The murder of a notorious public figure places Paradise,
Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone in the harsh glare
of the media spotlight.
When the body of controversial talk-show host Walton Weeks
is discovered hanging from a tree on the outskirts of
Paradise, police chief Jesse Stone finds himself at the
center of a highly public case, forcing him to deal with
small-minded local officials and national media scrutiny.
When another dead body-that of a young woman-is discovered
just a few days later, the pressure becomes almost
unbearable.
Two victims in less than a week should provide a host of
clues, but all Jesse runs into are dead ends. But what may
be the most disturbing aspect of these murders is the fact
that no one seems to care-not a single one of Weeks's ex-
wives, not the family of the girl. And when the medical
examiner reveals a heartbreaking link between the two
departed souls, the mystery only deepens.
Despite Weeks's reputation and the girl's tender age, Jesse
is hard-pressed to find legitimate suspects. Though the
crimes are perhaps the most gruesome Jesse has ever
witnessed, it is the malevolence behind them that makes
them all the more frightening. Forced to delve into a world
of stormy relationships, Jesse soon comes to realize that
knowing whom he can trust is indeed a matter of life and
death.