The stellar new novel in Robert B. Parker's New York Times bestselling series featuring Paradise police chief Jesse Stone. Jesse Stone, still reeling from the murder of his fiancée by crazed assassin Mr. Peepers, must keep his emotions in check long enough to get through the wedding day of his loyal protégé, Suitcase Simpson. The morning of the wedding, Jesse learns that a gala 75th birthday party is to be held for folk singer Terry Jester. Jester, once the equal of Bob Dylan, has spent the last forty years in seclusion after the mysterious disappearance of the master recording tape of his magnum opus, The Hangman's Sonnet . That same morning, an elderly Paradise woman dies while her house is being ransacked. What are the thieves looking for? And what's the connection to Terry Jester and the mysterious missing tape? Jesse's investigation is hampered by hostile politicians and a growing trail of blood and bodies, forcing him to solicit the help of mobster Vinnie Morris and a certain Boston area PI named Spenser. While the town fathers pressure him to avoid a PR nightmare, Jesse must connect the cases before the bodies pile up further. Praise for Robert B. Parker’s The Hangman’s Sonnet   “Heartfelt...Coleman balances plot and character perfectly.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Coleman’s fourth Jesse Stone novel is easily his best. It features a clever plot and finds Jesse confronting some very real inner demons. Best of all, it brings together three of Robert B. Parker's much-loved characters. Must reading for Parker devotees.”— Booklist (starred review) Praise for Robert B. Parker's Debt to Pay “Coleman, a three-time Shamus winner, crafts a suspenseful, clever thriller that moves at breakneck speed.”— Booklist “The characters are interesting, the dialogue is marvelous, and there's enough action to keep readers turning the pages until past midnight.”— Lincoln Journal Star “Coleman, a multiple award-winning author, admirably succeeds in capturing Parker's creative style, using crisp dialogue and short chapters to maintain the reader's attention....The talented author never falters.”— Lansing State Journal Robert B. Parker was the author of seventy books, including the legendary Spenser detective series, the novels featuring Chief Jesse Stone, and the acclaimed Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch Westerns, as well as the Sunny Randall novels. Winner of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award and long considered the undisputed dean of American crime fiction, he died in January 2010. Reed Farrel Coleman , author of the New York Times bestselling Robert B. Parker's Debt to Pay , has been called a "hard-boiled poet" by NPR's Maureen Corrigan and the "noir poet laureate" in The Huffington Post . He has published twenty-five previous novels, including nine books in the critically acclaimed Moe Prager series, and most recently, What You Break , featuring Gus Murphy. A three-time winner of the Shamus Award, he has also won the Anthony, Macavity, Barry, and Audie Awards. Coleman lives with his family on Long Island. 1 Fully sober for the first time in weeks, Jesse Stone was pounding the ball into the worn pocket of his old glove. As he slammed the ball into the glove over and over again, he stared out his office window at Stiles Island and the morning sunlight reflecting off the dark blue waters surrounding it. He was trying to steady his hands and empty his mind. Some men prayed the rosary. Some meditated. He wasn't one to overthink things. At least he hadn't been until Mr. Peepers had shot Suit. Jesse could trace his self-doubt and second-guessing back to that bloody day. How many times in the last few months had he traced a jagged red line from the day Suit was wounded to the day Diana was killed? How many times had he rehashed the events between those two incidents, questioning his decisions? And today those questions rang in Jesse's ears as loudly as they ever had. "Jesse," Alisha said, sticking her head through his office door. "I didn't expect you in today, with Suit's wedding and all." He didn't turn around but stopped pounding the ball. "Just making sure things are in place, with most of us scheduled to be at the wedding." The truth was that he hadn't slept more than a few hours last night, nor did he want to be alone in his house with his memories and doubts. "We'll be fine. Nice tux," she said, noting Jesse's outfit hanging from his coatrack. "Thanks." He turned slightly, smiled. "What did you come in here for, anyway?" "Since you're in, there are some people here to see you. Should I send them in?" He cursed under his breath. He was desperate for a drink but was duty-bound to stay straight for the rest of the day. "Who?" "Roger Bascom." "Send him in." "He's not alone. He's got two other people with him." "What two other people?" he asked, his voice edgy, impatient. Alisha shrugged. "Bascom didn't bother introducing them, but one of them is