Jesse Stone is the chief of the Paradise, Massachusetts Police Department and the main character in the novel. Jesse is in his mid-forties and has been the police chief for seven years. Prior to taking the job in Paradise he was a police officer in Los Angeles. Jesse is a good cop - tough, smart, and capable - and is willing to follow the leads in the Florence Horvath murder case wherever they take him, no matter how horrible what he finds may be. He is also a compassionate and caring man, in tune with the needs of both his community and the officers in his department. Jesse is not afraid to bend and in some cases, break the rules in his pursuit of the truth. He also understands that he cannot do everything alone and relies on the help of others including Kelly Cruz, Captain Healy, and Molly Crane to solve Florence Horvath's murder.
