Robert B. Parker

A Hollywood movie is shooting in Paradise, Massachusetts. But for its leading starlet, Marisol Hinton, Paradise feels more like perdition. Terrorized by her meth-addicted ex, and increasingly frightened for her life, she has approached Police Chief Jesse Stone for help. Jesse already has his hands full - waging a war against a teenager whose reckless behaviour is endangering the local community, and juggling a series of complaints from Paradise citizens, aggrieved at being charged exorbitantly high fees by the town's water company. Never one to back down from a fight, Jesse throws himself into all three cases with his characteristic vigour. But what he doesn't realize is that those appearing the least dangerous will prove to be the most deadly.

Ellis Alves is a bad kid from the 'hood with a long record, but did he really murder Melissa Henderson, a white student from ritzy Pemberton College? Alves's former lawyers think he was framed, and they hire Spenser to uncover the truth......

After a busted marriage kicks his drinking problems into overdrive and the LAPD unceremoniously dump him, 35-year-old Jesse Stone's future looks bleak. He is shocked, however, when a small Massachusetts town called Paradise hires him as their police chief. Once on board he doesn't have to look for trouble in Paradise - it comes to him....

Stiles Island is a wealthy and exclusive enclave separated by a bridge from the Massachusetts coastal town of Paradise. A group of ex-cons plan to blow the bridge and loot the island, and Paradise police chief Jesse Stone has his hands full battling the ruthless gang of thieves along with his own personal demons....

Paradise, Massachusetts, is gearing up for the busy summer season when a spate of car thefts places its quiet, tourist-friendly reputation in jeopardy. Jesse Stone fears an automobile theft gang has set up shop in town, and the silver-tongued, heavy-handed police chief vows to put a stop to their activity. Almost as soon as he starts tackling this threat, another materializes: one of a more personal nature. An old enemy, hell-bent on revenge, is fresh out of prison. Thus begins a tale of proactive policing and personal paranoia, in which Stone finds himself defending himself, his patch and - before long - his latest squeeze. In Killing the Blues, Michael Brandman combines all of Parker's tried and tested ingredients to create a highly enjoyable and authentic Jesse Stone thriller.

""Carol Heiss: Olympic Queen"" is a biography written by Robert B. Parker that chronicles the life and career of figure skater Carol Heiss. Heiss, who won a gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, is widely regarded as one of the greatest figure skaters of all time. The book begins by tracing Heiss's childhood in New York and her early years as a skater, including her training under renowned coach Pierre Brunet. It then delves into her competitive career, highlighting her victories at the U. S. Figure Skating Championships and World Figure Skating Championships. The bulk of the book focuses on Heiss's journey to the 1960 Olympics, including her intense training regimen, her rivalry with fellow skater Sjoukje Dijkstra, and her eventual triumph on the ice. Parker also explores Heiss's life after the Olympics, including her decision to retire from skating and her subsequent career as a coach and television commentator. Throughout the book, Parker provides insight into Heiss's personal life, including her relationships with her family, friends, and fellow skaters. He also examines the broader cultural context of figure skating, discussing the sport's evolution over time and its place in American popular culture. Overall, ""Carol Heiss: Olympic Queen"" offers a comprehensive and engaging look at the life of one of figure skating's most legendary athletes. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Another extraordinary Spenser novel from the beloved New York Times-bestselling author. On location in Boston, bad-boy actor Jumbo Nelson is accused of the rape and murder of a young woman. From the start the case seems fishy, so the Boston PD calls on Spenser to investigate. The situation doesn't look good for Jumbo, whose appetites for food, booze, and sex are as outsized as his name. He was the studio's biggest star, but he's become their biggest liability. In the course of the investigation, Spenser encounters Jumbo's bodyguard: a young, former football-playing Native American named Zebulon Sixkill. Sixkill acts tough, but Spenser sees something more within the young man. Despite the odd circumstances, the two forge an unlikely alliance, with Spenser serving as mentor for Sixkill. As the case grows darker and secrets about both Jumbo and the dead girl come to light, it's Spenser--with Sixkill at his side--who must put things right.

RESOLUTION: The dust has yet to settle in the new frontier town. It's barely even a town: a general store, a handful of saloons and a run-down brothel for the workers at a nearby copper mine. No sheriff has been appointed, and gunslingers have taken control. Amid the chaos, itinerant lawman Everett Hitch has created a small haven of order at the Blackfoot Saloon. Charged with protecting the girls who work the back room, Hitch has seen off passing cowboys and violent punters - though it's his scheming boss, Amos Woolfson, who stirs up the most trouble. When a greedy mine owner threatens the local ranchers, Woolfson ends up at the centre of a makeshift war. Hitch knows only too well how to protect himself, but with the bloodshed mounting, he's relieved when his friend Virgil Cole rides into town. In a place where justice and order don't yet exist, Cole and Hitch must lay down the law - without violating their codes of honour, duty and friendship.

A girl has been found dead, seemingly strangled, in the hotel room of movie star Jumbo Nelson. Jumbo's lawyers want Spenser to find out whether Jumbo did it - not because they care either way, but because the knowledge will help them work out how to block his conviction. Jumbo is a sufficiently repulsive individual that Spenser finds it hard to contain his distaste. And then there is his bodyguard, Zebulon Sixkill, a Cree Indian who squandered his pro-football career thanks to an inability to control his temper, and turned his attentions to alcohol instead. Also involved in Jumbo's case for reasons that remain unclear is a cold-blooded assassin who just might be the most dangerous enemy Spenser has faced yet. But if he can persuade Sixkill to turn his life around, Spenser might just have the ally he needs...

Spenser had a simple job-protect an art scholar during a ransom exchange for a stolen painting. No one was supposed to die. But the scholar had secrets no one knew, and uncovering them will endanger Spenser as well.

A hunt for a stolen painting turns into a murder investigation for Spenser, Robert B. Parker's legendary private eye. Private Detective Spenser is on his easiest job yet. Art professor Ashton Prince has hired him to help recover a stolen painting. The thieves will return it in exchange for a ransom. All Spenser has to do is accompany Prince, just in case. And collect his fee. But, as Prince walks away from the exchange towards Spenser's car carrying the wrapped painting, it explodes. Prince is gone, and with him, Spenser's cash. Starting to investigate, Spenser discovers Prince's past is far from squeaky clean, but nothing warrants going to such unusual lengths to kill him. Who did it, and why?

Once, Appaloosa law was Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. Now it's Amos Callico, a vindictive, power-hungry tin star with bigger aims-and he could use Cole and Hitch on his side. This time the paid guns aren't for hire, which makes Callico a very vengeful man. But threatening Cole and Hitch ignites something just as dangerous.

A body has been found in the trunk of a Cadillac. Jesse's investigation takes him to the neighboring homes of two 'retired' gangsters. But it isn't the mobsters who fascinate Jesse - it's their wives: two completely identical twin sisters, who not even their husbands can tell apart. And when one of the mobsters is found with a bullet in his skull, Jesse is forced to start digging into the twins' past...

Family ties prove deadly in this brilliant Jesse Stone novel from New York Times bestselling author Robert B. Parker. The body in the trunk was just the beginning. Turns out the stiff was a foot soldier for local tough guy Reggie Galen, now enjoying a comfortable "retirement" with his beauti­ful wife, Rebecca, in the nicest part of Paradise. Living next door are Knocko Moynihan and his wife, Robbie, who also happens to be Rebecca's twin. But what initially appears to be a low-level mob hit takes on new meaning when a high-ranking crime figure is found dead on Paradise Beach. Stressed by the case, his failed relationship with his ex-wife, and his ongoing battle with the bottle, Jesse needs something to keep him from spinning out of control. When private investigator Sunny Randall comes into town on a case, she asks for Jesse's help. As their professional and personal relationships become intertwined, both Jesse and Sunny realize that they have much in common with both their victims and their suspects--and with each other.

Two of the finest early Spensers in a single volume - this is Classic Robert B. Parker. In the first novel, Promised Land, Harvey Shepard's wife has run away. Spenser has been hired to find her. A seemingly easy mission: go to Cape Cod, find the missing woman, then sit back and enjoy the sun. But it seems there is more to this case than meets the eye. Who are the shady figures Pam Shepard has been seen with? And why does Harvey keep showing up with bruises? Both Pam and Harvey are in over their heads, and soon Spenser will be too. In the second novel, Looking for Rachel Wallace, Spenser is hired to protect Rachel Wallace, the outspoken feminist. Left-wing lesbian meets muscles and machismo. Chalk meets cheese. It is not long before Rachel fires him. Then she disappears. Spenser feels it is his duty to save her. And once he has made up his mind then no bigot, Klansman, or family will get in his way. He will not stop until he finds Rachel Wallace.

The wives of Boston's wealthiest men have a mutual secret: they all had an affair with the same cad who's blackmailing them, and Spenser's been hired to stop him. But when the wives start dying one by one, Spenser's new case becomes murder.

New Mexico Territory, 1882: two itinerant lawmen walk their horses down the long, shale-scattered slope into the frontier town of Appaloosa. Below them, lies rancher Randall Braggs' new fiefdom. Ever since he gunned down Appaloosa's marshal, Braggs and his men have owned the town, stealing, beating, murdering with impunity - living off it like coyotes feeding off a dead buffalo carcass. Summoned by Appaloosa's oppressed aldermen, Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are here to restore the rule of law. They've done it before, they know what to do only too well: shoot quick, shoot clean, reload. But they aren't the only new arrivals in town. The enigmatic Mrs Allison French has stepped off the train with only a dollar to her name, a keen sense of survival and a good eye for a strong man. Finding one isn't going to a problem - Appaloosa is full of them: Cole, Bragg, Hitch. The problem is that Allie French isn't afraid to hedge her bets... and that Virgil Cole's heart isn't as steady as his gun hand. Appaloosa is an intelligent, emotionally profound novel, told in bone-clean prose wryly leavened with whip-sharp dialogue. It's deeply satisfying on four levels: one, it's a well-told historical adventure and a modern re-interpretation of a classic theme; two, it's an ode to unassailable friendship; three, it's a subtle love story between two profoundly flawed people; and four, the way Parker writes, you'd swear the pages turn themselves.