As I understand it, the "Sunny Randall" series originally began as a screenplay by Robert B. Parker and his wife, Joan. Helen Hunt expressed an interest in playing the role, but nothing ever came of it, so Mr. Parker turned the screenplay into a novel and thus the series began. Having been with the novels since the beginning, I have to admit that I've never been able to picture Ms. Hunt as Sunny Randall. It simply wouldn't register. Now, if Ashley Judd played the role, no problem. I could certainly see her pulling the trigger without hesitation on some thug who was threatening her life. What does this have to do with the price of eggs in China? Nothing. The thing though is that in the newest "Sunny Randall" novel, Blue Screen, she begins a romantic relationship with Paradise's Chief of Police, Jesse Stone. Tom Selleck plays Jesse Stone in the TV movies, and this is going to continue for the next few years. At least I certainly hope so. The problem is that I can't see Mr. Selleck falling in love with Helen Hunt. I could see it happening with Ashley Judd, but not Ms. Hunt. So, if Mr. Selleck ever reads this review, I hope he'll take my suggestion to mind and see if Ms. Judd could be enticed to play Sunny Randall when the time comes.
In Blue Screen, our favorite female P.I. is hired by movie producer, Buddy Bollen to protect his main squeeze and starlet, Erin Flint. Erin has starred in four of Buddy's C-grade pictures, but has made a lot of money for him in the process. Now, Buddy wants to use Erin's talent as an athlete to promote his new major league baseball team, the Connecticut Nugmegs. Her star power will bring in the much-needed attention to the team and increase its value for resell. Since no woman has ever played on a major league baseball team before, Erin is fearful of being attacked by those who might be against the idea. It's Sunny's job to see that nothing happens to her. The only problem is that Erin's sister, Misty Tyler, is murdered on Bollen's Paradise estate. Erin feels that her sister was killed my mistake and that the murderer was really after her. Once Jesse Stone comes into the picture to investigate the murder, he and Sunny start working together to try and solve the crime and to make sure that Erin isn't next. This will bring both of them in touch with the Boston mob and with a prostitution ring in Los Angeles. What Jesse and Sunny don't expect is that they will gradually fall in love with each other as the case progresses. Both of them have a lot of emotional baggage to deal with that concerns their ex-husbands and ex-wives, not to mention Jesse's drinking. Solving the murder of Misty Tyler will be the least of their problems as they try to understand what's happening between them and what to do about it.
I loved Blue Screen and have to consider it the best of the five novels in the series. A lot of my enjoyment came from Jesse Stone appearing in the book and his unexpected relationship with Sunny Randall. As I'd just finished reading Sea Change and thought that Jesse and his ex-wife, Jenn, were finally working things out, I was totally surprised by this turn of events. I also found myself caught up in the plot of the novel. I enjoyed the trips to Los Angeles and the introduction of Jesse's old boss from the LAPD, the background investigation into Erin and Misty's past, the relationship between Sunny and her ex-husband's uncle, Felix Burke, the opportunity for Sunny's gay friend, Spike, to do his strong-arm stuff against a Boston thug, and the interaction of characters from the "Spenser" and "Jesse Stone" novels with Sunny. Now, if only Mr. Parker would bring Sunny, Jesse, and Spenser together in one novel. Boy, would that be something! I can see all three of them becoming close friends. As I've stated before in other reviews, there are few authors that can write dialogue as good as Robert Parker. He makes it seem so simple, but it actually comes from thirty years of learning his craft as a writer. His stories are always fast and never boring. I'm never disappointed with anything Mr. Parker writes, and it's always with avid anticipation that I await for his next book to come out. Fortunately, for me, the next "Jesse Stone" novel will be out in another month or so. I call that a late Christmas present!! I hope that Jesse and Sunny continue their relationship with each other.
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