High Profile, the latest in a series of murder mysteries by prolific Boston author Robert Parker, finds Paradise MA chief of police Jesse Stone confronted with the gruesome death of a popular political talk show host and his latest girlfriend. That the host, Walter Weeks, has been married three times, is currently married, and is a notorious womanizer only adds to the long list of suspects.
Jesse Stone is an unlikely small-town chief of police. He fled east when he was fired as an LAPD detective due to his drinking. A clever and insightful criminalist, he still struggles with alcohol and with his feelings for his ex-wife, who followed him east seemingly just to torture him.
As Stone and his staff investigate the murders, they find more and more layers of secrets and messy relationships, some of which strike a "too-close-to-home" chord with Stone. The more they learn about the victims and those people closest to them, the more likely it seems that this was a crime of passion. But whose passion? There seems to be no lack of likely suspects?
High Profile is an enjoyable novel in the short-chapter, lots of white space style of James Patterson. Still, the characters are likeable enough and the plot is sound. I can't help leaving this type of mystery novel, though, without wanting a little more substance.
Robert Parker is the author of over 50 mystery novels. He is best known for his "Spenser for Hire" novels, the basis for the 1990s television series. High Profile is the sixth in his Jesse Stone series. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.