And it’s not hard to cheer for Stone as he unravels the mystery. Rather, the suspense comes from the “cat and mouse” game between Stone and his enemies. The suspense in the novel doesn’t come from trying to find out whodunit or even whydunit. Stone’s approach to solving the cases gives the novel a hint of the police procedural, but unlike some police procedurals, we know who the “bad guys” are fairly early on.
The town leaders don’t expect him to be as perceptive as he turns out to be, either. Professionally, Stone is organised, methodical but not slow, and intuitive. And yet those difficulties don’t keep Stone mired he gets on with his life.
On a personal level he fumbles his way through the rawness and pain of a recent divorce, as well as a “rebound” sort of relationship with Abby Taylor, the town’s legal advisor. He admits his weaknesses and in the end, simply does the best that he can. He is reflective and intelligent so he can see what his life has become. But Stone is refreshingly free of the wallowing and self-destructive behaviour that we see in so many novels. He is too heavy a drinker and he carries quite a lot of emotional baggage. Stone’s character is also an important element in the novel. There are other examples of irony in the novel too. On the other, he’s unable to reach out easily. On one hand, that protects him as he goes up against the town leaders and JoJo Genest. He keeps himself psychologically and emotionally distant from everyone. Stone trusts absolutely no-one, not even himself entirely.
Stone's an excellent cop and a formidable opponent, qualities that are damaging to his personal life. So he’s only too happy to make Stone’s life as miserable as possible and it’s not long before he starts to do just that. When Stone puts Genest in his place, so to speak, in front of Carole, Genest considers this a personal affront. He finds he must test his mettle and powers of command to emerge a local hero - or the deadest of dupes.What Stone expects to be an easy job soon turns out to be anything but a “cake walk.” For one thing, he soon earns the enmity of local thug JoJo Genest when Genest’s wife Carole calls the police with a complaint that Genest violated a restraining order. For what is on the surface a quiet New England community quickly proves to be a crucible of political and moral corruption - replete with triple homicide, tight Boston mob ties, flamboyantly errant spouses, maddened militiamen and a psychopath-about-town who has fixed his violent sights on the new lawman. Once on board he doesn't have to look for trouble in Paradise - it comes to him.
He is shocked, however, when a small Massachusetts town called Paradise hires him as their police chief. 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.
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