You either like Jesse Stone or you don't. Yes he does drink a lot and has problems with his love life, but that what makes him Jesse. You don't need to start with the first book in the series to understand this book. I would reccomend you read them all.

There's no way any crime fiction fan suffers in reading a Spenser novel. Along with Hawk, they are two tough dudes and their adventures are exciting and very well-written. But, writers like Parker must tire of the same characters so they invent another who is not nearly as entertaining. Jesse Stone is one, though Parker does score points for concise language and brevity. Not a lot of moralizing, even if we do get to read about spousal issues of Stone and Randall. The plot moves and zips along like all of Parker's books and is entertaining if I constantly asked "where's Spenser?"
Ron Lealos author of Don't Mean Nuthin'

Anyone who gave this tedious tripe more then one star was reading a different book. To say this book, really a padded short story is a waste a time is to be overly generous. Parker's absolute disregard of his reader's loyalty is criminal.

I won't bore you with a outline of the story, just recommend that if you pick up this book, gently put it down back away slowly and then run as far a fast as you can to someone worth reading like Charlie Stella or Brett Battles.

When a bullet-ridden body is found hanging from a tree in a public park in Paradise, Massachusetts, Police Chief Jesse Stone is called in to investigate the death. When he finds out the body is that of controversial talk show host Walter Weeks and that there was a second murder of someone close to Weeks, Jesse wants to solve the case quickly before the national media gets too much involved. He is also trying to help his ex-wife, Jenn, who claims she was raped. Jesse has plenty of suspects in the Weeks case and as he struggles to untangle the messy case he is also trying to untangle the messy relationship he has with Jenn and wonders just what his relationship with Sunny Randall is.

Although I usually enjoy reading Robert Parker's books, "High Profile" just didn't do it for me. All of his usual elements are in the book - his pitch perfect depiction of Boston and a story driven mostly by witty dialogue (if only I could think up comebacks as quickly as each character in the book does). The mystery aspects are okay - the plot of who killed the victims and why is interesting but not developed enough. Instead, most of the book is about Jesse and his complicated relationship not only with his ex-wife Jenn but Sunny Randall. Jesse spends way too much time dwelling over his relationship with Jenn and far too little time investigating the case. This might have been forgivable except for the fact that Jenn is one of the most unlikable characters I've come across in a book and it is hard to understand why Jesse is continually drawn to her. Sunny's character isn't much better as she is involved in a similarly conflicted relationship with her ex-husband Richie. Finally, when Parker does get back to the mystery of Weeks murder, while there are some nice plot twists, the scene where Jesse confronts the murderer ends in a totally unbelievable way.

"High Profile" is not one of Robert Parker's better books.

If you like Jesse Stone, you'll like this book. I like including Sunny Randall and mixing her with Jen. The story line doesn't tax you brain, but it is a quick enjoyable read.