Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise

With a world hell bent on watching reality TV, the Jesse Stone stories are fiction that is like watching reality. The simplicity of the story makes it believable, and the simplicity of the characters make them believable. The characters have flaws and "character" but like the story, they aren't so complex as to "make you think" - but rather to make you sit back, take it in and enjoy watching the story unfold. Some may say the story is predictable, yet these have never been big plot twist "M. Night" movies. It helps a little to have seen the previous stories so you know some of the history of the characters, but I am sure you can enjoy it simply by seeing that some of the people already know one another, with small reminders of how. You will sit back and wish all policing could be done the Jesse Stone way - with respect, and a gentle but firm hand, and wish we could live in such a simple world. Jesse is a nice man, his dog is nice and the story is nice. Its the cop show you can watch with your grandmother.

I wasn't sure Hallmark could pull off a non-censored Jesse Stone (the ones repeated from CBS had the occasional editing), but they did. The story was unhurried, but that is to be expected of all the Jesse Stone tales. Tom Selleck and the Brandmans have continued the themes started years ago by Robert Parker. Tom Selleck is still at his best, and the supporting characters are great. And Steve (Ned the Dog) was wonderful. I'm really glad to have Jesse Stone back. We folks who don't fit the commercial demographic (we're the ones that like Longmire, too) still like quality television. But I also hope the producers get hold of a couple of the other Jesse Stone books, as they would make great episodes.

Tom Selleck took some time away from Blue Bloods to return to playing a different kind of cop in Jesse Stone: Lost In Paradise. Selleck is on some vacation time and Leslie Hope from the state police homicide squad asks him to look into a murder in his jurisdiction, but to report to her.

Serial killer Luke Perry has the killing of 3 Boston area prostitutes to his account, but has refused to take credit for the fourth killing where the forensics are a match.

Selleck and Perry have a couple of scenes with him questioning the incarcerated Perry who will make your skin crawl in a Hannibal the Cannibal like fashion. Other than the climax these scenes are the acting highlight of the film.

If in fact the forensics match and what Perry says is true, there's only one explanation and its a conclusion that Selleck dreads to arrive at. You'll figure it out early on as well so it won't be that much of a mystery.

There's a whole big difference in playing the brooding loner Jesse Stone and the patriarch of a law enforcement family like the Reagans in Blue Bloods. But that shows Selleck the actor is more than just good.

Nice to see Tom Selleck back as Jesse Stone. Hope there will be more of these in our future.

Unlike the first reviewer, I felt the introspection and inner struggles portrayed by the plot through Tom Sellect were brilliant and compelling. The sub-plots with the dog, Steve, and the troubled young girl were engaging and poignant, adding much to deepen the characterization of Jesse and the overall enjoyment of the movie. I seldom rate movies above 6/10 but this is one of my favorite Jesse Stone movies, perhaps my top favorite, and it sits very high in my all-time movie ratings.

I'm very anxious to see if this quality and depth of character can prevail throughout the next 7 movies, which I absolutely will be sure to watch.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and Tom Selleck's talent for writing and acting is superb!!

I enjoyed all 9 movies. I have all 9. I understand they maybe a 10th in the making. I hope so. Much better than most of the garbage on TV today