The Torment of Others: A Novel
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • High Five
  • Another great McDermid book.
  • McDermid is always gripping ...
  • A lot of good can be said about this police procedural
  • Extremely gruesome and extremely hard to put down!
 The Torment of Others: A Novel
Val McDermid
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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Psychological & SuspensePsychological & Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
McDermid, ValMcDermid, Val | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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  1. The Last Temptation: A Novel (Dr. Tony Hill and Carol Jordan Mysteries) The Last Temptation: A Novel (Dr. Tony Hill and Carol Jordan Mysteries)
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ASIN: 0312339194
Release Date: 2005-04-28

Book Description

Dr. Tony Hill and Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan return in the award-winning series that is the basis for the hit show on BBC America.

In a small grim room, the body of a woman is discovered, panic and pain etched in her face. The scene matches in every detail a series of murders two years ago-murders that ended when irrefutable forensic evidence secured the conviction of a deeply disturbed young man named Derek Tyler.

But there's no way Tyler could have killed the latest victim. He's been locked up in a mental institution since his trial, barely speaking a word. So is there a copycat?

All his years of experience tell top criminal psychologist Dr. Tony Hill that there isn't-but that would make the murders literally impossible. While Hill tries to crack Tyler, DCI Carol Jordan and her team must mount a desperate undercover operation to trap the murderer-a decision that will have terrible consequences.

As the tension mounts, a mixture of psychological insight and dogged detective work leads inexorably to a terrifying climax where Tony faces one of the most perverse killers he has ever encountered.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars High Five.......2007-06-01

It's always a pleasure when I take a chance on a new novelist and it pays off as well as it did here. Val McDermid is, I now know, one of our best writers and I won't hesitate to buy any book in the future with her name on the cover. In The Torment of Others, you'll get everything you want from a thriller and more : intelligent characters, gripping imagery, a powerful plot, clever pacing and just entertainment all round. The lead characters Jordan and Hill are very much individuals whose personalities and concerns are so well described that we almost feel that we know them; the key point is that we can easily believe in them. The side-plot of their 'relationship' is actually intriguing, dealt with subtle aplomb by their creator and cleverly left unfinished within the context of this story so that we can carry on where they left off in the next one. The main story line of this book is quite daringly graphic in its description without being gory for its own sake. It just leaves you wondering "Jeez, what a way to go"...and I'm not a woman! This is a writer of high intellect, vivid imagination and the bringing together of those rare skills makes for very enjoyable reading. Call me a fan.

5 out of 5 stars Another great McDermid book........2007-01-24

This author just keeps doing it. How she can write book after gripping book and sound fresh, suspenseful and compelling is a wonder in today's crime fiction scene. Just read it!

4 out of 5 stars McDermid is always gripping ..........2006-09-15

... and this title is no exception. The continution of the Tony and Carol saga. I highly recommend!

4 out of 5 stars A lot of good can be said about this police procedural.......2006-01-23

I had not read any of Val McDermid's work before this. It seems that a lot has transpired in previous novels that were alluded to time and again, so if there is a novel that proceeds this, you might want to check out that one before starting in on `The Torment of Others'. That aside, I was immediately brought into McDermid's world as a reader. The characters Tony Hill and Carol Jordan have so many demons that are being exorcised that this does not read as though it were just another in a long line of sequels.

There are two mysteries unfolding here. Carol is found at the start of the book taking control of an elite crime fighting force and these are the two first cases that fall under her sphere. Both of these stories are complex enough that you will be left guessing and not quite sure as to where things are going until near the end. Along the way several other side characters are introduced. I think that the plurithura of first person characters that stride through this novel was a bit of a drawback. In my opinion, the fact that McDermid mines not two, but at least six (that I can recall off the top of my head) points of view is a real momentum killer. You never really get to the point where you are on the edge of your seat with this book. I always felt like a disengaged viewer lording over this unfolding event rather than as an immediate participant.

The mood that I gleamed from this book... the over all aura... was sort of like a Patricia Cornwell novel. If you have not read her yet, you are in for a treat. I would highly recommend her work and suggest that you start with her first novel. Otherwise, this book is worth reading, though by no means the best of this genre that I have come across.

4 out of 5 stars Extremely gruesome and extremely hard to put down!.......2006-01-07

I read WIRE IN THE BLOOD and loved it and just finished TORMENT and will have to get everything by McDermid.

This novel is VERY gruesome but the characters and "secondary cases" are so interesting and well-written that you really can't help turning the pages.

Good stuff-- but creepy!
The Fourth Order: A Novel
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Riveting!
  • Good read BUT
  • Much better than his last 2 books!
  • Totally unconvincing
  • Torture
 The Fourth Order: A Novel
Stephen Frey
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345480643
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Book Description

National security, terrorism, and human rights–these explosive issues lie at the heart of Stephen Frey’s riveting new thriller, a high-octane novel of suspense, revenge, and intrigue.

Dynamic chief financial officer Michael Rose is looking to add an exciting and profitable new dimension to energy conglomerate Trafalgar Industries via the major acquisition of CIS, a global information technology company. But it’s far from a done deal, thanks to fierce resistance from CIS, and from certain members of Trafalgar’s own board, to Rose’s takeover proposal. But Rose isn’t about to sacrifice his best shot at the score that could land him in the CEO’s chair. While swiftly scaling the corporate ladder, Rose has played the big business power game expertly enough to know he has the moves to outmaneuver the opposition. But what Rose doesn’t know is the truth about his latest adversaries at CIS–that they are linked to an organization hell-bent on a twisted mission and are lethal to anyone who stands in their way.

The Order, an ultra-secret shadow government agency, was founded by high-level administration officials in reaction to the assassination of President Lincoln. Nearly 150 years later, the group was galvanized anew by the worst act of terror ever perpetrated on American soil–and pushed to dangerous extremes by the specter of fear . . . and the taste of power. The Order had always been sanctioned to manage national security at all costs, by any and all means, without consequences. But behind the sleek veneer of CIS Technologies, the fourth and newest incarnation of The Order not only maintains the ultimate nationwide surveillance and intelligence-gathering system, but conducts officially licensed covert operations rife with torture and murder–all in the name of freedom. The mission cannot and will not be jeopardized, even if innocent lives must be sacrificed. Unfortunately Michael Rose doesn’t yet realize that his hardball tactics have made him the Order’s number one hard target, and his penchant for playing to win has brought him unwittingly into a deadly duel with an enemy more powerful than he can imagine. In a world where the rule is kill or be killed, Rose’s rep for sealing deals might just seal his fate.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Riveting!.......2007-09-22

I finished this book on 9/11 and it really gave me the creeps! So much goes on unseen in the public eye and Frey's look into the "secret underground government" really makes a person wonder. Conspiracy buffs will have a field day with this one. It's just a novel---right!?!?
A great read and one of his better novels.

3 out of 5 stars Good read BUT.......2007-09-14

I'm a Frey fan, but after reading all his novels I really can't tell one from the other. With exception of the Christian Gillette series, all storylines involve the same aspects. A supposedly young hot shot business exec who is smart enough to run a multi-billion dollar corporation yet stupid enough to continue to get involved with the same female character who ends up, for a lack of better word, screwing him at the end. I get so frustrated because halfway through any of Frey's books you can pretty much predict the outcome. Frey portrays his main character as strong willed and razor sharp while at the same time being brain dead. Frey needs to mix it up and change his plot around because I'm not interested in reading the same novel over and over and over again.

4 out of 5 stars Much better than his last 2 books!.......2007-08-16

If you are major fan of Stephen Frey (as I am), you may have been a little disappointed by his last 2 books in the Christian Gillette series. While The Chairman: A Novel was perhaps his finest work, the subsequent sequels have been progressively worse. Finally, that downward spiral has been reversed with The Fourth Order.

This work is quite timely, addressing the issues of domestic spying and torture, it still works around the periphery of the world of high finance - Frey's trademark. Exciting and relatively unpredictable, I found it quite enjoyable. The characters were generally unrealistic, and the fact that the protagonist engages in an affair on the heals of his wife's murder made him quite unlikable. The overall plot, however, challenges the reader to walk the grey area of right and wrong in the quest to fight terrorism.

If the reader can get past the utter unbelievability of the characters, this book is well worth a read. Frey's best work since The Chairman: A Novel.

1 out of 5 stars Totally unconvincing.......2007-07-27

I'm surprised that this author has published 13 prior novels. While the sentences were serviceable, the paragraphs and chapters weren't if one is looking for good fiction. Neither the characters nor plot were credible. If this book is representative of his other work, I suspect his business pedigree matters more than his writing ability. For a really excellent thriller regarding business skullduggery and behind the scenes machinations, read Brian Haig's "Private Sector". Haig's creds are respectable, too. He retired as an Army colonel; when he writes about black units, one tends to believe he knows of what he speaks.

4 out of 5 stars Torture.......2007-07-20

A look into the other side of torture. Does it really work? Do innocent people confess to things they know nothing about because of fear? Frey ties in takeovers in the corporate world to the doorstep of the White House. A former White House adviser used as a scapegoat for White House missteps is out for revenge and pushes a corporate wiz into acquiring a technology firm used as a cut out to funnel funds into the gray area of govenment homeland security activities. The White House and the secretly funded group fights back and the ensuing drama becomes interesting and action filled.
Faithful Unto Death: A Chief Inspector Barnaby Novel (Chief Inspector Barnaby Mystery)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Faithful Unto Death
  • the books "Midsomer Murders" are based on
  • Delightful, nasty little English country mystery
  • A Most Wonderful Depiction!
  • Graham cracks me up!
 Faithful Unto Death: A Chief Inspector Barnaby Novel (Chief Inspector Barnaby Mystery)
Caroline Graham
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312972954

Amazon.com

Can you name a mystery about bell ringing? Of course--The Nine Tailors, by Dorothy L. Sayers. How about another? Well, this book about small-town British coppers Chief Inspector Barnaby and Sergeant Troy might qualify: it begins when a young female campanologist in the village of Fawcett Green fails to show up for practice. Was Simone Hollingsworth kidnapped for ransom? Was her doting new husband involved? Or does her disappearance have something to do with her snooping neighbors--especially the neighbor's obsessive daughter? As she did so well in Written in Blood, Caroline Graham captures the inwardly seething inhabitants of a supposedly placid village with the skill of an expert entomologist observing an anthill. And Barnaby and Troy are once again the perfect pair: the chief inspector's calm introspection is a fine match for the younger, brasher officer's occasional outbursts and blunders. Not the least of Graham's accomplishments is keeping the subgenre of the traditional British village mystery fresh and meaningful. --Dick Adler

Book Description

When bored young housewife Simone Hollingsworth misses bell-ringing practice-her latest effort to find something to do-no one is surprised. In fact, if old Mrs. Molfrey, her neighbor, didn't report it to Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, Simone's disappearance might have gone unrecorded in Fawcett Green. But ever Barnaby isn't concerned-until a body is found.

Soon Barnaby is uncovering the passionate entanglements beneath the placid surface of Fawcett Green-and perhaps jeopardizing his career. Now, if he misconstrues the clue buried in Simone's garden-and a subtlety of human behavior his experienced eye should spot-a brutal killer may go free...

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Faithful Unto Death.......2006-06-26

The book is very good. It is a little different than the t.v. series but it a good book with lots of little intrigues going on in the village. Of course CID Barney solves the mysteries. He is a well rounded person in the series so I enjoy the series.

5 out of 5 stars the books "Midsomer Murders" are based on.......2006-04-08

If you like "Midsomer Murders" you will like the Inspector Barnaby books by Caroline Graham. The "Midsomer Murders" series is loosley based on Graham's mysteries. You will find the character of Sergeant Troy is quite different in the television show. He is much more likable. I enjoy both the books and the show. Some people are turned off by the character of Troy, and that makes them dislike the books. I think the people in the series are very human. Some are fine and admirable, some are dreary, some are condescending (this is England, after all), some are nazis and chauvenists. Just like real life. I think the "cozy" provides a sampler of characters in the charming setting of the English village, otherwise there would be no story. Just scenery. So don't hate the books just because Troy is repellant. It is kind of different to get inside the mind of someone not so nice. "Faithful Unto Death" is my favorite Inspector Barnaby book. It is quite complicated, and I very much like the characters in this book. It is very good "cozy" reading, and much more intellectual and complex than my other favorite, Agatha Raisin (by M.C. Beaton).

5 out of 5 stars Delightful, nasty little English country mystery.......2005-05-02

Another English inspector mystery starring Chief Inspector Barnaby, this one is a bit of a departure for Caroline Graham. All of the usual characters are still in play here: the villages of Ferne Basset and Fawcett Green, the town of Causton, Inspector Barnaby, his faithful-yet-shallow-yet-extremely talented sidekick Troy, and the usual CID cronies. This book is especially twisty and turny and a very fun ride. I tend to associate Caroline Graham with more straightforward, Agatha Christie-type whodunits, which have fun twists but not at every turn, for heaven's sake! The local village characters are outrageously well drawn; we've all had neighbors like some of these and Graham has captured all of them most perfectly. I didn't see the ending come on this one but I had my suspicions, which went back and forth for the whole book. Such is the good writing where you are forced to glance at everyone in the book with a jaundiced eye!

5 out of 5 stars A Most Wonderful Depiction!.......2003-02-20

Caroline Graham is often referred to as a modern-day Agatha Christie. Certainly her characters, humour and carefully crafted mystery story lines are reminiscent of the great Christie. But her books are also quite different. We don't see the detail in Christie's books that we see in Graham's. This particular book is funny and complex. It is also one of the best descriptions of a psycopathic personality that I have ever read. And it's done with so much class! Barnaby seems to have finally met his match with this villain, and you will have to read it to find out how.

5 out of 5 stars Graham cracks me up!.......2002-03-07

Not only does Caroline Graham weave a great yarn, her characterizations are hilarious. This is a very entertaining who-done-it. If you appreciate English humor, this is the mystery for you!
A Place of Safety: A Chief Inspector Barnaby Novel (Chief Inspector Barnaby Novels)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Great Mystery
  • A Place of Safety
  • No place of safety, this.
  • Not My Personal Favourite.
  • Rewards and Irritations
 A Place of Safety: A Chief Inspector Barnaby Novel (Chief Inspector Barnaby Novels)
Caroline Graham
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312977107

Book Description

Charlie Leathers was not the most popular man in the charming English village of Ferne Basset, but few people seemed to hate him enough to murder him. Still, that was his fate one night, and it brings Inspector Barnaby to the scene to investigate. What Barnaby doesn't know is that before his death, Charlie witnessed what might have been the suicide--or murder--of a young woman whose troubles with the law have landed her in the home of a local retired minister and his none-too-pleased wife. Now a man is dead, a girl is missing, and a town is in chaos as long-kept secrets begin to unravel, with deadly repercussions.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great Mystery.......2006-08-11

If you like classic mysteries with well drawn characters instead of gruesome details, a real plot with foreshadowing instead of serial murders, then Caroline Graham's CI Barnaby Mysteries are just the thing!

4 out of 5 stars A Place of Safety.......2006-06-26

This is another of the CID Barney series that I truely enjoy reading. It is well written and solved after a lot of the village intrigues have come to light. I really enjoy the TV series based on the books and therefore enjoy the books also.

5 out of 5 stars No place of safety, this........2003-12-23

Picture a rectory in a small English village, and you will probably call up associations of sanctuary, harmony, shelter and reverence. Read a few chapters of this excellent crime novel and you'll see a very different picture. The vicar, no longer holding office in the church, peoples the childless household with young offenders serving their time of rehabilitation. For his wife, who owns the house, the nightmare of living in such a loveless marriage and such a dysfunctional household seems to turn into reality when she believes she has been responsible for the death of one of the inmates. Blackmail attempts follow, then murder. The case becomes one for Inspector Barnaby and Sergeant Troy to investigate.

Author Caroline Graham is one of the best living practitioners of detective fiction. Her books have literary merit, the characters are as well rounded as is feasible in a whodunit game, and the denouements are neither too melodramatic nor too predictable. I can always read to the end with comfort, well able to remember and distinguish all the characters. There is a particularly venomous character here, Terry Jackson, who is hard to forget. Then there is the always sharply presented depiction of the Barnaby household, to which a son-in-law has by now been added.

Caroline Graham's Midsomer Murder novels appear every two or three years. This one dates from 1999 and is one of the best.

4 out of 5 stars Not My Personal Favourite........2003-03-18

This book was not my favourite Graham, but a good one nevertheless. Ms. Graham's characterizations make her stories exceptional and this book is no different. This book starts with the death of an unpleasant man, and we the readers really don't care who did it, but Ms. Graham develops the other members of the village, and we suddenly find ourselves caring very much about some of the chief characters. This book is also different in that there is no real doubt as to the killer - the only thing is to try to flesh out the details as to why that particular killer killed that man and harmed that woman. This makes it a bit different than many other of her books. I certainly hope that this not her last effort in the Barnaby/Troy series. This book was written in 1999 and there has been nothing since then.

4 out of 5 stars Rewards and Irritations.......2000-04-01

Caroline Graham's earlier books have been serious or overtly humorous, the later books are a strange mixture of subtleties and caricature. Whether a book is enjoyable or not seems to depend on the balance between the endearingly or interestingly eccentric, the irritating and the obnoxious. I enjoyed `A Place of Safety' despite the presence of the forthright Cully, who can dominate a book even if she's supposed to be nowhere in the vicinity. (There seems to be a disproportionate number of fictional detectives with actress wives or daughters. I don't know whether authors use them in the interest of plot, as a way of introducing further elements of drama or because they think there are characteristics common to both professions.) I still find the author's use of product name-dropping excessive, almost enough to justify the addition of explanatory notes before the foreign and large print editions come out. The descriptions that don't use this device often seem much more interesting and inventive. It is difficult to classify all the books as a whole. Even in the main series different readers may find different books more or less congenial, but they may find it worthwhile to read more than one book before they decide what they do think of them.
A Ghost in the Machine: A Chief Inspector Barnaby Novel (Chief Inspector Barnaby Novels)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • A novel about British country style life
  • Village murder with a kick
  • well developed characters, but a bit ponderous
  • Long and Boring
  • A Good Read
 A Ghost in the Machine: A Chief Inspector Barnaby Novel (Chief Inspector Barnaby Novels)
Caroline Graham
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

British DetectivesBritish Detectives | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312995156
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Book Description

When a bloody, pulverized body is found lying beneath the rustic timbers of an authentic torture device so vicious and complicated as to be blood-curdling, there's sufficient unrest in tiny Forbes Abbot to call in Chief Inspector Barnaby. Was Dennis Brinkley done in by crooked business partners, a teenage seductress, a couple of would-be publishers who've just inherited--and then lost--millions, or perhaps by tired, timid little Benny Fraye, who wouldn't hurt a fly--would she?
Barnaby will soon find out just who set in motion the gruesome machine that crushed the unfortunate victim. Caroline Graham's delightful cozy village mysteries, which inspired the continuing Midsommer Murders series starring Inspector Barnaby on A&E Television, have long been fan-favorites; A Ghost in the Machine is sure to cement her reputation as one of the best crime writers in the mystery business today.

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars A novel about British country style life.......2007-08-19

This is an Inspector Barnaby's novel. Barnaby himself does not appear almost till the middle of it though. And the murder itself does not happend till the page 150.
I found the first introductory part "before the murder" a little too long and murder investigation too short to make this book a really good detective novel. And it is too naive to become a good social piece of literature.
Although Caroline Graham evidently has talent for discription, especially for discription of people and places. All characters in this story are vivid and alive. And it was interesting from the point of view of learning about British country style life. The scenes discribing people in the village gardenin, shopping, going about their businesses or just relaxing in their back yards are the most attractive.
But there are no unexpected twists, no really astonishing conclusion, no brilliant investigation. The murder story is rather predictable. There is only one really bad guy and he eventually became a murderer.
Fans of "Midsummer Murders" TV series will probably find this book interesting and amusing.

5 out of 5 stars Village murder with a kick.......2007-07-14

I'm a big fan of both Caroline Graham's Inspector Barnaby mysteries, and the TV series that spun off--although the books and the show could not be more different. A Ghost in the Machine, the seventh (and last, to date) of the Barnaby novels, is the book that's most unlike the on-screen version, and my favorite.

After Carey Lawson dies and leaves a large sum of money to her nephew Mallory and his family, everything starts to change for the Lawsons; their arrival in the village sets off a chain of events that results in the death of their neighbor and financial advisor, Dennis Brinkley. Dennis' timid friend Benny tries to convince the Causton CID that the death was a murder, but there's no proof...until a medium of questionable talents and equally questionable morals gets involved.

Barnaby and Troy don't put in an appearance until halfway through the story and solve the crime relatively quickly, but the murders are a small part of the bigger picture (which includes embezzlement, fraud, more murders, and child abuse).

Graham's dry sense of humor and clear-eyed descriptions of English village life have never been better, but what sets A Ghost in the Machine apart is the complexity of the characters, and the creepy ending.

3 out of 5 stars well developed characters, but a bit ponderous.......2007-03-09

I enjoy the tv program spun off of Ms. Grahams novels, so thought I'd read a few of her books. This is the first of two I recently purchased and I think my title expresses best what I thought of it.

1 out of 5 stars Long and Boring.......2006-04-04

This book just dragged! I love Midsomer Murders and I thought this would be closely related, but the author just meandered through out, never pushing forward the plot - what there was of the plot.

The ending was ridiculous and tacked on - I cant believe I finsihed reading 500 pages for such a disappoinment!

4 out of 5 stars A Good Read.......2005-12-04

Caroline Graham's novels are always character-driven and more in the vein of suspense than the mysteries they purport to be. Her latest, "A Ghost in the Machine," is typical of the fare and a good read.
I've always liked the cozy, though Graham has updated the genre to conform to more modern times and made it a bit more gritty than some of her predecessors.
As in the past, she has lain her story in a small English village flush with diverse and eccentric people.
A stressed out teacher inherits the property of his beloved aunt. This offers the opportunity to escape the city and follow his wife's long-cherished dream of becoming a publisher of literary novels. Their spoiled-rotten daughter remains in London to become involve in a matter which will later impact on them and their plans.
Their financial consultant, who seems to be well-liked by everyone in the village, has the odd habit of collecting ancient war machines. He is the first murder victim, though at first his death seems to be accidental. Other notable characters include Brinkley's friend, the former companion/housekeeper of the aunt; an assortment of odd neighbors, spiritualists and pathetic children.
It is sometime in this novel before the pragmatic Chief Inspector Barnaby and the all too human Sergeant Troy make their first appearance and even longer before they agree a murder has been committed. After that, the action picks up.
Some have compared Graham to Dickens because of her reliance on characters to carry her plots. I would not go so far as that since her style is as eccentric as some of her characters. Still, that is part of her charm. The reader (this reader, at least) is willing to forgive her variance from accepted style because it is just so entertaining.
Sea Change (Jesse Stone Novels)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sea Change
  • Another day, another body in the water . . .
  • This book is horrible
  • The sea may change, but don't let Jesse change.
  • Good to the last drop
 Sea Change (Jesse Stone Novels)
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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  5. Stone Cold: A Jesse Stone Novel Stone Cold: A Jesse Stone Novel

ASIN: 0399152679

Book Description

Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone faces the case of his career in the newest novel in the bestselling series.

When a woman's partially decomposed body washes ashore in Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone is forced into a case far more difficult than it initially appears. Identifying the woman is just the first step in what proves to be an emotionally charged investigation. Florence Horvath was an attractive, recently divorced heiress from Florida; she also had a penchant for steamy sex and was an enthusiastic participant in a video depicting the same. Somehow the combination of her past and present got her killed, but no one is talking-not the crew of the Lady Jane, the Fort Lauderdale yacht moored in Paradise Harbor; not her very blond, very tan twin sisters, Corliss and Claudia; and not her curiously affectless parents, living out a sterile retirement in a Miami high rise. But someone-Jesse-has to speak for the dead, even if it puts him in harm's way.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Sea Change.......2007-09-30

Great. Robert B. Parker was true to his reputation as an author. Couldn't put the book down. Having seen a couple of the movies about Jessie Stone, I could picture Tom Selleck making all these moves and hear him saying the dialogue. I hope there will be more to follow.

5 out of 5 stars Another day, another body in the water . . ........2007-08-17

When Race Week (well, Month, really, but it just doesn't have the same sound) comes to Paradise, things get really crazy. Lots of drunk and disorderlies - lots of new people in town. And another body floating in the water. This one is eventually discovered to be the body of one Florence Horvath. Jesse Stone sets out to try to discover what happened, how she died and whether or not it was murder.

This book is fairly short and a quick read. There are some sub-plots involving a sex ring that are loosely connected to the main murder mystery and serve as a red herring. Very well-done. A must-have in the Robert B Parker fan's library.

1 out of 5 stars This book is horrible.......2007-06-27

To put it simply this book is horrible. It isn't the plot or story. It is the writing. The book is only 285 pages long and cost $10. That is half as long and twice as much as most books I read, and they are a lot better. His writing style leaves something to be desired. With dialogue, it is only "said". Can't he use other words like "respond", "reply", "asked"? Also, nothing gets any description except for alcoholic drinks and a "white bowl with a blue stripe." Who cares if the bowl has a blue stripe? I received this book as a gift and I feel bad that they wasted there money on something so worthless.

5 out of 5 stars The sea may change, but don't let Jesse change. .......2007-06-11

Jesse Stone, the former LAPD robbery homicide detective, now the chief of police for Paradise Massachusetts finds himself in the middle of a case that involves a sad and sordid tale of incest and a sex ring in the midst of a murder investigation during a yachting competition in his town. It all begins when the body of a young woman is found floating in the bay near Paradise. Jesse, and his officers, Suitcase Simpson, and Molly Crane and the other inhabitants of Paradise deal with the murder as well as other events that take place in the small town. In the midst of learning about the sad life story of the victim, Jesse must still deal with the demons of his drinking problem (although by this time he has tried to go sober)and his ambiguous feelings for his ex-wife Jenn, whom has proven to be rather untrustworthy.

"Sea Change" is in fact the first Jesse Stone novel that I read, and I have to admit that I am hooked into this series by Parker. I hope that we see more of Jesse and how he deals with life in Paradise.

4 out of 5 stars Good to the last drop.......2007-06-01

I recently viewed the TV movie Sea Change starring Tom Selleck. Although I enjoyed the movie, Selleck has finally found a character that suits him, the plot of the book is almost completely different. This is nothing new. Very few of the James Bond books written by Ian Fleming resemble the movies of the same name. Even so, it is a distraction. Don't feel that you need to complete the book before seeing the screen adaptation. Only the title and the character names, those not dropped, reamain the same.

This is a review of the novel and it is quite good. Jesse Stone obviously has a history. Guys who drink hard and mostly alone usually do. Unlike the movie version, he's on the wagon for this go round. The plot involves the possible murder of a floater which will leave you guessing until the end. Makes one wonder what police chiefs have to go through, even in small towns like Paradise, MA.
Slow Kill (Kevin Kerney Novels)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Slow Plot
  • Unfinished?
  • Slow Kill
  • A Disappointing Entry
  • Who woulda' suspected?
 Slow Kill (Kevin Kerney Novels)
Michael McGarrity
Manufacturer: Onyx
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Police ProceduralsPolice Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0451411935

Book Description

Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin Kerney travels to a California ranch looking to buy some prime quarter horse breeding stock. Instead, he finds himself the prime suspect in a possible homicide when a guest at the ranch, Clifford Spalding, is found dead. Confronted by a determined cop unwilling to let him off the hook, Kerney decides to conduct his own investigation. As he digs into the victim's background, he learns that Spalding's ex-wife refuses to believe that her son, a soldier killed in Vietnam some thirty years ago, is dead.

Kerney digs deeper and soon finds himself sharing the woman's doubts: Did Spalding's current wife, a much younger woman, orchestrate his murder with the help of a lover? Did a California cop collude with Spalding to keep his ex-wife from learning the truth about her son?

Slow Kill races from West Coast to East Coast as Kerney attempts to find the answers to a thirty-year-old mystery and extricate himself from a situation that could ruin his career.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Slow Plot.......2007-05-20

Michael McGarrity is a retired policeman, like his alter ego, Kevin Kerney. You get the idea that the character is closely based on the writer, right down to the double initials in their names (M.M. and K.K.). Kerney has graduated in the series to the point that he's the police chief of Santa Fe, New Mexico, but since there are so few murders there, for this to be a murder mystery, McGarrity has to have Kerney go to California, shopping for horses, and stumble on a dead body.

The victim turns out to be a wealthy socialite, and at first the local authorities suspect Kerney of being involved, and investigate him. Once that dries up, the investigation turns towards the guys wife, an attractive younger woman who has a wandering eye. As the book moves slowly along, the killer becomes apparent rather early and easily.

There's a second plot in the later part of the book, involving Kerney's wife (an Army officer) and her investigation of alleged cover-ups involving Army personnel involved in sexual assault cases, some including actual rapes. This plot thread doesn't finish at the end of the book, leaving us to wonder if he's going to continue it in the next entry in the series.

I enjoyed this book, but only to a certain extent. This is by far the slowest of the Kevin Kerney novels, with virtually no suspense and no real mystery. The author has a good command of characters and dialog, and some of the interchanges between Kerney and the other characters were fun, but the plot is very slow and predictable. I definitely think that you'd be better off starting this series out with one of his other books.

4 out of 5 stars Unfinished?.......2007-03-13

I discovered McGarrity a few weeks ago and have been reading his Kevin Kerney (is there another series?) books as I find them, and out of chronological order.

I like McGarrity's books because:
1) They are easy to read. His books flow naturally and are easy to understand.
2) I like his descriptions of NM, which until now I thought of as a desert and cultureless state.
3) His characters are easy to like and well described.

The cons:
1) I guess I've been reading too many thrillers, or it's just that his books are not in the thriller category. I'm not sure if this is really a strike against his books.
2) This book, like another Kevin Kerney one, seems to end very abruptly without ending. I keep thinking how the author was going to wrap it up in 2 more pages, and he didn't.

Spoiler here:

First, just like the other KK book, he sidetracks into Sara's case, however we're left hanging there and I don't know if Sara's case is going to continue in the next book in the series.
Second, McGarrity never explains the deal with the son and how the scheme worked. It's like he just wrote the required number of pages and stopped there. A very abrupt ending.

Bottom line: A very nice, but not overly thrilling book, full of your favorite characters, but with a very abrupt ending. I guess I should try to read his books in chronological order to see if it makes better sense.
But I will continue to read the rest of the series.

2 out of 5 stars Slow Kill.......2006-09-13

McGarrity has disappointed the reader in his last two books, this one especially. The plot and storylines have not been up to par with his previous books, which I enjoyed immensely. His ending in Slow Kill does not wrap up the loose ends and appears hurried. His ending in his last book also seemed "hurried".

2 out of 5 stars A Disappointing Entry.......2006-08-30

I have read McGarrity's other Kevin Kerney mysteries, so I was looking forward to this one. The book has McGarrity's easy-going style that brings in a lot of the New Mexico atmosphere. That style was the strongest thing about the book. The plot (you can get summaries of the plot in other reviews) is convoluted. That is not necessarily a bad thing in a mystery novel. But it is a horrendous thing in a novel that seemed to be operating under limited space requirements, as if the author were under pressure to keep the book under 280 pages (it's 278 pages in hardback). The ending was rushed. Not all of the loose ends got tied up, at least not to the satisfaction of this reader. Perhaps McGarrity will revisit some of these plot elements in a later work. But the result was a book not up to the level of the rest of the series.

5 out of 5 stars Who woulda' suspected?.......2005-12-13

In the ninth novel in the Kevin Kerney series, Michael McGarrity stretches his writing ability along with the patience and stamina of his protagonist. Kevin Kerney, one of America's favorite cops, is a suspect in a homicide and the investigator who has Kerney in her sights is not one to let go easily. But is it even a homicide? There are no marks on the body, no obvious signs of a struggle, but the deceased didn't just die all by himself, did he? Then, there is that younger wife to consider. Could she and Kerney have conspired to kill the aging husband for his money and his land? Would Kerney's wife be happy about the whole thing? And what is all this about a secondary mystery that goes all the way back to the Vietnam War? McGarrity weaves a dense and devious plot, but the path of discovery is well worth the time it takes.
Stone Cold: A Jesse Stone Novel
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Quick read
  • Disappointing.
  • Action in Paradise
  • Fast, easy read
  • Can't wait for the next one......
 Stone Cold: A Jesse Stone Novel
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0399150870
Release Date: 2003-09-29

Book Description

Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone returns, tracking the path of a pair of thrill killers.

Investigating a serial killer in an affluent suburban town is difficult, and dangerous, and with the added pressures from the town selectmen and the media, the heat is turned up on Jesse. He's spending too much time with the bottle-and with his ex-wife-neither of which helps him, or the case. And the harder these outside forces push against him, the more Jesse retreats into himself, convinced-despite all the odds-that it's up to him alone to stop the killing.

As tough, clear-eyed, and sardonic as Jesse Stone himself, this is the Grand Master working at the peak of his powers.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Quick read.......2007-08-17

When people start showing up dead with two bullet holes to the chest with no rhyme or reason, Jesse Stone is on the case. It appears there is a serial killer or killers in Paradise and it is up to Jesse to find them - before they find him; because it seems Jesse is next on their list.

A subplot involving the rape of a teenage girl by three boys adds a bit of depth to the plot.

As mentioned - this was a very quick read. I actually read half of Trouble in Paradise (Jesse Stone) and all of Death in Paradise (Jesse Stone), all of "Stone Cold" and a good bit of Sea Change (Jesse Stone) yesterday. These are very quick reads and difficult to put down once started. Not to be missed for the fans of Robert Parker and police procedurals!

2 out of 5 stars Disappointing........2007-06-20

I was disappointed. This was by far the least of the Parker novels I have read. The humor was weak and this is usually a strong point. The characters were super-thin, not that they ever have much depth. The plot is straight forward but not very exciting. Pretty dull stuff for Parker.

5 out of 5 stars Action in Paradise.......2007-02-10

Excellent Book. Typical intriguing Robert Parket mystery. Sex, murder and mystery. In this there is an emotional subplot and a main plot with occurrences very close to Jesse's vest. This is another detective murder mystery filled with intelligent clues, emotional moments and the reader is left wondering what's next between Jenn and Jesse?

4 out of 5 stars Fast, easy read.......2006-07-15

A plot that's good enough to captivate, and a book that's short enough to satisfy. A very entertaining mystery.

5 out of 5 stars Can't wait for the next one.............2006-04-10

I've read all the Jesse Stone series books and haven't been disappointed yet. Once you start reading it's hard to put down. Always great characters and plots...... I would recommend this series to all.........
The Hawk Chief: a Tale of the Indian Country: Volume 2
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		The Hawk Chief: a Tale of the Indian Country: Volume 2
    John Treat Irving
    Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    ASIN: 0543820025
    Release Date: 2001-01-26

    Book Description

    This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1837 edition by Carey, Lea and Blanchard, Philadelphia.
    Have Mercy on Us All: A Novel (Chief Inspector Adamsberg Mysteries)
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Very interesting historical mystery
    • 3 to 4
    • Have mercy by writing a better book next time.....
    • strong French police procedural thriller
    		 Have Mercy on Us All: A Novel (Chief Inspector Adamsberg Mysteries)
    Fred Vargas
    Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    FrenchFrench | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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    SuspenseSuspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0743284011

    Book Description

    In a small Parisian square, the ancient tradition of the town crier continues into modern times. The self-appointed crier, Joss Le Guern, reads out the daily news, snippets of gossip, and lately, ominous messages -- placed in his handmade wooden message box by an anonymous source -- that warn of an imminent onset of the bubonic plague.

    Concerned, Le Guern brings the puzzling notes to the bumbling but brilliant Chief Inspector Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg and his straight-edged, right-hand man, Adrien Danglard. When strange signs that were historically believed to ward off the black death start to appear on the doors of several buildings, Adamsberg takes notice and suspects a connection with Le Guern's warnings. After a flea-bitten corpse with plague-like symptoms is found in one of the marked buildings, Fred Vargas's inimitable genius chief inspector is under pressure to solve the mystery and restore calm to a panicked Paris. But is it a real case of the bubonic scourge, or just a sinister trick designed to frighten as the body count grows and the culprit continues to elude the police?

    Peopled with charming and eccentric Gallic characters, and packed with gripping historical detail, Have Mercy on Us All is a complex, surprising, and stylish tale from France's finest mystery writer.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Very interesting historical mystery.......2007-02-21

    Both my wife and I really enjoyed this book. Very interesting characters and a bit of a history lesson thrown in we highly recommend it for a change of pace.

    4 out of 5 stars 3 to 4.......2006-01-27

    A rumpled chief inspector who forgets people's names, relying on intuition, logic and luck to solve cases, a character that almost stretches believability too much. The first few chapters are not smooth, this book was written in French and translated into British. But once people start dying it moves right along, with an unconventional if not brilliant ending, a good read but not fantastic. Not as good as an Ian Rankin Inspector Rebus novel. It was entertaining to read but it did not leave me looking for more books by the same French author, a woman named Fred.

    2 out of 5 stars Have mercy by writing a better book next time............2006-01-26

    "Have Mercy..." is a so-so read. Very interesting background and history about plague, some different characters, a cute idea, i.e., a town crier, and some charming settings in urban, non-touristy Paris. But as a mystery, it fizzles. The ending is anti-climatic, too much plot detail is left until the very end, and some explanations, e.g. a three page letter from the mastermind, really stretch plausibility. I won't read more from from this author.

    5 out of 5 stars strong French police procedural thriller.......2005-10-25

    Over fourteen years ago, Joss Le Guern complained to the ship owner that the vessel he captained Nor'easter was unsafe. He was told he is to do his job or someone else will. The ship breaks apart; an angry Joss survives and breaks the leg of the owner. Joss is convicted of assault and battery and attempted murder; he spends nine months in prison and his sailing career is over.

    After spending the next seven years as a drunk, Joss becomes a Parisian town crier. For the past seven years, three times a day he collects messages from his box and calls out the news. However, the message he finds this time claims the Black Death is coming. He takes the note to Chief Inspector Adamsberg, who assumes a hoax is being played on the crier; that opinion changes when he and his subordinate Danglard notice "hex" signs used during the Middle Ages to ward off the disease appearing on doors and a corpse that displays the symptoms of the Plague. Adamsberg takes the threats seriously hoping to stop the Black Death from devastating Paris.

    HAVE MERCY ON US is a strong translation of a French police procedural thriller. Once Adamsberg realizes the biological terror is potentially real, the pace never slows down. Joss is a terrific character struggling as all whistleblowers seem to dio when they act courageously and challenge authority for behaving illegal or amoral, but in his case guilt leaves him a shadow of himself until now. Adamsberg and Danglard are terrific cops confronting a lethal unknown enemy with no time to spare. Fred Vargas writes a strong thriller that translates quite nicely into a one-sitting adrenalin read.

    Harriet Klausner

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