ROBERT B. PARKER'S BIG SHOT

4 stars out of 5

This is the author’s second shot at the series, and from the chair I sat in while reading, he’s doing a pretty darn good job. It’s always fun to see small-town Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone give a few bad guys (and slimy local politicians) their comeuppance, and he does it in spades in this one.

Ever since he became the police chief in the wealth-invested community of Paradise, former alcoholic Jesse Stone has bumped heads with the best of ‘em; not a few community leaders, including the town mayor, have done their best to get him fired – or make him so mad at them that he’ll quit on his own. That’s an ongoing theme throughout much of the series, but this time out, Jesse takes on a new opponent: ultra-wealthy Ramsey Devlin, who’s built a honker of a home (most will say a total eyesore) in Paradise who recently was acquitted of fraud under federal law – think Bernie Madoff times at least two. Construction of his new home clearly violates community standards, if not most of the local zoning laws, but he appears to have greased the palms of the “right” people to git ‘er done – most notably, perhaps, the mayor of Paradise, who’s never exactly been a Jesse fan.

Right off the bat, Jesse clashes with Ramsey, both by way of a physical altercation and letting him know in no uncertain terms his money doesn’t put him above the law. Needless to say, getting knocked on his kiester doesn’t (ahem) sit well with Ramsey, who makes it his mission to get even. Still another wedge comes between the two when Ramsey’s like-father-like-son kid bullies the son of Jesse’s current main squeeze and ER doctor, Rachel Lowenthal.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Jesse, a herd of drug dealers and pushers are making their way from Florida to Paradise. The reason isn’t clear – until it is. Before they hit the town limits, though, rich guy Ramsey disappears, leaving a boatload of blood on his home office floor that’s (oops!) discovered by Jesse. Suddenly, Jesse finds himself at the center of a suspected murder once again – but this time as the prime suspect.

How will it all work out? Is this the end of Jesse’s long career in law enforcement? All I can reveal is that the investigation heats up pretty fast, and readers have the pleasure of being in on the action as it unfolds. It’s another engaging and entertaining adventure, and I’m delighted to be one of those readers by way of a pre-release copy in exchange for an honest review. Good job!

Robert B. Parker’s Big Shot by Christopher Farnsworth (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, February 2026); 320 pp.