ROBERT B. PARKER'S BURIED SECRETS

4 stars out of 5

This is, I believe, the author's first go-round at continuing the legacy of the late Robert B. Parker's popular series featuring Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone - a complex character if there ever was one. And although Jesse's darker moment return to the forefront more often in this one, it definitely has the Parker "vibe." For those who keep count, this is the 22nd installment in the series.

It begins as Deputy Chief Molly Crane, Jesse's friend and protector and no-nonsense advice-giver, asks Jesse to make a welfare check on an elderly resident. The department is short on staff for several reasons, so Jesse draws the short straw. What he finds is a dead body - but only by following the smell; the man was a serious horder, and wading through his collection is a daunting task. On the way in, he met a "concerned friend," Matthew Peebles - who mysteriously disappeared by the time Jesse came back out.

Jesse and his deputy, Luther "Suitcase" Simpson, find a ton of revealing photos (by accident), suggesting that the dead man may not have been an upstanding citizen. On top of that (more accurately, closer to the bottom), they find a cool $2 million in cash. It's a puzzlement, at least till the department's discoveries become known - attracting unwanted attention from hitmen for hire who really don't want the world to learn their secrets. They'll do whatever it takes to put the kabosh on those photos and get their hands on the money - and since Jesse and his department are standing in their way, well...

On top of all that, Jesse must deal with a new hire named Derek Tate, a total jerk who thinks his police officer status gives him the right to bully anyone who crosses his path. This storyline was to me a bit of a stretch, in fact; even though Jesse may feel sorry for him and believe in second chances, the guy is way off the rails and there's no way he'd have lasted more than a day and a half under the Jesse I've come to know and love.

The hitmen, though, do pose a serious risk, and even Jesse is concerned - as he should be. Unbeknownst to Jesse, a couple of them have decided to hold hands long enough to take Jesse out, destroy the evidence and grab the money. Will they be successful, or do Jesse and his team have some counter-measures up their sleeves? Well, you'll just have to read it to find out. I sure did - taking the last handful of chapters to bed with me to finish because I couldn't wait till morning. Good one - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Robert B. Parker's Buried Secrets by Christopher Farnsworth (G.P. Putnam's Sons, February 2025); 352 pp.