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I have read alot of Robert B. Parker Books, including all of the Jesse Stone books. Some of you maybe have seen some of the tv movies staring Tom Selleck. Robet B. Parker unfortunately passed away. A new author, Michael Brandman has tried to continue the series. I have read his first Jesse Stone Book, 'Killing The Bluses' and wrote a review of it on Amazon. This is what I said there:
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This is a disgrace!
I know it is impossible for one author to pick up another author's series and write the books exactly how the previous author did. I knew Brandman's Jesse Stone was going to be different than Parker's. But Brandman didn't even try! The characters here act and talk much differently than they do in Parker's book, and there are inconsistencies in this book as compared to the past stories.
[SPOILER WARNING]
Hasty Hathaway is back and has been reelected as a Paradise Selectman. Brandman, did you even read the first book? HATHAWAY WAS A MURDERER!!!! HE ATTEMPTED TO LEAD AN ARMED INSURRECTION AGAINST THE POLICE!!! HE WAS NUTS!!!! There is no way he'd get reelected, let alone get out of jail so soon. But no only that, Jesse and him are friendly with each other!!! Anyone who read the first book, would know that that is not possible.
The Jesse/Sunny romance was ended way too abruptly. Judging by how the last Parker Jesse Stone book ended, I think Parker had intended to merge the two series and continue the romance between the two of them. But instead of carrying on as Parker would have wanted, Brandman abruptly ends the romance.
In this book, Jesse adopts a new cat. He names it after his favorite high school teacher. Really? In the Parker Books, it is mentioned repeatedly that Jesse hated school. I doubt he'd name a pet after any of his teachers.
At one point in the story, Jesse's house is trashed. No where anywhere in the book is the condition of Jesse's picture of Ozzie Smith mentioned. In describing condition of the trashed house, the Ozzie Smith picture should have been mentioned. This picture is a very important possession of Jesse's. If Parker had written a story where Jesse's house had been trashed, no way would the condition of that picture have gone unmentioned. I suppose the same could be argued in regards to his picture(s) of Jenn, but it seemed like in the last Parker Book, he had finally given up on her.
In the Parker books, Jesse was a smart guy. It wouldn't have taken him anywhere near as long to suspect who the main bad guy is, that is murdering pets and setting fires and kills a cop. Parker's Jesse Stone would have guessed in a instant that it was Rollo. Jesse was warned Rollo was out of jail and out to get him and then all of the sudden this sh__ starts to happen in Paradise. It should have been obvious as hell that Rollo was a suspect. I realize early on Jesse did not have enough to arrest Rollo, but he did have enough to suspect him and be on the look out for him and be searching for him. He also could have taken steps to protect his new cat, considering that the guy that was killing pets and if the guy was Rollo, Jesse's cat would be a target. Yet he did not suspect him at all and did not take any steps against Rollo until near the end of the book, and left his cat wide open to be attacked by Rollo. Parker's Jesse Stone would not have acted like this.
At the end, also relies on Jesse being dumber than Parker's Jesse was. Jesse's house had previously been trashed. Jesse was now suspicious of Rollo. He had cops guarding the front of his house. Yet Rollo found another way in. If Rollo could have thought of this other way to get in, no way Parker's Jesse would have overlooked it. Parker's Jesse was just too smart for that. Parker's Jesse would have been prepared for Rollo using this other way to get into Jesse's house. He either would have had people guarding against him coming in that way, or he would have set a trap for Rollo. But not Brandman's Jesse. Brandman's Jesse is caught totally off guard by Rollo using this alternate entrance. He even leaves his gun out for Rollo to grab!!!
[END SPOILER WARNING]
He even didn't try to get close to Parker's Jesse. HE DIDN'T EVER TRY. I have to wonder if he ever even read any of the Parker books! At the end of the book, when Brandman writes his ackowledgments, he thanks everyone but Robert B. Parker himself. Is this omission because Brandman knows he is nowhere near as good as Parker? This book is an insult to Robert B. Parker's memory. Mr. Brandman, you are a hack. I will boycott every one of your books. I demand the Parker estate find someone better to continue the Jesse Stone series and I suggest that Brandman's Jesse Stone books not be considered an official part of the cannon.
I advise everyone not to buy this. Don't give Brandman your money.
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Yeah, I didn't like it all. Anyone here else read Parker's Jesse Stone books? (or his Spenser or Sunny Randall books for that matter) Anyone here read Michael Brandon's Jesse Stone book, 'Killing The Blues'?
Thoughts? opinions? reactions? anything?
