And We're Back

It’s been, as the kids say, a lot lately. I broke a tooth clean in half. (“I’m surprised you’re not screaming,” the dentist said.) Got a staph infection (the less said about that, the better). Wrestled with my insurance company, which fled California due to climate change. (“Who are you again?” my former insurance agent said.)

And I’ve been to so many memorials this year that my wedding suit has become my funeral suit. I do not care for that at all.

But now that we’re well into summer, I’m starting to remember how lucky I am. The words are coming back into focus on the pages in front of me, and I’m counting my blessings that my problems can be solved by the proper application of time and effort and money. There are things we face that can’t be fixed. Everything else is negotiable.

I do have some good news, even if it’s old news to anyone who follows my social media. I was fortunate enough to be selected by the Estate of Robert B. Parker to continue the stories of his character, Paradise Chief of Police Jesse Stone, in Buried Secrets. It’s due out February 4, 2025 and it’s available for preorder now .

Here’s the jacket copy:

Police Chief Jesse Stone investigates the mystery behind a dead body found strewn with photos of murder victims and placed on top of $2 million in cash, before a mob of hit men converge on Paradise.

Just another day in Paradise . . . 

Chief of Police Jesse Stone is on his way home from a long shift when a call comes in for a welfare check on an elderly resident of the wealthy seaside town of Paradise, Massachusetts. Inside a house packed with junk and trash is a man’s dead body. It’s a sad, lonely end, but nothing criminal . . . until Jesse finds the photos of murder victims strewn around the corpse, on top of a treasure trove of $2 million in cash.

Jesse takes on the case and finds a trail leading to an aging mobster who will do whatever it takes to keep the past from coming to light. Before long, Jesse has a price on his head as hit men converge on Paradise to take back the cash and destroy any remaining evidence. But the real danger might be coming from inside his own department. Jesse Stone must unearth the truth buried under the wreckage of a dead man’s life . . . before he winds up in the ground himself.

I’ve been reading Parker since I was in high school, so this was a true honor. I tried my best to live up to his legacy, and I hope you’ll read it and tell me how I did.

I’ve also had my friend Chris Seale update my website and drag it into the 21st Century (now with 89 percent more shameless self-promotion). You can check it out, and if you need someone to do the same for you, drop Chris a line.

FRIENDS AND WELL-WISHERS

Not that she needs my helping hyping it, but my fellow school parent (and Top Chef champion) Brooke Williamson has finally written the cookbook she was threatening years ago as our kids splashed in a pool at an end-of-the-year party. I’m glad to see it will be out there in the world, and more people can experience Brooke’s artistry for themselves. You can preorder Sun-Kissed Cooking now.

That’s it for now. I’m off to Comic-Con tomorrow. Take care of yourselves, and as always, thank you for reading.