ROBERT B. PARKER'S THE BITTEREST PILL by Reed Farrel Coleman

Book design by Katy Riegel

To be published September 10, Coleman's sixth Jesse Stone continuation novel explores the opioid epidemic as Stone looks into the apparent overdose death of Paradise High School student Heather Mackey.

The third-person style Parker used in his Stone books lets Coleman present a detailed picture, including the families affected and the kind of people who prey on high school students and exploit addicts.

Coleman also effectively draws on the backstory he's written into the series to obscure a key suspect and raise Jesse's personal stake when the suppliers try to end his interference.

Four months ago, it was announced Coleman was leaving Parker publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons for Blackstone Publishing. As ever, I'm glad he put his stamp on Jesse Stone.

My thanks as always to Putnam's Katie McKee for the review copy.

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