ROBERT B. PARKER'S COLORBLIND

5 stars out of 5

If I'm honest, although I very much enjoyed the other books by this author, who took over the series after the death of Robert B. Parker, they never quite measured up to the originals. This one, in which Paradise Police Chief Jesse Stone returns to his job after a couple of months in rehab, doesn't read like "classic" Jesse either. Rather, it does something that seems perfect to me after all these years: brings major changes to Jesse's life including a persona that seems a bit different (not the least of which is that he sometimes speaks in full sentences). It's also a great story that held my interest throughout; so if I'm right that this book signals the beginning of a new Jesse, I'm all for it.

Jesse also has left his former home and moved to a condo, removed the bottle of booze from the bottom drawer of his desk at work, hired a newbie cop named Alisha and started going to AA meetings (the latter albeit reluctantly). Talk about a fresh start! Soon, he lands in the middle of a new case as well - the vicious beating and rape of a black woman. The M.O. reminds Jesse of a similar murder years earlier, and suspicions are that there's a connection to the Saviors of Society, who may be attacking interracial couples. Just what the normally peaceful town of Paradise needs.

And then, the almost unthinkable happens: Alisha is accused of murdering an unarmed man - the son of the Saviors leader, no less. Despite the damning evidence against her, Jesse smells a rat and isn't willing to believe she's guilty as charged. Proving that, however, won't be easy; he'll need to garner all his notable investigative skills - and some help from friends - if he's to get to the bottom of what really happened before the Saviors take their demand for "justice" into their own hands.

As all this is happening, Jesse continues to have mixed feelings about sobriety and meets a young man named Cole who, let's say, isn't fond of authority. Feeling some kind of connection, Jesse tries his best to help Cole (or at least keep him out of serious trouble). But will the kid be worth the effort? Maybe, maybe not; I'll never tell!

I will, however, be looking forward to the next chapter in Jesse's new life. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance review copy of this one. 

Robert B. Parker's Colorblind by Reed Farrel Coleman (G.P. Putnam's Sons, September 2018); 368 pp.