Shelley Civkin Richmond Public Library

Prolific Parker falls short

Long have I been a devoted fan of Robert B. Parker, but his newest installment in the Jesse Stone series, Sea Change, is just not up to snuff.

Perhaps that wasn’t the greatest choice of words, given that the premise of the story is finding out who snuffed Florence Horvath.

But let me backtrack. It’s more than a little ironic that the Massachusetts town that entrusts its safety to police chief Jesse Stone, is called Paradise. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

So it’s race week in Paradise and what washes up on shore but the badly decomposed body of a woman. Finding out her identity is the first task, and then uncovering a ring of perverts who sexually exploit young girls is next on Jesse’s to-do list. The underlying message of the story is that filthy rich people have way too much time on their hands and end up falling prey to...well, let’s just say, ugly habits.

It turns out that Florence was an ultra-rich divorcee who happened to like kinky sex (Read: understatement of the year). So did her younger sisters, the tanned, sleazy twins named Corliss and Claudia. The boat that’s tied to Florence’s death is a yacht called the Lady Jane, but nothing could be less ladylike than the goings-on in this boat.

And big surprise...no one on board the boat is talking—probably because they’re too drunk or stoned to put a sentence together. Or could they be willing accomplices? You think?

As the seamy sex-filled mystery weaves its ugly way towards Florence’s parents, things get even weirder. The father is a zombie who acts like he’s on another planet, and the mother just keeps herself well lubricated with booze, to block out the pain and humiliation. A really lovely couple.

In short, the thinly plotted story is mostly concerned with sex, boats and twisted relationships. Parker does, however, manage to keep the reader hooked with his trademark dialogue—that clipped, clever banter found in every Spenser and Hawk novel. Not that the dialogue redeems the book, because it doesn’t. But at least it provides a diversion, while all the sick shenanigans are going on.

It would appear that Parker is becoming way too comfortable with his success, and is getting sloppy and bored. Loose ends are tied up much too quickly and easily, and the characters couldn’t get any more one-dimensional.

I especially found the ending ridiculous, where Jenn (Jesse’s ex-wife with whom he is trying to reconcile) almost encourages Jesse (an on-the-wagon alcoholic) to have a drink. Way to go, Jenn! Great role model!

This one falls short of even modestly successful Parker novels. But because he’s Parker, I read him, and I’m sure others will too. Just be forewarned that this one contains a lot of sex. Some might like it, some might not. You decide.

Shelley J. Civkin is the Communications Officer at the Richmond Public Library. For other popular reading suggestions, check out Richmond Public Library's Web site at www.yourlibrary.ca/goodbooks.