I have wanted to read the Jesse Stone books, since I love the movies...and Tom Selleck. Will definitely pick one up at the library.
I hope you do. I think the books are better after seeing Tom Selleck in the role. In the books, Jesse is much younger and, somehow, for me, that doesn't fit as well. But when I saw Selleck, it added a dimension of maturity and all came together better than before. Selleck owns the character and now it is he I see when I read the novels.
I'm envious of the rhythm of Parker's dialog and his ability to reveal multi-level characters and unveil a complex plot using such spareness and simplicity of prose.
He makes Hemingway look like a chatterbox. (Somebody wrote that somewhere and I'm stealing it.)
If you can, read them in order so you can enjoy watching the characters develop.