Fool Me Twice by Michael Brandman

Michael Brandman took over the Jesse Stone series after the death of Robert Parker. And while it's nice to check in with these familiar characters, the series is not quite the same as written by its new author. Brandman seems to have confused the frequently melancholy Jesse Stone with the wisecracking Spenser (from that other series by Robert Parker). The plots in Fool Me Twice were interesting: A self-absorbed actress comes to Paradise to film a movie and escape her abusive husband. Someone is messing with the water bills of the good citizens of Paradise. And Jesse tries to help a bratty teenage girl with even brattier parents. But even though I enjoyed the stories, the tone is off. Jesse is entirely too jovial. It's hard to believe this is the same character who had a real drinking problem and was obsessed with his (annoying) ex-wife.