Night Passage

Night Passage
by Robert B. Parker
322 pages

Night Passage is the first book in the Jesse Stone series.  Jesse Stone is a recently divorced alcoholic who recently lost his job as a homicide detective in Los Angeles due to his drinking problem.  He is hired to become the new police chief in a small town in Massachusetts called Paradise.  He thinks this will be an easy job, but he soon learns that things in this town are not as perfect as they may seem, and it's up to him to put the town back on course.

Overall, I liked this book.  Jesse is a likeable character, even if he is a little flawed.  It was a very quick read for me, mainly because Parker does not waste words on flowery descriptions.  I thought the plot wrapped up nicely, but I am curious to find out what happens in Jesse's love life, so I will probably read the next book at some point.