Tag: Reed Farrel Coleman

Favorite Books of the Year: 2018

With 2018 coming  to a close ‘tis the season for lists so I thought I‘d share a list of my favorite crime/mystery books I read this year. Most were published this year, but there are a couple old-timers in there I read for the first time in 2018. The first two are my topped ranked. Other than that they are in no particular order.

The Woman in the Window

Woman

Read my review here.

Sunburn

Sunburn

Read my review here.

The Neighbor

Neighbot

Read my review here.

Two Kinds of Truth

Two Kinds

November Road

November

A beautifully written road trip/conspiracy thriller that will surprise you right to the end. Read my full review here.

 

The Killer  Inside Me

Killer

Read my review here.

Early Autumn

early

Read my review here.

The Man Who Came Uptown

Uptonw

Read my review here.

Colorblind

Colorblind

Read my review here.

Dark Sacred Nights

Dark Sacred

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Fugitive Red – Jason Starr

Blood Feud – Mike Lupica

Old Black Magic  Ace Atkins

The Chill of the Night – James Hayman

Don’t Let Go – Harlan Coben

Then Came Darkness – D.H Schleicher

The Deep Blue Good-by – John D. MacDonald

The Hangman’s Sonnet – Reed Farrel Coleman

The Girl in the Green Raincoat – Laura Lippman

 

Recent Read: Colorblind

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Colorblind is Reed Farrel Coleman’s fifth book since taking over Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series. It’s his best. Coleman has taken Stone, and while preserving Parker’s essence, made him his own. It’s a winning combination.

After a few months in rehab, Jesse  gets a second chance as police chief in the small Massachusetts town of Paradise. He is still struggling, both emotionally and mentally, to recover from the death of his murdered love, Diana.

When Jesse first became police chief of Paradise, years ago, it was a small town with not much happening. A far cry from his days with the L.A. Police. But like so much of America, Paradise has grown and changed. Barely able to settle back in to his job, there‘s a rape and death of  a young African-American, Felicity Wileford, who was jogging alone on the beach.  A few nights later, a burning cross is planted on the property of Dr. Ron Patel and his wife. The home was previously owned by Jesse. What the incidents have in common is Felicity was in a relationship with a white man and Dr. Patel, an Indian, has a wife who is white. Not long after these incidents, flyers are found on many parked cars placed there during the night. They are credited to an extremist right-wing group called  “The Saviors of Society.” A few nights later, the group targets Jesse’s deputy, Alisha, the first black woman ever hired as a police officer in Paradise, framing her for a bad shooting.

In this book, Coleman brings to the forefront a series of timely issues turning this story into a much darker version than earlier books in the series. Like the rest of America, Paradise is dealing with issues that have divided us. Don’t let that discourage you, just think about it the same way as if you’re watching a movie franchise and different artists have taken over from the originals. It’s different, but the same.

Recent Read: The Hangman’s Sonnet

Hangmans-SonnetRobert B Parker’s Jesse Stone is one of my favorite characters. Jesse was once a promising shortstop until he suffered a career-ending injury. After that, Jesse became a police officer with the L.A. Police. He developed a drinking problem (Johnny Walker Black) after his wife Jan left him. It cost him his job. He eventually got the position of Chief of Police in the small fictional Massachusetts town of Paradise; mainly because the town’s political honchos knowing his damaged history thought they could control him. They didn’t know Jesse.

The Hangman’s Sonnet, Reed Farrel Coleman’s fourth book in the series,  picks up not too long after where Debt to Pay finishes with the death of Jesse’s fiance Diana. With Diana death, his drinking, always a problem, has unraveled forcing one on one interventions from co-workers and friends to help Jesse keep his job. Meanwhile, the management team of Terry Jester, one time called Boston’s Bob Dylan, has approached Jesse about a big industry party to be held in Paradise to publicize the release of Terry’s first album in decades. The recordings mysteriously disappeared before its release as Jester himself did a J.D. Salinger at the same time, and has not been heard from or seen since. The few who heard the album years ago say it is a masterpiece and would place Jester in the top ranks of artists.

Meanwhile, two thugs, King and Hump, recently released from prison, break into the home of a wealthy old lady. They have been hired by a third person, to retrieve some important items, they themselves are not even sure what they are looking for which makes the job difficult. The thugs tear up the house as they search. Unfortunately, during the home invasion the elderly woman, tied up and gagged, dies. No one was supposed to die.

Jesse is working the case, trying to hold on to his job, and his drinking problem all at the same time. He eventually comes to the conclusion that somehow the missing Jester tapes and the break-in resulting in the old woman’s death are connected. If he’s wrong, his job could be once again in jeopardy.

 The Hangman’s Sonnet is a fast-paced read, though there may be a little too much time spent on Jesse’s drinking which is full tilt boogie. Coleman though is a good storyteller and he captures Parker’s rhythm and nuances perfectly.

 

Recent Books Read and Recommended

In Sunlight or in Shadow – Lawrence Block – Editor

sunlight-shadow

A compilation of short stories all centered around the work of artist Edward Hopper. It’s an intriguing premise and for the most part the authors pull it off with style. Hopper’s work is filled with images of isolation, loneliness and voyeurism, each lending itself to much interpretation. That’s just what all of these authors do and most do well. There are a couple of mind numbingly  dull entries, but overall this is a worthy collection. Special raves to Stephen King, Jill D. Block, Joe R. Lansdale, Michael Connelly and Nicholas Christopher.

Robert B. Parker’s Debt to Pay – Reed Farrel Coleman 

debttopay

Robert B. Parker was one of my favorite authors. His passing back in 2010, needless to say, left a void in my reading. The Parker estate, and Parker’s publishers, chose to continue three of his series characters: Spenser, Jesse Stone, Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch with other authors. Debt to Pay is Coleman’s third book in the Jesse Stone series. Michael Brandman wrote the first three, Coleman has been an improvement and this latest entry is his best so far. He has managed to keep Parker’s essence yet make the characters his own.

Shadows on a Maine Christmas – Lea Wait

mainechristmas

Around Christmas time I always like to find a mystery or two with a holiday theme. While surfing the internet, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble, I came across author Lea Wait and this entry in her Antique Print series. The story is set along the coast of Maine, and frankly, that was part of what attracted me to read it. I have visited Maine many times over the years and honestly, its one of my favorite states. Wait’s characters are well developed and I have come to like the author’s main character, Maggie Summer, very much (I am currently reading another book in this series). Additionally, her well defined description of life in Maine adds to the pleasure. If you looking for a page turner, this book won’t satisfy you. It’s leisurely paced giving you time to soak in the atmosphere. Yes there is a murder, but it is just as much about the characters and the space they inhabit.

Home – Harlan Coben

home

The drought is over! After at least five years, Harlan Coben has finally brought back Myron and Win in this fast paced thriller about two  young boys who have been missing for ten years. Both wisecracks and thrills fly at a fast speed. Coben’s book are always filled with plenty of unexpected twists and this one is no exception.