MADreads

A world weary Magnum

July 21st, 2007 Ann M.

A couple of weeks ago, while channel surfing, I ran across a made-for-TV movie starring Magnum P. I. sans Hawaiian shirt and fancy red sports car.  Tom Selleck, looking somewhat older and much more stoic was portraying Jesse Stone, the police chief of a small New England town called in Sea Change.  Jesse is a guy with lots of problems.  He drinks too much, usually alone at night while listening to Brahms.  He’s hung up on his ex-wife, although he still attracts and dates lots of beautiful women.  And, he doesn’t talk much.  On the plus side, Jesse is a very good cop, and he has a very caring, human side that causes him to frequently bend the rules to help those in trouble.  Add to this a cast of quirky, small town characters and some very witty dialogue, and Sea Change made for quite an enjoyable two hours.

When I looked at the credits to see where the movie was filmed—the scenery was gorgeous—I was surprised to discover that the film was based on a book by Robert B. Parker.  A quick check of the library catalog revealed that Parker—a prodigious mystery writer also responsible for the Spenser novels—has written a series of six Jesse Stone mysteries.  I’ve since read two of them, and my husband and I listened to an audiobook of a third.

I’m not much of a fan of crime novels, but I found this series has plenty of character development, and just enough wit and grit to set it apart from the average “who done it”.  Because there’s so much dialog, the books are a quick, easy read—great to take along on vacation.

Entry Filed under: Mystery, Recreational Fiction