Robert
B. Parker’s Blind Spot penned by veteran author Reed Farrell
Coleman is a really good read…it is however, not a Robert B. Parker, Jesse
Stone book. Parker’s one time major league prospect shortstop turned Paradise Massachusetts
police chief, Jesse Stone gets an invite to a reunion of his former Triple-A
team; pulled together by a teammate who made it to the Show. Thus starts a tale
of twisted and intersecting pasts and paths.
The late Robert B. Parker who created the Stone
character along with the likes of his stalwart P I, Spenser, was a master of
dialog; the interactions of his memorable characters and their comfortable as
an old shoe banter was what made the stories he wove truly shine. Based on this
outing, I can’t say the same holds true for Mr. Coleman.
Blind
Spot is a much more story driven approach to things with the
familiar characters coming of as much more stilted and forced and not near as
they were originally drawn. Stone’s battle with the bottle comes off like it
came straight from a How to Identify an Alcoholic Handbook; does Stone have a
problem? Probably, but Coleman gives Stones taste for and pursuit of Johnnie
Walker Black Label come off a bit like a caricature of a lush.
While it may not measure up for Parker fans, I did find
Coleman’s story to be a good one; more than a few former Major Leaguers having
checkered post retirement careers in the financial services industry and ending
up in the gray bar hotel. This outing intrigued me enough to have me track down
a few of 20 books Coleman has authored.
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