Synopsis: 'The woman on the bed was barely out of her teens. She hadn't been exactly beautiful, but she tried to make the most of her looks. Now, defiled and alone in a seedy beachfront motel, she was dead. And Paradise police chief Jesse Stone doesn't even know her name.
Whoever she is, she didn't deserve to die. State police captain Healy's resources turn up nothing helpful, and Gino Fish, who knows his way around dark places, is characteristically uncooperative. Unwilling to take no for an answer, Jesse continues digging on his own, only to find himself caught in the crosshairs of a bitter turf war between two ruthless pimps. Thomas Walker and Fat Boy Nelly, and a beautiful woman to whom they both lay claim. Jesse tries for a diplomatic solution, but before it's over, more blood will spill.' From the book jacket.

Review: Are these two bad guys actually good or not? ( )

A young girl is found murdered in a rundown motel. Jesse Stone feels he knows her from somewhere. It is a brutal murder and he is set on finding the killer. In his investigating he finds himself as target in a possible turf war between two pimps.

Another case he is pursuing involves mistreatment of his ex-accountant in a care facility. Seems the corporation who owns it uses sedation and force to keep their residents in line while raking in the bucks. Said corporation has a history of this and a team of slick litigious lawyers on their payroll to keep legal matters under control. But when the facility fails inspections from the fire department, health department and building code enforcement, not even their slick lawyers can get of a shutdown.

Jesse Stone is not big on words but gets his point across with out a problem. He will leave no stone unturned when he is out to solve a crime, no matter who tries to stop him.

I enjoy the short chapter format with the plot being moved along in each instance. ( )

This book is Michael Brandman’s third attempt to carry on Robert B. Parker’s “Jesse Stone” series following the latter's death. It is not too successful, being superficially like Parker’s minimalist writing, but with more violence and without the sparkling dialogue.

Police Chief Jesse investigates the death of a prostitute and gets involved in a turf war between two local pimps. In an unrelated case, he investigates crooked nursing home that is abusing its elderly patients. Jesse is not quite the lonely, angst – ridden alcoholic of Parker’s series; he’s by now gotten over his ex-wife and adopted a cat. What’s more, he seems unfazed by a murder that will trouble many readers and lets the perpetrator off the hook. This book would likely gain little attention if it didn’t have Parker’s name on the cover – six times taller than that of the actual author. Without Parker's name, this book would have utterly failed. On its own, the book is a flop and unworthy of the attention of any fan of Robert B. Parker's actual writing. ( )

I don't know where they get these titles? Has nothing to do with anything of course. A Jesse Stone story by Brandman who dearly likes his nasty language. A quick read that I stuck with although I found Stone's love affair with the nasty, rotten underworld characters a bit much. ( )

I have always enjoyed Parker's work. The tradition has been continued well in this novel. If you are already a Parker fan you must give this one a try.

Received as an ARC ( )