately after its completion and there were no copies. Rumors & speculations of the creation of the album and its theft and location have circled for years like Elvis sightings, which fuels the excitement of the upcoming party.
A couple of murders blend with the story and complicate Jesse’s life as Mayor Walker wants them solved yesterday and her political advisor/hatchet woman wants Jesse run out of town on a rail.
It would be easy for the reader to get bogged down in the procedural, almost plodding, structure of Jesse’s thought process while he works to solve the murders. That never happens as the story includes interesting side plots like gorgeous women throwing themselves at or crawling all over Jesse and the appearance of a one-of-a-kind dragonfly ring. The characters of Suit and Molly reappear and are a welcome relief to Jesse and the reader.
I highly recommend this book. And, I must add….Great cover design. A skull guitar pick? Excellent!

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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On the one hand, I know that Coleman is a pro, and that he's going to approach each series, each character from a different angle. But he's so effective at writing a broken, grieving Gus Murphy, that you have to expect a grieving Jesse Stone to be written as effectively and with a similar depth. Which gave me a little pause when it came to cracking this one open -- how much of a mess would Jesse be?

Big. A big mess.

Still, I was chuckling within a few pages -- Jesse's pursuing a path to self-destruction unlike any he's had before, even that which cost him his career with the LAPD, but at his core he's still the same guy we've been reading for 20 years. He may not care about himself (or at least he wants to punish himself), but Suit, Molly, and the rest of Paradise. When push comes to shove, he'll do what he has to do. Some times he might need prompting, however.

But let's set that aside for the moment -- there are essentially two stories involving Jesse and the PPD. There's the titular sonnet -- a reference to a legendary lost recording by Massachusetts' answer to Bob Dylan, Terry Jester. Sometime after this recording, Jester pulled a J. D. Salinger and disappeared from the public eye. Jester is about to turn 75, and a large birthday gala is being planned on Stiles Island. Jesse has to consult with Jester's manager, PR agent and the chief of security for the island. Jesse can't stand this idea -- he can't stand much to do with Stiles Island -- he just doesn't want to put up with the hassle, the celebrities, the distraction from the typical duties of PPD. But he doesn't have much choice -- for one, there will need to be something done to deal with the traffic, celebrities, and what not; but Jesse also has to deal with the mayor's political aspirations. And you don't get very far without the support (and money) of celebrities and the positive media coverage that kind of thing should bring.

On the other end of the spectrum, an elderly woman has been found dead in her bed, but under suspicious circumstances. She has deep ties to the history of Paradise, causing her death to grab more headlines than it might otherwise. Did I mention the mayor's political aspirations? Well, the last thing she needs is an unsolved murder when she's trying to cash in on the media attention that Jester's celebration will bring. So she starts applying pressure to Jesse. When Jesse starts to think there's a link between her death and the hunt for The Hangman's Sonnet master recording, the pressure -- and the urge to drink -- increases for Paradise's Police Chief. Thanks to the Law of Interconnected Monkey Business, the reader knew there was likely a link all along, so I don't think I gave away too much there.

That right there would be enough to get me to read and probably recommend. But you add Coleman's writing into the mix and you've got yourself a winner. There's a wonderful passage where Jesse meditates on the beauty of the accessories to his drinking -- the different glasses, the bottles, the rituals. The mystery was solid work -- and I was close to figuring everything out, but not close enough. When the final reveal was made, I felt pretty stupid, all the pieces were there I just didn't assemble them correctly. There were a couple of "red shirt" criminals early on that were so well written, that even when you know they're not going to stick around too long, you get invested in them (one of them had a death scene fairly early that most writers would let be predictable -- and the death was -- but the way that Coleman wrote it got me highlighting and making notes). Coleman even does something that Parker said he couldn't do.

I won't say that everything that happened during Debt to Pay has been dealt with thoroughly -- it hasn't. But, most of the characters have been able to get a degree of resolution and closure that means they can move forward. Not perfectly, perhaps, but honestly. Jesse, in particular, might come back for book 17 in a significantly better place (or at least significantly different) -- but the core will be there, and woe on any criminal that steps foot into Paradise.

Great character moments; slow, organic development; and top-notch writing. Coleman delivers again, continuing to take the foundation laid by Parker and building on it in a way that's true to the spirit of the world Parker created, but brought to us with a newfound depth.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Putnam Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- thanks to both for this.

Another setback for Jesse Stone, the tortured ex-baseball player cum Chief of Police. Although I didn't want Jesse to get married (always ruins the plot) I wonder how much the guy can take before he just loses his will to live. I'll read the next one to find out for sure.

Robert B. Parker’s The Hangman’s Sonnet is the 16th book Robert Parker’s Jesse Stone series and is written by Reed Farrel Coleman. Mr. Coleman’s writing style is a mirror image of the late Robert Parker. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. This book combines humor, suspense, and tension, and Mr. Coleman has blended them perfectly. The storyline is well thought out and there is excellent character development. The author has woven together intriguing characters, unexpected twists and turns, and complicated relationships.

In this installment, Jesse Stone, the Police Chief of Paradise, a small town in Massachusetts, is drinking heavily, trying to deal with his emotions revolving around the death of his fiancée, Diana Evans, by his nemeses, Mr. Peppers. Jessie’s heavy drinking is jeopardizing relationships and is affecting his job performance. Several people close to him are trying to convince him what he is doing is hurtful to many people and selfish of him. Mayor Constance ‘Connie’ Walker and her new assistant and political advisor, Nita Thompson, would like nothing more than to give Jesse his walking papers and are just waiting for him to mess up one more time. A 75th birthday bash is planned for Terry Jester, a folk singer, at the Wickham Estate on Stiles Island. Terry has spent the last forty years in seclusion after the mysterious disappearance of the master recording tape of the phenomenal un-released album, The Hangman’s Sonnet, he recorded with multiple legendary singers. Kirk Kingston ‘King’ Curnutt and Humphrey ‘Hump’ Bolton, who were previously cellmates, are hired to break into the home of an elderly woman, Maude Cain, and find a key or a piece of paper with numbers on it and in return will earn $10,000. Things go terribly wrong: Maude dies, Rudy Walsh, a MassEx deliveryman, is severely beaten, King locates the items but doesn’t tell Hump, and even though they were warned not to take anything from the house other than the key and/or paper, Hump finds and steals a valuable dragonfly ring. Jesse doesn’t play games, is a skilled detective, and his gut is usually right but uses dangerous tactic n this investigation and hopes his career doesn’t explode.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review. This is the 16th book in the Jesse Stone series. Reed Farrel Coleman does an excellent job filling in for the late Robert B. Parker. Paradise, Massachusetts police chief Jesse Stone is reeling from the death of his fiance and drinking heavily. He manages to pull himself together briefly for his deputy Suitcase Simpson's wedding. He learns that Paradise was chosen as the site for the 75th birthday party for Terry Jester who was once compared to Bob Dylan. Jester has been in seclusion for 40 years since the master recording of his opus The Hangman's Sonnet was stolen. At the same time an elderly woman dies during a break in of her home. Her house was completely ransacked, but nothing appears to have been stolen. Under the hostle scrutiny of the mayor and her PR flack can Jesse overcome his demons and solve the murder and the demands of the big PR event. This novel had an interesting story line and great characters.

THE HANGMAN’S SONNET by Reed Farrel Coleman is the 16th book in the Jesse Stone series and the 7th book in the series since the death of Robert B. Parker.

Jesse is back after the tragic death of his fiancé Diana, and his life is unraveling as a result of his heavy drinking which has affected his performance on the job as the police chief of the small town of Paradise.
Several of the people closest to him have one-on-one intervention-like exchanges with him as he realizes the burden he has been to those he works with.

Terry Jester is a local music legend unofficially known as the “Boston Bob Dylan”, and his management approaches Jesse to inform him of Jester’s scheduled gala 75th birthday party expected to include a who’s-who of the music industry and will take place in Paradise. Jester is also legendary for the mysterious disappearance of the master tapes from an un-released album titled “The Hangman’s Sonnet” which is rumored to have been a phenomenal recording including the best of the best in rock music, but adding to the mystery is the reluctance of most allegedly involved to shed any light on the recordings or their involvement.

King and Hump are two criminals recently released from prison that break into a rich older woman’s home nearby in search of something, and it becomes clear that they've been hired by someone else.
Tragedy unexpectedly occurs in the execution of the crime, and it is unclear if they've accomplished what they've been hired to do when they leave the scene of the crime.

Jester’s upcoming event combined with King and Hump’s break-in force Jesse to get ahold of himself especially as the mayor and her assistant seem to be looking for any reason to fire him, and while his concerns about his own job security aren't enough to force him to sober up, his concerns for the others in his life are, as he wraps himself up in solving both the crimes surrounding the past regarding the missing recordings, along with the recent burglary and deaths surrounding it.

Reed Farrel Coleman is the second writer of the series post RBP. Michael Brandman wrote the first three following the death of Parker, and I've just completed his latest novel “Missing Persons” that I'll be reviewing as well.

Overall, I've been less than exited about the books by both Brandman and Coleman in this series, and my review of the previous book written by Coleman titled “Debt to Pay” was reflective of this.

Since that book I've been fortunate to be able to read “What You Break”, the second book in the Gus Murphy series written by Reed Farrel Coleman, and it's a fine book that I enjoyed more than any his books in this series up to this one.

I'm pleased to say that I found this book to be the best one written in the series post RBP, and it reminded me a bit of the books written in the Spenser series by Ace Atkins, who succeeds Robert B. Parker and has carried the torch very well. Incidentally, author Coleman thanks Atkins in the acknowledgements at the end of the book, and while the writing obviously bears the style of Coleman, there are some elements present that resemble some of what has proved successful for Atkins in the Spenser books, and Spenser actually makes a cameo in this one.

Vinnie Morris, Captain Healey, and others from previous books have important roles that help to make this one work where others have been less successful.

Hopefully the next book will be this good.

4 stars.

ROBERT B PARKER'S THE HANGMAN'S SONNET BY REED FARREL COLEMAN is the next installment of the Jesse Stone series. Truth be told this is the first of any of Parker's books I have read ! I enjoyed it very much. So much I'm planning on hunting up more. As for the review: The in depth review, if you will, of Jesse's drinking & mourning helped me enjoy this book. Any other time I would have criticized the droning on of the issues, but being a newbie it gave me time to really get to know all the characters.

Sheriff Stone is having trouble in Paradise, literally! His drinking & his mourning is pushing him towards not only self destruction but the destruction of his friendships and his job! Stone has been tasked for security for a has been singer/songwriter by a mayor he can't stand( and vise versa). He has a robbery and a homicide and an assault to deal with, his best friend is leaving Paradise . I still find the mystery a good one & hope to see more of a hopefully more sober Sheriff Stone in the future.

I recieved this book free from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

I've been reading Parker books for a while now and was sad to hear that he gone. I am sure that he left manuscripts that he didn't finish so I was hoping that this was good book. It was just decent. Jesse's character is alive and well but there is something missing. Mr. Parker's personal touch. All in all the story was ok.

A great read! A really twisty mystery that takes Jesse Stone to the brink and back... surrounded by his friends, he works his way toward a very satisifying conclusion... Can't wait to see where the author takes Jesse next.