Jesse is trying to get himself back into the swing of things after his divorce. This is complicated by the fact that his ex-wife, Jenn, has followed him across the United States from Los Angeles. Though Jesse has been seeing other women and Jenn other men, they are still drawn to each other and always seem to end up back together.

One of the women Jesse has been seeing, Marcy Campbell, a realtor on the exclusive enclave, Stiles Island, has been showing some land to a new couple, the Smiths. Jesse, always the cop, becomes a bit suspicious of them, but can’t quite put his finger on why. While he solves a local arson case, he keeps his eyes and ears open.

What Jesse doesn’t know is that ex-con Jimmy Macklin and his girlfriend Fay have been posing as the wealthy couple while he scopes out Stiles Island and assembles a cast of the usual suspects to pull off “the mother of all stick-ups” on Stiles Island. The island is connected to the mainland only by a bridge, that also carries the cables the island needs for electricity, phone service, etc. Jimmy gathers together a captain to drive the getaway boat, a demolition expert and a stone-hard killer, an Apache named Crow. Again, in Parker’s eminent style, each of these men is also a fascinating character. The assembly of the players and the planning of the heist are Jimmy’s fortes. Unfortunately, none of Jimmy’s carefully laid plans included a tough cop from a sleepy town.

Trouble in Paradise is a great story with a great hero and great supporting characters. The short, taut chapters make this a fast-paced, exciting book. The chapters alternate between Jimmy assembling his crew and Jesse keeping the peace in Paradise.

Chief Stone may drink a little too much, like women a little too much and might be too rough on teenage suspects from time to time, but when called on in the tensest situations, he delivers. Stone’s fellow cops, Molly and Suitcase, while not completely developed, are emerging as loyal and interesting sidekicks. For all Spenser fans, this series is a must read. Jesse is a fascinating, complex man who is rapidly becoming as familiar as Spencer to all Parker fans.

----Jennifer Monahan Winberry