I like these movies. I like the ambling pace and dreary tone. Not mysteries. Just crime stories that don’t change the world and nobody ends up the better for the solving. I like the dirty characters. Everyone is ashamed. The acting is good but not great. The writing is better but not great. But i just enjoy the miasmic despair. I don’t know if there will be anymore now that Robert Parker is dead…but i hope so.
According to Wikipedia there is a new movie coming later this month so the series is still alive. And the last two haven’t been based on Parker novels so they aren’t going to let that hold them back.
I like these too, although there’s a bit of a tendency for the distinctive “voice” of the Stone character to bleed over into the dialogue of the others so they start to all sound like him. Still, good, atmospheric stuff.
They’re hiring people to keep writing the novels to carry on the legacy. I don’t imagine they’ll be great.
For people who want to give ‘Boston-based amateur sleuth’ a shot, you might try Steve Ulfelder’s Purgatory Chasm. It’s his first novel and is getting some great buzz. It’s a pretty fun read and he’s already got a sequel at the publisher. (Disclaimer: I know him, but don’t much like him. That said the book is great.)
I hate this trend. It would be nice if one author’s Estate valued respect over greed…
…+1