Two deaths too close to home have Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief and recovering alcoholic Jesse Stone ready to fall off the wagon in this, the 21st book in this series. The first, a high school baseball star and nephew of Jesse's right-hand man, "Suitcase" Simpson, started Jesse's downhill spiral; the next to go, retired police chief and Jesse's close friend Charlie Farrell, put a glass in one hand and a bottle of Scotch in the other.

Such unexpected deaths are never easy on those left behind, but in both of these cases, they were unexplainable, at least on the surface. The teenager, for whom everyone had high hopes for a stellar career in baseball, is a possible suicide. But with such a wonderful future such a near certainty, why on earth would he kill himself? Clearly, Charlie was murdered; but what is the motive? The only thing the man was doing right before his death was looking into a string of phone calls to some of the town's elderly residents trying to separate them from their money. Even if he'd found out who was making the calls, would it have upset the perpetrator enough to commit murder?

Most of the action follows Jesse and his team, which includes series regulars Molly, Healy, Crow and Jesse's therapist Dix, as they try to find loose ends and tie them up. It also touches on Jesse's struggle with his own inner demons as well as his relationships, former, current and ongoing, with on-again, off-again main squeeze Sunny Randell and a few well-known mobsters. It even puts Jesse square in the middle of current events, trying to learn the ins and outs of cryptocurrency (good luck with that - I certainly haven't figured it out yet).

It is, all told, another stellar entry in a favorite series. I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Keep 'em coming!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review an advanced copy of this book.

As usual, Jesse Stone, Molly, and Suit are investigating some suspicious deaths in the town of Paradise, MA. Jesse does not like not knowing why these people are dead, and does not avoid ‘stepping on toes’ and ‘pushing the limits’ when it comes to solving a crime. For some reason a Boston mob boss seems to be connected and Jesse enlists an old friend to help out, while ‘poking the bear’ and possibly putting himself in danger. While Jesse still fights to remain sober, he uses his therapist and AA meetings to resist ‘hitting the bottle’.

This continuation of the stories about Jesse Stone includes all of the usual storylines, characters, and drama that have made them popular, possibly over doing it. They are fun stories to read, but they need something to refresh the franchise.

Reuniting readers with the Jesse Stone characters is one of the best parts of Robert B. Parker's Fallout by Mike Lupica. The mystery of how the cases are intertwined is startling.

Mike Lupica continues Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series with Fallout. Jesse, his right-hand Molly Crane and fellow cop 'Suit' Simpson investigate the death of Suit's nephew whose body was found at the bottom of a cliff. Jack Carlisle had so much in front of him, especially the strong possibility of a bright future in baseball. The baseball team and Jack's girlfriend keep silent about something, and it is up to Jesse and his police force to uncover what happened, if anything, to the young athlete. Jesse is shaken with a second death of a dear mentor and works to settle the score and uncover a phone scam that could possibly be operating in Paradise. Is there a connection, and can Jesse, Molly and Suit fully trust the statements people have given? More than one person is hiding a key fact or two. Sometimes the worst of life's roadblocks are the ones we put up ourselves.
Jesse has friends on both sides of the law, and with their help, he is able to understand what has happened. With the involvement of Crow and some Boston connections, the evidence becomes clearer and shocking family connections come to light. The ending was exciting and unexpected and will be sought eagerly by fans of mysteries and detective novels.
Thanks to G. P. Putnam's Sons, the author and NetGalley for this ARC.

Lupica does a good job of carrying on the Parker tradition with this addition to the Jesse Stone narrative. What starts as a simple who-dunnit, turns into a story that rocks the police department.

Good book and true to characters. I read Jesse Stone books long ago but none recently. This made me go back and reread and get current with the series. I highly recommend this book.

You can bet your sweet booty that a Robert B. Parker book is going to be a quick, mystery-filled novel!!

Due to be published September 6, ROBERT B. PARKER'S FALLOUT, Lupica's third Jesse Stone continuation, is driven by the discovery of Paradise High School baseball star Jack Carlisle dead at the bottom of a bluff.

Jesse had mentored Jack at shortstop. Jack's loss hits his uncle, Luther "Suitcase" Simpson, particularly hard. As Jesse, Suit, and Molly Crane investigate, though, the team closes ranks.

Meanwhile, Jesse must also puzzle out the suspicious death of retired Paradise Police Chief Charlie Farrell, who had been looking into cryptocurrency scams of the elderly.

The two cases let Lupica dip into timeless themes around Robert B. Parker's favorite sport and keep Stone and company current. Thanks again to Putnam Books for the NetGalley.

Both Robert B. Parker and Mike Lupica kept Jesse Stone's passion for baseball as a common theme in their novels. Here baseball is front and center when Suit's nephew, a star shortstop, dies. To add to Jesse's heartache, his mentor, Charlie Farrell, is murdered. Two complex cases that both weigh heavily on Jesse. To me, the star of this novel was Molly - how she navigates and manages the men in her life - whilst working through a personal situation. And, as always -- and always such a special treat -- there's a cameo by one of Mr. Parker's PIs. This is a solid addition to the Jesse Stone series - and true fans will absolutely love it! Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced reader copy of Fallout. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Robert B. Parker's Fallout
by Mike Lupica
Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
G.P. Putnam
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Not quite the Jesse I remember when Parker wrote this series, but still a fun and engrossing read. I’m glad to see this series continue.
4 stars

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the electronic copy. Despite the language, at times, this is a good mystery...intrigue...murder...friendship...romance...this author is gifted at writing a difficult to put down novel...reads like true crime...Jesse Stone is one of my favorite characters...enjoy this...

Mike Lupica's offering in Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series (FALLOUT) fell flat for me. From the beginning, the prose was bland and oddly hard to follow--Parker's laconic style becoming almost incomprehensible here--and the characterizations and plot felt nonsensical and arbitrary. I simply couldn't get into this book.

Robert Parker's legacy lives on! Another Jesse Stone story...with a cameo by Sunny and a few other common characters. Always a treat snd enjoyed this story largely featuring Suit (and Crow). Keep them coming!

Not quite the Jesse I remember when Parker wrote this series, but still a fun and engrossing read.I’m glad to see this series continue.

Mike Lupica makes me miss RBP a little less...I love how all the characters from other novels are finding their way into his books. Fun Read

With Fallout, I think Mike Lupica has finally settled into the Jesse Stone/Paradise series. It was a comfortable read about familiar characters, a great setting and interesting plot. Although the crypto connection was pretty vague, the plotline involving the high school students, their social media pressures, and the interweaving of Crow back into the book was great. I think Crow should play an even bigger part in future plotlines since he plays off of Jesse and Molly tremendously.

Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, and so many twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I will definitely recommend reading this book! It was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
A star baseball player is found dead - suicide?? or murder??
And then there is the murder of the former police chief who had been investigating spam calls to the elderly
Jessie needs to find out how these deaths are connected.
Why would a star baseball player commit suicide? or was he killed?
Why would they kill a former police chief - - was he getting too close to the spam callers?.

I know Parker passed away several years ago but they have continued his series with another author writing the books. The author continuing the series is doing an excellent job. The transition has been seamless, the plots and characters sound the same as before.

People are dying and the victims are personal to Spencer so he is determined to solve the cases, whatever it takes. There is plenty of suspense along with a good plot that will keep you guessing. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

As alway, loved the book. As a huge Parker fan, I marvel at the smooth transition from Robert Parker to Mike Lupica. In this novel, Jesse Stone’s world is rocked by a murder of a dear friend and the unexplained death of a colleague’s nephew.

As always, Stone decides to solve these crimes with the help of some of his stalwart helpers. Lupica manages to include other Parker characters from both Spenser and Sunny Randall novels.

This novel was made incredibly timely by including storylines about Crypto currency and the endless telephone scams, often targeting seniors. It’s also a nod to the community of “handicapable” workers who are too often unable to find suitable jobs. Lupica is also cognizant of the pain that young people feel as they recognize their sexuality.

Note to Mike: Sandra Dee was the original Gidget, Debbie Reynolds was the original Tammy.

I highly recommend this to all Parker fans, you won’t be disappointed! Thank you Netgalley for this delightful ARC.