Robert B. Parker's the Hangman's Sonnet - (Jesse Stone Novel) by Reed Farrel Coleman (Paperback)

About the Book

After an elderly woman dies and her house is ransacked, Stone investigates a connection between the thieves, folk singer Terry Jester, and the theft of a master tape of Jester's magnum opus, "The Hangman's Sonnet" more than 40 years ago. Tall Premium Edition.P. Putnam's Sons.

Book Synopsis

The stellar new novel in Robert B. Parker's New York Times bestselling series featuring Paradise police chief Jesse Stone.

Jesse Stone, still reeling from the murder of his fiancée by crazed assassin Mr. Peepers, must keep his emotions in check long enough to get through the wedding day of his loyal protégé, Suitcase Simpson. The morning of the wedding, Jesse learns that a gala 75th birthday party is to be held for folk singer Terry Jester. Jester, once the equal of Bob Dylan, has spent the last forty years in seclusion after the mysterious disappearance of the master recording tape of his magnum opus, The Hangman's Sonnet.

That same morning, an elderly Paradise woman dies while her house is being ransacked. What are the thieves looking for? And what's the connection to Terry Jester and the mysterious missing tape? Jesse's investigation is hampered by hostile politicians and a growing trail of blood and bodies, forcing him to solicit the help of mobster Vinnie Morris and a certain Boston area PI named Spenser. While the town fathers pressure him to avoid a PR nightmare, Jesse must connect the cases before the bodies pile up further.

Review Quotes

Praise for Robert B. Parker's The Hangman's Sonnet

"Heartfelt...Coleman balances plot and character perfectly."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Coleman's fourth Jesse Stone novel is easily his best. It features a clever plot and finds Jesse confronting some very real inner demons. Best of all, it brings together three of Robert B. Parker's much-loved characters. Must reading for Parker devotees."--Booklist (starred review)

Praise for Robert B. Parker's Debt to Pay

"Coleman, a three-time Shamus winner, crafts a suspenseful, clever thriller that moves at breakneck speed."--Booklist

"The characters are interesting, the dialogue is marvelous, and there's enough action to keep readers turning the pages until past midnight."--Lincoln Journal Star

"Coleman, a multiple award-winning author, admirably succeeds in capturing Parker's creative style, using crisp dialogue and short chapters to maintain the reader's attention....The talented author never falters."--Lansing State Journal

About the Author

Robert B. Parker was the author of seventy books, including the legendary Spenser detective series, the novels featuring Chief Jesse Stone, and the acclaimed Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch Westerns, as well as the Sunny Randall novels. Winner of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award and long considered the undisputed dean of American crime fiction, he died in January 2010.

Reed Farrel Coleman, author of the New York Times bestselling Robert B. Parker's Debt to Pay, has been called a "hard-boiled poet" by NPR's Maureen Corrigan and the "noir poet laureate" in The Huffington Post. He has published twenty-five previous novels, including nine books in the critically acclaimed Moe Prager series, and most recently, What You Break, featuring Gus Murphy. A three-time winner of the Shamus Award, he has also won the Anthony, Macavity, Barry, and Audie Awards. Coleman lives with his family on Long Island.